Re: [Pipe smokers] Re:More cake on top half of the bowl

I think no matter how dry your tobacco is, there will be moisture collected in the underlying tobacco, and this moisture makes the temperature of the burn less toward the bottom, which frustrates cake buildup there.  I think if you're getting a rim of thicker cake toward the middle, that means you are reaching the peak of burning temperature in that zone, which promotes the greater cake buildup there.  The only solution I can suggest is that you ream whenever the caking is uneven, both in diameter, and in location on the wall, then fill your pipe just above where the cake drops off and smoke the pipe only from there until the caking extends further down toward the bottom.  You can help promote cake if you tickle the ash before you dump the tobacco, then with your thumb over the top of the bowl, spread that ash over the entire bowl wall by shaking, then dump the dottle.  Don't blow out the excess - rather, let it adhere and dry, then blow out the
excess. 
 
An alternative is to collect the top ash, then after you remove the dottle, dump some of the ash back into the bowl and spread it over the entire bowl.  Again, let it sit for a while before you disturb it.  But, don't forget to blow it out before you load the pipe again.
 
HTH, Joe H

--- On Mon, 8/4/08, MoSouthAfrica <helderberg40@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: MoSouthAfrica <helderberg40@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Pipe smokers] Re:More cake on top half of the bowl
To: pipesmokers2@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, August 4, 2008, 7:42 AM

I smoke Virginias 99.9% of the time and Rattrays 98% of that time. I can see a
clear line around the bowl where the difference in the cake thickness stars
somewhere around the middle of the bowl. I do take great care to smoke all the
way down, esp when breaking in the pipe. I know this because i dump my ash in
the kitchen sink and have always inspected it and looked for unburned tobacco. I
do not smoke my pipes for more than 4 smokes at a time and give them a good
cleaning and at least 3 week rest.
 
I am really scratching my head on this one. I have just wiped the inside of the
bowl and checked very carefully this time with a white light. I can see the cake
toward the bottom in very clean and even, the cake on the top half is very
uneven and has little rings every few mms

--- On Sun, 8/3/08, Michael Stanley <stanleyspd@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Michael Stanley <stanleyspd@yahoo.com>
Subject: [Pipe smokers] Re:More cake on top half of the bowl
To: pipesmokers2@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, August 3, 2008, 6:06 PM

The problem of more cake on the top is a simple one. If you don't burn the
tobacco to the bottom of the bowl, cake can't form there. You can either
take care to smoke your tobacco to the bottom of the bowl or ream the top
portion more often.

Since you are most likely not smoking to the bottom of the bowl, I'm going
to assume you primarily smoke aromatic tobaccos. If thats the case then that is
the problem with the "weak" cake. The more additives in a tobacco, the
more likely one is to have a soft, easily fractured cake. Again, try reaming
more and/or switch to a purer tobacco such as a Virginia VaPer or English.

I hope this helps and regardless, enjoy whatever you smoke and imho, don't
be too concerned about the cake!
Mike Stanley

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