Two levels of tobacco dryness

[uncleblackie]

I haven't seen this mentioned before, but the other day I dried out about half a bowls worth of tobacco (Pembroke) more than I normally would, loaded that first, and then packed the rest of the bowl with tobacco at my standard level of dryness.
The idea being that as the bowl progressed, the moisture created by the first half of the bowl would be absorbed by the drier tobacco underneath, providing a more even smoking experience/less chance of needing to relight/less overall moisture.
I only tried it the one time so far, but it seemed to make for a great smoke.

 

[briarguys]

Interesting. I need to give this a try.

 

[k1j3l]

Huh.. I can't believe this idea has never come up before. I'll have to give it a try next time.

 

[yazamitaz]

Of all the topics discussed I can't believe no one has tried this. I usually don't dry out my tobacco too much, but I could see this being the remedy.

 

[mephistopheles]

I always thought it was common to use your drier leaf and/or shake as kindling for the top. That's the reverse, but it works well to get and keep the bowl lit.
Maybe a 3 step method (dry, moist, dry) would produce an especially good smoke. Interesting thought as sometimes tobacco is more flavorful a bit moist.

 

[torque]

I've mentioned this technique before but it didn't really gain any traction. It works very well, just leave a pinch or two out overnight then replace it every time you load a bowl and you get a nice rotation going. Of course the rotation thing only works if you get on a single blend kick like I tend to do.

 

[ivapewithfire]

I've learned recently that I get a much smoother smoke from letting my tobacco dry longer than I thought necessary.
The best bowl I've had recently was one that I loaded and got distracted. I didn't get back to it until about the same time the next evening. Burned as well as any I've had.
What is the advantage of what your method over just letting the entire bowls worth dry to a sufficient level?

 

[redbeard]

Very interesting! I too can't believe this isn't a hot topic here. Makes sense, I will need to try this out one day.

 

[uncleblackie]

Rob,
my experience steers me towards tobacco that might be a little more moist than what others prefer. Below a certain level of moisture, for me, the tobacco I like loses flavor and increases in harshness. It works just fine for me, hence only trying the described method once. I will try again soon though.

 

[ivapewithfire]

Makes sense as far as you feeling you get more flavor out of the tobacco with a higher moisture level.
My palate just isn't sensitive enough to pick up on the flavor difference at different moisture levels. I guess that's why just drying it is working for me.

 

[thehappypiper]

I too seem to be in the minority. I don't like to dry my tobacco. As it comes from a typical Dunhill tin is perfect for me, perhaps a tad drier than I'd like after the seal has been broken for a few days. I like to enjoy a tobacco when it is just dry enough to smoke relatively easily and no more. To give you the idea of my prefered moisture level, I'll take FVF from a new tin and dry a few flakes under a 40W light bulb, about 8 inches away, for about 15 mins both sides, then rub. I like it to be moist and unctious, leaving a faint tarry residue on the skin. I find the extra taste well worth the extra effort.