Are You Over-Drying Your Tobacco?

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AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
4,841
25,383
Florida - Space Coast
Govees are actually good and battery life seems to be a couple years, also blue tooth monitoring on your phone and you can set limit alarms, there’s are what i use for cigars.
 

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,995
If you actually know what humidity level you prefer in a blend you’re currently smoking, instead of the hit-or-miss act of laying it out to dry for however long, why not just jar it with a Boveda pack rated to keep it at that exact moisture level?
 
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crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,819
3,613
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
Of course the man who tins tobacco at a higher humidity will tell you that. I am not saying that he is right or wrong, but it's kind of his job to say that. Just like I tell you to buy Kaywoodie pipes. Do I think they are better than all of your other pipes? Of course, that's why I gave up 6 figures a year to sell them to you. But my opinion comes with a bias when it comes to pipes. As Jeremy Reeves' opinion will with humidity level.
 
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john19

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 27, 2021
552
7,505
Greece
I dry the tobacco, for 2,5+ hours. I haven't noticed any problem with flavor (disappear). Always work for me, with any tobacco.
 
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bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
8,948
37,972
RTP, NC. USA
Last couple of times, I over dried Squadron Leader. Usually, I'll put the tobacco out on my paper plate and forget about it. Today I didn't forget. It was just the right dryness. Just about to turn crisp, but hasn't. Oh the difference in taste was amazing. When over dried, you get Oriental, and slight Latakia and that's about it. Today, it was more full. Latakia was little more present along with that sweetness I associate with some of it. Oriental was still here, but didn't take the front seat. Rather pleasant smoke today.
 
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jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,761
27,366
Carmel Valley, CA
If you actually know what humidity level you prefer in a blend you’re currently smoking, instead of the hit-or-miss act of laying it out to dry for however long, why not just jar it with a Boveda pack rated to keep it at that exact moisture level?
That might take way too long. E.g., say you get a favorite tobacco that comes in at 80% RH, and you like it at 65%. It will take some real time.

I dry the tobacco to where I like it. Then jar it right away.
 
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Brewfan

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 5, 2021
906
17,608
Louisville, KY, USA
Another beautiful example of the personal journey that is pipe smoking. There's no right answer. I was heavily drying everything and slowly evolved to smoking straight from the tin. It all tastes better to me this way, at least for now.

There's a certain peace in knowing I can never have the process of this hobby totally figured out, so that is no longer a goal. I'm on my third bourbon, hence the current zen approach.
 

TN Jed

Lifer
Feb 3, 2022
1,715
23,662
Franklin, TN
www.battlefields.org
I smoke my tobacco at whatever dryness it is when I load it, sometimes straight out of the tin sometimes left out for 2 days. So far, I am rarely disappointed in the smoke. Are some smokes better...yes, but a formula for that perfect smoke seems elusive enough not to worry about it. The only thing I put that much energy into pays the bills and causes the need to drink whiskey and smoke a pipe puffy
 

Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,630
2,692
41
United States Of America
Depends on the brand for me. Some are perfect straight out of the tin. I only dry what doesn't burn well. I think the over dry is directed towards new smokers who are unsure what dry means.
 
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Gabby Hayes

Lurker
Jun 6, 2021
47
167
So. Cal.
And, for some brands, one has no choice but to let the tobacco dry extensively because 5 or 10 minutes will never, ever cut it.
I agree. Try smoking a bowl of Peterson’s “Irish Flake” without drying it extensively. You’ll likely go through a box of matches getting it smoked.
 
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burleybreath

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 29, 2019
972
3,378
Finger Lakes area, New York, USA
I rarely dry my tobacco. If a tobacco does need drying, I fill up my antique tobacco jar and store it in the jar. I can control the moisture pretty easily after that. In my experience, drying is one of those things that is easy to take too far.
Dried-out tobacco gives me instant tongue burn, or some weird acidic (?) thing. I like the moisture level of fresh OTCs.
 
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telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
Dried-out tobacco gives me instant tongue burn, or some weird acidic (?) thing. I like the moisture level of fresh OTCs.
I agree. Especially if it has Red Virginia in it.

Dried out tobacco may work very well for some people, but I often wonder if the "dried out" thing is really a symptom of hobbiest fixation on group think. A little goes a long way. What is dry? Personally, dry for me is when I can keep the tobacco lit after one or two false starts. Rope and plug tobacco are often difficult to get going if there is too much moisture. But I've seen some pipe smokers dry the hell out of their tobacco.

I am glad to hear there are those amongst us that enjoy some moisture in the leaf.
 

Deano

Can't Leave
Dec 28, 2022
422
3,825
Iowa
My dad would fill a leather pouch with PA and smoke out of it until it was gone then back to the can and refill the pouch. Dont recall how long a pouch lasted but it was awhile.
 
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Tobacco produces water when burnt. Therefore as your bowl progresses the unburnt tobacco will become humid gradually, specially if you sip slowly.


With that out of the way….

I prefer a drier tobacco in general

BUT

To smoke a tobacco dry, I need to plan ahead. I have a lot of things to plan ahead so, I don’t generally plan my future smokes.

So, I smoke most of my tobacco at the moisture they are currently in. For a freshly open tin / jar it is often very moist while a older tin / jar has dried up to a more optimal moisture.

You can adjust your cadence to the moisture content of the tobacco and the airflow of your pipe, and get the same experience.

Not a sports fan, but I often give sports examples to illustrate. Tennis is played in different kinds of surfaces - grass, clay and various types of hard courts. A good tennis player can always adjust his game to the court he is playing in.
 
Apr 26, 2012
3,383
5,628
Washington State
For me it depends on the tobacco. If it's a blend I've had in my cabinet for a while and isn't to moist then I'll just load my pipe and go. If I feel it's too moist then I'll let it sit out for about 10 to 15 minutes. If it's a moist flake or cake blend, I'll let it sit for about 30-45 minutes. I have never put my tobacco in the microwave. I never understood that, but maybe it's because I've never needed a tobacco to be that dry to smoke.
 
Does rehydrating over dry tobaccos bring back flavor, or once it's gone it's gone?
That depends... if you are smoking a tobacco because of the casing or topping, then you may lose some if that, but of you are smoking a tobacco because of the pure tobacco flavors, then you won't notice any loss in flavor.
Me, I only tolerate a casing, and I prefer to lose as much of that as possible.