Frozen Tobacco?

[transpose]

Does freezing tobacco have a negative affect? I’m expecting a delivery today.

 

[mikethompson]

I would think so, but if it being delivered it will be inside the delivery truck for awhile. If you are concerned about it sitting outside for you when you get home, can you adjust your delivery time?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Just to freeze once for a short time, won't really leave any impact on the tobacco, but staying frozen for any length of time (weeks) could leave it freezer burned, which is where all of the cells lose their essential oils and flavor. But, for a short time, (like a few hours) I don't think it could affect it at all.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Just to reiterate... I wouldn't "intentionally" freeze it, but if it froze for just a few hours... sometimes, you just can't beat nature. ::

 

[woodsroad]

I’ve left my pipe bag in the car overnight in freezing cold conditions and seen absolutely no change in the tobacco or the pipes.

 

[pipehunter]

I couldn't really say without experimenting. For short term usage, though, what Comsic says makes perfect sense.
For blends I planned to then store for years, I'd have two concerns (which might prove non-issues, but they would still worry me a little). First, freezing can break the cell integrity in plants. This might not have a material impact on smoking tobacco, since the leaf is dried so significantly, but I couldn't say for sure. Second, depending on the length and severity of the freezing, it's possible that some microorganisms that effect fermentation (or other processes) could be killed, leading to a different (but not necessarily worse) aging process.
All of that said, I wouldn't really worry about it. I worry more when I have wine deliveries, and even then I worried more about the heat than the cold.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

We used to have an old codger member who stored all of his tobacco in the freezer. He had been doing this for decades, and he always defended freezing your tobaccos. But, I never bought into the argument that it kept it fresh. But, since I have met guys who store their RYO and Prince Albert in the freezer. I wouldn't advocate it as an intentional practice, but to some guys it obviously must have no significant impact on the flavor. I definitely don't think that it could damage the cells any more than pressing it into cakes and sliced flakes would do. Isn't the intention to actually break the cells and let the juices mingle? And, the (middleman) tobacco manufacturer has done everything he can to destroy all the magic microbes that lead to aging and fermentation.
I wouldn't worry. We have enough things to stress over, thus the hobby is supposed to alleviate the stress, not cause more of it.

 

[woodsroad]

I heard a rumor that....

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I heard a rumor that....

Ha ha, I am ok with that. I will let the more foolish amongst us intentionally put their tobacco in their freezers for the sake of science... besides, isn't reading a post by someone who does some foolish science experiment like this, just the same as reading a post by someone else who did this years ago? Might as well take the hearsay now, than the hearsay after I do an experiment and then just post something as a result. ::

 

[timt]

I gave up my smoking spot in the garage for my Mustang during this winter madness taking place. In order to make room for the wife's car, I have to pull so close to my smoking bench that I can't reach a couple abandoned jars of tobacco but I'm not moving my car to get them. They're going to be in the frozen state for several days at least and I'm choosing not to worry about them. Who knows, something magical may happen.

 

[ashdigger]

I'll soak one of my pipes in water.....sorry, wrong thread.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ash, at least your experiment was capable of being photographed, without special equipment. Well... a camera.

 

[woodsroad]

Soak that oak pipe in water and freeze it.

 

[crashthegrey]

For a few days, meh. I'm sure it will survive. As Cosmic said, essential oils are lost over longer periods. How much essential oil is left in Prince Albert anyway?
Moving one, now I really want to know what a water logged pipe frozen will do.

 

[ashdigger]

Crash, I'm on it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Better yet, I want to see a video involving a stack of Dunhills, liquid nitrogen, and a hammer. ::

 

[jaytex1969]

You may have to warm it back up carefully. Do you stroke your tobacco? :nana:

 

[davet]

I really want to know what a water logged pipe frozen will do.

I'm much too busy in the lab / kitchen working on other experiments :mrgreen:

 

[wolflarsen]

people freeze cigars to kill tobacco beetle eggs all the time with no issues

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd no more store tobacco in the freezer or icebox than I would whole coffee beans. Which is never.