Tobacco in the Fridge

murf · May 28, 2013

So, this is kinda lengthy, but bear w/me.
Christmas 2012, I was at the in-laws, so I of course needed some alone time, away from the madness. I brought my Bjarne Viking slight bent apple and some Basin St. Blues from Altadis. It was gifted to me from my father on my birthday (early Oct).
The pipe was pretty new, smoked only a few times, and I was determined to break it in over Christmas. I smoked everyday (just once a day). We were staying in my wife's old room, which was pretty cold. Great for sleeping, but didn't want to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
So, I'm wondering, if because the tobacco was stored cold for awhile (and I swear it was only 50 degrees, if that, in there), and I smoked outside, did this have something to do with the tobacco tasting AMAZING? Or was it because that was the only tobacco I smoked out of that pipe for about a week?
Been toying with the idea of putting a small jar in the fridge (in a drawer, away from the light) to see if this helps flavor. Might be too cold (things freeze towards the back, but this makes it great for beer). I have a small dorm fridge from college that only gets down to about 42-44 degrees.
So, I figure that since the tobacco is in a jar, it should be air tight, and moisture content shouldn't be an issue. Am I nuts for thinking this?

murf · May 28, 2013

oh, and I know that down South, the stores keep their chewing tobacco in a fridge, so it stays fresh until it is purchased. Also seen some Camel Snus tins in a special little cooler in my local B&M (they also carry General Snus, straight from Sweden!)

andrew · May 28, 2013

Probably smoking it for a week in the same pipe, pipe was broken in with the taste most likely. I can't see any benefit to storing tobacco in the fridge, just keep it air tight in a mason jar.

teufelhund · May 28, 2013

+1 for cold weather making a smoke more enjoyable, as long as you aren't freezing. I'd also side with it being the pipe temperature not the temperature of the tobacco. I don't think refrigerating it in a sealed container is detrimental but I can't say for certain as I have never seen the need to do so... It manages to stay fresh as long as it's dark and dry and not a million degrees out.

kcghost · May 28, 2013

Typically storing tobacco in a refrigerator is a horrible idea since most refrigerators are of the frost free variety. Frost free refrigerators work by removing moisture from the air. So unless your tobacco is absolutely air tight you run the risk of dehydrating your tobacco.

murf · May 28, 2013

never thought about the temp keeping the pipe cooler (from the outside) to contribute to a cooler smoke. I also think that drawing in colder air from outside may have contributed to a cooler smoke.
Also, smoking the same tobacco in that pipe for a week must have helped too. I'm trying to smoke just 1 eng/lat, 1 VA, and 1 aro at a time, until they're gone. It was really tough early on, because I was new and had so many different types. Only having 1 jar forced me to smoke just 1 tobacco.
When I'm home, I have so many options! We'll see if I can stick to my plan

cigrmaster · May 28, 2013

Stay away from the fridge, never put your tobacco in it. You probably enjoyed that blend because it might have gotten rid of the ghost in your pipe. Smoking three different categories of tobacco in the same pipe will not allow you to appreciate any one blend. I dedicate my pipes to particular categories i.e Va, Vaper and Vabur.

numbersix · May 28, 2013

Seems like a cold tobacco would not perform well unless the air is very cold, otherwise I would expect a lot of condensation (from the overly cold tobacco being hit by a very hot flame), resulting in a wet, gurgly pipe.

peter70 · May 28, 2013

Whenever I try a new tobacco, I smoke 50-100g of this tobacco exclusively, until I have made up my mind, if to stock up on it, or dump it. You get to know a tobacco much better, if you focus on it. Other tobaccos, with different cut or moisture content, let alone general taste profile differences, like Balkan/VaPer/Aro, only distract during this process. In your case, you got a better connection with this specific tobacco and enjoyed it more, than mixing it into the rotation. Of course, outside cold can influence the taste for the better, too. Tobacco temperature before lighting up has nothing to do with it.
Best Regards,

Peter

rhogg · May 28, 2013

Fridge will rob moisture from the tobacco..... avoid it like the plague.

lucky695 · May 28, 2013

Been toying with the idea of putting a small jar in the fridge (in a drawer, away from the light) to see if this helps flavor

I'm pretty sure the light turns out when you close the door... just sayin

kashmir · May 28, 2013

Yeah, but how do you really KNOW the light goes out when you close the door ...

bobpnm · May 28, 2013

You are right Kashmir! Who knows what really happens in there when you close the door and walk away.

lucky695 · May 29, 2013

do you put the distilled water in the cat litter??? How does the cat get the door open?

judcole · May 29, 2013

IMO, your tobacco tasted better because you were concentrating and smoking only one blend during your entire visit with the in-laws, instead of being home and trying a bowl of this, followed by a bowl of that, and then a bowl of yet another. To "get" the nuances of a blend, it does help a great deal to spending some time with it so as to truly appreciate it. It's also important to note that you were smoking one bowl a day in the same pipe, which again helped you focus better on the nuances of the tobacco.

This.

Tobacco in the Fridge

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