AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
So . . . a question. Can a pipe be "wet"? Allow me to explain . . .
Put two bowls through my new calabash pipe last yesterday. I was somewhat surprised that both bowls ended up with thick "resin-like" cake on the walls of the bowl. A finger swiped round the inside came away coated in what looked like black ink. Both times, to slightly varying degrees. I chalked this up to not allowing the aromatic blends smoked to dry much, if at all, before smoking them, and thought little more of it. Just now, I finished another bowl of aromatic in the same pipe and, again, a very thick residue showed up on the pipe cleaner I ran round the inside of the bowl, and I noticed a "wet" spot at the bottom. This time, the tobacco has been sitting in a non-airtight tin for a couple of days, so it cannot still be too moist, can it?
There was a distinct gurgle towards the end of the bowl, but only once. I am just wondering if it's possible for a pipe design to actually collect/cause moisture, or if it is more just the nature of aromatics to require significant drying before use.
Even with drying, you'll find Cavendish heavy aromatics to smoke dirtier and wetter than other blends. Also, every new briar I've smoked tends to smoke a little wetter than when it's broken in. The cake that you haven't built yet will take care of some of it, drying the tobacco will take care of some more, but it will never be eliminated completely with a Cavendish blend.