Preparing Tobacco

frank13 · Oct 29, 2014

I've heard some things here and there, about drying tobacco, rubbing out tobacco, etc.
If I have a tin of very moist aro, how do I go about preparing it to get the best flavor?
If I have a tin of Latakia-based tobacco, how do I, likewise, go about preparing it for the best flavor?
(Pardon if this has been asked/answered previously. I did a search and didn't find much...)

frank13 · Oct 29, 2014

Very nice, Gigger. Thanks!

dottiewarden · Oct 29, 2014

I find you need to fiddle a bit with certain blends.
I have found that some aros loose their flavor if smoked too dry. I also have a non aro blend, Exclusiv Royal, that only smokes well at a certain moisture level, it's not very forgiving if too dry or too wet. Other blends are more forgiving, such as Early Morning Pipe.
If in doubt, I opt for a little on the dry side, because for me smoking tobacco that is too moist usually provides a regretful experience.

frank13 · Oct 29, 2014

Thanks. With everything I've read (and regretfully experienced), a damp tobacco is going to produce a wet, sticky, and tongue-biting smoke, and that pipe tobacco in general, should tend towards the dry side.
I had a can of Lane's, "Crown Achievement," and that stuff smoked so sweet and tasty. I bought it in bulk, and it tasted far different. I'm thinking that I haven't let it sit long enough. I put a bunch in the empty tin, letting it "age" that way, and I transferred the rest from the Ziploc bag into an empty coffee can with a Tupperware-type lid, hoping to sweeten it a little.
I have some Sutliff, "Taste of Autumn" aro that was gifted to me. It is some seriously goopy, sticky stuff. After having smoked some of it, and having a rather unpleasant experience with it, I've decided to set a bunch of it out overnight, to see if it will act and taste a little nicer in the morning.

dottiewarden · Oct 29, 2014

Recently I've been setting certain blends out over night to dry and have had very good smokes. The key, based on information I've found here in this forum, is to loose pack the pipe, tamp lightly and smoke slowly.
Here's to a perfect bowl!

frank13 · Oct 29, 2014

Cheers! Thank you very much! : puffy

:

beefeater33 · Oct 29, 2014

pour tobacco on a paper towel and let air dry

Personally, I put my tobaccos on an impervious plate to dry..... ceramic, or clay or such. You want to allow the water to evaporate, not let the paper towels soak up the oils (like when you put bacon on a paper towel).. The oils are where the flavor is, and you want to keep them in the tobac. Just my 2 cents........

frank13 · Oct 29, 2014

Yeah... I live in Bakersfield, CA. Same as AZ: Very arid climate.

retrogasm · Nov 1, 2014

I bought it in bulk, and it tasted far different.

Canned tobacco starts a maturing/aging process that may lead it to taste differently from a bulk offering. Depending on how long the cans sit around in warehouses or at your B&M, sometimes very much so.

saltedplug · Nov 1, 2014

<br />

frank13 · Nov 1, 2014

Canned tobacco starts a maturing/aging process that may lead it to taste differently from a bulk offering. Depending on how long the cans sit around in warehouses or at your B&M, sometimes very much so.

That makes a lot of sense. I've taken to keeping some of my bulk in the original "Crown Achievement" can, and a bunch in my tobacco pouch. I think splitting up in small lots and letting it age a little, really makes a difference.

mso489 · Nov 2, 2014

I have a pottery bowl about cereal bowl size that I use for drying. When I dry out a blend, or mix my own

combinations, I let it dry for a few hours to a day, and sometimes will smoke it from the bowl for three or

four days without it getting over dry. Granted, I live in a fairly humid region, but I find most blends or mixes

smoke better a little dry than moist. Moisture always makes tobaccos bite, to me. Many aromatics come

way too moist.

frank13 · Nov 2, 2014

Thanks!
I rubbed one out and it felt nice, but it's done nothing for the taste of the tobacco. :twisted:

lucky695 · Nov 2, 2014

I rubbed one out and it felt nice, but it's done nothing for the taste of the tobacco

be careful, hot ash is nothing to be trifled with.

frank13 · Nov 3, 2014

True... Nothing quite like a hot piece of ash. :lol:

saltedplug · Nov 28, 2014

If I need to bring down or up moisture, I do so all at once and then jar it. The practice of drying one bowl at a time is tedious at best.

Preparing Tobacco

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Can't Leave

Can't Leave

Lifer

Can't Leave

Lifer

Can't Leave

Lifer

Can't Leave

Might Stick Around

Lifer

Can't Leave

Lifer

Can't Leave

Part of the Furniture Now

Can't Leave

Lifer