Why does my pipe go out when I smoke?

My pipe often goes out, what can I do?

First, you should be aware that this can happen to anyone. Every smoker already experienced this, whether as a beginner or advanced pipe smoker. Let's see together why your pipe goes out when you are smoking. To find an answer to this question, here are 5 probable causes and their solutions:

1. The tobacco is too humid
2. The tobacco is packed too tightly
3. The pipe tamper prevents the tobacco from burning
4. The pipe is dirty
5. The pipe draw is not regular

The tobacco is too humid?

All pipe tobaccos are different. A thickly cut tobacco will obviously burn with more difficulty. If you bought a "flake" cut, it may be more difficult to keep your pipe lit.

Generally speaking, a too humid tobacco will not be easy to smoke, and you will have to light your pipe several times. If your tobacco is too humid (50% or more humidity level), there may be many reasons.

• The tobacco you chose is more humid than others. It is totally probable, and some aromatic tobaccos tend to be more humid (especially if you just opened a new tobacco tin).
• Your tobacco is not stored as it should be, and it is not in the right container or at the right place in your home. Please be aware that it also applies to your pipe. You shouldn't store the latter in a place where it is too humid.
• The humidifier that you use (or the piece of carrot) allows more humidity than needed. You should therefore try to remove it because it is not useful. When touching your tobacco, it should feel fresh and not too dry.

The solution:

Take your tin of tobacco and take out a pinch of it (about the size of the bowl of your pipe) 30 minutes (or more) before smoking. Put it on a sheet of paper for example or on your table. Letting your tobacco dry in the open air will allow it to get drier, and your pipe will therefore not go out!

The tobacco is packed too tightly?

Properly filling the bowl of your pipe is very important since the way you do it will have an impact on your tobacco tasting. Beginners will tend to pack the tobacco too tightly. It is actually better to have a loose packing, almost without pressing the tobacco so that air can freely flow (even if you might have to press it later with your pipe tamper). Ideally, we recommend to let the tobacco fall in the tobacco chamber and to only press it when the bowl is full. A too tight packing will obviously prevent the tobacco from burning properly.

Pro tip:

Before lighting up your pipe, try this: try to draw air through the stem to see if it is easy or not. If you feel that it is too hard, then empty the bowl and start again. It is always better to start smoking with a well packed tobacco or you will try to draw more air when smoking, which will bring other problems (the pipe might overheat). The art of packing has to be learnt!

The pipe tamper prevents the tobacco from burning?

Now that your pipe is packed, you take your lighter and light up the surface of the tobacco by doing a circular movement. Your tobacco will "swell" a little bit and you will have to use your pipe tamper to even out the surface of the tobacco. Most of the time, the lighter is used once more to reactivate the combustion of the tobacco. Lighting up your pipe twice is therefore totally normal. During your tobacco tasting, you may need to use your pipe tamper a few times to allow a contact between the incandescent strands and those below. You have to be delicate: the only weight of the pipe tamper is enough. If you press too hard, your pipe will automatically go out.

Our recommendation:

Use your pipe tamper only when needed and always without pressing too much. Let us remind you that if the pipe tamper is designed to maintain the combustion, it can also stop it. In the following blog article, you will learn more about the different types of pipe tampers that you can find and which are the most efficient depending on what you need: How to choose a pipe tamper?

The pipe is dirty?

We will repeat it once again: smoking a clean pipe is essential! Over the uses (and depending on the tobacco you smoke), the inside of your pipe will be more and more dirty. You have to clean your pipe as often as possible, or tar will build up and you will not be able to enjoy your tobacco tastings as you used to. If you are smoking a bent pipe, there may also be even more humidity (condensation) created compared to a straight pipe. You should also never store your pipe without removing the ashes in the tobacco chamber before. The latter may bring humidity at the bottom of the bowl.

Magic bullet:

As you will have understood, you have to regularly clean your pipe! For that, use the appropriate tools and accessories: pipe cleaners (short or long ones depending on the size of your pipe), cleaning rod or even cleaning liquid if necessary. A well maintained pipe is the insurance of a good tobacco tasting. If you need any recommendation regarding the cleaning of a pipe, do not hesitate to have a look at the following blog articles: "Maintaining your pipe on a daily basis" and " How to clean my pipe".

The pipe draw is not regular?

This may explain why your pipe tends to go out, but it is not the only explanation. It is not a problem to light up your pipe several times. As we said earlier, it happened to every one and will continue to happen. Cigarette smokers may find it destabilizing, but the paper of a cigarette also burns when smoking, preventing it from going out. When you smoke a pipe, you take the time to enjoy your tobacco tasting. It is not uncommon to let a pipe rest for a few minutes and to light it up one more time. If you want your pipe to stay in good shape, it is sometimes even better to let it go out, and not to draw smoke all the time to keep it lit.

How to smoke a pipe?

The secret:

Smoke slowly and take your time, that is the secret. If you smoke slowly, and do not take too much air in your mouth, the aromas of your tobacco will be even better. Your pipe may get hotter, it shoud however never overheat, and you should always be able to keep it in your hands. Not drawing too much air will also prevent your pipe from gurgling. Take your time and enjoy your tobacco with your pipe...