Baking Tinned Tobacco in an Oven

[Chaukisch]

I've found this and similar processes amplifies the sweet sugar taste but sublimates the tobacco taste.

That doesn't sound good to me at all. I buy raw tobacco leaves because I want that raw tobacco taste.
Couldn't hurt to make up a jar like that, though. It's the tobacco world, gotta try it.

 

[dunnyboy]

I went back and read @gamzultovah's excellent thread on stoving tobacco that I had missed before posting. He used a ball jar with aluminum foil instead of the lid to release pressure but preserve the moisture. Subsequent posts suggested it would be safe to use a sealed Ball jar in a sous vide or even an oven. One thing several posters suggested was letting the stoved tobacco rest for two weeks in the sealed container. I didn't do that but I still like the way Union Square turned out. The smoke has a wonderful aftertaste of warm croissant. It coats the mouth but is not at all caustic.

 

[kcghost]

I tried this back in 2002 with six tins of Escudo. One of the tins popped open early in the procress and I didn't see enough improvement on the rest to try again.

 

[sobranie759]

Years ago when Drucquers pipe shop was in capable hands they produced a wonderful english blend. Its name was Cooks #5 . When you received a tin of this blend you would notice on the bottom a solder mark. This was to seal up the hole in the bottom of the tin where they would introduce steam or heat to the tobacco while it was in the tin. I believe other blends from this shop may have had the same procedure but I am not sure. Anyway it was cooked in the tin and it was wonderful. Fred Hanna understood this and it indeed mellowed out a blend and added a mature taste.

 

[cigrmaster]

I stick with the old theory that time cannot be rushed. All of my tins have been aged the old way and I enjoy smoking 10 plus year old tobacco almost every bowl.

I remember when Bradley (old cajun) was one of the first to try this. It memory serves he thought it turned out very well. Now normally I would do what Bradley does as he knows all and sees all. I just couldn't do it so all of mine has aged in cool dark places in my home.

 

[craig61a]

This is a subject that seems to pop up every so often.

Frankly, I don’t think it’s worth the effort.

Carmalizes any sugars in the tobacco, kills off any beneficial microbes in the tobacco that “age” the tobacco. Yes, the tobacco does taste different, but it is not the same thing as letting the tobacco age naturally.

But there are some who seem to pursue the practice with the same enthusiasm as a third grader who just discovered jerking off…

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

This is a subject that seems to pop up every so often.

Frankly, I don’t think it’s worth the effort.

Carmalizes any sugars in the tobacco, kills off any beneficial microbes in the tobacco that “age” the tobacco. Yes, the tobacco does taste different, but it is not the same thing as letting the tobacco age naturally.

But there are some who seem to pursue the practice with the same enthusiasm as a third grader who just discovered jerking off…

I've done it with tobacco I have alot of. Like if I order 5 pounds of LNF or something, I'll store all of it in jars for aging. Then I'll put 2-4 oz in a small jar and stove it for immediate smoking.
I would never stove a bulk amount. But a couple ounces here or there on blends I bulk up on has been enjoyable

 

[renfield]

I’ve baked / heat treated tins in the past. While the tobacco is changed, it doesn’t replicate the flavor of an aged tin (with the Virginia blends I’ve tried). I’ve not found the change to be personally worth the effort as I have a large enough cellar that I can just choose tins with chronological age.

In one of my tests I side-by-sided a 3 year old tin of Capstan Blue with a fresh one baked at 180F for a few hours. Not the same. Assuming that both tins started out identical in flavor the two processes produced different flavor profiles. Which is preferable would depend on personal preference.

It’s a hobby, give it a whirl and see for yourself.