Smoking the pipe is not difficult, and we already talked about it in many blog articles ("How to smoke a pipe", "The three golden rules of pipe smoking"). However, a question sometimes remains: why does my pipe tend to overheat? We are actually going to answer this question in this blog article.
The reasons that may explain why your pipe overheats:
- Upset or in a hurry, the smoker draws too much air!
- The pipe is new and in the middle of the break in process?
- The tobacco smoked
- A too packed pipe?
- Where I smoke my pipe?
- Now I smoke with a 9mm filter!
- The way I light up my pipe?
- The shape of my pipe?
Upset or in a hurry, the smoker draws too much air!
Sometimes it is the only explanation: the smoker draws too much smoke... The harder you draw smoke, the more the combustion will be intense in the tobacco chamber. You should enjoy your tobaccos slowly, and this is the only way to smoke if you want to taste all the aromas of your tobaccos. On the contrary, by drawing too much air all the time, you will damage your pipe, but the smoke will also be hotter in the mouth and will sting the tongue. If you were used to smoking cigarettes, relax and take the time to enjoy!
The golden rules to smoke the pipe
The pipe is new and in the middle of the break in process?
If you just bought a new pipe (whether it is pre-caked or not), you first have to break it in. You will find more information on the break in process in the follownig blog article, that explains how to build up the layer of carbon on the walls of the tobacco chamber of your pipe: "A well caked pipe". Without this layer of carbon, the wood will not be protected as it should be, and heat might damage the briar. You should therefore be very careful when smoking a new pipe. Generally speaking, you should always be able to hold the pipe in your hand, and the pipe should thus never be so hot that you could not keep it in your hand. If you feel that the pipe overheats, stop smoking and let it rest (and even go out) before lighting it up later.
Important information: it is advised to never put alcohol or anything else in the tobacco chamber during the break in process of the pipe. Famous in the 1960s, a lacquer was applied on the bowl and it was burnt before smoking the pipe. Nowadays, there is no lacquer in the tobacco chamber, and putting alcohol in the bowl will only burn your pipe and damage it.
Claire, La Pipe Rit
The tobacco smoked:
Sometimes, the tobacco can also explain why your pipe tends to overheat. First of all, are you smoking cigarette tobacco or pipe tobacco? Let us remind you that cigarette tobacco is thinner than pipe tobacco, and it will therefore burn more easily and quickly. There are many things to consider when talking about pipe tobaccos: the cut, the type of tobacco, and how humid it is. Obviously, a tobacco with a big cut ("flake" type) will take more time to burn compared to a classic tobacco. Be careful though, this does not mean that a beginner should start with a "flake" tobacco. An aromatic tobacco will tend to burn more easily than a more natural tobacco because of the "sugar" and added flavors it contains. Generally speaking, a too dry tobacco might explain why your pipe overheats. If so, you can humidify it thanks to a humidifier that you will just have to put in your tobacco jar.
Properly preserving your tobacco is essential for pleasant tobacco tastings. As you will have understood, a too humid tobacco will not burn properly, nor will a too dry tobacco. To preserve your tobacco with care, here are all our tips...
Bastien, La Pipe Rit
A too packed pipe?
When preparing your pipe, you will have to draw smoke harder if you packed the tobacco too tightly and want to keep your pipe lit. It is actually not a good idea, and you should always be sure that you properly packed your pipe before smoking it. Beginners might think that it is better to draw harder (and especially if the pipe is long), but it actually is a mistake. The pipe draw will be easier with a properly packed pipe. It is always better to only press the tobacco at the top (meaning when the tobacco chamber is filled with tobacco). If you press too hard with your pipe tamper, the drilling hole will be clogged. On the contrary, the air needs to easily flow. Smoking the pipe requires a little bit of know-how, but once you have learnt all the steps, you will be able to fully enjoy your tobacco tastings!
Our recommendation: before lighting up your pipe, try the pipe draft to see if it is easy. If not, remove the tobacco and start again.
Jean, La Pipe Rit
Where I smoke my pipe?
When you are on holidays (or not), you may like to smoke on the beach, while looking at the waves of the ocean. As usual, it might be windy at the end of the day on the coast. Even if it does not bother you, the wind will speed up the combustion of the tobacco. Smoking outside is very pleasant but, as you will have understood, you should still be careful when it is windy outside.
Now I smoke with a 9mm filter!
A lot of smokers like to enjoy their tobacco tastings with a metal filter, and they may find it destabilizing when smoking with a 9mm filter for the first time. Because they use a 9mm filter, the pipe may overheat since they are not used to smoking with one. Indeed, the pipe draft will be slightly less easy than with a metal filter. We insist on the fact that it might be "slightly" less easy since you will not have to draw too much with a 9mm pipe. Once again, if you do so, your pipe will overheat or even burn, which will therefore damage your pipe.
The way I light up my pipe?
This is a basic but yet neglected step: you do not use the right lighter to light up your pipe. Some lighters are too powerful and not adapted to pipe smoking. We can therefore think about storm lighters for example or a blowtorch. These lighters will damage the bowl of your pipe when lighting up the latter. Moreover, lighters specifically designed for pipes have a flame that is inclined sidewise to light up your pipe more easily and not burn your fingers. These pipe lighters will make your life easier!
The shape of my pipe?
Another possibility is that the shape of your pipe may explain why it overheats. All the pipes are different, and their shape have an impact on their ability to resist heat. The thickness of the bowl is very important. Of course, the thicker it is, the less your pipe will feel hot in the mouth. Even if it might be more heatproof, it will however be heavier in the mouth. Everything depends on what you are looking for, and there is always a trade-off between the weight and the robustness of a pipe. Please note that a pipe that has a bowl inclined forward (like a Cutty or Horn shaped pipe) will have to be smoked more slowly. Indeed, the upper part of the tobacco chamber will be more exposed to heat compared to a classic model. As pretty as they are, if you are beginning pipe smoking, it might be better to start with a classic straight shaped pipe (like a Billiard, a Bulldog or a Pot pipe).
What to do if my pipe overheats?
- Smoke more slowly and more gently.
- Let your pipe cool down, even if it goes out. You will be able to light it up a few minutes later.
- Make sure that you did not damage the layer of carbon in the tobacco chamber. If you scrape it when cleaning your pipe, it might be weakened. As a last resort, start the break in process again.
- Choose a briar pipe with a layer of meerschaum in the bowl. This is a good solution since meerschaum is a heatproof material and will therefore protect the wood from the heat.
- Prefer to buy a briar pipe with a sandblasted or rusticated finish. This kind of finish allows heat dissipation because of the small hollows on the briar. These pipes will therefore cool down more quickly than a classic pipe with a smooth finish.
Dead pipes and smokers grieving:
No, it didn't taste like burnt wood... My pipe caught fire when I wasn't even smoking it!
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