Drying tobacco & nicotine effect

[pipesolitude]

Hi all!
I have been experimenting with drying my flake tobacco for an extra long time to see what effect it would have on the taste, Peterson's University flake to be more precise. I have been drying it, or air curing it, all together for like 12 hours or so. So yes, the moisture level is very low. But I think this definitely had a positive effect on the taste; making the smoke more mellow, and more complex in taste.
But I do think that the effect of the nicotine has also changed. Because it seems that the nicotine hits me much stronger. I only had a couple of bowls before drying it out so it is hard to make a desicive comparison. But University flake is not supposed to be super strong, and I am not overly sensitive to N. But now I tend to get overwhelmed by N only after a few puffs, not being able to smoke a full bowl.



So, the question for my post is: Does the nicotine hit tend to get stronger when tobacco is dryed out?
If I think about it, it kind of makes sense. Because when the tobacco is dry, it burns more easily thus producing a thicker smoke, and therefore the concentration of smoke should be thicker on each puff. Consequently, the nicotine content would also be more concentrated with each puff, thus creating a stronger nicotine hit while smoking. So basically, the more you dry the tobacco the stronger nicotine hit you would get. But probably this ratio is more valid with tobaccos that are already potentially strong in nicotine (flakes more so than english).
What do you think? Anyone with more pipe smoking wisdom than I who might be able either to confirm or disagree with my hypothetical ratio between dryness and nicotine hit?

 

[mso489]

I don't have any evidence or special knowledge, but being one who often dries tobacco a little or a lot before I smoke it, I think you're right. When I have inadvertently let a bowl of tobacco dry out quite a bit (days) and then lit up, it has more nicotine effect than that blend would ordinarily have. It's pretty marked. I'd guess it burns hotter and faster, and increases the nicotine dose. I'd never thought of it, but now that you mention it, I think you're right. I'll be interested to hear others' opinions.

 

[leonardw]

Drying should not impact the nicotine level in the tobacco itself. If you are noticing a difference, your hypothesis is probably sound. After drying you are possibly smoking a higher volume of tobacco.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Leonard, could dryness of the tobacco when smoked impact the absorption?

 

[madox07]

I am not sure that that the level of nicotine is affected by moisture level, but rather the way nicotine is asimilated by the body. Yes, i have also noticed that the nicotine hits harder when the tobacco is dryer, not sure if the nicotine content is higher .. not convinced of it

 

[jvnshr]

So, the question for my post is: Does the nicotine hit tend to get stronger when tobacco is dryed out?

That's a good question. I wish we had some scientific explanation for that one. I searched a little but my Chemistry knowledge is not enough to read deeper and explain briefer.

 

[pipesolitude]

I never meant to suggest that drying would raise the nicotine level in the tobacco itself. So yes, it would be a question of absorption. And the reason why the absorption would be affected, that would be explained, according to my thinking, by the burning chemistry. But, I guess you would need to know a lot about chemistry to be able to go into details. Perhaps more nicotine can be produced in the smoke if the burning temperature is higher?, I have no clue and can only speculate.
But it is nice to hear that a few more people can confirm a higher nicotine effect with dry tobacco. It would be interesting to get more responses from pipe smokers who are used to drying tobacco.

 

[aquadoc]

By drying the tobacco, on combustion, you have increased the concentration of nicotine per "breath" and decrease the amount of H2O as well as other nitrogenous, VOCs, and other compounds lost with the water. So, in effect, the volume of smoke has more nicotine and less of the by products that might bind and carry it away with each exhalation. There is not more nicotine from the tobacco but the higher amt by volume is exposed to more mucosa because "other" things are at lower concentration.

 

[aquadoc]

BTW, that is just a guess at what might be happening. I meant to add this at the end of previous post but getting kids out the door for school is like herding pissed off cats on a hot tin roof.

 

[youdancer]

I always found this to be true when I was rolling my own - the dry stuff at the end of the pouch would always hit me harder.

 

[madox07]

Guess or not.. What aquadoc is saying makes sense

 

[jvnshr]

By drying the tobacco, on combustion, you have increased the concentration of nicotine per "breath" and decrease the amount of H2O as well as other nitrogenous, VOCs, and other compounds lost with the water. So, in effect, the volume of smoke has more nicotine and less of the by products that might bind and carry it away with each exhalation. There is not more nicotine from the tobacco but the higher amt by volume is exposed to more mucosa because "other" things are at lower concentration.

Actually that's what I was thinking but then I had a question; does H2O prevent nicotine absorption? If yes, how? Then I thought maybe effect of a nicotine in a dryer tobacco had to do something with oxygen/carbon/nitrogen ratio. Less Oxygen, more carbon, so more CO? Maybe that's CO effect on us not nicotine. Wait, formula of nicotine is C10H14N2 and combustion will give us CO, CO2, H2O and NO or maybe NO2? Then I said, whatever, too much for me, I will skip this one (by the way that was what I said while studying Chemistry in high school)

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Chemistry students always threw the weirdest parties in college. ::

 

[aquadoc]

I am not sure if HOH effects absorption. Nicotine is miscible in HOH below 60C and soluble above. So, it could slow down uptake...maybe. Will have to read some.