Pipe screens, activated carbon and you.

[Kentos]

So after seeing this year's LE I jumped over to Paul's website to check out what other pipes he had for sale. While I was there I stumbled on a technique for pipe smoking that I vaguely remember hearing about before. What caught my interest was the promise of cool, dry, flavorful smokes.

I wasn't sure if it was a joke or if he was serious, but for a few dollars for the screens and carbon, I had to try it.

I am 2 smokes in. The first was in an eBay estate pipe that gurgled no matter what I did, and would reward me with pipe juice if I tilted my head back while clenched. This time the pipe never gurgled and I was able to smoke it down to ash without the usual wet dottle taste I would get. The smoke still seemed a tad warm and humid, however a huge improvement over previous smokes.
The other smoke was today in my radiator pipe. "Don't Radiator pipes already smoke dry?" you may ask. And you may...and while they do smoke dry the tobacco in the bottom of the bowl still gets wet. Smoking fresh FMotB with my technique rendered the last 1/4 bowl or so almost too wet to light.

I had to cut the radiator smoke short, but emptying the bowl of its HOtW revealed dry tobacco inside.

As far as the smoke being flavorful, I really can't say. As a novice smoker my taste buds are pretty numb to the nuances of tobacco. I will say tho, that I am so far pleased with the results so far. The smoke is far from flavorless and the lack of condensation is great.

So what is the technique? In a nutshell a very small amount of activated carbon is placed in the pipe prior to packing, with a pipe screen at the bottom to prevent the granules from getting up the stem. The carbon seems to absorb all the condensation from the burning of the tobacco, leaving what seems to my novice senses to be a cooler, dryer smoke.
Seasons smokers may not see much benefit if you already have cool, dry,
flavorful smokes however.

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

Read that as well and certainly an interesting trick. Thanks for sharing

 

[Price]

I read the same thing (at the same place). For an investment of less than $15 I figured it was worth a shot. I don't generally have problems with gurgling, although I do get tongue bite every once in a while, so it seemed like a worthwhile experiment.

I smoked one bowl of FVF. Literally tried to overdraw it, but no tongue bite could be had. So, as far as the "cool, dry, biteless" smoke, it certainly delivered. I did find, however, that the taste of the smoke was also affected. FVF is a mighty flavorful blend, but this bowl seemed rather bland and flavorless. I should give it another whirl, or at least increase my sample size before dismissing the idea, but for me it really didn't seem to be a good trade. If you are someone who does get the gurgles regularly or struggles with tongue bite, though, activated charcoal might be just the trick.

 

[Kentos]

I read somewhere that the moisture in the smoke is what carries much of the flavor, so eliminating all of it might affect taste. Maybe the better you are at pipe smoking the less carbon you need just to offset the bite.

 

[Price]

I read somewhere that the moisture in the smoke is what carries much of the flavor, so eliminating all of it might affect taste. Maybe the better you are at pipe smoking the less carbon you need just to offset the bite.

That may be. I should try it again with a smaller amount of carbon and see if it makes a difference.

 

[TheVez2]

I have activated carbon for my fish tank. Is this the same stuff?

 

[Price]

Yep. Same stuff.

 

[TheVez2]

Interesting. There's some large chunks in my container. Seems like you could just toss a few of those in with no need for a screen.

 

[Price]

Interesting. There's some large chunks in my container. Seems like you could just toss a few of those in with no need for a screen.

I think the concern would be blocking the draft hole, even if they're not small enough to get drawn up into it.

 

[Al_S]

I could be wrong, but activated carbon is used as a filter to filter out odors. I would imagine that though it might help with moisture, that it would also likely filter some of the flavors that pass through the stem.

 

[ouch]

I smoked one bowl of FVF. Literally tried to overdraw it, but no tongue bite could be had.

Give it the Mac Baren Virgiania No. 1 test.

 

[Kentos]

I could be wrong, but activated carbon is used as a filter to filter out odors. I would imagine that though it might help with moisture, that it would also likely filter some of the flavors that pass through the stem.

I think you are 100% correct. Smokers would need to see if the costs out weight the benefits of a dry and sometimes cool smoke. Maybe for yard work when you can't be as attentive?

 

[Price]

Give it the Mac Baren Virgiania No. 1 test.

 

[ouch]

I'll be happy to provide the MB V#1 for the test.

 

[CigarettesCigars]

Sounds like a bunch of horse hockey to me. Big Ben (and maybe others) sell 9mm carbon filters that are extremely popular in Europe. I'm a red blooded American so I smoke my pipes bare back. Europeans do make some good pipes though, so maybe they know something we don't? Oh wait, we still make cobs so forget that idea.

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

Sounds like a bunch of horse hockey to me. Big Ben (and maybe others) sell 9mm carbon filters that are extremely popular in Europe. I'm a red blooded American so I smoke my pipes bare back. Europeans do make some good pipes though, so maybe they know something we don't? Oh wait, we still make cobs so forget that idea.

Not sure what being an American has to do with filters but Paul, the guy who wrote about the charcoal, is also American.

 

[HUB-ART]

I'm really happy to see that a few of you have read that article, and then tried it. I admit it won't be for everybody, and I'm not claiming this to be a "perfect" smoking method or technique, as I don't think there is such a thing. What I didn't describe in that article is why I adopted the method for all my smokes. I mostly like high sugar Virginia tobaccos, and as you know they can smoke hot, and I'm VERY susceptible to tongue bit. Once I get bit, I can't really taste anything, or what I can taste is just so nasty and unpleasant that I might as well not smoke at all. A very good friend introduced me to this method (also American), and won back my love for high sugar leaf. So for me, personally, the method opens up flavours that I could not get before. Tongue bite became ancient history, as well as that last bit of nasty wet tobacco at the tail end of a smoke. But if you don't suffer tongue bite and just like to load up and light, and not mess with the extra steps of charcoal, then that is absolutely fine too. But to make a generalised "horse hockey" statement about it is a bit unfair, if you haven't tried it out for yourself. Every single guy in my "work shop pipe club" is a convert..that speaks enough about the validity of the method for me.

 

[oc_in_fw]

There is no right or wrong way- there is only "what works for you", IMO

 

[Price]

There is no right or wrong way- there is only "what works for you", IMO

Truth.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Truth.

Paul bringing up Virginias reminds me I need to order some now. I think I am going to make the LE a dedicated VA pipe (I have enough English pipes), so I better start stocking up now. It wouldn't do to get the pipe later this year and have nothing to smoke in it.