Dan

Recipes 

That's actually a pretty good idea. An ounce or two of pipe tobacco shouldn't cost more than a postage stamp and envelope.

I'm up for a trade. PM me if you're interested.

paulster2626

Recipes 

How thick does the "cake" get? How will I notice that it's starting to take shape or has taken hold?

Also I wonder what would happen if we tried to mail a 1/2oz or so of tobacco across the border...

__________________

Kegs:Cali Common, Pilsner
Glass:Rochefort 8.1, IIPA, Snowball Pale Ale
Buckets:Conan IPA, House PA, Oak Porter
Next Brew:Who knows

GilaMinumBeer

Recipes 

Another tip to building cake (I've nothing to add to Dans synopsis on seasoning) is, prior to cleaning out your pipe and best done after having smoked an entire bowl while the inside is still warm and a bit sticky from tar, place your thumb over the tobacco hole and shake the holy sh!t out of it.

The intent here is to get a layer of fine ash coating the inside of the bowl. That is what builds cake. Ash.

GilaMinumBeer

Recipes 

The ole exclusive pipe smokers would have to get their bowls reamed out periodically to remove the cake. So, it can get pretty thick.

You generally won't notice unless you smoke a LOT. Like daily, throughout the day, nothing but pipe smoking. And even then, you'll prolly notice it doesn't smoke as long before you'll actually notice the cake.

Prolly nothing for that small an amount. Worst case, they throw it away. My MIL would mail me cartons of cloves from Malaysia quite frequently until she learned you aren't supposed to do that.

Dan

Recipes 

Not suppose to ship homebrew either.

Edit: But yeast samples are okay.

Shooter

Recipes 

You should eventually get it about the thickness of a dime. If starts getting too thick, more like a nickel in thickness, you can ream it down. I have so many pipes and smoke only a few times a week and it will take a LONG time before I will ever have to worry about reaming any of them. I did receive an old meerschaum from my father-in-law and he had let cake build up in it to the point of closing it off completely. I ended up having to take a Dremel to that and eventually get it all out of there.

Personally, I don't do the partial bowls thing to build cake, but it is a common technique. I just smoke the pipe gently for a while and, if it starts feeling too hot, I stop for a few minutes or slow down my pace.

__________________
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. - C. S. Lewis, English essayist & juvenile novelist (1898 - 1963)

GilaMinumBeer

Recipes 

This.

Ever see the video of how Grabow pre-season their bowls? They pack a full load into the pipe, hook it up to a vacuum, light it, and let it draw continuously until the tobacco is all used up.

IXVolt

Recipes 

I'm going to have to look it up. Sounds like it sucks.

paulster2626

Recipes 

What do you guys pay for an oz of tobacco? Here in socialist USSCanada it's like $20.

__________________

Kegs:Cali Common, Pilsner
Glass:Rochefort 8.1, IIPA, Snowball Pale Ale
Buckets:Conan IPA, House PA, Oak Porter
Next Brew:Who knows

rifraf

Recipes 

Holy crap! I just bought 2 for 2.99.

I think pipe tobacco is taxed lower in the US than cigars and cigarettes.

__________________
You have to grow old, you don't have to grow up.