Any word of advice for smoking FVF by Samuel Gawith?

[mushjoon]

I recently ordered Full Virginia Flake by Samuel Gawith, but it's my first time smoking pure Virginian flake.
Besides, I'm not so good at smoking flake. It seems to me that it needs more relight, tamping is harder and burns my tongue more.
I even heard that Virginia blends tend to bite if I draw the smoke too quickly.
Any word of advice for smoking this guy in an appropriate way?

 

[nsfisher]

i cant smoke much virgin. maybe a bowl or 2 a week and i have to sip it very slowly or no tounge left!!!

 

[kamikazesasquatch]

Rub it out, let it dry for an hour to a day (depending on how moist it is). Also, be careful with your packing. Try keeping it loose. I had similar problems at first (I've not had FVF but have had plenty of others) and those things all seemed to help me.

 

[thesmokindragon]

Love the V~flake, hunted SG for some time before getting some,

Just great bacci, think I tried most of their blends and do like flake the

best, I just dry/fold stuff and sip nice and slow...really is amazing stuff

 

[kamikazesasquatch]

I've never had much luck with the fold and stuff way of packing. I always wind up blocking the draft hole.

 

[smokenscotch]

I had some the other day and for sure you have to let it dry out. I left mine out for 45 minutes and it could have used more time. However, great flake, I folded and packed, rubbed out both ends and fired it up. Slow steady sips will bring out some wonderful flavor, sweetness, hay flavor. Enjoy!

 

[mattmars]

With flake I usually set it out for at least 2 hours before I rub it out. If it's 1792, I let it sit for 24. My fold and stuff technique needs more work.

 

[peteguy]

FVF is my favorite smoke. My routine is something like this:
I open a tin and do a loose rub out. I then put it in a "pop top" jar. That's what I call the jars with the push in top with the white rubberish seal. I let it sit in this type of jar for months. As it slowly dries out I keep an eye on it - tasting it now and again. When it appears to have dried to my liking I start to smoke it every day. A bowl lasts me about an hour and I have developed a "sipping" method that seems to suit Virginia's for my tastes. I probably sip it once every 5-10 seconds, almost like I am tasting a very hot cup of coffee. The pipe never gets hot, I never get tongue bite and the taste really shines.
YYMV

 

[mushjoon]

I don't think I fully understand the concept of "sipping." Am I supposed to draw short or long and gently?

 

[peteguy]

Long and gently is a good way to put it. I am sure short and gently would work to as long as the gently is there. I like that better than sipping.

 

[vroomfondel]

I find SG flakes in general too difficult to fold'n'stuff so I always rub them out. I found that there is quite a bit of variation in the thickness of the actual flakes, so the thinner ones might be easier to fold.
Whatever you do, always dry them out before smoking, otherwise the are absolutely fireproof.

 

[ssjones]

Small bowls and slowly! I smoked Boswells version, "Virginia Slices" last week, that and SG nic knocked my socks off. I'm gifting my last tin of SG FVF, it's too much for me.