Bought 2002 GLP Cumberland. Oops?

[Jbrewer2002]

So I’m new to Tin Bids and while browsing I saw a tin of GLP Cumberland from 2002. I was playing around to see if you could bid less than the starting bid. I know, I know, dumb on my part. Although I entered a lower number my bid when through at the asking price (more than I was willing to spend). Needless to say I won the auction. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who try to back out if there bid so I paid. I received it the other day and opened it to find it was crispy. Is this typical of tins of this age? I’m attempting to rehydrate it now but I’m afraid it’s to far gone. Let’s hear your experience with 20 year old tins.

 

[sablebrush52]

So I’m new to Tin Bids and while browsing I saw a tin of GLP Cumberland from 2002. I was playing around to see if you could bid less than the starting bid. I know, I know, dumb on my part. Although I entered a lower number my bid when through at the asking price (more than I was willing to spend). Needless to say I won the auction. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who try to back out if there bid so I paid. I received it the other day and opened it to find it was crispy. Is this typical of tins of this age? I’m attempting to rehydrate it now but I’m afraid it’s to far gone. Let’s hear your experience with 20 year old tins.

Crispy as in crumbly and ready to turn into dust, or crispy at the edges and still pliant. If the latter, rejoice and jar it. It's ready to smoke at the optimum moisture level for Virginias.
The C&D tins of that era were...welll...a bit less than reliable. It's possible that it corroded from the inside out. They've been known to do that.
I have tins from other makers that are still solid and the contents quite moist.

 

[Jbrewer2002]

Crispy as in crumbly and ready to turn into dust, or crispy at the edges and still pliant. If the latter, rejoice and jar it. It's ready to smoke at the optimum moisture level for Virginias.
The C&D tins of that era were...welll...a bit less than reliable. It's possible that it corroded from the inside out. They've been known to do that.
I have tins from other makers that are still solid and the contents quite moist.

Let’s just say that if you had a handful and squeezed, yes it would be dust. I have no hopes for the rehydration.

 

[kcghost]

I can't speak for the Cumberland, but I know for a fact the 2002 containers for Haddo's were all most certain to fail.

 

[sablebrush52]

Let’s just say that if you had a handful and squeezed, yes it would be dust. I have no hopes for the rehydration.

Not so fast. I've had some really satisfactory results with rehydration. It depends on the blend. Haddos is hopeless when it come to rehydration.

Give it a shot. What have you got to lose? Carefully transfer the tobacco to a clean bowl, wet down a length of paper towel, three layers thick, with distilled water, and stretch over the top of the bowl, making sure that it doesn't touch the tobacco, then forget about it for a few hours. Remove the paper towel, GENTLY turn the tobacco, re-wet the paper toweling and stretch it over the top and forget about it for a few more hours, then test the tobacco to see if it's pliant. If it is, transfer to a jar, if not, give it another turn. Once it's not crumbly transfer to a jar and leave it alone for a week so that the moisture gets distributed. Then see if it's OK to smoke.

 

[Jbrewer2002]

Not so fast. I've had some really satisfactory results with rehydration. It depends on the blend. Haddos is hopeless when it come to rehydration.

Give it a shot. What have you got to lose? Carefully transfer the tobacco to a clean bowl, wet down a length of paper towel, three layers thick, with distilled water, and stretch over the top of the bowl, making sure that it doesn't touch the tobacco, then forget about it for a few hours. Remove the paper towel, GENTLY turn the tobacco, re-wet the paper toweling and stretch it over the top and forget about it for a few more hours, then test the tobacco to see if it's pliant. If it is, transfer to a jar, if not, give it another turn. Once it's not crumbly transfer to a jar and leave it alone for a week so that the moisture gets distributed. Then see if it's OK to smoke.

I started rehydration before I made my original post hear. The method I used was a clean glass bowl, a fine mister with distilled water (I use this to add small amounts of moisture back into some of my jars occasionally) and a cover. I put all of the tobacco in the bowl gave it a few mist then mixed it. Then a few more mist then mixed again. I covered it and walked away for a day. I had to do this one more time and I’ll say this morning I checked on it and it seems perfect. You can hear the dry crackle but yet it’s playable. So I loaded up a bowl and Jared the rest. I do believe it’s saved. It taste wonderful.

 

[Worknman]

FWIW Cumberland normally comes rather dry compared to most blends, I believe that's how the blender intends it to be smoked. That being said it's not so dry that it crumbles to dust.

 

[Jbrewer2002]

FWIW Cumberland normally comes rather dry compared to most blends, I believe that's how the blender intends it to be smoked. That being said it's not so dry that it crumbles to dust.

I have smoked it fresh and agree it is dry but perfect for smoking. This on the other hand was crispy. I think we’re all good now. It starts off somewhat sweet then gets a bit spicy. It will be a nice treat once and a while.

 

[RonB]

Aged Cumberland is wonderful.