Drying Tobacco In Bowl? Noob Question

davedan · Feb 13, 2016

hi guys,
Could one dry the tobacco in the bowl after packing it or does it take too long in the bowl? According to my research, SPC's Mississippi River needs about 30-60mins and I've been drying it in the bowl for about 20-30 mins but only the last 1/4 of the bowl smokes perfectly and that's cos I assume it's been dried with heat by then?

Thanks

janosh · Feb 13, 2016

I'm doing it right now (it's 22:16 in Europe) and will smoke it on the morning. I have no problems with that (humidity around 65% here).

Chasing Embers · Feb 13, 2016

I load Virginia flakes and let them sit overnight, and they're perfect.

ray47 · Feb 13, 2016

I've found flake blends to dry out okay in the bowl, but not so much ribbon cut. In my experience, only the top of the bowl dries out with ribbon cuts. Of course it could be the way I pack ribbon cuts, kind of on the tight side. I always pack a bowl at night before going to bed, but it's not to dry the tobacco, it's because I'm too darn lazy to do it in the morning.

Chasing Embers · Feb 13, 2016

I always pack a bowl at night before going to bed, but it's not to dry the tobacco, it's because I'm too darn lazy to do it in the morning.

I thought I was the only one that did that! :mrgreen:

davedan · Feb 13, 2016

Interesting....I smoke one bowl per day so if I packed a bowl of SPC Mississippi river (which is a crumble kake) the night before and smoked it the next evening (24hrs) will it be too dry? I'm thinking I could just pack after cleaning my pipe after the smoke each night? I live in a very humid climate (Scotland). Sounds like an interesting idea...also, does pipe tobacco attract any bugs which might burrow into the pipe bowl when packed as I intend to leave it out on the table (I'm a complete beginner so don't know much hence the noob questions lol)

Chasing Embers · Feb 13, 2016

Haven't smoked a bug yet, and should it dry a bit too much, breath some warm air into the pipe to raise the moisture. Although, a bug might make tired blends interesting! :mrgreen:

hawky454 · Feb 13, 2016

You can do that, sure but it takes longer. I would suggest rubbing it out and spreading it out on a tray or paper plate, let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes and then you're good to go.

didimauw · Feb 14, 2016

I'll let tobacco dry in the bowl occasionally. In hopes that the dry tobacco will also suck up moisture from the pipe.

jpmcwjr · Feb 14, 2016

In really damp climates, a coffee cup or small bowl with an ounce or less of tobacco in the microwave can do wonders. Then mix it up to even out the remaining moisture, let it sit a bit, then mix some more. If overdone, add a bit of the untreated tobacco till just right.

shutterbugg · Feb 14, 2016

I consider it a hallmark of a good blender to tin it at the ideal moisture. So if it doesn't come fit to smoke from the tin I dry the entire contents to ideal then jar it. And I don't buy it again.

metalheadycigarguy · Feb 15, 2016

There have been plenty of times I have loaded a bowl of Mississippi River, or a moist flake tobacco and let it sit out for the day or even overnight before smoking it. I've never had a problem with the tobacco any of the times of done this.

anthonyrosenthal74 · Feb 15, 2016

My favorite drying technique is this... I put my tobacco in a coffee filter (flat bottomed, not cone) and set it on a coffee cup warmer such as this http://www.amazon.com/KUWAN-Coffee-Warmer-Beverage-110V/dp/B018NZ1AXY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1455518070&sr=8-4&keywords=cup+warmer Mine has a low and high setting. I usually use the low setting, with the warmer nearby, occasionally mixing it up a bit with my fingers until it feels dry enough. Some people use a microwave, but you get more control with a cup warmer and less chance of over drying.

newbroom · Feb 15, 2016

As for tobacco attracting bugs? Unlikely. Some science points to nicotine based pestticide as a cause for colony collapse disorder.

Neonicotinoids are neurotoxic pesticides which incorporate themselves into plants, and can be found in the pollen and nectar of treated plants. Neonics can be coated on the seed (known as seed treatment) or simply dumped in the soil around the plants (known as drench treatment), or injected right into the plant (usually reserved for ornamental crops).

davedan · Feb 15, 2016

shutterbugg: I consider it a hallmark of a good blender to tin it at the ideal moisture. So if it doesn't come fit to smoke from the tin I dry the entire contents to ideal then jar it. And I don't buy it again.

Interesting...what blends do you find have the perfect moisture right out of the tin?

jpmcwjr · Feb 15, 2016

Most, or at least very many, blends are shipped at higher than ideal moisture level for smoking. Ideal for leaving the factory, but not for smoking, unless you like gurgle or goop. Of course, YMMV.

sablebrush52 · Feb 15, 2016

Interesting...what blends do you find have the perfect moisture right out of the tin?

Russ Oulette packs his blends at the proper moisture level to enjoy right out of the tin.

shutterbugg · Feb 15, 2016

Most, or at least very many, blends are shipped at higher than ideal moisture level for smoking. Ideal for leaving the factory

If the tins are vacuum sealed then why would shipping it wet be "ideal for leaving the factory"? Unless you mean because it's more profitable for the manufacturer not to go the extra step of adjusting the moisture level, just leave it to the buyer who reads internet drivel making drying-out wet tobacco sound like a noble and essential ritual of pipesmoking.

Interesting...what blends do you find have the perfect moisture right out of the tin?

Never had a tin of Dunhill that wasn't right for smoking, blend after blend, tin after tin.

jpmcwjr · Feb 15, 2016

If the tins are vacuum sealed then why would shipping it wet be "ideal for leaving the factory"? Unless you mean because it's more profitable for the manufacturer not to go the extra step of adjusting the moisture level, just leave it to the buyer who reads internet drivel making drying-out wet tobacco sound like a noble and essential ritual of pipesmoking.

Not wet, but higher moisture content than is ideal for smoking. Too dry out the factory door and there'd be howls. Besides, moisture adds weight, and it's sold by weight, not that any of our esteemed blenders would add moisture to create that.
One man's drivel is another's bible.

shutterbugg · Feb 15, 2016

In order for the moisture level to affect the weight appreciably it would need to be so wet you'd have to wring it out before you could dry it. I agree if a blender is going to forego bringing the moisture to ideal, it's better to leave it a bit too moist than too dry. It takes a lot less experience to dry tobacco than to rehydrate it without going overboard and needing to dry it back again. Not to mention many aros won't taste as intended re-hydrated once the flavoring crap has been let evaporate.
That said, if a manufacturer ships their blends at perfect moisture level, there would be no cause for anyone to howl. And the ironic thing is, it's not always the cheap tobaccos that ship too moist, nor the most exepensive ones that ship perfect. Some manufacturers figure going to the extra processing expense will pay off in customer loyalty, referrals and ultimately, sales volume. Others are more short-sighted and opportunistic, taking full advantage of the phenomenon that if something gets repeated often enough it becomes the truth.

Drying Tobacco In Bowl? Noob Question

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