A Question to Ponder...

It’s really humid here in the summer, if I just leave the tobacco out it will keep its moisture level, I’ve found that turning on my floor fan and directing it to my tobacco bowl dries it out in a good 15-30 min. Others use a heat lamp, some use the microwave.

I thought the relative humidity was the measure how much water holding potential of the atmosphere. 78% humidity means the air is holding 78% of the max water it can hold. Hit 100% and you have dense fog, rain, or dew.

That's right - relative humidity is dependent on temperature, pressure, etc, it's not "absolute" humidity, which is more or less what we are talking about with pipe tobacco - looking at pipe tobacco, it is probably something like 50% water weight? I dunno, but dead dry tobacco weighs nothing (like it's made of leaves or something). So it's going to give off "humidity", the water is going to "boil out" as it were, unless the relative humidity of the air is like... 99% (which is to say, the air literally can't accept more water in it).

In central N.C., it is intermittently high humidity, which may be the reason I find leaving tobacco packed in pipes or in a ceramic bowl to dry usually a good plan. Even when forgotten in a fold-up, it is usually just fine to smoke, seemingly into perpetuity.

I've been wondering this week about how the Southern Gentlemen-Smokers survive. We're AC-free up here on Lake Michigan (don't usually need it). The heat wave this week sent our indoor RH up into the high-80s/low-90s according to my hygrometers (compared to 10-15% in winter). I was still able to dry tobacco, but it took 12-24 hours to get approximately the same results I usually get in 15 minutes. Interestingly, however, the taste and smoking properties are completely different. The experience has made me wonder if evaporation of water is all that's going on when we "dry" tobacco. Exposure to air has an effect regardless of how much or how little actual water weight evaporates off. Maybe we should say "oxygenate your tobacco to a crisp before smoking".

@Sasquatch, not saying you are wrong but what do you mean by absolute humidity?

I have done a bit of controlled forest burning and "fine fuel" such as lichens

and other small surface debris(very much like fine cut tobacco) follows the

relative humidity of the air with a time lag of about 20 minutes.
Also, why do they keep cigars at 68% or something?

So strange, I was thinking about this the other day. I was going to mow the lawn and thought a pipe would be a good accompaniment. Well granted my technique is far from perfect, but the 90% humidity killed that bowl. I could not keep it lit.
The fall is the best time of year for enjoying a pipe in my opinion.

Just smoke Gawith flakes. They arrive at 145% humidity, so opening them amidst a downpour still results in significant drying... 8)
I keep this $14 gauge on the front of my gun safe, which is also in the smoking/tobacco storage room. It shows current temp and humidity, as well as the highs and lows over the last 24 hours.

Around here, the clouds/moisture usually build up in the wee hours, so the morning often begins with some clouds and high humidity and it begins to burn off as the mercury climbs to whatever obscene level it wishes for the day.
With my home thermostat set at 77, located in the hallway, roughly center of the house, this spot in the far corner rarely leaves the range shown in the picture. On rainy days, with the window opened and the exhaust fan running, I may see 60% humidity.
Most ribbons suffice with 15-30 minutes of drying. I can get by with an hour on many flakes, although I often now put out Coniston or similar before bed to enjoy the next day.
I rarely do aromatics and almost never any humectant laden blends, so I can't weigh in on those.
When I put out flakes or coins, I often bend them in the middle a bit so they sit with most of the surface area suspended from the plate surface, allowing air to reach both sides of the flake. With ribbons, I'll mix or flip the pile once or twice for the same reason.
If it gets really bad, I've recently discovered that the exhaust port on my laptop blows a gentle, steady stream of warm, dry air out from the left side and I can sit some tobacco there for a "boost" to the drying.
Many ways to skin this cat, apparently. Or, move to Phoenix and try to grow St. Augustine lawns in the desert...

That question kept me up last night :lol:. Seriously though, I live in SC and it's humid all year long and I haven't noticed any problems. If I'm outside with a pouch of my usual burley, I have found it can get a tad moist, but nothing I can't handle. I definitely haven't noticed that it becomes dry.

I can't dry a damn thing in the kind of humidity we've got here in VT this time of year (I am grateful it's only seasonal). I've been playing around a lot with packing technique and bowl size in order to combat the typical hassles. Seems like a fairly narrow bowl, packed loosely, and only filled about halfway is working pretty well for me. Pack it too tight or smoke too long (i.e., breathe too much), and I end up with a vicious unlightable wad that eventually has to be tossed, to my great consternation.

No. I don't live in such a place. Why do you ask me?

<br />

Here in Memphis, early Sunday morning @ 12:30AM, 78 degrees with 92% humidity. I mostly smoke aromatics, always a loose gravity fill with extra light tamping. I usually load straight from the jar since no real drying will happen. One thing I cannot do is smoke half a bowl and come back to it later. It will be a hot stinking mess. Can only get away with that in winter.