Just wondering what everyone’s routine is before smoking their tobacco. I’ve heard of drying 5 to 10 minutes, even on a paper towel. I’ve heard of people drying for 30 minutes to a hour even. I know some tin tobacco can be pretty moist but, what if you bought tobacco out of a jar at a brick and mortar?
Drying Before Smoking
- Thread starter Laurent
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Depends on the blend. Take the Sutliff brand, for example--I could dry Barbados Plantation seemingly for days on end and it'd still be a sticky pile. Whereas Balkan Sobranie Orig. Mix Match is perfect straight out of the bag. 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 30 hours...it all depends on the 'baccy. There's no one-size-fits-all formula, sadly.
No hard and fast rule. Depends on the cut and how you like to smoke. I like it drier, easier to pack, light and smoke and improves the flavors as well. Not to mention less steam, less bite. If it is ribbon and you squeeze a pinch together and it doesn't either crumble or release back immediately, it's too wet. I mostly smoke flake. If I bend it in half and it doesn't crack/break, too moist. I pre open my tins by a few days to a month or two. SG blends open at least a month before I start smoking them and still have to usually dry.
If you have to dry, the best method I've found is to wrap it in a napkin for an hour or two. Microwave if you must but that does seem to take away a bit of the flavor. While I haven't been much of a B&M out of the jar guy, that tobacco has generally been dry enough right out of the jar unless the tobacconist just dumped a fresh bag in. Learn to judge by your own touch/feel. I'd recommend erroring on the dry side. If it doesn't crumble to dust, it's likely good enough to be smoked. I know that sounds counter intuitive but just try it.
If you have to dry, the best method I've found is to wrap it in a napkin for an hour or two. Microwave if you must but that does seem to take away a bit of the flavor. While I haven't been much of a B&M out of the jar guy, that tobacco has generally been dry enough right out of the jar unless the tobacconist just dumped a fresh bag in. Learn to judge by your own touch/feel. I'd recommend erroring on the dry side. If it doesn't crumble to dust, it's likely good enough to be smoked. I know that sounds counter intuitive but just try it.
M
Magnum207
Guest
+1 for Servant King’s response….. All different. I have, however; heard of persons placing a bowlful amount of undisclosed type(s) of tobacco being placed in the microwave for “exactly” ten-seconds.
I don't go by a set time. I go by feel. Since most of what I smoke are Virginias and their variants I look for the tobacco to be just shy of bone dry. For me that means that the tobacco feels dry to the touch when squeezed, no cool sense of moisture against my skin. Still pliant if a little crispy at the ends, but not crumbly dry. That's the level of moisture that brings out the most flavors in a blend. Getting to that state varies by manufacturer, from 45 minutes to 4 to 5 hours. With some aros I'll allow the tiniest bit more moisture for the sauce, more of a reduction than a thin soup. "English" blends and their variants are far more forgiving, but even with "English" blends limited moisture improves their flavors for me. YMMV.
Lets take an example ,St Bruno, Condor, and Erinmore i have come to realize ,if you are drying these to a crispy condition the overall taste will deteriorate a great deal,something similar is true with lakeland sauced'blends, I use to leave these blend to dry for between15 to 30 minute max.
depends on three things. The tobacco and how wet it is as well as how it smokes at different levels of dry. (Va are great at nearly dust in my opinion), environment you know heat and humidity in fact leaving it out on a super humid day will hydrate the tobacco, and the last and most key one is the person smoking it and what they like. Best advice experiment and see what tickles your fancy.
A degree of remaining moisture works best for me.
I have an old Erinmore Flake tin, which I use to carry tobacco in because it’s small and fits in my pocket better than a 1.75oz/50g tin does.
The seal on the tin isn’t great but I find a day or two in there dries flakes out to near perfection, with just enough moisture to slow the burn down.
The seal on the tin isn’t great but I find a day or two in there dries flakes out to near perfection, with just enough moisture to slow the burn down.
The wetter the tobacco, the lighter I pack to allow oxygen to get in to burn. Normally though, I let it dry overnight.
Interesting how we dry tobacco now were as in the heyday of pipe smoking (50s 60s) it was straight out the pouch/ tin and smoke away
Nothing to do with the dryness of tobacco, but I would have thought the heyday of pipe smoking here in the UK at least was 1700 to 1920.
By the 50s and 60s it was on the wane.
Time of drying can have a wide range if variance. Depends of the tobacco.
As with most things tobacco related, your experience will vary.
Some tobacco is ready to light right out of the pouch/tin. Some takes 10-15 minutes to prepare. Some takes 30 minutes to hours. Some needs to be cut & rubbed before drying.
My preparation methods vary, but usually entail putting more tobacco than I need into a small bowl or old tin and letting it rest a bit before loading my bowl. Sometimes the extra goes right back in the receptacle, sometimes it waits for a second bowl. Again, YMMV but experience in this regard is indeed the best teacher.
Some tobacco is ready to light right out of the pouch/tin. Some takes 10-15 minutes to prepare. Some takes 30 minutes to hours. Some needs to be cut & rubbed before drying.
My preparation methods vary, but usually entail putting more tobacco than I need into a small bowl or old tin and letting it rest a bit before loading my bowl. Sometimes the extra goes right back in the receptacle, sometimes it waits for a second bowl. Again, YMMV but experience in this regard is indeed the best teacher.
I'd love smoking right out the pouch or tine ,but based on my experience,alomost with each any any tobacco, I prefer not to, cuz I'm prone to getting tongue bite
Could you imagine if we just tossed our briar pipes into the Thames the way they did with clay pipes...ha!
It often depends on the blend I'm smoking, but I will either go right from the tin/jar if it's an English or Oriental or I will dry it for 30 minutes or so if it's a goopy aromatic. Perhaps I should try to dry the English and Orientals too to see if there's a difference.
I would suggest getting a blend you like and are familiar with. Smoke it right out of the tin/pouch, smoke it died to a crisp, smoke it in the middle. Then decide.