Condensation or Drool?

[Will46r]

Sooooo I traded Rob (RX2man) some estate pipes a customer gave me. He shipped me a s#$#pot full of cigars with 2 nice smoking pipes in return. Wife took one and left me with the other. Bought some tobacco and google fu'd how to pack and smoke a pipe. Now to the crux of the biscuit so to speak.

When I finish smoking my pipe has liquid at the bottom of the stem near the bowl. I'm guessing it's either condensation or drool. I vote condensation, wife votes 2-1 for drool.

[Horseshoe]

What kind of baccy? Some "Goopers" is that right... or aero's are wet. I have some that I have smoked and not let dry out that are wet in the bottom. I am guessing it is wet tobacco and moisture from the wet tobacco. I am a Noob still, but that would be my guess.

[Branzig]

All of the above?

As @Horseshoe mentioned, tobacco type has a lot to do with things. Some aromatics are going to do this no matter what. It is the high concentration of Propylene Glycol (PG) that they use to keep their tobacco's moist. The byproduct is a sopping wet tobacco that leaves a lot of moisture in the bottom of the bowl. Other tobaccos are just as wet, but can still be dried out. I leave my tobacco out anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours before smoking it, depending on what blend it is. Moisture content is kind of tricky for new smokers...use the pinch test, if you pinch the tobacco firmly and it stays "clumpy" then the tobacco is still too wet to smoke. You want it to be spongy, but after pinching the tobacco it should all fall apart freely as it was before you pinched it.

As far as drool is concerned, this can happen if you are a clincher, especially in curved stemmed pipes. You just kind of learn over time to stop drooling while clinching...much like all things in the pipe realm, it takes practice, and patience.

A wet smoke isn't the end of the world BTW, just make sure you keep some pipe cleaners close by to run down the stem and into the bowl to soak up the moisture. Nothing wrong with doing that at all. Pipe cleaners are your friend, and as long as the tobacco isn't bitter or smoking sour, then keep on puffing and using a pipe cleaner to keep as much moisture sopped up as possible.

Happy Pipe'in

[Will46r]

I guess I'm a "clencher" and the tobacco is an aro blend from my B&M. I will reference all of you as proof I am not a drooler and the goop is not my fault.

[Tobias Lutz]

I will throw in that I deal with a damp heal in the bowl more during winter, especially if my pipe has a chance to get a little cold between packing and lighting. Yes, some shapes are more prone to this, but in general, I find drying the blend is the easiest way to cut down on it.

[mooster]

New smoker? It's drool.
I still have to run a pipe cleaner through the pipe occasionally, but when I was starting out, it was soak city. If you're smoking outside, just hold the pipe by the bowl (thumb over top to keep from losing anything) and kind of fling the stem away from you; it'll get most of it out easily. Obviously, if you're inside (and married), this won't work as well...

[Mister Moo]

New pipe, B&M aromatics, new pipesmoker, cold weather... wet pipe is not a shock.

Is the airway bottomed out in the heel of the pipe chamber or is it a bit higher, by the way?

Either way, lose the PG'd aromatic (gooper), get some Carter Hall or Sir Walter Raleigh and smoke a few dozen half-bowls. This will help carbonize the heel of the pipe while you develop a smoking tempo - a slow-ish tempo.

If the airway enters high above the heel that is a simple problem to resolve sooner or later. Unresoloved expect a wad of wet unsmokeable tobacco in the heel.

Good luck - puff on.

[LandonColby]

New smoker? It's drool.
I still have to run a pipe cleaner through the pipe occasionally, but when I was starting out, it was soak city. If you're smoking outside, just hold the pipe by the bowl (thumb over top to keep from losing anything) and kind of fling the stem away from you; it'll get most of it out easily. Obviously, if you're inside (and married), this won't work as well...

Thought I was the only one who did something like this. I don't necessarily "fling" my pipe with any real force. But if I detect a gurgle, even a slight one, I turn the stem down and lightly tap the moisture out on my pant leg or in my palm and wipe it on my pants lol. I absolutely refused to need pipe cleaners to smoke my pipe. I use 1 cleaner per bowl and that's after the pipe is cool.
oh, and a nice cake helps absorb some moisture too.