Help with Revitalising Pipe Tobacco

[Boyce999UK]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Hi all!

so I recently purchased a variety of tobaccos and I store them in mason jars with a small boveda pack in.

I decided I was going to smoke my pipe this afternoon at a local nature reserve and so I put all my pipe stuff including the mason jar in my backpack which was in my car during work today. When I can round to smoking my pipe (Breaking in my Rattray Turmeaus Ltd edition) I found the tobacco was a bit on the dry side. I assume the temperature buildup in the car throughout the day may have dried it out a little?

how can I rectify this and get it to being moistwe. The tobacco in question is an American Vanilla aromatic so I know normally they’re rather moist. Could I simply keep the mason jar in a cool place and the boveda pack should sort it out, or do I need to try something else?

Thank you in advance

 

[craiginthecorn]

Remember, Boveda packs are calibrated to maintain a specific level of moisture, so they can both give and take moisture. If the pack is still squishy, then it is likely that it has actually dried your tobacco, especially if it’s a 58 or 62 percent pack. For me, that would be good, as I prefer my pipe tobacco on the drier side. If the pack is hard and dry, maybe your lid was loose or had bits of tobacco preventing a full seal.

Before attempting to rehydrate (and there are COUNTLESS threads on that topic), try smoking it as-is. You may discover that you too prefer your tobacco a bit drier.

 

[Boyce999UK]

Remember, Boveda packs are calibrated to maintain a specific level of moisture, so they can both give and take moisture. If the pack is still squishy, then it is likely that it has actually dried your tobacco, especially if it’s a 58 or 62 percent pack. For me, that would be good, as I prefer my pipe tobacco on the drier side. If the pack is hard and dry, maybe your lid was loose or had bits of tobacco preventing a full seal.

Ah right. The packs I am using are the 62%. Are they too low an RH for pipe tobacco? When I looked online I read that pipe tobacco should be stored at a lower RH than cigars and that Boveda do 49% packs specifically for pipe tobacco. Should I remove the packs from my storage to prevent my other tobaccos drying out?

 

[craiginthecorn]

Ah right. The packs I am using are the 62%. Are they too low an RH for pipe tobacco? When I looked online I read that pipe tobacco should be stored at a lower RH than cigars and that Boveda do 49% packs specifically for pipe tobacco. Should I remove the packs from my storage to prevent my other tobaccos drying out?

You didn’t mention whether the pack was still squishy. That is what will indicate if the dryness is due to the choice of pack or a bad seal. Try the tobacco first. I bet you’ll like it. If not, move to a higher moisture pack; otherwise your other tobacco will become similarly dry. Boveda packs do not rehydrate tobacco quickly, in my experience.

Another thought is that canning jars are generally airtight enough that hydration packs only become necessary when the jars are getting on the empty side and then, only if you are not smoking that blend frequently.

 

[Boyce999UK]

You didn’t mention whether the pack was still squishy. That is what will indicate if the dryness is due to the choice of pack or a bad seal. Try the tobacco first. I bet you’ll like it. If not, move to a higher moisture pack. They do not rehydrate quickly, in my experience.

Another thought is that canning jars are generally airtight enough that hydration packs only become necessary when the jars are getting on the empty side and then, only if you are not smoking that blend frequently.

Ah sorry I forgot to mention that. The pack is still very squishy, so it must be too low compared to what the tobacco was.

I did have a bowl of the tobacco and it seemed to still pack well enough even though it was a fair bit dryer than I normally smoke. I need to give the tobacco another shot when it’s not blowing a gale outside.
I have removed the packs From my storage cans and tins and placed the unused packs in a ziplock bag to try and keep them.

I think I will just smoke through this drier batch and then buy another (fresher/moister) batch and see which I prefer.

thanks for your help. It’s been invaluable

 

[craiginthecorn]

Ah sorry I forgot to mention that. The pack is still very squishy, so it must be too low compared to what the tobacco was.

I did have a bowl of the tobacco and it seemed to still pack well enough even though it was a fair bit dryer than I normally smoke. I need to give the tobacco another shot when it’s not blowing a gale outside.
I have removed the packs From my storage cans and tins and placed the unused packs in a ziplock bag to try and keep them.

I think I will just smoke through this drier batch and then buy another (fresher/moister) batch and see which I prefer.

thanks for your help. It’s been invaluable

My pleasure. Yep, wind will sure whip up a dry tobacco!

 

[mso489]

craigin' has it; try it first. More tobacco needs drying than hydrating, by far. A little dryness is usually a good thing, for even continued burning and flavor, especially if we are talking about a few hours or days. Possibly improved.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Ah right. The packs I am using are the 62%. Are they too low an RH for pipe tobacco?

I failed to address this question. 62% are what I use.

 

[didimauw]

I'd smoke it as is. I prefer it dry. I strive and work hard for crispy tobacco. No joke.

 

[cigrmaster]

If you put the dry tobacco in a big mixing bowl then cover the bowl with a damp dish towel making sure the towel doesn't touch the tobacco, it should be fine in the next 12 hours or so.

 

[musicman]

As long as your Mason jars are sealed well, you probably don't need the Boveda packs anyway. I find most tobaccos come a little on the wet side, and I've never had any issues with dryness in Mason jars without Bovedas, even living in one of the drier places in the U.S. (AZ).

When I got back into piping a little over a year ago I did have some tobaccos dry out, but these were stored in opened tins (bad idea!). I put them in jars and draped the jars with damp paper towel, and after about 24 hrs, the moisture level was back to being ideal.

 

[Boyce999UK]

As long as your Mason jars are sealed well, you probably don't need the Boveda packs anyway. I find most tobaccos come a little on the wet side, and I've never had any issues with dryness in Mason jars without Bovedas, even living in one of the drier places in the U.S. (AZ).

When I got back into piping a little over a year ago I did have some tobaccos dry out, but these were stored in opened tins (bad idea!). I put them in jars and draped the jars with damp paper towel, and after about 24 hrs, the moisture level was back to being ideal.

Tbh I think I’m going to keep the boveda in as if that’s what’s drying the tobacco out it seems to be almost perfect for smoking straight from the jar, leaves little moisture compared to normal in the bottom of the bowl. But thanks for the heads up about the paper towel method. Will use that if I need to.

 

[musicman]

Tbh I think I’m going to keep the boveda in as if that’s what’s drying the tobacco out it seems to be almost perfect for smoking straight from the jar, leaves little moisture compared to normal in the bottom of the bowl. But thanks for the heads up about the paper towel method. Will use that if I need to.

Perfect! If there's anything I've learned in my admittedly meager tenure as a pipe smoker, it's that everybody needs to come up with and follow their own system, and whatever works for you, works for you.