Heh, nice comparison. While I have successfully folded and stuffed a few flakes, I prefer to rub mine out. They're easier that way, imo.
Flake Packing Force Question
- Thread starter TheFall
- Start date
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Dunno what chef boyardee is, but I am sure someone out there enjoy it that way. What's wrong with fold and stuff?
Absolutely nothing, man. What I think he's trying to say is there's more than one way to skin a cat.
The only bummer with cold hotdogs straight from the package is that you don't have any delicious warm hotdog water to wash them down with.
As of lately I prefer partially rub my flakes out, cube cutting seem to work with those thicker harder flakes
I did have to keep tamping the sides into the center, and I did notice that I had a fairly small cherry in the center/off center as opposed to the majority of the top. I am going to try just one flake and see how I make out. This is a good tip, I thought for sure I had packed too loose but based on this and everyone tips I must not have.
I am pretty sure that I got the moisture right, the flake cracked as it should when folded, was not cold to the touch as they are when they come right out of the tin. It is very very dry here and it doesn't take too long for a flake to dry in my limited experience especially not with 10 minutes in the window sill mid drying session. I will dry one to the point that I think it is starting to get over dry and try that as well as per peoples suggestions, this will give me a non subjective comparison point, and maybe I will learn I need to dry them even more... who knows, getting lots of great tips here and enjoying learning.
I have a feeling that all the flakes that I was given to try years ago, the old boy pre-dried. He also told me how much of each one to put in my cob so I got to a pretty decent result right away. I think I had an easier time with the flakes because he could describe in non-subjective terms in step by step instructions how to pack the flakes he mailed me as he knew the cob that I was using at the time and the volumes of the tobacco were already measured and dried. It isn't helping me much now that I have to do it from scratch with a fresh tin myself though
that is alright, still beneficial!
Interesting. Was it just to keep moisture in them longer, before preparation?
Better hotdog flavoured water than the chocolate starfish perhaps...
Yeah started with plugs as they are small and a ton of tobacco. Next step was sliced for convenience. But yes it’s because in this form you can store it almost indefinitely and takes up the least amount of space.
So bit of a followup. Yesterday I let 1 flake dry for about 3.5 hours until it was crumbly and hard to work with because it would crumble, not quite to dust but close. Folded and dropped it into my pipe and got it going, there was no resistance and the flake pretty much just fell in. I did not have to relight excessively but I still had very thin flavourless smoke, it stayed burning pretty well and smoked cooler than the first attempt, and I feel like I did not have to relight too often, maybe 5 times for the whole bowl. Near the middle I got thicker smoke with good flavour but that stopped after 20 minutes or so, before going back to thin flavourless smoke for the remainder of the bowl. This burned much more evenly, not just a small cherry that tunneled down the middle. If the flavour was there I would do this again for sure, I was surprised with how much this flake still expanded even though it was so dry... Unlike the other flakes that I have had, I think this one is pressed a bit tighter or something along those lines.
I am going to rub a flake out for the next bowl and try that, and then try cube cut to try the different methods. This ABF might just not be a fold and stuff flake for me, in this pipe. If the results are the same with rubbing it out and cube cutting, I think that I will dry to where I think the moisture is correct and fold and stuff one flake to try that instead of 1.25. Still enjoying myself! Thanks for all the tips so far everyone!
I am going to rub a flake out for the next bowl and try that, and then try cube cut to try the different methods. This ABF might just not be a fold and stuff flake for me, in this pipe. If the results are the same with rubbing it out and cube cutting, I think that I will dry to where I think the moisture is correct and fold and stuff one flake to try that instead of 1.25. Still enjoying myself! Thanks for all the tips so far everyone!
Sounds to me like it wasn’t packed tight enough when it was fully dried. The part where you got full smoke probably was packed the tightest.
but regardless you see why I rub out my flakes. Very few to no flakes smoke any better not rubbed out IMo.
but regardless you see why I rub out my flakes. Very few to no flakes smoke any better not rubbed out IMo.
I recommend maximum force
IT IS THE UNBENDING POWER OF THE WILL THAT DEFEATS THE FLAKE
IT IS THE UNBENDING POWER OF THE WILL THAT DEFEATS THE FLAKE
Well in that case I will pack 2 flakes in there and use the vise to make it fit, light with m.a.p. gas and chug frozen scotch between puffs
I will probably post 1 or 2 more followups after this for anyone else that has the same question in the future.
I tried the cube cut method last night, and it worked much better than the fold and stuff method. I probably could have dried the flake after cube cutting another 30 minutes as it was a bit on the moist side after lighting it, however this didn't really cause any burn problems just flavour was very steamy. I also remembered that lighting technique plays a factor in this process as well, so instead of drawing the flame over and applying it directly to the cube cut flake, I held it above the flake and drew the heat from the flame into the bowl, this worked much better getting an even burn. After 3 char lights I was off, little improvements each time. Thanks again everyone for the tips so far.
I tried the cube cut method last night, and it worked much better than the fold and stuff method. I probably could have dried the flake after cube cutting another 30 minutes as it was a bit on the moist side after lighting it, however this didn't really cause any burn problems just flavour was very steamy. I also remembered that lighting technique plays a factor in this process as well, so instead of drawing the flame over and applying it directly to the cube cut flake, I held it above the flake and drew the heat from the flame into the bowl, this worked much better getting an even burn. After 3 char lights I was off, little improvements each time. Thanks again everyone for the tips so far.
Apologies if already mentioned; how far one rubs out a flake depends very much on the density of the flake in my experience.
Really dense flakes I "rub it out all the way".
Less dense flakes I loosely separate the strands, twist to loosen it up a bit, then roll up [not too tight] and load. Loose bits on top for 'kindling' to get it started.
Keep in mind @TheFall that the denser the flake, the more moisture it tends to hold. Once jarred for a little while, some flakes don't need much drying.
Flakes like Orlik Golden Sliced for example, I pretty much rub out straight from the tin.
Others though, definitely need to be dried. Rub out on a paper towel and leave it until just right. [Rub out and dry several bowls worth and tin the rest for later]
Having said all of that; as a newbie just starting off with flakes, I do agree with those who say "dry more than you might deem necessary".
Once you start getting the hang of it then you wont need to dry as much.
A little moisture can be a good thing re; more flavour than 'too dry'.
Cube cut works best for me when I separate the strands by twisting it before cutting.
Pack any loose baccy from your preparations on top like kindling.
If there's not enough then break some up. This makes it much easier to get a good even burn going.