Dry or Moist Pipe Tobacco

[WVOldFart]

I am sure this has been discussed before, but do you prefer your pipe tobacco to be dry or moist? I tend to like my tobacco on the dry side. Not crispy, but dry. I find that for me it burns cooler, less relights and with more taste. Many believe that pipe tobacco should be moist to get all the flavors that it has to offer. So many blends have so much PG on them that they may never dry out. I tend not to smoke them too often. I smoke a lot of "Codger" blends that for me are perfect right out of the freshly opened tub. What is your opinion?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I prefer mine bone dry. Moisture has never cooled off the smoke for me, just the opposite. Technique, cadence, and packing. I also find that bone dry, I get more flavor. But, it is easy to puff just a little to much and get ashy flavors, but all in all, I find that dry gives me the best smoking experience.

I just pop my tins of jars and let the whole thing dry out, then I am ready to dig in.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Woo, this might get controversial but I think there isn't really an "opinion" to be had here. Tobacco is supposed to be dried to a pretty specific % to maximize taste/smoking mechanics.

The "I like my tobacco moist" crowd is very often also the "Why won't my virginias stay lit"/"Why does it taste like anything but hot ash" crowd.

EDIT: didn't see cosmic's reply before mine posted but basically what he said!

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

Maybe partly because I live in the UK, where we never really get any high humidity, I prefer my tobacco on the moist side.
Usually straight from the tin or jar.
No problem lighting up or staying lit.
I don't like the ashy taste of dry tobacco, or the harshness it gives me in the mouth.
It's different for everyone, so it's really hard to generalise.

 

[Alex.Jr]

Dry, almost crispy.

 

[mso489]

I find drying blends makes them smoke better, and in some cases, makes them smoke at all. I don't smoke much Lane, but they seem saturated, maybe with preservatives. I have a dab of 1Q in a jar that I've had for years, and it's still soaking wet. I recently got a small amount of HGL, and it takes many relights to keep it going, though it is somewhat tasty.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

Ill take mine dry please, and thank you.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Bone dry.?

 

[kcghost]

Sort of on the dry side for me.

 

[didimauw]

Very dry here.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Dry. Bob Rex, the former owner of Drucquers (where Greg Pease started his training in all things pipe and tobacco related) said it best: “ Steam is hotter than smoke”.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Dry. My definition of "bone dry" is different from cosmic and sablebrushes52's. To me, it'd be partially dust and would break apart under the slightest pressure.

So, between 55 and 70% RH, depending on the blend.

 

[sablebrush52]

Depends to some extent on what you're smoking. I like my Virginias just shy of bone dry. Aromatics need a little moisture of the topping goes flat. English blends are more tolerant of moisture variations, but I still perfer them dry. But If I don't have the time to wait I can still enjoy a satisfying smoke because the orientals and Latakia are flavor bomobs.

 

[madox07]

Except for the semois varietal, I like my tobacco on the moist side. In fact, bone dry tends to annoy me, as it may burn too fast and give an ashy taste. I don't judge people who smoke dry, it's just not for me.

 

[hauntedmyst]

For 30 years, I used to like moist tobacco. I was perfectly content to smoke it as it came out of the tin. The sky's were blue, the clouds were fluffy and the birds were singing their songs happily. Then the chuckleheads here on this forum were all like "It's got to be dry! It tastes better dry!" Of course, it's advice from the internet and half of them are either alcoholics, general miscreants or one flat tire's frustration away from shooting the president crazy so I took it with a grain of salt. Then I left some tobacco out and it dried. Now, I could have gone down to my cellar, pulled out some new tobacco and tried it. But being the lazy SOB (no, its true! My mom wasn't a pleasant woman) I am, I rallied my inner fat guy and smoked it anyways. Damned it the chuckleheads weren't right, it did taste better! So now I dry it all. It just goes to show you that you are never too dumb to learn. Except one dog I had. He was just a box of rocks. His sister was the USCA Schutzhund Grand Champion. He could barely make it down the stairs without tripping or lift his leg to pee without toppling over.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I hate it when dogs pee on a stairway. If they topple over, they deserved it!

 

[bullet08]

Most codger blends out of tub isn't exactly dry. I started with somewhat dry tobacco. Then went to bone dry. Now I smoke somewhat moist. But on occasions, I'll dry the tobacco. It's more or less what I feel like, and how much time I have to dry the tobacco. You can control the level of the pain with your technique.

 

[lawdawg]

I like my tobacco dry, but not too dry. Just short of crispy is my sweet spot, where you can pinch it and it is still somewhat pliable, but there is no feeling of coolness or moisture at all.

Maybe partly because I live in the UK, where we never really get any high humidity, I prefer my tobacco on the moist side.
Usually straight from the tin or jar.
No problem lighting up or staying lit.
I don't like the ashy taste of dry tobacco, or the harshness it gives me in the mouth.
It's different for everyone, so it's really hard to generalise.

I agree that crispy tobacco can be harsh. In my subjective experience (which includes other variables such as how firmly I pack and how much I draw on the pipe), drying tobacco past a certain point can result in rough edges that weren't there before.

Most codger blends out of tub isn't exactly dry. I started with somewhat dry tobacco. Then went to bone dry. Now I smoke somewhat moist. But on occasions, I'll dry the tobacco. It's more or less what I feel like, and how much time I have to dry the tobacco. You can control the level of the pain with your technique.

I do smoke codger burleys like Carter Hall straight out of the tub without drying. The fluffy shag cut seems to help it burn well no matter what.

 

[Chasing Embers]

To me, it'd be partially dust and would break apart under the slightest pressure.

Right there.?

 

[F4RM3R]

Crispy or just shy of it. Although I think it has a lot to do with the humidity of where you live or your drying spot like your house. I live near the coast and I can leave my tobacco out for days and it won’t ever be super crispy bone dust dry. But I’ve been to other places where it will surely turn to dust if left out too long.

virginias are better super dry but burley can be a tad sweeter I find if slightly more moist, but I still prefer it on the edge of crispy at least.