Salt and Alcohol Method
-
PastorPipe
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Princeton, New Jersey
- Contact:
Salt and Alcohol Method
I am pretty new to pipes in general, but I inherited quite a collection from a grandfather with a mind for making money, but clearly not for cleaning pipes. I have restored the stems on the pipes and thoroughly rheamed the insides etc. Nonetheless, they still seem to be pretty abused and fairly smelly? What is this salt and alcohol method that I have been hearing about and where can I learn more about it?
-
alexanderfrese
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Bochum, Germany
- Contact:
Salt and alcohol is mentioned several times somewhere in the forums from http://www.pipes.org. Search there. I found one article here. There is another cure with activated charcoal you can read about here.
I myself was fighting with a similar situation. Read about the procedure (I am still working on it) that helped me to get some horrible smell out of crappy estates in another thread of this forum here. There are some issues still, but maybe it helps. Watch the whole thread down to my messages, since it origininally focusses on stain removal, which is a possible side effect of my treatment.
Alex
I myself was fighting with a similar situation. Read about the procedure (I am still working on it) that helped me to get some horrible smell out of crappy estates in another thread of this forum here. There are some issues still, but maybe it helps. Watch the whole thread down to my messages, since it origininally focusses on stain removal, which is a possible side effect of my treatment.
Alex
Here's how I do the salt/alcohol method, when I do it. I have heard of some folks that have had trouble with cracked bowls after doing this, but I am not sure they are using the exact ingredients, or letting everything dry out at the end. Be forewarned as well, that I have heard of some folks having trouble with the alcohol leaching through the bowl and damaging the finish, although I have not had that happen to me personally.
Ingredients: Non Iodized Salt, Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol.
Take off stem, insert pipe cleaner into shank, being careful that cleaner does not touch outside of shank (IOW, it is centered in the mortise). Fill the bowl with non iodized salt, not quite to the rim. With an eye dropper, dribble grain alcohol into the salt until saturated. Be very careful not to get grain alcohol onto the finish, or you may be sorry you were not careful.
Place the pipe in a situation where it is secure, and the pipe will not tip over. Let sit for at least 72 hours, longer if you are in a humid environment (you want the alcohol to completely evaporate). After it all dries, remove the ingredients and let the pipe sit and air out for a day or two. Then, reassemble and smoke (I have also heard of some folks cracking shanks when reassembling pipes, but I have never had this problem either - maybe the extra drying time after removing ingredients helps).
As a point of reference, I usually ream the pipe after the procedure, not before, so maybe that is why I have never had issues with cracked bowls. That way, if there is any salt liquification, and recrystalization, I think it does it in the cake I ream out, not the wood. Don't know for sure, maybe I've just been lucky. After hearing of fellows getting cracked pipes, I have been doing this procedure with less frequency. Maybe I'm getting nervous for no reason, since I've never had a problem with it in 20 years.
Your mileage may vary, and perform this procedure at your own risk. Hope this is not confusing, and hope it helps.
Ingredients: Non Iodized Salt, Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol.
Take off stem, insert pipe cleaner into shank, being careful that cleaner does not touch outside of shank (IOW, it is centered in the mortise). Fill the bowl with non iodized salt, not quite to the rim. With an eye dropper, dribble grain alcohol into the salt until saturated. Be very careful not to get grain alcohol onto the finish, or you may be sorry you were not careful.
Place the pipe in a situation where it is secure, and the pipe will not tip over. Let sit for at least 72 hours, longer if you are in a humid environment (you want the alcohol to completely evaporate). After it all dries, remove the ingredients and let the pipe sit and air out for a day or two. Then, reassemble and smoke (I have also heard of some folks cracking shanks when reassembling pipes, but I have never had this problem either - maybe the extra drying time after removing ingredients helps).
As a point of reference, I usually ream the pipe after the procedure, not before, so maybe that is why I have never had issues with cracked bowls. That way, if there is any salt liquification, and recrystalization, I think it does it in the cake I ream out, not the wood. Don't know for sure, maybe I've just been lucky. After hearing of fellows getting cracked pipes, I have been doing this procedure with less frequency. Maybe I'm getting nervous for no reason, since I've never had a problem with it in 20 years.
Your mileage may vary, and perform this procedure at your own risk. Hope this is not confusing, and hope it helps.
-
alexanderfrese
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Bochum, Germany
- Contact:
Can you tell me, which alcohol is the main part of that everclear? Is it ethanol or some kind of iso-propanol? I am just wondering, since I am using iso-propanol when cleaning and refurbishing estate pipes. Still from a pharmacist, but it is simply cheaper, since there is simply no :naughty: way to make any booze aut of it. It removes stain from the stummel when applied for a long time. It also removes the stain from a fresh re-stain that has not sunk into the wood, but you have to rub on it rather hard. But I did not notice any harsh damage from accidental contact with the stummel, though everybody warns. Maybe ethanol is working stronger?marks wrote:…Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol. …
Alex
-
Tyler
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 2376
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Farmersville, TX
- Contact:
Everclear is DEFINITELY ethanol...that's why you can drink it. It is 190 proof, which is to say 95% ethyl alcohol. Presumably the other 5% is water.
Tyler
Tyler
Tyler Lane Pipes
http://www.tylerlanepipes.com
http://www.tylerlanepipes.com
-
alexanderfrese
- Posts: 317
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Bochum, Germany
- Contact:
You really get some ethanol in a form you can mix with something and can drink it? The only two legal ways to get some ethanol here in GER is to get it straight, which makes it incredibly expensive due to taxes or as what is called »Spiritus«. That is nothing but pure alc as well – and a faint addition of something smelling and most probably tasting horrible. So nothing to use on a pipe.
Alex
P.S. There is – of course – some homebrewn alc around as well. But this should definitely be reserved to drinking. If you'r shure it don't make you blind.
Alex
P.S. There is – of course – some homebrewn alc around as well. But this should definitely be reserved to drinking. If you'r shure it don't make you blind.
-
Tyler
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 2376
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Farmersville, TX
- Contact:
Yes, Everclear is for drinking. My roommate in college had a whole semester just vanish on him with the help of Everclear. 8O
We also have "denatured alcohol" which is roughly 90% ethanol and 10% methanol. The methanol is added in order to make it poisonous so that it can be sold as a solvent without liquor taxes.
Tyler
We also have "denatured alcohol" which is roughly 90% ethanol and 10% methanol. The methanol is added in order to make it poisonous so that it can be sold as a solvent without liquor taxes.
Tyler
Tyler Lane Pipes
http://www.tylerlanepipes.com
http://www.tylerlanepipes.com
Does anyone know if bourbon will work for this?
I have read of guys cleaning their pipe and stems with it rather than pipe sweetner. I am sure it would probably leave a bourbon taste to the pipe for a while (Oh darn
).
Even back when I drank I don't remember seeing Everclear on the shelf around here. I guess Vodka would be closest we have.
Thanks,
Ray
I have read of guys cleaning their pipe and stems with it rather than pipe sweetner. I am sure it would probably leave a bourbon taste to the pipe for a while (Oh darn
).Even back when I drank I don't remember seeing Everclear on the shelf around here. I guess Vodka would be closest we have.
Thanks,
Ray
Ray Cover
School of Fine Art Engraving
School of Fine Art Engraving
95% ethanol is available in Italy in any grocery store, because many Italians still make homemade liquors with it (Soak lemons in pure ethanol for 40 days, then strain, Dilute with water and sugar to taste, and BAM you get Limoncello)
Anyway, from what I understand, the purer the alcohol, the better, because pure alcohol evaporates very quickly while water lingers. In other words, the alcohol doesn't really have time to soak into the briar - it absorbs the gunk from the pipe, leaches it out into the salt, and evaporates.
Something like 80 proof bourbon is about 60% water, therefore, if you use the S&A treatment with bourbon, the chances of the briar retaining the water in the bourbon go up - which also increases the chances of the briar cracking. I'm no expert on the science of this. If you 'sweeten' a pipe with a bourbon soaked cleaner, I can't see it doing much harm - you're not putting any more fluid in there than any wet smoker does. But if you fill the bowl up with the stuff, that's a different story.
I'll stick with the pure grain alcohol (everclear) because it's food grade. I'll bet the commercial pipe sweeteners all use methanol alcohols because they are cheaper. The point is, either way, the pure alcohols evaporate quickly and don't absorb into the briar. And that's the point of aging briar - to dry it. Why would you want to put all that moisture back into the wood?
Anyway, from what I understand, the purer the alcohol, the better, because pure alcohol evaporates very quickly while water lingers. In other words, the alcohol doesn't really have time to soak into the briar - it absorbs the gunk from the pipe, leaches it out into the salt, and evaporates.
Something like 80 proof bourbon is about 60% water, therefore, if you use the S&A treatment with bourbon, the chances of the briar retaining the water in the bourbon go up - which also increases the chances of the briar cracking. I'm no expert on the science of this. If you 'sweeten' a pipe with a bourbon soaked cleaner, I can't see it doing much harm - you're not putting any more fluid in there than any wet smoker does. But if you fill the bowl up with the stuff, that's a different story.
I'll stick with the pure grain alcohol (everclear) because it's food grade. I'll bet the commercial pipe sweeteners all use methanol alcohols because they are cheaper. The point is, either way, the pure alcohols evaporate quickly and don't absorb into the briar. And that's the point of aging briar - to dry it. Why would you want to put all that moisture back into the wood?