Salt/Alcohol Pipe Treatment questions.

[Blackbeard's Delight]

I just finished cleaning up some pipes and doing the s/a treatments on them. I've smoked one of the pipes so far and I am amazed how it really removes any residue from the pipe. There is no longer any flavor funk in it and I can really taste the nuances of the tobacco as if the pipe was new.

Anyhow, I am wondering how frequently one can do the s/a treatment on a briar? I do what I can to scrape out the bowl after smoking, then run a paper towel through the bowl to try to minimize the funk buildup. But it never gets the bowls as fresh as the s/a treatment does. But I wouldn't want to destroy a pipe by doing it too much.

My second question is, has anyone done the s/a treatment to a cob? Cobs don't have the same structural integrity as a briar so I am nervous to experiment (although cobs are cheap enough to replace, but mine does have some sentimental value).

But yeah, what a huge improvement a good s/a treatment has on a pipe. I am pretty amazed by it.

 

[Shave_Rat]

I just finished cleaning up some pipes and doing the s/a treatments on them. I've smoked one of the pipes so far and I am amazed how it really removes any residue from the pipe. There is no longer any flavor funk in it and I can really taste the nuances of the tobacco as if the pipe was new.

Anyhow, I am wondering how frequently one can do the s/a treatment on a briar? I do what I can to scrape out the bowl after smoking, then run a paper towel through the bowl to try to minimize the funk buildup. But it never gets the bowls as fresh as the s/a treatment does. But I wouldn't want to destroy a pipe by doing it too much.

My second question is, has anyone done the s/a treatment to a cob? Cobs don't have the same structural integrity as a briar so I am nervous to experiment (although cobs are cheap enough to replace, but mine does have some sentimental value).

But yeah, what a huge improvement a good s/a treatment has on a pipe. I am pretty amazed by it.

Just a thought, with cobs so cheap, I'd pick up a few to use regular and beat on, and save the sentimental one and give it better chances at longevity.

I plan on picking up some salt and everclear this weekend to do some treatment on a few of my pipes. I have 2 estate ones that I think will really benefit from it. I'm also curious as to how often to do the treatment.

 

[Commander Quan]

A S/A treatment will crack a cob.

When you say you are trying to prevent the funk from building up, you may be preventing adequate cake.

I would do a treatment on briars whenever the flavors begin to get muddled. If you are smoking VA, Aro and Lat blends in the same pipe this will be more often than if you only stick to one style in each pipe.

 

[sychodelix]

Yeah...I made the mistake of trying the SA treatment with my cob...

Needless to say, I had to buy another cob.

 

[COHunter]

Depends on what you want to do. I actually don't mind a little bit of ghosting in my pipes to be honest. You may get a hint of a previously smoked blend that shows through what you're currently enjoying and it reminds you of it. Sometimes the flavors mingle in a really great way and opens up flavors you never would otherwise experience.

It's a pipe, not a rocket. Don't overthink it.

 

[Commander Quan]

It's a pipe, not a rocket. Don't overthink it.

I like that.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Depends on what you want to do. I actually don't mind a little bit of ghosting in my pipes to be honest. You may get a hint of a previously smoked blend that shows through what you're currently enjoying and it reminds you of it. Sometimes the flavors mingle in a really great way and opens up flavors you never would otherwise experience.

It's a pipe, not a rocket. Don't overthink it.

I like that.

+1

I only plan on doing that sort of cleaning if it starts to taste generally bad and such.

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

My second question is, has anyone done the s/a treatment to a cob? Cobs don't have the same structural integrity as a briar so I am nervous to experiment (although cobs are cheap enough to replace, but mine does have some sentimental value).

Yeah...I made the mistake of trying the SA treatment with my cob...

Needless to say, I had to buy another cob.

I've got a few cobs and have never found the need for cleaning them up only because they don't seem to get nearly as funked up as my briars. Especially my "natural" cob, the one with no finishing treatment on the outside. That one seems to smoke the coolest and driest due to there being no finish sealing in mositure and odour. Perhaps try that syle of cob next time you pick one up. Granted, it is substantially more "redneck" than the finished cobs.