Sure I am doing this wrong, what do you think?

addamsruspipe · Sep 22, 2018

So one of my go to blends from my local B&M is a Virginia and black cavendish blend, with a hint of rum. It comes in a flake and I have always really enjoyed it that way. Well over the last year I have moved more into pressed tobacco's with Black Frigate being the latest. So I was curious to find out how my go to would taste if I pressed it. So did a little bit of research with a emphasis on little. So for a starter project I did not want to go and buy a 6 or 12 ton press. So I figured I would start small with a vise I picked up from Lowes and some PVC pipe. So I put in 100 grams and cranked down, the vise is rated for 1200lbs. The pipe is 4" tall and was packed to the top when I started and it is all compressed to the bottom 1/2" now. It has been there for 2 weeks and I am starting to get a little bit of a dark brown/black liquid seeping out. So thoughts/comments/hysterical laughter?

dmcmtk · Sep 22, 2018

I'd say you have a very dense plug now! :D Only one way to find out, take it out and smoke it.

ophiuchus · Sep 22, 2018

Slithis.

weezell · Sep 22, 2018

Yep, either crank it down another notch or give it a taste...

mikethompson · Sep 23, 2018

Hmm interesting. Well you really have nothing to lose right? Who knows you may be on to something.

tschiraldi · Sep 23, 2018

I hate to say it, but get a hash press from Amazon or a head shop. Don't want to support them, but they are a perfect way to make a plug in smaller (1oz) quantities.

Civil War · Sep 23, 2018

Looks like a good start.

saltedplug · Sep 23, 2018

Russ Ouellette told me that compression causes cell walls to rupture promoting melding, which causes heat promoting aging; yet aging/fermentation/controlled deterioration is primarily a process of all organic material separated from the life force that kept it alive. Youtube has many videos by guys compressing tobacco with a homemade press. I think it's great that you've started. Keep us posted.

addamsruspipe · Sep 23, 2018

So should I let it press for another couple of weeks or should I open it up now. Thoughts?

saltedplug · Sep 23, 2018

The longer the press the more effects of it. Most hard plug like Condor or Salty Dogs is pressed for 2-3 weeks, I think. I'm unsure that longer would be helpful. All I know is what tobacco commerce does. Greg Pease sometimes takes question on his website and will know exponentially more than I.

lordofthepiperings · Sep 23, 2018

A few years ago I just took a bunch of random aromatics that I had laying around and pressed them together for a Frankenstein Aromatic Kake. If I remember right I took a Sutliff tin and the lid from a Devil's Holiday tin fit in it perfectly. I lined the Sutliff tin with waxed paper, loaded the tobacco in, then folded the wax paper over and taped it in place. Then I put the Devil's Holiday tin top and put the flat side down on the wax paper. I used a C clamp to press down the tobacco. I left the clamp on for about a week cranking it down a turn or half turn every day or every other day. It ended up in a pretty solid cake form.
Country Squire Radio recently did a home blending episode which I got the bug to give it a go. I plan on doing half a pound of loose cut and half a pound of cake.
It's pretty fun to experiment with pressing tobacco on your own.

seanv · Sep 23, 2018

I don’t think you can do any harm or anything wrong. Make notes along the way for future reference. Keep us all posted and share some pics also

seanv · Sep 23, 2018

This has me thinking about a few blends that I have that are shag cut. It would be interesting to try making them into a cake.

bluto · Sep 23, 2018

Why not pick up a bench vice , it's what I use
Wrapped mine in parchment paper to insulate it from the steel

bluto · Sep 23, 2018

..compression causes cell walls to rupture promoting melding..

That's how I see it , I'm thinking you have increased surface area and allowed oils to 'float' out of the cellulose , which is merely the carrier.
Think of any pressed fruit , like green olives , roll a mill stone over if , it warms and releases oil.

addamsruspipe · Sep 24, 2018

Ok, so I opened up my experimental tobacco press tonight. In it's pressed form it is certainly darker but has the same enjoyable smell that I expect from this blend. Then I had a half bowl of the unpressed blend then a bowl of the pressed tobacco. I found it to have fuller flavor to it with a decrease in the mild rum flavor. The biggest noticeable change was that it lit far easier and stayed lit for almost the entire bowl. Which I have never been able to do before with this blend. Fun stuff I am going to try this again with some other blends.

bluto · Sep 24, 2018

Might I suggest you add some sort of inert insulating layer between tobacco and pvc , you wouldn't want to transfer plasticizers and other funky manufacturing compounds into the tobacco

seanv · Sep 24, 2018

Parchment paper or tin foil would work

addamsruspipe · Sep 24, 2018

Good advise, will try that on the next blend that I do. Going to have to go through the jars in my cellar and decide on what blend to try it on next. :D

Sure I am doing this wrong, what do you think?

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