So how do "YOU" deal with tongue bite

[cpmcdill]

Most of my tongue bite problems disappeared when I stopped smoking aromatic cavendish blends. I have been smoking VaPers, English, crossovers etc with little bite. Some oddball blends have bit me hard for reasons I cannot fathom: P&C's Union Leader match for example. But I did find that blending in a generous pinch of turkish blending tobacco made that issue go away. It does seem to be a pH issue. So some combination of additive blending and maybe drinking a soda, ice tea or other acidic beverage can spare the tongue.

Worst burner of all was Velvet, which I gradually over time used pinches of in various batches of homemade english/balkan blends was a way to use it up without searing my tongue.

[Pipe Smoker]

I never suffer tongue bite. I'm a "holder", rather than a "clincher", so the smoke stream is diffused over my whole mouth, rather than being concentrated on one small spot on my tongue. And my pipe bits look like new, even after thousands of pipefuls.

[Lostmason]

I guess I'm a bit weird,just finished a bowl of FVF that was dated 2013.It had a nice bit of burn to it , a one alarm chili
kind of thing.I rather enjoyed it.I like a little kick now and then.I've had blends really set things on fire though,mostly
burley blends and those I slow down my cadence and sip water or juice.But the lighter burning blends I just puff on
and enjoy the sensation as well as the flavor.

[Haebar]

I used to get bite all the time before I learned about letting the tobacco dry out some before smoking it. Used to think that it was just part of pipe smoking. I occasionally get bit every now and then. When I do, I like to drink a cold beer or a soda pop and hold it in my mouth where the burned areas of my mouth are and just let it bubble and fizz intensely.

[Cool Breeze]

Usually I don't have issues with tongue bite until bowl 5 or 6 in one day.
Since I rarely smoke that much in a day, I don't have to worry about it often.

When I do get it, I just know its time to put the pipe down for the rest of the day. Most times when that happens I'll lay off smoking for a day or two after to let my tongue recover.

As for the FVF biting, I think that the reason people have that issue with Gawith blends is that they're so wet you have to puff hard and often to keep them lit. A little drying time will probably help with those.
It sucks because to me they taste better when they're on the wet side.

[NeverBend]

...I think that the reason people have that issue with Gawith blends is that they're so wet you have to puff hard and often to keep them lit. A little drying time will probably help with those.
It sucks because to me they taste better when they're on the wet side.

I too prefer my flakes on the moist side. I fold and stuff but I'm careful to fill the bowl loosely at the bottom and I tamp gently to keep the draw easy. On occasion I get tongue irritation from flakes but only if they've dried, probably because I fill the pipe similarly either way.

I'll make a distinction between tongue bite, that I think is a chemical reaction, and tongue irritation that's from heat and continuous smoke arriving on the same spot of the tongue. Either can be caused by excessive smoke (too fast) and for me the key is to forget that I'm smoking at all and get myself into a rhythm. Don't be afraid to let the pipe go out and never fight to keep it lit. When my pipe goes out I 'garden' my ash (removing most), tamp to my preference and relight.

There's always the possibility that certain types of tobacco agree with a person less than others. To anyone who is having these issues, relax, try changing the way that you fill (a bit more resistance or a bit less as needed), and you know how successful you've been as the problem diminishes.