Can your tobacco get frostbite?

[steamtrain]

If I leave it in the car overnight and it drops way below freezing will that affect my smoke?

 

[yuri66]

Hey Train, it actually should keep it a bit fresher than bringing it in the house where it dries out quickly unless stored at the proper temps, back in the old days I remember that Tobacco was to be stored cool, and I know more than one that would keep their cigarettes in the freezer. Now that said I am sure it depends on how moist the baccy is, it could freeze but frostbite I doubt it. I am sure others will know more

 

[unclearthur]

It only gets frostbite if you harvest too late. :twisted:

 

[seakayak]

I live in South Florida. The only way my tobacco develops frostbite is if I get trapped in a meat locker overnight.

 

[collindow]

The only thing I leave in my truck are my keys.

And I don't mean to do that.

 

[chero]

i'm with uncle

 

[yoru]

It's uncle? I never even noticed that -- It always reads in my mind as "unclear Arthur"
Which come to think. . .makes it a little unclear ha ha!

 

[cortezattic]

GL Pease said

...cool is always better, both for cellaring and for keeping opened tins. Don’t, however, keep it in the fridge, which is actually a very dry environment, and the freezer is the worst place for your beloved stash, as ice will form, and moisture will sublimate, resulting in a less than ideal texture of the tobacco.

I suppose the last part of that quote applies equally to tobacco left in cars in winter.

My guess is that freezing damages tobacco at the cellular level, affecting texture, hence burn; and that changes the original experience.

(I seem to recall that Craig Tarler's wife recommended keeping something in the freezer. I think it was a crumble cake blend. I don't recall anybody ever getting a clarification on that one.)

 

[python]

I seem to recall that Craig Tarler's wife recommended keeping something in the freezer. I think it was a crumble cake blend. I don't recall anybody ever getting a clarification on that one.

I believe that it was Night Train that was mentioned.

 

[yoru]

" and the freezer is the worst place for your beloved stash, as ice will form, and moisture will sublimate, resulting in a less than ideal texture of the tobacco."
I've frozen cigarette tobacco before and this is what happened -- but I wasn't sure on the affect to pipe tobacco.

 

[pstlpkr]

My guess is that freezing damages tobacco at the cellular level, affecting texture, hence burn; and that changes the original experience.

Cortez; to my way of thinking this is true. I was under the impression that ice crystals form inside the cells of the tobacco, by extension destroying the cells in this manner.

If you packed a pipe with frozen tobacco it might not make any difference in taste BUT...

if you let it thaw the moisture content would escape more rapidly and since moisture content is directly related to the fullness of flavor (as referenced by Fred in a recent link about the properties of one bowl's geometry compared to others).

 

[yoru]

If you vacuum seal before freezing it might work....since as it dries there's nowhere for the moisture to go. ...maybe? Even if that did work -- if it's vacuum sealed, there's no reason to freeze it.

 

[cortezattic]

Vacuum sealing is not considered desirable since removing the oxygen kills aerobic bacteria that help age the tobacco in ways that anaerobic buggers can't seem to do on their own. I think the best practice is to store in Mason jars with a nice rubber seal at 50º-70ºF (10º-21ºC) without a vacuum.

 

[steamtrain]

My cigars were left and forgotten in my glove comaprtment in the winter and when I went to smoke them they were dried out and awafull. The cold dry air does not bide well for tobbaco as tobbaco comes from hot humid places like Hondurous