Tongue Bite..Va\Per recommendations?

[ApexAZ]

I wish I could smoke in person with a seasoned pipe smoker to see if I'm doing this right.

I think my tongue is just super sensitive to this type of tobacco. I don't know why. I can smoke 6 cigars in a day and have no issues, but a few bowls of baccy and my tongue gets pretty beat up.

I feel like I have to light the dang thing like 5 times and I'm smoking as slow as I possibly can. I also really limit how much smoke I take in. It's very minimal when compared to a cigar. My tongue still feels a bit raw. It's not completely painful, but it feels like similar to when you eat hot food and burn your tongue, but on the tail end of healing. Still a little raw I guess. I guess I'm improving, but still have some discomfort.

Is this something that just takes some getting used to? Does your body (tongue) need to adjust?

I also think the relights might be causing issues, as that seems to be the point at which there is the greatest risk of getting copious amounts of very hot smoke. I tend to try and get an even cherry throughout the top of the bowl, but maybe I just need to take a few puffs and let it do it's thing so as to not torch the tobacco and my tongue in the process?

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

I wish I could smoke in person with a seasoned pipe smoker to see if I'm doing this right.

I think my tongue is just super sensitive to this type of tobacco. I don't know why. I can smoke 6 cigars in a day and have no issues, but a few bowls of baccy and my tongue gets pretty beat up.

I feel like I have to light the dang thing like 5 times and I'm smoking as slow as I possibly can. I also really limit how much smoke I take in. It's very minimal when compared to a cigar. My tongue still feels a bit raw. It's not completely painful, but it feels like similar to when you eat hot food and burn your tongue, but on the tail end of healing. Still a little raw I guess. I guess I'm improving, but still have some discomfort.

Is this something that just takes some getting used to? Does your body (tongue) need to adjust?

I also think the relights might be causing issues, as that seems to be the point at which there is the greatest risk of getting copious amounts of very hot smoke. I tend to try and get an even cherry throughout the top of the bowl, but maybe I just need to take a few puffs and let it do it's thing so as to not torch the tobacco and my tongue in the process?

Everybody's body chemistry is different, so you might be having issues because of that. If I might suggest, go without any tobacco for a few days, cigar or pipe. If you can, a whole week would be very good. You may think you can smoke 6 cigars without affect, but it is not true - it may be subtle, but your tongue is affected.

So, what blends are you having problems with in particular? What brand & what blend?

Sitting with an experienced smoker might be a good idea.

You notice relights cause problems? Usually a relight means you are puffing a little harder, or more forcefully. If you have to relight, first run a pipe cleaner through it (do not remove the bit to do so), this removes any possible remaining moisture, which is usually the culprit of any tongue bite.

Yes, I know, it is a lot to remember.

Peace of The Lord be with you.

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by RevSmoke

Everybody's body chemistry is different, so you might be having issues because of that. If I might suggest, go without any tobacco for a few days, cigar or pipe. If you can, a whole week would be very good. You may think you can smoke 6 cigars without affect, but it is not true - it may be subtle, but your tongue is affected.

So, what blends are you having problems with in particular? What brand & what blend?

Sitting with an experienced smoker might be a good idea.

You notice relights cause problems? Usually a relight means you are puffing a little harder, or more forcefully. If you have to relight, first run a pipe cleaner through it (do not remove the bit to do so), this removes any possible remaining moisture, which is usually the culprit of any tongue bite.

Yes, I know, it is a lot to remember.

Peace of The Lord be with you.

No smoking for a week!?! BLASPHEMY! You are probably right though. I smoke 2-3 something per day. Cigars, bowls, cigars and bowls. I smoke about 3 times per day.

The VaPer's are the most challenging. GLP Stratford gave me the least trouble. SG St. James Flake and GLP Laurel Heights give me equal trouble I'd say. Frog Morton OTT and GLP Gaslight seem to smoke really smooth.

Last night I had a bowl of Laurel Heights in my MM great dane egg churchwarden and tried to be extra cognizant about the heat. I definitely think the relights lower into the bowl give me the greatest chance of burning my tongue. I can actually feel it burning. I suspect it's because the tobacco is more moist lower in the bowl coupled with the high heat of trying to get it lit. The initial light and small puffs early on do not cause any burning sensation.

I also did not dry the tobacco out as much as I have been, which seems to really impact the combustion. Halfway down the bowl the tobacco starts to become black and charred and hard to light or keep lit. I'm still trying to find that sweet spot, but starting to think going too dry is preferable over too moist, at least for virginias.

This is quite a learning curve compared to cigars!