briar treatments

magruder · Post by **magruder** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:46 am

Hi Folks,

I recently read that Tony Rodriguez spent a lot of time researching and developing methods of treating briar to obtain a sweeter or neutral taste.
I was wondering if anyone could point me to some info on treating briar?

I've found several discussions on oil curing but little on boiling, etc.

I am looking for methods, processes and descriptions of, or " how to's " on these.

BTW- I heartily agree that engineering is the major factor in smoking quality, but the above is something I want to experiment with so any help is much appreciated. I'd be happy to share any results I get.

This is a great forum and I extent a grateful TIA to all.
Best,
Magruder

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:57 am

The only thing I've heard about is oil curing.

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 11:44 am

In the latest issue of P&T, Mike Butera says that boiling unfinished stummels in distilled water, and then drying them in your oven at low heat, will make them smoke sweeter.

Rad

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:26 pm

I wonder what giving an unsmoked pipe the old salt and alcohol treatment would do? The process is supposed to leach out the residue of the previously smoked tobacco in an estate pipe. Might it leach out some of the remaining sap in a new pipe?

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:58 pm

Nick wrote:I wonder what giving an unsmoked pipe the old salt and alcohol treatment would do? The process is supposed to leach out the residue of the previously smoked tobacco in an estate pipe. Might it leach out some of the remaining sap in a new pipe?

This is somthing I've experimented with, and my results are "fair" at this point. I'll be getting back to it soon though, I just made a couple tester pipes out of a pieces of known green briar and smoked one just enough to determine that it is indeed nasty. I'll be doing the salt/alcohol treatment on them in a couple days - with some minor tweaks.

I'll update as things progress.

I have also hade pretty good luck with putting some experimental stummels (bored and drilled) in the oven on about 150 and leaving them there for a couple days.

Note: I am using an electric oven. Gas ovens actually *create* moisture, and can make the problem worse.

magruder · Post by **magruder** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 1:16 am

Hi guys,
RE: boiling in distilled water -
I've heard Peter Heeschen does this too. How is it done? How long does one boil it?
Also: could you use a moisture meter to determine the moisture content of briar? I would think so. It seems this would help in purchasing blocks - for those fortunate/dedicated enough to travel to Europe to buy briar.
Thanx for the responses above.
M.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:49 am

Another thing that might be worth trying is the baking thing, but immerse the stummel in activated charcoal while baking. I've heard people use this in lieu of the salt and alcohol thing, perhaps it will work here too.

ToddJohnson · Post by **ToddJohnson** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:30 pm

I find briar treatment a very important issue, so I always try to treat mine well. I speak gently to it and seldom raise my voice. Sometimes I call it during the day just to say "Hello" or "I'm thinking of you." If I know it's going to have a difficult week--like it'll be getting carved up and ground into a pipe for instance--I'll try to help out a little more around the house or get dinner together. I find that it's the small things, ya know? Flowers never hurt either.

Best of luck,

Todd

achduliebe · Post by **achduliebe** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:39 pm

ROFL...

Oh man you got me....I thought you were getting ready to provide some heavy duty info.

jthpipes · Post by **jthpipes** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:33 pm

Thanks I just spit coffee out of my nose!

marks · Post by **marks** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:11 pm

Todd, you are too funny!!

magruder · Post by **magruder** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 3:11 am

You know Todd, as funny guys go, you're a great pipemaker.

Brendhain · Post by **Brendhain** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:11 am

I agree with most of what Todd wrote but I must caution everyone about the flowers.

While flowers certainly sound like a good idea, and most of the time they are, never bring the briar flowers if you have been away from it for a few days (especially over the weekend)! It will think that, while you were gone, you have been drilling another briar!

So, if you have been gone away for a while it is much better to tell the briar how much you missed it and how glad you are to be back with it.

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:57 am

Yet another innocent post hijacked by tomfooleries!

But...back to the topic:

Rad, were there any specs about how long to boil and how long to bake the stummel for?

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 12:32 pm

Rad, were there any specs about how long to boil and how long to bake the stummel for?

No. Just boil in distilled water. No time mentioned.

Rad

ToddJohnson · Post by **ToddJohnson** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 2:03 pm

bscofield wrote:Yet another innocent post hijacked by tomfooleries!

But...back to the topic:

Rad, were there any specs about how long to boil and how long to bake the stummel for?

Ben,

I am intentionally trying to interject some levity into what seem to be deadly serious discussions. I am not trying to say that these pursuits are worthless--perhaps some of them might be quite fruitful--they are, however, somewhat tangencial to mastering necessary skills. While they're sometimes interesting subjects to kick around, the vigor with which they're pursued betrays what is, to my mind, a myopic focus on little tweaks and tricks to the neglect of more essential topics. It's not that I haven't had some of these same ideas, it's just that I find them a bit humorous looking back. I am by no means a hardened veteran in this business, but I've been doing this for long enough to know that these are somewhat less than critical pursuits. I was just having some fun and didn't mean to derail your scientific pow-wow. These things are enjoyable to discuss and speculate about, so I leave you to it.

Todd

FWIW, I've had success boiling shaped and drilled (minus the draft hole) stummells in distilled water and then leaving them in a south-facing window for a week or so. Small amounts of impurities seem to be removed (by viewing the flotsam atop the water) and there is a small though noticable reduction in the weight of the stummells after drying. I don't have charts, graphs, or recipes though. Try boiling for an hour or so.

Jeffery · Post by **Jeffery** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 2:13 pm

I've done as Todd described... and hour-hour and a half boil... Electric oven at 150 degrees for 6-7 hous and then into the attic for a week (in the summer).

Was it worth it? Probably not... Did it make any difference? It made the stummel a tad lighter, and there seemed to be some crap at the top of the water... but, it's nothing I'll be putting into my regular routine of pipe making...

Good Luck!

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 3:24 pm

I tried it the other day with a stummel that had a major flaw in the bowl.

I boiled it for about two hours.

The flaw was still in the bowl after I finished.

The water turned dark red.

I didn't use distilled water.

I haven't smoked th pipe yet to see if it's sweeter. But how will I know?

Rad

Jeffery · Post by **Jeffery** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 3:25 pm

Exactly!

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 5:11 pm

ToddJohnson wrote:
bscofield wrote:Yet another innocent post hijacked by tomfooleries!

But...back to the topic:

Rad, were there any specs about how long to boil and how long to bake the stummel for?
Ben,

I am intentionally trying to interject some levity into what seem to be deadly serious discussions. I am not trying to say that these pursuits are worthless--perhaps some of them might be quite fruitful--they are, however, somewhat tangencial to mastering necessary skills. While they're sometimes interesting subjects to kick around, the vigor with which they're pursued betrays what is, to my mind, a myopic focus on little tweaks and tricks to the neglect of more essential topics. It's not that I haven't had some of these same ideas, it's just that I find them a bit humorous looking back. I am by no means a hardened veteran in this business, but I've been doing this for long enough to know that these are somewhat less than critical pursuits. I was just having some fun and didn't mean to derail your scientific pow-wow. These things are enjoyable to discuss and speculate about, so I leave you to it.

Todd

FWIW, I've had success boiling shaped and drilled (minus the draft hole) stummells in distilled water and then leaving them in a south-facing window for a week or so. Small amounts of impurities seem to be removed (by viewing the flotsam atop the water) and there is a small though noticable reduction in the weight of the stummells after drying. I don't have charts, graphs, or recipes though. Try boiling for an hour or so.

Todd, I didnt' mean that NEARLY as seriously as you took it. Maybe I should have done a different smiley face after the first sentace?

I wasn't even being 'half-serious.' I just had read rad's about the article and was going to ask about it... the rest of my post I was just screwin' around.

Seriously... I don't care about the jokes at all (see my posts in in the post regarding the c-clamp with the wood attached

).