A Little Too Wet or a Little Too Dry?

[cigrmaster]

I have come to the conclusion that I would rather err on the side of too wet than too dry in terms of my tobacco humidity. I can handle a little moist with pipe smoking technique i.e slower smoking. When the tobacco gets too dry, no matter how much I adjust my technique the tobacco burns hot and the flavors go to crap. I recently let some flake sit out longer than I should have and it smoked like crap. No matter how slow I smoked it burned real hot and the blend tasted lousy. There have been times when I do not let it dry totally but I never run into the hot smoke or no taste issue when that happens. I can slow my smoking so I do not get tongue bite so if I am going to screw up I would rather do it on the moist side. Now 95 percent of the time I let my tobacco dry properly so it is not a big deal but I will now be very cognizant about ever letting it get too dry.
So has anyone else thought about their humidity levels in these terms?

 

[numbersix]

Really funny you should mention this Harris. Tonight I've been smoking an very dry tobacco (crispy even) and it was burning very hot - scorched my tongue a bit. I didn't attribute it to the dryness, but now you're making me wonder.

 

[zdwebb12]

I'm the opposite. I'd rather my smoke be on the dry side as opposed to overly moist. But I suppose I'm with the majority (judging from what I've read here).

 

[cigrmaster]

six, I did that last night and it got me too really think about this subject. I got busy making dinner for the kids and let some sit out for about 2.5 hours and when I went to smoke it I was very displeased in how it smoked. It was a bowl of Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake and I know that tobacco well. Just last week I wanted to smoke a bowl of that but did not want to wait to dry it so I smoked it right out of the tin a little moist and it tasted great as long as I really took it slow.

 

[troutface]

lol Harris. I asked just that question in a thread this morning "Overly Dry Baccy". Guess I needed a catchier headline.

 

[cigrmaster]

LOL, Jeff, I just read your thread, it is very similar. Maybe you should have added the wet component with a catchier title. hehe. I could definitely see where ODF being too dry would be very harsh and like a cigarette.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I screwed up yesterday with some Navigator. Left it out way too long, and when I smoked it, it was tongue burn city.

 

[pstlpkr]

Cigrmaster... 99 times out of a hundred I would agree with you...

As a matter of fact I don't dry my tobacco at all, most of the time.

However; there is one exception (as there is with most things) that being Grousemoor.

I found that the tastes are a lot brighter, in that particular blend, than when it still contains some moisture.
Like said that's the exception.

Other than that... I'm in agreement.

::

 

[mustanggt]

A little more moist is better than too dry. When I'm at work and don't have time to set some out to dry I just crank up the defroster and set some on the dash on the lid. Doesn't take long. Ribbon dries real quick so be vigilant.

 

[dragonslayer]

Most flakes I just know how long it takes in my climate and almost by looking at the cubes can almost tell. A quick touch and I like it with a small amount of moisture. I notice a drop in flavor, not only the heat in a dried out flake and will always drop it in a tin with a humidifier coin cutting up a new one. Broken flake like H&H AK, which is very wet takes a long time to dry, I treat a little different. I’ll let a few bowls dry until a little wetter than I like, then put it in an old Escudo tin and for a day or two it will be just right, or 5 minutes on the plate.
Craig

 

[troutface]

I've never had any trouble with FVF. I guess ignorance truly is bliss.

 

[numbersix]

six, I did that last night and it got me too really think about this subject. I got busy making dinner for the kids and let some sit out for about 2.5 hours and when I went to smoke it I was very displeased in how it smoked...Just last week I wanted to smoke a bowl of that but did not want to wait to dry it so I smoked it right out of the tin a little moist and it tasted great as long as I really took it slow

Harris, after reading your post I dumped out my pipe and filled it with some fresh tobacco and lo and behold, I enjoyed a much cooler smoke. I don't mind drying my tobacco a little, but the one I was smoking was overly dry and burning very hot - I think you're on to something.

 

[cigrmaster]

Lawrence, I have never smoked that blend but it does snot surprise me it would be an exception. FVF for me is one blend I smoke drier than all others, it just performs better.
six, sometimes it is just better to admit our mistakes and start over. No reason to have a lousy smoke for an hour plus for 75 cents or so. It is really amazing that a blend can smoke so hot because it is a tad too dry.