Crispy Tobacco?

I ran through a tin of Jack Knife Plug that I confiscated of my mate Andre. I found it very moist but sort of pleasant but with very little oomph. I left the tin on the shelf on my book case for a few weeks and then revisited it. Cut it up fine with a sharp knife and mixed with some finely cut black rope and a pinch of Condor and it became an amazing smoke. I found that letting it sit out for about 30 minutes after cutting and mixing with other tobacco made it a very slow burning and cool smoke.

Curl, drying is a matter of preference. See the link for a good discussion of tobacco moisture levels.
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/dust-in-the-wind-a-primer-on-tobacco-moisture/
You can smoke tobacco that is wet, or very dry, depending on what you like. If too wet, it will be hard to light and will also create more steam that is prone to burning your tongue. On the other hand, if tobacco is too dry there is a tendency for it to burn fast (and hot). But, everyone has their own idea of what they like. If you like it kind of dry, even crispy, go for it. My recommendation is that you not dry it to the crispy or brittle state and try to store it that way -- you are liable to wind up with a lot of small, broken bit and dust in your jar or pouch.
Plugs and flake (and coins -- all manner of pressed tobacco) seem to me to be on the moist side. I'm not certain that it actually has a higher moisture content of if the densely pressed tobacco simply drys more slowly and needs more time and attention to drying to get it to the optimum level.

I don't dry tobacco under a fan, but I have found that leaving a bowl or three in a ceramic bowl (or any open container)

over night, or for a day or two, often improves it. Likewise, when you find tobacco that has dried a lot, try it before

you attempt to humidify it; often it is just fine or improved by being dry. Moist tobacco does produce steam and stings

your mouth.

I've heard some say that overdrying evaporates much of the oils and takes the flavor out of a smoke.

Some blends go to hell when they're that dry, taste like cigarettes. I have read reviews of other blends that are at their best when bone dry, so it just depends on the specific blend.

I don't really like to leave tobacco out in the open to dry, if it's too wet, I usually just leave it in the tin for a couple of weeks or more. The first time I tried Gawith Navy I was camping. The tobacco was wet,the air was humid and a book of matches couldn't keep it lit. I put the lid on and left it in my car the whole month of May, after that it was still leathery and pliant and full of flavor, but I never needed a relight.

I dry mine to crispy, especially flakes, but that doesn't diminish the oils. Oils take more time, and when they are gone, I consider the blend stale at that point. But, this is best mostly for Virginias and VaPers, IMO. I don't smoke much aros or latakias, so I have no suggestions for those.

But, I just put the flakes that I want to take with me in a tobacco pouch that is just leather and doesn't seal for being on-the-go. And, I will set out a few flakes for my evening smoke to set on my desk for the day.

To me, this enhances the flavors, because their is very little steam to scorch my tongue, leaving my palate much more fresh while smoking. Sure, it burns a little more quickly if you are a puffer, but I just passively let the smoke drift, without puffing, so this works best for me.

To each his own. ::

In my case it's a matter of finding the right balance of moisture. I've played around in the past with drying out tobaccos but for me if they get too dry they become very harsh and unpleasant. Guess it must be my own chemistry. Some of the worse mouth irritation I ever had was from a blend that was dry and burned hot and tasted just awful.

Curl, I never promised that there would not be any math. And there will be some on the quiz, as well!
Carcosa, you are correct that as you dry your tobacco you lose volatile oils in addition to losing moisture. That is one reason why re-hydrating old, dry tobacco is never a sure thing. You can replace the water, but not the oils that have been lost. My guess is that the oils will evaporate more slowly than water, so drying tobacco for a short while (an hour? a few hours?) should not result in much loss of oils.
And, if you prefer your tobacco on the dry side, so what if you lose some of the volatile oils? The idea is to get the tobacco to the point where you enjoy it.

I think most forum folks seem to aggressively over-dry their tobacco. It is usually made to be smoked right out of the can or pouch.

The only blends that I light dry are some aromatics and recently discovered that a plug smokes better after it dries alittle and I only let them air dry by opening the container for a little while and I don't let them over dry . But I like my tobacco a little moist it seems to have a cooler better flavor. As a result I tend to smoke my pipe slow to prevent the bite. Just like a good smoked brisket; low and slow.

Pease releases his blends at a moisture level somewhat higher than others. I can't comment about why he feels tobacco smokes better at this level, but I can report that smoking it as it comes, without bringing the moisture down first, is not problematic.
There are a certain number of pipe smokers who like to smoke dry, but to me this is a waste of time.
The very biggest variability that I experience is my palate, not the level of moisture. Too many times I am rewarded with flavor that is not the best that a blend can deliver.

Anyone who knows how to restore taste to what's actually coming down the stem to my mouth, not otherwise impeded by by fickle taster, please let me know. I always brush my teeth before smoking, and in this case, and in similar others, I also suck on stick cinnamon for a few minutes before lighting up.

I will bet that some blenders keep their tobaccos a little on the wet side to aid in the aging process. FVF is darn near like trying to light asbestos if you don't dry it, so are many of the better quality flakes.
Like I said, I only dry out Virginia and VaPer blends, especially the flakes. Some, I don't dry. D&R blends are already perfect, and so are a few other brands.
Aromatics should never be dried, IMO. The topping is where the flavor is.

And, dry or not, I can't get latakia not to suck, ha ha.
It also really depends on where you are. I am in 100% humidity, Alabama. I can leave a tin open for weeks without any ill effect. Sure, it may dry out a tad bit, but it's almost never going to lose the oils that would make it stale, unless I push it with a lamp or fan. I can also leave a wet towel in the bathroom for several days before it is close to being dry. However, if you were in Arizona, I would imagine that the time it takes to pack your pipe will be enough to dry out your blend.

There is no one correct answer. It's just what you prefer and where you are. ::