Dry, Dry, Dry!

[pipenscotch]

Gonna be short and sweet folks, my biggest piece of advice I can give to new smokers is to dry your tobacco out before you smoke it! My preference is just a tad crispy, but not brittle. Makes the pipe smoke cooler, taste sweeter, and stay lit longer. And I find the easiest and fastest way to accomplish this is to cook the tobacco on a sheet of loose-leaf paper over top of a desk lamp for 5-10 minutes! Works every time.
Happy puffin,

pipenscotch

 

[mso489]

...and if you find a pouch, tin, or jar where the tobacco has dried out quite a bit, try it first before you

moisten it. Many blends smoke as well or better in that state. Amazing but true.

 

[grouchydog]

I'm still struggling to breach the mental wall of "dryer than you think it should be." I haven't reached "too dry" yet, and so far the drier the better for me.

 

[mrcloud]

I am new to pipes but find this advice valid from my experience.

 

[hitman]

Great advice, @pipenscotch. I am new to the hobby, and set out a couple of pinches of Nightcap to dry yesterday afternoon. Previously I have smoked it straight from the jar while fighting mild tongue bite and relighting every 5 minutes. I didn't pack the pipe till a couple hours after I had planned. The tobacco was drier than any I have attempted to smoke; just a tad crispy, pinches fell apart right away. The flavor was great, smoke was plentiful and cool, and I only relit a couple times. Amazing experience!
Still a lot too learn,
Don

 

[cobguy]

When I first started drying more and more, it always amazed me

how much moisture was still left after it started smoldering.
Now, I take most blends to the point of slightly crispy.

However, there are some that lose flavor and it is a balance / preference issue at that point.
A quick fix in a rush is to microwave the tobacco on a folded-over paper towel for about 10-15 seconds.

You'll feel how much moisture is left on the paper towel.

 

[ravkesef]

I'm the guy who coined the phrase "drier than you think it should be,(I think,) but Jason, one of our mods, takes it a step further, and says "bone dry." Truth is, I have seldom encountered a tobacco which was too dry, and have consistently found that the drier the better.

 

[thesmokingtexan]

I have some belnds that I prefer to not be dry. The Scotts Milk and Honey for one. I like the moist flavor of the smoke. Why are yall so agianst moist tobacco?

 

[pipenscotch]

To answer your question thesmokingtexan, from personal experience I find that the moister the tobacco, the more steam is produced while I'm smoking, which will lead to a wetter, hotter, and less flavorful smoke. Now, I agree, not all blends need to be dried so much, if at all. I do find however the majority of tobacco does deserve some dry time, although YMMV.

 

[hiplainsdrifter]

^ Yep. Drying is good for most tobaccos, but only up to a point. I have some Penzance that has been in a jar about 2 years, and I think is a bit overdry as it falls apart into hot, ashy flavor soon after lighting. I think I need to rehydrate it a bit. I have also had bad experiences over-drying Gawith FVF.

 

[jon11]

I agree....DRY!

 

[thesmokingtexan]

Ill have to try tha. It is just that I have been enjoying the drink that comes up out of my steam after smoking a moist tobacco. Alittle bitter but a good head spin.

 

[pipenscotch]

Hmmm, some pipe juice would sure be a pick-me-up in the wee hours of the morning. I however, enjoy my coffee to much to trade it up :lol:

 

[phred]

Can't speak for others, but I'm finding that moister tobacco doesn't stay lit as well. I wind up puffing harder and burning my tongue, trying to keep the light going, whereas it's easier to maintain a lit bowl with drier tobacco.

 

[bigvan]

Disagree. I don't dry my tobacco, not ever. Sure, drying helps it burn better, but it does NOT enhance flavor. It takes a certain cadence and pace but the flavor of fresh tobacco is far superior in my opinion.
Smoking dried out tobacco isn't smoking. It's standing next to a pile of burning leaves waiting for it to go out.

 

[cobguy]

Smoking dried out tobacco isn't smoking.

Even once it's "dried out" there is still lots of moisture.
This is evident once you hit it with a charring light.

 

[hawke]

While I do dry the same way pipenscotch does in the original top post, my experience seems it always looses "some" flavor. I am sensitive to tongue bite as I smoke generally all day if Im off work. Never more than 10 min from the next puff Id say. Therefore moisture removal is a huge factor for me. As stated by cobguy there is a line in drying where the joy has been aired away. With the method pipenscotch and I use if I smell the tobacco under the lamp its too hot. The A/C and a fan often drys better if Im in a patient mood. One must keep a close eye under the lamp.
The more I have to relight due to moisture in the tobacco the more heat(stem) is created which lends to tongue issues for me. Im sure this all must be balanced with ones personal preferences and sensitivity.
A good discussion for the new smoker to read helping him find "his style"!

 

[thesmokingtexan]

+1 to bigvan I agree with your last post. Sure drying out makes it easier to burn but the flavor is less and it does remind me of a burning pile of dried hay. I does take a little patience to smoke it with out being dried but I do it like my brisket. Low and Slow

 

[hawke]

In support of Cobguy's comment about moisture. I was messn' with my Calabash Project and stuck a clear rubber tube on as a shank. After smoking one small bowl the amount of moisture there was surprising to me. This was not a real dry sample however.

 

[lostandfound]

According to me, some tobaccos are better with more moisture, and others are better with less moisture. However, also according to me, no tobacco should ever be "bone dry".