Gaslight - and a question about letting it breathe

[andya27]

I hate to start another "Here we go again..." thread. But I do have some questions about the topic of letting Gaslight breathe.
Gaslight is among my three favorite tobaccos, and perhaps my favorite. Hard to really say.
I found that the longer my Gaslight kakes sat in a mason jar, the smoother the tobacco became, and the easier it became to keep it lit. This was over the space of two months or so. I have one more smoke left of my original order, and now have a 2 oz tin to open (and an 8 oz tin to sit over the winter to age more).
I've read that some people open a tin and let the tobacco sit in the tin for a week before putting it in a mason jar. Others say that it will dry out in a week, and putting it in a mason jar immediately is the best option.
For those of you who enjoy Gaslight as I do - what do you do?
Thanks!
A MM Country Gentleman may be the perfect pipe for Gaslight...

 

[escioe]

Plugs seem to hold moisture better. I just left mine in the tin for the six or eight weeks it took me to smoke, and it never got dried out at all.

 

[papipeguy]

I usually rub out a couple of bowls and let it sit in the tin with the brownie. The real key to smoking Gaslight is in the packing. Pack it loose. Even with a loose pack a medium size bowl lasts me well over an hour. Pack it tight and you'll be there for days.

 

[andya27]

The real key to smoking Gaslight is in the packing. Pack it loose. Even with a loose pack a medium size bowl lasts me well over an hour. Pack it tight and you'll be there for days.

Yep, I packed it so tight once that it took all day to smoke.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Being that Gaslight is a plug, it won't dry out in a weeks time. Not sure where that information came from but plugs and some flakes hold moisture pretty well. Heck I still have an open tin of HH Latakia Flake that's been open for 3 months and its still really moist to where I have to let it dry a bit before smoking.
I let my Gaslight sit in the tin for several weeks before I had a mason jar free to put it in. I've smoked it straight out of the tin, I've smoked it after sitting in the tin for a while and smoked it now that its in a mason jar; I haven't noticed any difference in the flavor. Each time its been extremely good. I don't think it makes a difference how you store it personally.

 

[bentmike]

When I first open a tin I let my prepared slices sit out for a half hour or so if I have time. After a couple weeks in the tin it seems ready to smoke right away. An open tin lasts me a month or a bit more. I like it a little more on the dry side and packing loosely I agree with.

 

[CherokeeBilly]

What tea have you got in the cup?

 

[mso489]

With flake and cube, I like to dry out a bowl or two worth, and leave the rest in the closed tin. A day or

two of drying doesn't seem to do any harm and seems to give a more ready light and even burn. For

this purpose, or for mixing loose tobacco blends, I have a small bowl made by a potter. It's about right

for the purpose and doesn't take up much room.

 

[cfreud]

Another Gaslight observation ... I like my pipes big, like stick my thumb in the chamber big. That said, Gaslight is better, to my taste, in a smaller pipe, like a a Dunhill size 2 or 3. Just my experience. And, yes, let it dry, cut it thin and pack it lightly.

 

[beefeater33]

Gaslight for me is done best in a smallish pipe also. I rub it out, let it dry, let it dry some more, and then loose-pack into a little Dunhill liverpool I've dedicated this blend to. It burns like incense, and in this group 2 pipe it really sings..... More of a cool weather smoke for me, just doesn't "click" in this 90+ heat and humidity.

On a side note, I ordered a few tins when it came out-- LOVED it. Ordered 5 more to cellar and that batch all swelled up. The tins literally will not stack, the tops and bottoms are so puffed out. Methinks that some magic is happening in those tins..... can't wait to crack one!

 

[stanlaurel]

I'm glad I found this thread.
I know that Gaslight is a favorite of many and I plan to give it a thorough try this Fall and Winter.
I bumped this forward in hopes of collecting as much Gaslight prep and smoking advice as possible.
Please help.

 

[bigpond]

I noticed a dramatic improvement by simply letting it sit in a sealed jar for 3 weeks. Other than that, slice with a sharp blade against the grain. Oh, if you have a larger tin consider partitioning it out to several small jars. I find perique gets flat when exposed regularly to air, as in the daily opening of a jar to smoke.

 

[disinformatique]

I pop the tin open, jar the contents and smoke a bowl or two, then forget about it for 2 weeks.
chris

 

[derfargin]

Gaslight is the bomb-diggity. Loose pack js the way to go, after about an hour's worth of dry time.
It's still my favorite blend in all that I've tried over the last 3 years if pipe smoking.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Dry times for Bob in Florida and Jack in New Mexico are completely at odds. So the advice of air it for a half hour, for example, might be just right, but chances are it's not quite right for your situation. And, as always, YMMV......

 

[glpease]

Gaslight for me is done best in a smallish pipe also. I rub it out, let it dry, let it dry some more, and then loose-pack into a little Dunhill liverpool I've dedicated this blend to. It burns like incense, and in this group 2 pipe it really sings..... More of a cool weather smoke for me, just doesn't "click" in this 90+ heat and humidity.

I'm 100% in agreement with this, and it makes sense. Gaslight was designed as a cool weather smoke. It's been so damn hot lately that the very IDEA of it sends me running.
As for airing, drying, and so on, it's largely going to be a personal thing. Just as with a fine wine, giving it some breathing room will allow it to open it up, bringing out more of the subtle tastes that lie beneath the surface. But, too much exposure to the open air, and it, like any tobacco, can begin to lose some of its more delicate nuances. It's something of a balancing act.
When we smoke a tobacco, part of the process is similar to that of airing it out in that tightly bound components are volatilized into the smoke stream. Letting it breathe first often provides a more consistent smoke from top to bottom, where smoking it "fresh" allows for more development within the bowl. Me? I like both methods equally, depending on my mood, and how much time I'm wiling to wait for a smoke.

 

[fluffie666]

I might have done something crazy. I opened up a tin of Gaslight and let the cake sit for about three days. After that I sliced it all up into flakes, aired that out for another day and then sealed it all up in a jar. It's been cooking about six months now. When I first opened the tin I cut off a flake just to wet the beak a little because I've never tried this blend before. It was great fresh but the weather is getting nippy especially in the morning here in Pennsylvania so that four month old latikia tasty deliciousness is beckoning. I'm interested to see what a few months has done to it.

 

[johnnyreb]

As for airing, drying, and so on, it's largely going to be a personal thing. Just as with a fine wine, giving it some breathing room will allow it to open it up, bringing out more of the subtle tastes that lie beneath the surface. But, too much exposure to the open air, and it, like any tobacco, can begin to lose some of its more delicate nuances.

I couldn't find it using the search feature Greg, but I remember your discussion from a post about a yr ago (or maybe it was in an interview) where you talked about the effort that went into working with your supplier in designing a better fitting plastic lid for after the tin has been opened. That impressed me & I have no concerns leaving Gaslight in an open tin for some length of time before jarring the remainder of a tin & putting it aside for a while. Gaslight remains among my favorites so I always buy the large tins.