How to Re-Hydrate Pipe Tobacco

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Buckler

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 25, 2020
103
148
NSW, AUSTRALIA
Great point! Good to know things in the pipe world can be a little OCD too. Deff found this in other hobby groups! Although im not too sure where the mold came from. Maybe the grubby finger I used to mix it round with... :P
Jars weren't the best quality either. Have proper ball jars now.
 

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
Great point! Good to know things in the pipe world can be a little OCD too. Deff found this in other hobby groups! Although im not too sure where the mold came from. Maybe the grubby finger I used to mix it round with... :P
Jars weren't the best quality either. Have proper ball jars now.
Mold spores are everywhere. They're already in your blend. Keep your tobacco on the dry side and in a cool place. Too wet and hot will get you mold guaranteed.
 

Buckler

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 25, 2020
103
148
NSW, AUSTRALIA
Mold spores are everywhere. They're already in your blend. Keep your tobacco on the dry side and in a cool place. Too wet and hot will get you mold guaranteed.
That makes sense. I think maybe I put droplets in rather then spray. So these super wet patches are where the mood grew perhaps.
Cheers.
 
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hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,750
Chicago
When I do it, I get a tupperware bowl, but not a bowl, in like something you'd bake lasanga in but tupperware. I lay it all out inside spread around and put one or two spritzes on it then flip the tobacco and do it again. It's shocking how little water is needed. I use purified water every time. When I'm done, I put the top on and let it sit a day or two.
 

Buckler

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 25, 2020
103
148
NSW, AUSTRALIA
When I do it, I get a tupperware bowl, but not a bowl, in like something you'd bake lasanga in but tupperware. I lay it all out inside spread around and put one or two spritzes on it then flip the tobacco and do it again. It's shocking how little water is needed. I use purified water every time. When I'm done, I put the top on and let it sit a day or two.
That sounds like a great method too!!
I do have some red virginia that could probably do with re hydrating. It’s super dry but smokes and tastes fine to me. Maybe I’ll re hydrate a little just as an experiment…
 

beargreasediet

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 23, 2021
294
2,455
Too close to Seattle.
Any specific tips for the flake? Got a few oz of a Penzance that got a little too crumbly in the mason jar. Been a couple weeks with a large boveda pack but it’s still on the dry side. Would sure like to smoke it yesterday, maybe I just need more patience.
 

hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,750
Chicago
Any specific tips for the flake? Got a few oz of a Penzance that got a little too crumbly in the mason jar. Been a couple weeks with a large boveda pack but it’s still on the dry side. Would sure like to smoke it yesterday, maybe I just need more patience.

Nothing really different other than if you can get them out of the jar in flake form, then lay them out flat in the tupperware and resist the urge to think "Maybe just one more spray!" Do the one side, let them rest overnight covered, then flip them and do thee other side.

If it really is just a little too dry, just soak a couple of those terracotta disks soaked in distilled water in the jar and leave it alone for a week or so. Should be good as new.
 

hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,750
Chicago
Separately, I should add that if you have dry flakes and you want to try flavoring them, now is the time to do it. Just spray them with your flavoring, or more likely, your favorite rum or whiskey, just like you would if you were rehydrating it. No need to do both rehydrating and flavoring. Also, if you want a cream flavoring, these ridiculous Whipped Cream schnapps do a fabulous job and for $2 for a little bottle, you can't go wrong. If you drink it, we'll have to take away your man card but it's ok to use it as a tobacco flavoring!

1637800038725.png
 
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mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
Any specific tips for the flake? Got a few oz of a Penzance that got a little too crumbly in the mason jar. Been a couple weeks with a large boveda pack but it’s still on the dry side. Would sure like to smoke it yesterday, maybe I just need more patience.
You're in the wet side of the Pacific NW I gather, just like me. Unless you live in a super tightly climate controlled house with the temperature and humidity dialed way down, it's hard to get any tobacco super dry, especially in our current weather. Have you tried smoking any? You might be surprised. In my drafty old house or my modern office building, I'd just leave the top of the jar off and the ambient humidity would be about just right for me.
 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
11,569
15,213
SE PA USA
Most pipe tobacco blends are treated by the manufacturer with an anti-fungal chemical, like calcium proprionate. If a blend molds, it probably means that they screwed up at the processing plant and didn't apply enough or apply evenly.
 

jcinpa

Lurker
Jul 8, 2012
39
31
Philadelphia area
I prefer not to wet the tobacco directly, using any method, spraying, sprinkling, whatever. I may be too fastidious, but I do worry about what can happen to wet tobacco, not that I've ever had any issue with it. But I get a little square of aluminum foil and make it into a slightly bowled shape. then I crunch up a coffee filter (the one in the pic happens to be brown), soak it well with distilled water, squeeze the bulk of it out, then drop the wet ball on the foil and let it sit for 2-3 days. Repeat if necessary, but I've never had tobacco that far gone.

This is in a wire bail ceramic container. Seal isn't the best, but rehydrating it every now and then is easy.

pipes1.jpg
 

Hovannes

Can't Leave
Dec 28, 2021
355
847
Fresno, CA
I have a partial baggie of PS Cube Cut that became Crispy.
I old schooled it with an apple peel and a few days later it's a done deal.
 

Scottishgaucho

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 22, 2020
660
6,990
Buenos Aires Province.
Being tight-fisted I just use a square plastic container with some paper towel soaked in mineral water at one end and the baccy at the other. Close the lid and slightly tilt the whole thing to make sure no excess water can run into the baccy. I check the moisture level every day until it suits. Never had a problem.
 

jeffya2

Might Stick Around
Oct 29, 2015
93
76
Ontario Canada

Tabacco

Part of the Furniture Now
May 1, 2020
571
10,095
GA - USA
This is what I have been using for the past seven-eight months and it work's very well. I use this system for re-hydrating dry tobacco as well as (and mostly) for keeping "fresh" the tins I have opened and I am currently smoking. I wish I had thought about it earlier, I would have saved a lot of half full tobacco tins that I had ended up trowing away.
It consists in a small cigar humidor that I had dismissed, a Cigar Oasis humidifier, and a bluetooth hygrometer. With the bluetooth hygrometer I do not have to open the humidor to check the humidity, I can do it directly with my phone, but it also keeps the records of temperature and humidity for 30 days.
If I have to rehydrate I start low, usually at about 65% and then I progressively increase the humidity to the right level, which for the tobaccos I generally smoke is within 76%-79%. For comparison cigars typically need 67%-70%.
I rarely smoke anything with Latakia or heavily flavored tobacco, if I did I would use a dedicated humidor.
By the way, the humidor may help but I don't think it is absolutely necessary, a box with a good seal should work as well if something like the Oasis is used, instead of passive humidifying elements.

o3RAXCu.jpg


The Oasis is good at controlling the humidity is such a small humidor. Here are a couple of charts that I took when I was still experimenting:

2ppv2xc.jpg


NeC1ENH.jpg


This one is of this evening after I took some tobacco to smoke:

2NPSB54.jpg
 

hyperstar

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 10, 2022
226
568
Formosa, Taiwan
In my experience. Rehydrate tobacco with distilled water makes the taste of tobacco fades.

I would spray some scotch whisky or brandy on them.

Brandy usually bring them alive. While whisky can either mess up the flavor or makes them even better! Just like opening a blind box.
 

AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
4,489
24,340
Florida - Space Coast
Picked up some best brown in a 250g box from 2018 and as you can see it’s uhhhh a little dry. Need to pick up some distilled water and see what we can do. I will say it’s pretty crispy and has zero smell. Le sigh. 94BEB318-97F1-4664-A04F-AECD12BD32F6.jpeg