Have you heard of building up a cake?

Whether it's your first or fifteenth pipe, it's always important to go over the basics of this vital process to make sure you get it right.

Let's explore the ins and outs of building up a cake so you can put your tobacco pipe in good shape!

What is building up a cake?

Building up a cake is the very first thing that happens when you get a new pipe. Simply put, building up a cake is when you create a layer of carbon on the walls of your pipe. The carbon lining protects the wood from the burning tobacco's heat.

You must build up a cake. Otherwise, your high-temperature tobacco will directly touch the wood chamber on your tobacco pipe. Without the cake, you can end up burning out your pipe, damaging the outside finish, and damaging the wood.

Building up a cake is vital to keeping your pipe for a long time. It's the only way to ensure a long life for your pipe- and isn't that the goal?

How do you build up a cake?

If you just got a new meerschaum pipe, it's time to start building up a cake. This takes place over the first 10 to 15 times your pipe is in use. Therefore, it can't be done immediately- it takes some time.

To build up a cake, slowly increase how much tobacco you're using to fill your bowl up over time. The first time you smoke out of your new pipe, put only a tiny bit of tobacco in the chamber and smoke very gently.

The next day, you can put slightly more tobacco in. Repeat this each day until you get to the top of the chamber. How many days it takes depends on how big, small, short, or tall your chamber is. Again, it usually takes between 10 and 15 times.

When you do this, the carbon layer- the cake- will start to form at the base of your chamber. Generally speaking, the cake needs to be roughly 2 mm thick to be effective. This will completely protect the briar without inhibiting how much tobacco you can pack.

But beware! Too thick of a cake can get in the way of packing and potentially crack your meerschaum pipe's wood!

There is also another method where you fill your chamber one-third of the way the first five times you smoke, two-thirds of the way the next five, and fully until you reach 15. This works too. What's most important is that the cake is built from the bottom to the top. This is why you slowly start at the bottom and work your way up.

What are some things you should avoid?

There are definitely some things you should stay away from when building a cake.

First off, don't smoke outside when it's windy. The wind will make the combustion stronger and heat up the fragile wood of the chamber.

Don't smoke too quickly or take big hits. This is time to utilize patience. If you're used to smoking quickly (like with cigarettes), you may need to pay extra attention to this.

Avoid scratching the inner chamber! This may seem like a no-brainer, but while you're building up the carbon layer you need to be very careful not to damage it.

Do your best not to overheat your pipe. This is important for all briar pipes, but especially while you're building up cake. If your pipe starts to get hot while you're holding it, let it sit, and then you can pick it up where you left off.

Many claim to use honey or alcohol to build up a cake. This will burn alcohol inside your chamber and is not at all recommended. It will damage your chamber and create a bad taste that will never go away. Worst of all, it will shorten the lifespan of your pipe.

Should you choose a tobacco pipe with bowl coating?

When buying a pipe, it might already be bowl coated, aka already carbonized. However, not all pipes are like this.

Some people prefer to start with a bare chamber and build their own cake. It adds to the mindfulness of the practice. Building a cake can be a rewarding, pleasurable part of smoking- and will make you feel more emotionally attached to your pipe.

When pipe makers pre-carbonize pipes, they don't all do it the same way. No matter what, it's impossible to make everyone happy. This is why there will always be pipes that are coated and non-coated.

Pros of getting a pipe with bowl coating

Here are two main pros of getting a pipe that already has a coating.

• Bowl coatings help the first couple of times you use your pipe. But you still need to build up a cake. Use the aforementioned strategies.
• A bowl-coated pipe is better for new smokers. A “bare” chamber needs a little more time. Sometimes people get discouraged from smoking because of the effort that has to go into taking care of your pipe. Having a bowl coating is a way to give new smokers a head start.

Final thoughts

Building up a cake might seem intimidating at first, but it's actually fairly simple. Just take your time and let it be part of the relaxing nature of pipe smoking.

Most importantly, this process will help you bond with your pipe, setting you up for -hopefully a lifetime of- incredible smoke sessions!