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Post by Goldbrick on Jun 7, 2023 7:23:40 GMT -5
This morning, about 1:30 am, I awoke from a bad dream, and went to the kitchen to get some water and collect my thoughts. On the table I spotted the Pipes by Lee bulldog That I had loaded the morning before...it's not my habit to leave a pipe unsmoked for so long, but I'd forgotten it as I left for yesterday's supermarket trip, and never got back to it. I lit the charge of Sutliff's Toasted Burley, and I can tell you that in forty-plus years of smoking a pipe, I've never tasted anything like that, and thank goodness! Two puffs in. and the tissue of my entire mouth tasted like onion skins coated with sour orange juice...I forced myself to take a few more puffs, thinking it might be some kind of body chemistry issue  ... then a dim light came on in what's left of my tiny brain " SOUR PIPE ", the term sounded in my head, and spoke the words aloud... My wife turned to me from her computer game, and reminded me she hadn't seen the Everclear bottle in my hand since I retired...she will see it today! Keep em clean Guys, unless you like onions skins and sour orange juice. |
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Post by coalsmoke on Jun 7, 2023 7:52:14 GMT -5
I'm not a fan of a lengthy DGT for just that reason. I can wait a short while before relighting, say when I put my pipe in my pocket when popping back into the house for something, but not much longer. I find the momentum of the smoke gets dampened and the tobacco flavor takes on a more ashen character. I know, I know, I'm getting funny in my old age. LOL.
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Post by Darin on Jun 7, 2023 8:44:09 GMT -5
I find VaPers do well with DGT but Burley not so much.
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Post by Goldbrick on Jun 7, 2023 9:34:11 GMT -5
I find VaPers do well with DGT but Burley not so much. As I understand DGT, and I could be wrong, it's lighting a pipe ,and after a few puffs, finishing it hours later...in this case, I filled the pipe and didn't light it until almost 12 hours later. I think the problem was ,its a pipe I seldom smoke and therefore haven't cleaned in ages  seems to me, I remember someone saying the fastest way to sour a pipe is to leave tobacco in it for a long stretch. I DGT pipes very often, with no flavor issue, some blends even benefit from DGT. In this case, the feel and flavor were both uncommonly nasty, and if a light reaming followed by cotton balls and Everclear don't fix it, it's time to retire the pipe. |
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Post by Darin on Jun 7, 2023 9:47:08 GMT -5
đź‘Ť
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Post by peteguy on Jun 7, 2023 14:10:02 GMT -5
Pipe retort or whatever they call it. Some surgical tube and a piece of glass tube. I had to do it once on an estate that I could not get the stink taste out of. I am sure if you run a few everclears through it you will be firing her again soon.
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Post by urbino on Jun 7, 2023 14:36:53 GMT -5
Brief though it is, this is a really good thread.
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Post by trailboss on Jun 7, 2023 19:49:47 GMT -5
Few pipes cannot be fixed with either salt/ alcohol or a retort.
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Post by SailorBen on Jun 7, 2023 21:44:59 GMT -5
Great description of your "lightbulb moment." Sounds nasty - I've heard of pipe souring, but a firsthand account of what it's like is really helpful. I've definitely left loaded pipes unlit for 12+ hours too, but it sounds like its best to avoid that. The retort thing is fascinating - thanks for the tip. Great thread.
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Post by Goldbrick on Jun 8, 2023 19:23:32 GMT -5
Great description of your "lightbulb moment." Sounds nasty - I've heard of pipe souring, but a firsthand account of what it's like is really helpful. I've definitely left loaded pipes unlit for 12+ hours too, but it sounds like its best to avoid that. The retort thing is fascinating - thanks for the tip. Great thread. It's important to note, Ben, that this little bulldog is part of what I call my " second string rotation ", a pipe that only finds it's way to a tobacco jar a very few times a year, and as such it's also subject to get much less care. The long stretch with a loaded bowl is only partly to blame... This afternoon I broke out the Everclear, and it took four pipe cleaners before I had the stem clean. After an equal number of cleaners in the stummel, I turned to an Everclear soaked shank brush, then more cleaners. Once the airway was clean I blocked the shank with a cleaner, filled the bowl with cotton balls and topped them with twenty or so drops of Everclear...as a rule I would use no more than ten drops of Everclear on kosher salt, but I had no salt, and somehow it seemed more alcohol was needed for cotton...we'll see.  |
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Post by Goldbrick on Jun 9, 2023 5:31:51 GMT -5
I'm enjoying the sweet taste of success this morning. I've just finished a bowl of Prince Albert in the little bulldog, and the nutty goodness of the tobacco shined just the way it should.
A fresh pipe, Prince Albert, and a good cup of coffee...all my gray clouds have rolled away!
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Post by johnlawitzke on Jun 10, 2023 13:29:03 GMT -5
Congrats on your success! A clean pipe is a good tasting pipe.
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Post by CrustyCat on Jun 11, 2023 9:58:27 GMT -5
Sorry, but what is DGT?
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Post by trailboss on Jun 11, 2023 10:01:15 GMT -5
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matt
Junior Member
Posts: 314
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Post by matt on Dec 9, 2023 8:46:56 GMT -5
This is a great thread! Perhaps I can reignite it by asking how often you do the salt and everclear technique on your daily pipes? And how to you protect from damaging the finish? I’d also like to know if there is a quick and convenient way to clean tar build up from the rim of the pipe?
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Post by Goldbrick on Dec 9, 2023 9:24:18 GMT -5
This is a great thread! Perhaps I can reignite it by asking how often you do the salt and everclear technique on your daily pipes? And how to you protect from damaging the finish? I’d also like to know if there is a quick and convenient way to clean tar build up from the rim of the pipe? You'll find that white vinegar and a soft rag will work magic on a tar covered rim, with no ill effect to the finish. This is a tip I got from Steve Lang of reborn pipes; it's cheap, and it works like a charm. I remember going through a pint of Everclear back when I was buying pipes off Ebay, I hardly ever hunt down the half gallon jug I have hidden away in the garage. For normal cleaning I have a small bottle of cheap vanilla vodka that I use after one or two smokes. What ever you use, be careful not to hit any outer surfaces with it. Everclear is great for those hard cases, but for regular cleaning, pour yourself a small shot of something tasty, and a smaller shot for cleaning fluid...and enjoy the process. |
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matt
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Post by matt on Dec 9, 2023 9:32:46 GMT -5
This is a great thread! Perhaps I can reignite it by asking how often you do the salt and everclear technique on your daily pipes? And how to you protect from damaging the finish? I’d also like to know if there is a quick and convenient way to clean tar build up from the rim of the pipe?  You'll find that white vinegar and a soft rag will work magic on a tar covered rim, with no ill effect to the finish. This is a tip I got from Steve Lang of reborn pipes; it's cheap, and it works like a charm.  I remember going through a pint of Everclear back when I was buying pipes off Ebay, I hardly ever hunt down the half gallon jug I have hidden away in the garage. For normal cleaning I have a small bottle of cheap vanilla vodka that I use after one or two smokes.  What ever you use, be careful not to hit any outer surfaces with it. Everclear is great for those hard cases, but for regular cleaning, pour yourself a small shot of something tasty, and a smaller shot for cleaning fluid...and enjoy the process. That’s sounds simple enough. Thanks Herb! |
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Post by coalsmoke on Dec 9, 2023 11:00:18 GMT -5
Goldbrick I like the idea of using white vinegar to clean the rim; I'll have to give that a try. In the past, I've used an Xacto knife blade to gently scrape off the gunk build-up followed by very fine sanding film without damaging the briar. The white vinegar sounds like it would be easier.
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Post by Goldbrick on Dec 9, 2023 12:03:16 GMT -5
Goldbrick I like the idea of using white vinegar to clean the rim; I'll have to give that a try. In the past, I've used an Xacto knife blade to gently scrape off the gunk build-up followed by very fine sanding film without damaging the briar. The white vinegar sounds like it would be easier. I think I used a soft toothbursh, and not a rag with the vinegar, most of my rims are sandblasted, but you'll want to have a rag handy as well. |
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Post by trailboss on Dec 9, 2023 12:39:40 GMT -5
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Post by Goldbrick on Dec 9, 2023 13:23:44 GMT -5
That's a great idea, I've been wrapping the end of the stem in a paper napkin to catch the overflow...this knocks that worry write out of the ballpark!
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matt
Junior Member
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Post by matt on Dec 9, 2023 20:28:02 GMT -5
I tried the old salt and alcohol trick today on a a nasty pipe is have. I scraped out a lot of cake, dipped some pipe cleaners in alcohol and cleaned shank really good. Then I did the white vinegar trick to clean the rim. It came clean pretty easily. This pipe wasn’t too dirty on the rim though. I then filled the bowl with salt and alcohol and I let it sit for a few hours. I can’t believe how gross it was when I dumped it out. I went through probably a dozen qtips and pipe cleaners. Finally I wiped the outside of the bowl really well with a dab of Murphy’s oil soap. I think it came out ok. First time doing a big cleaning myself. It’s drying now. Maybe I’ll give it a try tomorrow.
This was the nasty pile I mentioned yesterday in the “what are you smoking” thread. I lit this pipe yesterday for the first time in a few years and almost puked. Dumped the tobacco out right away. I couldn’t even smoke it.
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Post by trailboss on Dec 9, 2023 20:55:28 GMT -5
I tried the old salt and alcohol trick today on a a nasty pipe is have. I scraped out a lot of cake, dipped some pipe cleaners in alcohol and cleaned shank really good. Then I did the white vinegar trick to clean the rim. It came clean pretty easily. This pipe wasn’t too dirty on the rim though. I then filled the bowl with salt and alcohol and I let it sit for a few hours. I can’t believe how gross it was when I dumped it out. I went through probably a dozen qtips and pipe cleaners. Finally I wiped the outside of the bowl really well with a dab of Murphy’s oil soap. I think it came out ok. First time doing a big cleaning myself. It’s drying now. Maybe I’ll give it a try tomorrow. This was the nasty pile I mentioned yesterday in the “what are you smoking” thread. I lit this pipe yesterday for the first time in a few years and almost puked. Dumped the tobacco out right away. I couldn’t even smoke it. I hope that your procedure brought success! The shank cleaning is so important, it can be a septic tank that can ruin a smoke, and a step that is really important in exorcising the sour poison from the pipe. |
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Post by urbino on Dec 9, 2023 20:55:40 GMT -5
Sounds like you did a good job, Matt.
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Post by Plainsman on Dec 11, 2023 14:24:45 GMT -5
About white vinegar— a NON-PIPE note: Eli smears up his “viewing window” with dog snot something awful. (It’s the squirrels’ fault!) Windex and All-Purpose cleaners even with bleach won’t touch it. But white vinegar, either sprayed on or on a washcloth, does the job neatly and fast. Just sayin’…
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Post by coalsmoke on Dec 11, 2023 16:56:44 GMT -5
About white vinegar— a NON-PIPE note: Eli smears up his “viewing window” with dog snot something awful. (It’s the squirrels’ fault!) Windex and All-Purpose cleaners even with bleach won’t touch it. But white vinegar, either sprayed on or on a washcloth, does the job neatly and fast. Just sayin’… I asked my wife if we had any and she told me about the gallon jug that she keeps in the bathroom for cleaning. Guess I have some. |
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Post by Darin on Dec 11, 2023 16:59:30 GMT -5
Vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide will pretty much cover every cleaning need without the harsh and expensive chemicals.
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Post by urbino on Dec 11, 2023 17:01:15 GMT -5
About white vinegar— a NON-PIPE note: Eli smears up his “viewing window” with dog snot something awful. (It’s the squirrels’ fault!) Windex and All-Purpose cleaners even with bleach won’t touch it. But white vinegar, either sprayed on or on a washcloth, does the job neatly and fast. Just sayin’… I asked my wife if we had any and she told me about the gallon jug that she keeps in the bathroom for cleaning. Guess I have some. Does it work on cat snot? |
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Post by Plainsman on Dec 11, 2023 19:19:21 GMT -5
How the hell would I know?
Wow. Thanks, guys. I have a Digby Colossus (estate) that hasn’r smoke right since I got it. Tried the salt and alcohol treatment. All I had was vodka buit it sure seemed to work. Best smoke I’ve ever had from that pipe.
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Post by urbino on Dec 11, 2023 19:48:54 GMT -5
How the hell would I know? Wow. Thanks, guys. I have a Digby Colossus (estate) that hasn’r smoke right since I got it. Tried the salt and alcohol treatment. All I had was vodka buit it sure seemed to work. Best smoke I’ve ever had from that pipe. I was asking Russ, noted cat owner. Excellent news on the Digby! |
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... then a dim light came on in what's left of my tiny brain " SOUR PIPE ", the term sounded in my head, and spoke the words aloud...
seems to me, I remember someone saying the fastest way to sour a pipe is to leave tobacco in it for a long stretch.
