Difficulty keeping Gaslight Lit

[sparker69]

I really enjoy the taste of Gaslight, but have trouble keeping it lit. Any suggestions? I cut a slice last night, cut it up into manageable pieces and packed it lightly last night. Although I'm getting the taste, I'm relighting a lot. Should I be packing it tighter? I notice that if I tamp it, tamping very lightly - weight of the tamper or maybe a bit more, it almost immediately goes out.
I've recently tried Ten Russians, which I find pretty close to taste and which packs and burns easier, but I like a bit more the taste of Gaslight. I find the Ten Russians, although not strong, can burn out the taste buds on the tongue from the heavy Latakia.

 

[AJL67]

Dry it more, grind it up more, some people use a small coffee bean grinder for some tobaccos to really shred it up.

Some tobaccos can be a bitch, i have some 2008 FVF that is like moist leather, when i dry it it turns into hard little bits, horrible to get going but once it does it's heavenly.

YMMV

 

[sparker69]

Dry it more, grind it up more, some people use a small coffee bean grinder for some tobaccos to really shred it up.

Some tobaccos can be a bitch, i have some 2008 FVF that is like moist leather, when i dry it it turns into hard little bits, horrible to get going but once it does it's heavenly.

YMMV

I usually cut a slice off and then try to cut it up more. I find, and some seem to say the same, that it can crumble to an unsmokable powder, so I try not to do too much - but maybe I have to cut it up smaller. How much drying is usually suggested? I know FVF and those are considered pretty wet. This one doesn't seem as much.

 

[AJL67]

Drying is completely based on personal preference i like things on the dry side. Try drying it more than you think you should then try it and if it works it works.

You don’t powder it in the grinder it’s just a couple seconds, I’ve never used one just passing on that others have said here.

 

[condorlover1]

Problems with Gas Light? Have you looked at having the pilot light serviced?

 

[sparker69]

Problems with Gas Light? Have you looked at having the pilot light serviced?

Hmmm - good point! But I still can't figure out why there is a gas light when my stove is electric...

 

[solideogloria86]

I usually cut a slice off and then try to cut it up more. I find, and some seem to say the same, that it can crumble to an unsmokable powder, so I try not to do too much - but maybe I have to cut it up smaller. How much drying is usually suggested? I know FVF and those are considered pretty wet. This one doesn't seem as much.

I use the same method for drying all tobacco, no matter the type, and I've found almost universal success with it. I do find that some blends need to be a little dryer than I initially thought.

I would
1. cut off a slice of gaslight, and rub it out completely.

2. Spread all the tobacco out on a flat surface in a single layer.

3. In 10 or 15 minutes, I pick up a pinch of the tobacco and give it a good squeeze, and then drop it. If it sticks to my fingers, or together in a clump, it's still too wet. It also should not feel cool to the touch.

4. Repeat the pinch and squeeze process until the tobacco falls from your fingers loosely in separate pieces.

This should give you a good bench mark to work from.

 

[warren99]

I really enjoy the taste of Gaslight, but have trouble keeping it lit. Any suggestions? I cut a slice last night, cut it up into manageable pieces and packed it lightly last night. Although I'm getting the taste, I'm relighting a lot. Should I be packing it tighter? I notice that if I tamp it, tamping very lightly - weight of the tamper or maybe a bit more, it almost immediately goes out.
I've recently tried Ten Russians, which I find pretty close to taste and which packs and burns easier, but I like a bit more the taste of Gaslight. I find the Ten Russians, although not strong, can burn out the taste buds on the tongue from the heavy Latakia.

I’ve had the same problem. As the others have said, drying it out or squeezing or pressing it on a paper towel helps.

 

[brian64]

With the amount of gaslighting we're all subjected to these days it's hard to imagine it going out.

For a serious reply to the OP, I second @AJL67 comments. I'd go for very dry before trying to smoke it...but I have a very low tolerance for continual relights and tedious tobacco prep. I do use a grinder for plugs and ropes...you just have to be careful not to get it too fine.

I've been smoking some Black XX lately, and that stuff is very wet and flame resistant. Grinding it and drying thoroughly works well for me.

 

[burleybreath]

Dry it for days, not minutes. That's been my experience--and I don't particularly like dry tobacco.

 

[seanv]

I use the same method for drying all tobacco, no matter the type, and I've found almost universal success with it. I do find that some blends need to be a little dryer than I initially thought.

I would
1. cut off a slice of gaslight, and rub it out completely.

2. Spread all the tobacco out on a flat surface in a single layer.

3. In 10 or 15 minutes, I pick up a pinch of the tobacco and give it a good squeeze, and then drop it. If it sticks to my fingers, or together in a clump, it's still too wet. It also should not feel cool to the touch.

4. Repeat the pinch and squeeze process until the tobacco falls from your fingers loosely in separate pieces.

This should give you a good bench mark to work from.

This exactly

 

[brian64]

This exactly

The only part of that I disagree with is checking in 10 or 15 mins. I wouldn't even bother checking for at least a few hours.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Last time I set some out from a Friday evening until Sunday afternoon - folded and twisted and some crumbs on top and it was pretty good.

 

[seanv]

The only part of that I disagree with is checking in 10 or 15 mins. I wouldn't even bother checking for at least a few hours.

That's blend dependent.

 

[RookieGuy80]

I have blends like that. Wonderful flavor that I'm bound and determined to get to. But I just cannot keep it lit for the life of me. Are the relights a problem for you? Sometimes in my world I'll just keep relighting the tobacco, sometimes it's just easier that way.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

I really enjoy the taste of Gaslight, but have trouble keeping it lit. Any suggestions? I cut a slice last night, cut it up into manageable pieces and packed it lightly last night. Although I'm getting the taste, I'm relighting a lot. Should I be packing it tighter? I notice that if I tamp it, tamping very lightly - weight of the tamper or maybe a bit more, it almost immediately goes out.
I've recently tried Ten Russians, which I find pretty close to taste and which packs and burns easier, but I like a bit more the taste of Gaslight. I find the Ten Russians, although not strong, can burn out the taste buds on the tongue from the heavy Latakia.

Luckily the cut of a cake is entirely determined by you.
Get a razor sharp knife and cut it super thin.

If you do slice it thin enough you'll have a lot of powder, normally I sprinkle this on top of the bowl after it's packed, but maybe you could also pack the very bottom of your bowl with some cheap ribbon cut tobacco to act as a filter.

 

[Butter Side Down]

Sometimes in my world I'll just keep relighting the tobacco, sometimes it's just easier that way.

Same here. I just figured relighting every few minutes was an unwanted but necessary price to pay for the rest of the sublime experience.

Also I have an unsubstantiated belief that Latakia blends lose something special if they get too dry so I tend to be over cautious when drying them.

 

[kcghost]

I suspect that it just wants a number of relights before the tobacco catches and burns. With Rustica it usually takes me at least ten relights before it will actually burn for a while. Sometimes more.

 

[anotherbob]

What i do for this is use matches and do a manical 1st light let it really get a hot big ember and then after letting it go out seems to handle more normal and matches work best as you can work the initial light without tongue bite. And i mean work the ember

 

[renfield]

Cut it into as thin a ribbon as you can.

I’ve never found the need for more than 5-10 minutes of drying but all of my Gaslight is from 10 years ago. Possibly it’s getting tinned wetter now than then.