Apple Peel in a Tobacco Pouch?

tamer291 · Aug 28, 2013

My friends uncle has been pipe smoking for decades. Today I met up with him and he shared with me his secret of keeping his pipe tobacco fresh in his travel pouch. He puts a few pieces of apple peels in the pouch. Has anyone heard of this? He says it keeps the tobacco fresh and has been working for him for years. I would think the peel would change the flavor of the tobacco.
Your thoughts...

bigvan · Aug 28, 2013

It's old school, for sure. It's also a GREAT way to introduce mold into your tobacco.

papipeguy · Aug 28, 2013

No. You can but humidifucation devices for a buck. The apple trick is an old time thing and not a very good idea. The best approach is to smoke the tobacco before it becomes too fry. Failing that buy a cheap bottle sprayer and fill it with distilled water. If your tobacco becomes too dry then one spritz will restore it in a couple of hours or less.

undecagon · Aug 28, 2013

Bigvan got it right

tamer291 · Aug 28, 2013

Yeah, I told him about the moistener buttons.

checotah · Aug 28, 2013

When I first started the pipe, back in the '60's, that was a common advice. I tried it a few times, and it seemed to work for a short period of time and if I finished the pouch in a few days. Let it go for a little longer one time and ended up with...you guessed it: mold. Had to throw out the tobacco and a pretty nice leather pouch. Never again, for me.

zekest · Aug 29, 2013

Russ, the Master Blender at Pipes & Cigars says to rehydrate overly dry pipe tobacco, load your pipe and before you light it, exhale into the pipe stem, it should provide all the moisture needed.
Do this on a bowl by bowl basis, don't try to rehydrate the entire pouch or jar.

judcole · Aug 29, 2013

The guys summed it up: mold.
If you are caring for your tobacco properly, you shouldn't need to worry about it drying out.

kwilliams40 · Nov 21, 2013

I have an old can of GLP Haddo's Delight from 2000 that I opened, never finished, then put it away. Can I add a few drops of distilled water to the tobacco then reseal the can? How long would it take for the whole can to reach the proper humidity. Keeping cigars humidified is so much easier. LOL

petes03 · Nov 21, 2013

Some of the REALLY old codgers had some crazy ways! Think about it, the guys that did stuff like that are also the same ones that smoked their pipes until there was no room for tobacco in the chamber, and the bowl had at least two or more wide splits in it! A buddy of mine who was getting into pipes, told me that an old timer told him that the way to break in a new pipe wag to fill it with tobacco, then hold it out the window of his truck at about 55mph until it gets so hot you can't touch it! I felt sorry for the poor pipes this man had! It almost made me physically sick to hear this kind of advice being given! So NO, don't put fruit in your baccy pouch!

jgriff · Nov 21, 2013

Some recommend spritzing tobacco with distilled water. If I have to rehydrate, I put a moist paper towel over a tupperware container and put the lid on overnight. I don't let the towel touch the tobacco and the tobacco will absorb the moist air.

tennsmoker · Nov 21, 2013

I used the old apple in the pouch thing back in the '60s. Got a pouch full of mold, a goopy mess. That cured me.

kwilliams40 · Nov 21, 2013

How about the mini Boveda packs used for cigars? Would tossing one inside the jar work?

mso489 · Nov 21, 2013

The apple slice routine is still suggested online as a way to freshen dried out tobacco. I fell for it once and grew

various kinds of mold. I guess it was a good learning experience, and luckily I didn't ruin any important leaf.

kashmir · Nov 21, 2013

I've heard of apple, potato, radish, lemon peel, carrots ... But to my mind they'll all cause mold. Maybe less so the lemon peel on account of it's acidity. But I wouldn't trust any myself.

flakyjakey · Nov 21, 2013

My late dad used to put a couple of potato (yes!) peelings in his tobacco pouch. He smoked through the pouch-full so swiftly that there was no mould. I still use his pouch - a beautiful 60 year-old, oilskin-lined leather article - no mould, but no peelings now of any description!!

lordofthepiperings · Nov 21, 2013

I would never use an apple peel or slice to rehydrate or keep tobacco moist mostly because I wouldn't want to impart the flavor into the tobacco. Mold accumulation is another big reason not to do it.
The above advice is good.
If my tobacco needs a bit of moistening I usually dampen a small square of sponge with distilled water and throw it in the tin over night. If it's still dry I shake up the tobacco and let the sponge sit in there a bit longer.

condorlover1 · Dec 23, 2013

I agree. I had an oil skin pouch and around 1984 someone suggested the old apply thingy for tobacco and the net result was mold. I graduated up to moisten sheets of toilet paper/kitchen towel etc. until I reached the US. At that point I found those rather natty aluminum - sorry we spell it differently in the UK, disks the size of a quarter. I found soaking them in Gin worked a treat and no more moldy tobacco.

stbruno70 · Dec 24, 2013

I have an old can of GLP Haddo's Delight from 2000 that I opened, never finished, then put it away. Can I add a few drops of distilled water to the tobacco then reseal the can? How long would it take for the whole can to reach the proper humidity. Keeping cigars humidified is so much easier. LOL

Greg Pease himself on the FAQ of his website has some words of wisdom on re-hydrating tobacco:
http://www.glpease.com/FAQ.html
"Q: What should I do about a tobacco that's too dry?
A: My method is to put the tobacco in a large, clean bowl, and cover the bowl with a damp towel. The towel should not touch the tobacco. Check the tobacco every couple hours, and when it reaches the moisture level you like, store it in an airtight container. Glass "bail top" jars work well, but be sure to clean them thoroughly. (See the next item on mold.)
Different tobaccos take up moisture at different rates. The denser leaf, like Virginias and some orientals, take up moisture very slowly. Spraying with water is dangerous, since it's difficult to control the overall moisture level of the tobacco. It's hard to evaluate the difference between damp leaf and soggy leaf. The method outlined above is pretty much foolproof."
Haddo's changes in amazing ways as it ages. I hope you salvage yours.

cmdrmcbragg · Jul 11, 2014

Going to bump this because I had to link it to a FB pipe smoker page as they were advising a guy to use apple peels and potatoes to rehydrate some very old tobacco.

Apple Peel in a Tobacco Pouch?

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