The Complete Corncob primer: Difference between revisions

I answer a lot of questions about cobs, but have also been given some good tips and pointers from other experienced cobbers. This, and what my dad started me out with, make up this Corncob & New Smoker Primer, which is always being updated and expanded. All of the advice offered here also applies to any type of pipe, be it briar, metal, or even Meerschaum. I’ve decided to add information for new smokers  in the hope that they’ll avoid some common and frustrating mistakes. I base my new information on what questions I see new pipe smokers ask on the forums I visit. While I have considered separating this into two documents, I’ve decided it needs to be kept intact. Instead, I label each section, as well as giving credit to those who have offered useful advice. This isn’t about me or any one forum, but trying to help new smokers learn from our collected experience.

Missouri Meerschaum does use Plaster-of-Paris and lacquer to finish their non-natural pipes, and a black stain on a few models. Usually, it doesn’t cause a problem on the inside of the bowl, but sometimes it can be a nuisance. If you notice any kind of stain inside the bowl, or just to be on the safe side, lightly use sand paper to remove anything and everything other than cob from the inside of the bowl. Some folks also sand the outside of the bowls, to make them “more natural”. Or just buy the Pride or Eaton, or the new  Natural Freehand. The glue used in making cobs is non-toxic and very similar to Elmer's Glue. All MM cobs are very good smokers, but I much prefer the natural versions over the plastered. Natural versions are offered in limited numbers for most if not all of MMs full sized cobs, and can be ordered by calling the MM  factory. MM hopes to eventually offer the natural cobs through retail outlets.

The biggest complaint I’ve heard about cobs is about the plastic bits. Complaints about MM’s plastic bits should be a thing of the past, since every pipe MM makes now comes with an acrylic bit. But if you want to dress up your cobs, why not consider having better quality bits/stems made for each model MM cob you have, and switch them between cobs. Some cobbers have done this, and would surely share their experience, if asked. Of course, the Freehand comes with a vulcanite bit/stem, so maybe that would solve your problem.  

Since cobs are low-cost and machine-made, with very little  finish work done to them, except for the two Corncob Snob Society Natural Freehand versions, which were actually hand-assembled, give them the once over before smoking them, and if needed, do some trimming with a pen knife to clear out the air way and the stem inside the bowl. There are some people who are overly critical of the quality of workmanship, but all but a few models retail for well under $15.00, with many under $10.00, which is quite affordable with inflation what it is. So, if you accept them for what they are, I think you will find them quite the bargain.  

So if you decide to remove the inner portion of the shank, I’d strongly advise you to protect the bottom of the bowl with the application of Pipe Mud. Pipe Mud is a fairly thick mixture of cigar ash and either saliva or water. Mix until you have a thick mud, and then apply several layers, letting each layer dry partially. Allow the cob to rest for several days, so the pipe mud can cure. Pipe ash can also be used for Pipe Mud, but cigar ash is best.

After 53 years, I still use my dad's way of doing things. I don't fool with a false/charring light, but simply light it and start smoking.  

To those, I’ll add a great tip I read on a forum several years ago, offered by DLT, or Nightcapper, dealing with the use of a tamper to help keep a pipe going. While I don’t tamp very often, I do place my tamper on top of the ash in my pipe bowl if the ember seems to be cooling. The weight of the metal tamper used while puffing will help revive a pipe that could be going out.  

Using the advice offered here, your Missouri Meerschaum cob, no matter which model, should give you many years of service and satisfying smoking pleasure. In the past, I’ve had cobs last me as long as 22 years, and know folks who report over 40 years of use from a cob. With this kind of record, and the affordable cost, I don’t understand why some people will read this, and still buy either used cobs on eBay, or off-brands, which never match the quality of Missouri Meerschaum. Of course buying estate cobs because you’re a collector of older, rare cobs is another matter.

You don't need, or in my opinion, want cake in a cob. What makes a cob so good is that it somehow first absorbs tars and harsh flavors, and then dissipates them, which keeps the cob smoking fresh, if properly cleaned. Cake will not allow this to happen. Also, cake can transfer flavor from one blend to your next smoke, so that the true taste of the tobacco might be fouled, or Ghosted.  

Since none of us are experts, and we’re all individuals, no one set of ideas or methods will work for everyone. So what follows is Strong Irish’s opinion about allowing cake build up in cobs. While he and I disagree on a few points, both of us have decades of experience with corncobs.

won't allow a tamper to pass”.

Another complaint I hear about cobs is that they look seedy, but I prefer the term rustic. Another problem for some folks is how they look over time. It really shouldn’t matter, since cob exteriors don’t have a thing to do with smoking quality. But I know that looks are important, or nearly all of us would smoke nothing but cobs and basket pipes. Several years ago, I did an experiment with four Diplomats that I got about 6 months earlier. Some of you might remember getting a chuckle from my post about rubbing those 4 Diplomats with Aloe Vera Gel. My idea was to see if the Aloe Vera Gel would minimize the surface cracking that can happen with cobs. While the surface cracking doesn’t affect the smoking quality, it can shorten the life of a cob, although it seldom will.  

Clean & Shine, Orange Scent, Anti-Dust Formula. The overall difference is like night and day. Of course they don’t look spanking brand new, but they do look fashionable enough to take with me if I need a pipe for my infrequent travels. They now look well seasoned, but no longer so gross they could embarrass me. As a bonus, they smell good too, at least on the outside. So if you have a few cobs that look ready for the trash heap, I suggest you grab a can of furniture polish. Of course now, neither Aloe Vera Gel or Pledge Clean & Shine, Orange scent, Anti-Dust Formula can be used on Natural cobs without ruining them.

What some of you may think is a Burn Out might actually be what I call a Flare Up. This happened to me for the first time a few years ago, with a well-smoked cob, and while I’m not sure what caused it, I’ll explain what happened. I was using a Zippo Pipe Lighter, and was somehow distracted, and probably held the lighter in one spot too long. One section of the upper inner bowl and rim caught on fire, which I blew out right away. While one section of the inner bowl is now very well-toasted, it’s none the worse for wear, and is still a good smoker.  

Cobs are great year round, but do need a bit more attention in damp weather, since they tend to absorb some of the surrounding moisture. So, while I usually tell folks to allow their cobs to cool completely before smoking them again, you may need to let them dry out completely too. And that means both inside and out. One thing that might help if it's really damp, is to store your clean, dry cobs in Ziploc or similar Freezer Bags. This will keep them from absorbing even more moisture, which won't really be noticed except when you smoke them, and realize something isn't quite right.  

Advice offered by SmokeyTheWerewolf was so good I asked his permission to include it in the Corncob Primer. Thanks very much Smokey.  

In that process, most of the the wood shank will have been burned away. The little spaces to the side and under that shank will have filled with ash and just a bit of moisture making a natural pipe mud that will help round out the bottom of your bowl and provide for better smoke draft mechanics and will help protect the bottom of your cob from burnout.  

Adding a hard wood plug is pretty easy to do. This short how-to was provided by Billiard, also known as the Cobbler, who is the nearest we have to an expert on the modification of corncobs  

Once the plug fits, take it back out and set it aside. You can remove the inner shank if you wish, cutting it flush with the inside wall of the bowl. Now put a wee bit of Elmer's Carpenter glue around the outside of the plug and the inside of the cob's bowl that the plug will touch and put it place. Clean the excess glue from the bottom and use a Q-tip to clean the excess glue from the inside of the bowl. Give your modified cob 24 hours or longer to set and cure before smoking it.

While the following is based on questions often asked by new smokers, even us more experienced pipers aren’t always in agreement. On nearly every forum you’ll see posts which include YMMV, which means Your Mileage May Vary; a gentle reminder that there never is just one right way of doing anything concerning pipe smoking. While I have success in following my dad’s advice I offer here, it might not work for you. If not, try the advice of another. And since you will improve and refine your technique over time, what doesn’t work for you today just might work for you next year.

Burley has very little if any natural sugar, burns well, and offers a slight taste of cocoa. While Burley is more robust than Virginia, it isn’t naturally sweet, like Virginia can be. While most Burley is air cured away from sun, Kentucky Burley is first air dried, and then fire cured, using woods that produces thick smoke.

So, tobacco that is black doesn’t mean that it is strong or harsh. Cavendished Virginia and Burley, while similar, are not the same. Both are mild and somewhat sweet, based on the casing or topping used. Most Cavendish is not goopy or gummy as some ill-informed smokers might claim.

Many of us try to stockpile not only as much tobacco as we can, but also as many of our personal favorite blends as we can afford. And then we keep our fingers crossed that our tastes don’t change. But I don’t think our tastes change as much as they expand and evolve. And of course storing those tobaccos causes them to change character, and we hope that those changes are for the better. Sometimes they are better but sometimes they’re just different. And still again there are times when they pretty much stay the same, which isn’t always a bad thing. As we’ll see, there are quite a few methods for storing tobacco, and they all probably have an advantage as well as disadvantages.

The one thing all pipe smokers do agree about is that all tobacco needs some air to age, so pack your glass jars so that there is still some room for air, or your tobacco won’t change much at all. Just make sure you tighten the lids firmly, and check them now and again. Then store them in a cool, dry, location, away from direct light, and be patient. When you finally open one of your jars, you’ll be surprised with the changes that have occurred. You will have to decide for yourself if the changes are for better or for worse. I’m convinced that most of us will say they’re for the better, even if they aren’t.

With my ongoing exploration of the entire line of Mac Baren blends, I’ve found myself using a new cob, usually a Pride, Washington, or Diplomat, to try new blends, and eventually dedicating the pipe to that particular, or at least, a very similar blend. It’s grown to where I have 26 pipes back by my computer, and 23 out front by my recliner. That’s about a far as it can go, since I’m just about out of room for my pipe rotations.

But I think Muddler has a most unique approach: I have pipes that never leave the house, pipes I take to work & fishing pipes. The house pipes tend to be dedicated, often to just one or two tobaccos, sometimes to genres like Lat or Va's. I generally only smoke Va's at work & fishing. The objective of dedication is less about not ghosting & more about finding pipes & tobacco combinations that really sing together. For example, I've just lit up my Windjammer (a gift from Sparks) - it smokes Old Gowrie like no other pipe I own.

I’ve never been a big fan of Flakes, partly because I DGT most of my pipes, but mostly because I nevr have found a way to prepare them that seemed to work for me. So when I discovered Mac Baren’s roll cake blends, I was happy as a lark. The reason being that roll cakes are made from ropes, that are thinly cut into small coins. These coins are quite easily folded and stuffed into a pipe, leaving plenty of room for air to circulate.

And Hbghost has devised a method that sounds like it might be worth trying: I usually rip them into about 1/4" lengths then rub them between the palms of my hands until they are almost fluffy. I will then air it for 15-20 minutes to remove some of the moisture. If there is a casing (like University Flake) I will get hints of it all the way through. I then pack it fairly loose. I have tried the fold and stuff method but prefer the method I have described above.

As I’ve said earlier, this information and advice, mine as well as other smokers, applies to any pipe you might smoke.  The biggest mistake a new pipe smoker can make is to join a forum and right away, ask advice about which tobaccos to try. You’ll get a laundry list of your fellow pipe smokers current favorite blends, but seldom advice on what would be the best to begin with. I would suggest that new pipers get one or two ounce samples of what are known as OTCs, which means Over The Counter, which I also refer to as American Classic Blends. These are proven, time-tested Burley and Burley/Virginia blends that come either in 1 1/2oz pouches or 14oz tubs. These tend to be mild but flavorful mixtures that can help you decide if pipe smoking is for you. Many e-tailers also offer sample packs of variuos types of pipe tobacco, which is an affordable way of trying a variety of similar blends, to learn what you like, and dislike.

The truth, to a large degree, is that almost every blend is a good, quality blend, and that personal tastes determine what each of us smoke. As with any other product, price is a poor indicator of quality and value. So if you prefer some value-priced bulk blend or a time-tested American Classic Blends over a higher priced “Specialty” blend, you don’t have to hang your head in shame. As long as you enjoy the tobacco you put in your pipe, that’s all that matters. But if you enjoy more expensive blends, and can afford them, you have no reason to apologize to anyone. Now if you want to start paying for my tobacco, then you can have a say in what I smoke.

I dry nearly every blend that I smoke, at least a bit, and most, fairly close to bone dry. I pack it loose; after all these years, I just know by instinct how loose. If you think you are packing your pipe loosely, but still have issues with tongue bite, you’re probably still have it much too tight, and the tobacco may not be dry enough. I don't use the tamper at all when packing. I also don't fool with a charring light, but start the tobacco burning full blast. My dad claimed that someone had told him match companies back in the mid-1800s invented the charring light, in order to sell even more matches. I never worry about relights; sometimes I'll need a few, sometimes none.  

Now, even us experienced smokers will sometimes pack a bowl just a bit too tightly. And when I do, I’ll reach for my pipe tool for a quick fix. The pick/spike of a pipe tool is perfect for poking a few holes in the tobacco in a pipe bowl to allow air to circulate, which often can make a bowl that’s packed too tightly smokable. Just make sure one of the holes is at the back of the bowl near the air hole.

I’m an advocate of fairly dry tobacco, as anyone who has tried any of my blends knows. Maybe that’s why I’m such a fan of Mac Baren blends, which come as close to being at what I feel is the ideal moisture level as any blends I’ve smoked. Many blends simply are way too moist straight out of the tin, requiring lengthy drying times, or too many relights, as well as causing tongue bite.

Why my method works is that it only re-hydrates the top of the tobacco, so that it can be lit properly. Why add more moisture to the entire bowl, when smoking will naturally add some moisture as the tobacco burns, and the pipe gets smoked. My method will help avoid the tobacco in the bowl from becoming too moist, and turning the bottom half of a pipe into tongue-biting inferno.

There are actually two kinds of DGTing, and I use them both. The first is just loading your pipes all at once, however many you'll smoke during the day. By letting the tobacco dry in the pipe, the tobacco at the top will be drier than that at the bottom of the bowl, and allow the pipe to require fewer relights.

Now, the first few puffs of a DGT blend might be or seem a bit harsh, but almost always will smooth out. Also, if you have a DGT pipe that you want to last a bit longer, you can freshen it up by adding more tobacco. Use the same blend or experiment with another, complimentary or contrasting blend. Also, whenever using a pipe cleaner on a pipe you’re still smoking, don’t push the pipe cleaner into the shank so that it touches the tobacco in the bowl. It can cause shards of tobacco to be drawn into the shaft and stem of your pipe, and can ruin a good smoking experience.

After each smoke, what I do is take the pipe apart. I use pipe cleaners dampened with 91% Isopropyl on the stem, as well as the shank and bowl, and then wipe off the end of the tendon. After every smoke, I use a wadded up paper towel to scrub the inside of the bowl. I also use a pipe cleaner dampened with 91% Isopropyl on the rim of the bowl every other week, to get rid of tars that build up there.  

Cobs seldom retain ghosts from any tobacco, although there are always exceptions. And just like Meerschaums, you can smoke a cob again, as soon as it has cooled and you have cleaned it. Also, cobs require much less breaking in than briars. Some people are bothered by the taste of the inner shank, but that usually goes away after 4-6 bowls. And make sure that you remove the paper filter that comes with most cobs, and discard it; all it does is get wet and smell bad.  

To view my MM Buying Guide, follow the 1st link below. To visit the MM website, for product and ordering information, and a bit of company history, follow the 2nd link below.  

http://www.corncobpipe.com/