How To Home Stove Tobacco - Informational Only

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gamzultovah

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
3,206
21,340
@gamzultovah

I did jars of PS LTF, Sutliff Virginia Slices, and Newminster 400. Makes a noticeable difference on all 3. Gives them a "deeper, richer, smoother" taste. I can't taste 40 different blades of grass and stewed fruit.....I have the taste buds of a goat. However, I can certainly notice the changes and in my opinion, it is better than "fresh" versions of all 3. Thanks again for posting this method.....I'll be trying more blends in the future.
Thanks for letting me know. It does make a world of difference. Enjoy.
 

Johnkelly55

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 2, 2021
112
687
Lancaster, PA
As promised, I am going to share my method for home stoving tobaccos that I find brings the best results. The blend that I’ve had the greatest success with (ie. the one that I like best) is Peter Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake, so that’s what I’ll be illustrating. Let’s go make some magic.....

View attachment 69388
Today I’ll be stoving 1 lb. of PS LTF and I’ll be doing this in two 16 oz. Mason jars, the type with the 2 part lids. An 16 oz. Mason jar will loosely (comfortably) hold 8 oz. of flake tobacco. I feel that allowing space for the heat to convect around the tobacco is a very important part of process. So I load the jars with the flakes standing on edge, like this:
View attachment 69390
This is what the jar looks like after it has been fully loaded:
View attachment 69391
As you can see, I do lay the top flakes flat to take up the remaining space in the jar, but the rest of the jar has the flakes standing on edge. I have no evidence to the contrary that laying all of the flakes flat won’t produce the same results. Standing the flakes on edge is merely “gut instinct“ to me. After the jar has been loaded, it must be sealed to help retain the tobaccos moisture. I do this with aluminum foil:
View attachment 69392
Once the aluminum foil is in place I lock it down with the retaining ring that comes with the Mason Jar:
View attachment 69394
A word of caution: I am never tempted to use the lid that comes with the Mason jar in order to save a step. Using the lid that comes with the Mason jar will produce an airtight seal which will not allow any pressure to escape and this may cause the jar to shatter. Aluminum foil retains the moisture while allowing any pressure to escape, so I always use aluminum foil.

While I am loading the Mason jars, I allow my home stove (oven) to preheat to 190 degrees.
View attachment 69396
I have read many blog posts on the subject of how to home stove tobacco, and 190 degrees seemed to be the most popular consensus (and my good results confirm this).

I place the prepared jar as close to the center of the oven as possible:
View attachment 69398
Close the oven door, set the timer for 2 hours and sit back and watch the fermentation (with a pipe in hand, of course):
View attachment 69399
When the timer goes off (this part is critical for time and safeties sake) I have both a heavy duty oven mitt handy as well as a thick dish towel. 190 degrees may not sound like much, but it will blister fingers in a heartbeat. I take the Mason Jar out of the oven (using my oven mitt and dish towel) and place it on a heatproof surface (the top of my stove is glass so this works best).
View attachment 69402
Here is where time is of the essence. As quickly and safely as I can, I remove the retaining ring from the jar (using my oven mitt and dish towel);
View attachment 69403
cap the jar with the the original lid and replace the retaining ring tightening it firmly:
View attachment 69404
Time is truly critical when performing this process because as the tobacco cools, it releases condensation, and this condensation must be trapped in order for the process to be a success. Here is what it looks like just a few short minutes after lidding the still hot Mason Jar:
View attachment 69408
See the condensation clinging to the walls of the jar? It is my belief that if you loose the condensation, you loose the tobacco. Here is another view:
View attachment 69410
The condensation will absorb back into the tobacco within the hour and in the process, the Mason jar will draw a vacuum seal. The hard part is now over and the harder part is yet to come: I MUST allow the tobacco to rest in a dark location for two weeks! Yes, this is the hardest part. But after two weeks I will be greeted by the most wonderful sounding WHOOSH as I pry the lid off my very own home stoved creation. This is followed by a tin note of rich chocolate and caramel aromas that do translate to the smoke (for me). The overall results: PS LTF takes on a deep, rich, luxurious chocolate-like flavor that is complex, full bodied and satisfying. To me, it is an after dinner smoke; one that is sweet but not in any cloying way.

I hope that this post has been both informative and intriguing? I have stoved other tobaccos, but the ones that give me the best results are PS Luxury Twist Flake and PS Bullseye Flake (with LTF being my favorite). ENJOY!

*Disclaimer: No One Should Try This Themselves. If you choose to do so, you do so at your own risk. This post is for educational purposes only.
U wrote this a while ago, but I was reading something by Fred Hanna about stoving. This really got my interest
So, a couple questions:
Have u tried it with tinned tobacco? Can u and how would u do it?
And, with this method, after u put the foil on, do u tighten the lid on to the mason jar as hard as u can?
No worries about shattering in the heat?
thanks
John Kelly
 
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gamzultovah

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
3,206
21,340
U wrote this a while ago, but I was reading something by Fred Hanna about stoving. This really got my interest
So, a couple questions:
Have u tried it with tinned tobacco? Can u and how would u do it?
And, with this method, after u put the foil on, do u tighten the lid on to the mason jar as hard as u can?
No worries about shattering in the heat?
thanks
John Kelly
Hello John, I have tried it with tins, but they always seem to loose their vacuum seal so I just stove in mason jars. As for tightening the sealing ring over the tin foil, I only tighten it to snug. I do this in order to make a quick transition from the foil to the actual sealing lid after the stoving process is complete. Have fun!
 
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gamzultovah

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
3,206
21,340
U wrote this a while ago, but I was reading something by Fred Hanna about stoving. This really got my interest
So, a couple questions:
Have u tried it with tinned tobacco? Can u and how would u do it?
And, with this method, after u put the foil on, do u tighten the lid on to the mason jar as hard as u can?
No worries about shattering in the heat?
thanks
John Kelly
Sorry I missed the last question. There is absolutely no chance of shattering the mason jar at 190 degrees. There is probably no need for the foil step, but this is how I was taught and I figured to leave well enough alone.
 
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Johnkelly55

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 2, 2021
112
687
Lancaster, PA
Sorry I missed the last question. There is absolutely no chance of shattering the mason jar at 190 degrees. There is probably no need for the foil step, but this is how I was taught and I figured to leave well enough alone.
Thanks for the reply. I will certainly give this a try. I mentioned the tins because somewhere I read "Haddos" is great once stoved. But, I could see where Virginia Slices would do well... I haven't stoved, but have read about it. I'll pick up some Bullseye and give it a try...
John
 
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SkyesGems

Lurker
Feb 14, 2022
4
7
Hello, This is my first post. I recently tried and loved Sam Gawith black XX and it is sold out everywhere so I found a website that has Gawith Hogarth bulk and bought 5oz Irish Brown X and 8 oz Irish black X as well as a 2oz of sweet whiskey Brown.. all unsliced ropes. The Irish black X is very similar if not slightly superior to the black XX and I am very happy with it. I greatly prefer the black X X or Irish black x to the Browns.. since I read that the difference between the brown and the black is that the black is stoved I looked up “home stoving” and found this post. I intend to try to stove the brown because otherwise I think it will take me the rest of my life to smoke it since I do not enjoy it as much as the black. Does anyone know if stoving the brown ropes will result in a similar product to the black ropes? Has anyone ever tried this? Any advice? Thanks in advance…
 

Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,717
32,134
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Hello, This is my first post. I recently tried and loved Sam Gawith black XX and it is sold out everywhere so I found a website that has Gawith Hogarth bulk and bought 5oz Irish Brown X and 8 oz Irish black X as well as a 2oz of sweet whiskey Brown.. all unsliced ropes. The Irish black X is very similar if not slightly superior to the black XX and I am very happy with it. I greatly prefer the black X X or Irish black x to the Browns.. since I read that the difference between the brown and the black is that the black is stoved I looked up “home stoving” and found this post. I intend to try to stove the brown because otherwise I think it will take me the rest of my life to smoke it since I do not enjoy it as much as the black. Does anyone know if stoving the brown ropes will result in a similar product to the black ropes? Has anyone ever tried this? Any advice? Thanks in advance…
Check out these threads for inspiration. Have you tried mixing the two ropes together? I also enjoy mixing the brown rope through other blends. Either way, welcome homie


Question for the Lakeland’s fans - https://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/question-for-the-lakeland%E2%80%99s-fans.9830/ (skip to second half of first page)
 
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SkyesGems

Lurker
Feb 14, 2022
4
7
Check out these threads for inspiration. Have you tried mixing the two ropes together? I also enjoy mixing the brown rope through other blends. Either way, welcome homie


Question for the Lakeland’s fans - https://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/question-for-the-lakeland%E2%80%99s-fans.9830/ (skip to second half of first page)
The video shows much more of the process but I am not sure it can ne replicated at home and temperatures are not disclosed nor the type of olive oil used. Here’s the video:
Any input is appreciated.
 

Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,717
32,134
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
The video shows much more of the process but I am not sure it can ne replicated at home and temperatures are not disclosed nor the type of olive oil used. Here’s the video:
Any input is appreciated.
One way to know what the impact of stoving the rope (without adding oil) would be to put a small portion in a sealed jar and then place the jar in the water bath of a slow cooker/crockpot on low for 12-24hours. You could also at the same time do a comparison batch with some water added. I’d start by using half the weight of your chunk of rope as your guide for water quantity
 
Dec 3, 2021
5,458
46,914
Pennsylvania & New York
This is a fascinating thread. It seems like using jars would be better than tins—my concern with stoving a tin would be the insert inside. Might a printed insert with possible plastic coating over the inked paper impart some unwanted note?
 
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kschatey

Lifer
Oct 16, 2019
1,118
2,283
Ohio
Anyone ever try a vacuum sealed can in a 190 degree sous vide for 2 hours to see if that would work?
I've only done tobacco in a jar via sous vide, but I don't know why the tin wouldn't work, too. It's technically possible to sous vide cans of sweetened condensed milk to make dulce de leches. The main concern with cooking canned items directly via sous vide is possible side effects of the can linings.
 

SkyesGems

Lurker
Feb 14, 2022
4
7
I just realized that steam is only one temperature 212°. Since the purpose of the steam is not to add moisture to the tobacco but simply to caramelize the sugars it would make sense that the same temperature in a jar with humidity.. (maybe even added water) would work nearly as well. I would like to know more details about exactly what kind of olive oil they’re using. Someone said that ordinary olive oil would be better because it has less flavor than extra-virgin. In the other thread I noticed somebody suggesting to substitute Palm oil for a different taste. Also, Can anyone reading this tell me why it needs to be pressed and what kind of pressure that would involve it doesn’t seem it would hold up to extreme pressures but I don’t even understand why it needs to be pressed at all except maybe to make a more dense robust rope that would hold up to being carried around in a pocket or lunchbox. Considering these were originally made for miners to chew while they were working that might sense… any ideas?
 

SunriseBoy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 18, 2021
294
366
Toowoomba
As promised, I am going to share my method for home stoving tobaccos that I find brings the best results. The blend that I’ve had the greatest success with (ie. the one that I like best) is Peter Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake, so that’s what I’ll be illustrating. Let’s go make some magic.....

View attachment 69388
Today I’ll be stoving 1 lb. of PS LTF and I’ll be doing this in two 16 oz. Mason jars, the type with the 2 part lids. An 16 oz. Mason jar will loosely (comfortably) hold 8 oz. of flake tobacco. I feel that allowing space for the heat to convect around the tobacco is a very important part of process. So I load the jars with the flakes standing on edge, like this:
View attachment 69390
This is what the jar looks like after it has been fully loaded:
View attachment 69391
As you can see, I do lay the top flakes flat to take up the remaining space in the jar, but the rest of the jar has the flakes standing on edge. I have no evidence to the contrary that laying all of the flakes flat won’t produce the same results. Standing the flakes on edge is merely “gut instinct“ to me. After the jar has been loaded, it must be sealed to help retain the tobaccos moisture. I do this with aluminum foil:
View attachment 69392
Once the aluminum foil is in place I lock it down with the retaining ring that comes with the Mason Jar:
View attachment 69394
A word of caution: I am never tempted to use the lid that comes with the Mason jar in order to save a step. Using the lid that comes with the Mason jar will produce an airtight seal which will not allow any pressure to escape and this may cause the jar to shatter. Aluminum foil retains the moisture while allowing any pressure to escape, so I always use aluminum foil.

While I am loading the Mason jars, I allow my home stove (oven) to preheat to 190 degrees.
View attachment 69396
I have read many blog posts on the subject of how to home stove tobacco, and 190 degrees seemed to be the most popular consensus (and my good results confirm this).

I place the prepared jar as close to the center of the oven as possible:
View attachment 69398
Close the oven door, set the timer for 2 hours and sit back and watch the fermentation (with a pipe in hand, of course):
View attachment 69399
When the timer goes off (this part is critical for time and safeties sake) I have both a heavy duty oven mitt handy as well as a thick dish towel. 190 degrees may not sound like much, but it will blister fingers in a heartbeat. I take the Mason Jar out of the oven (using my oven mitt and dish towel) and place it on a heatproof surface (the top of my stove is glass so this works best).
View attachment 69402
Here is where time is of the essence. As quickly and safely as I can, I remove the retaining ring from the jar (using my oven mitt and dish towel);
View attachment 69403
cap the jar with the the original lid and replace the retaining ring tightening it firmly:
View attachment 69404
Time is truly critical when performing this process because as the tobacco cools, it releases condensation, and this condensation must be trapped in order for the process to be a success. Here is what it looks like just a few short minutes after lidding the still hot Mason Jar:
View attachment 69408
See the condensation clinging to the walls of the jar? It is my belief that if you loose the condensation, you loose the tobacco. Here is another view:
View attachment 69410
The condensation will absorb back into the tobacco within the hour and in the process, the Mason jar will draw a vacuum seal. The hard part is now over and the harder part is yet to come: I MUST allow the tobacco to rest in a dark location for two weeks! Yes, this is the hardest part. But after two weeks I will be greeted by the most wonderful sounding WHOOSH as I pry the lid off my very own home stoved creation. This is followed by a tin note of rich chocolate and caramel aromas that do translate to the smoke (for me). The overall results: PS LTF takes on a deep, rich, luxurious chocolate-like flavor that is complex, full bodied and satisfying. To me, it is an after dinner smoke; one that is sweet but not in any cloying way.

I hope that this post has been both informative and intriguing? I have stoved other tobaccos, but the ones that give me the best results are PS Luxury Twist Flake and PS Bullseye Flake (with LTF being my favorite). ENJOY!

*Disclaimer: No One Should Try This Themselves. If you choose to do so, you do so at your own risk. This post is for educational purposes only.
What is the purpose of stoving. Is it done to improve the quality of the leaf?
 

gamzultovah

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
3,206
21,340
What is the purpose of stoving. Is it done to improve the quality of the leaf?
It doesn’t improve the leaf, only changes the flavor profile. Some say that it mimics the aging process, but I’m not sold on that concept. With Virginia tobacco, it helps to caramelize the sugar that’s naturally present giving it a sweeter profile. I’ve had good results and not so good results (for my taste).
 

turtlehead

Might Stick Around
Jan 1, 2022
78
155
44
Citrus Heights, CA
timhalberg.com
As the noob who wants to try everything and at the same time, doesn't own a ton of tobacco and isn't smoking enough to buy a pound or two to play with - could I grab some smaller amounts to play with and accomplish the same thing for a side by side comparison? or does it need to be a pretty fully mason jar?

Also... are there types of tobaccos that would just not be improved by any means by this that should be avoided, while other types that are better for this?
 
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kschatey

Lifer
Oct 16, 2019
1,118
2,283
Ohio
As the noob who wants to try everything and at the same time, doesn't own a ton of tobacco and isn't smoking enough to buy a pound or two to play with - could I grab some smaller amounts to play with and accomplish the same thing for a side by side comparison? or does it need to be a pretty fully mason jar?

Also... are there types of tobaccos that would just not be improved by any means by this that should be avoided, while other types that are better for this?
I did half of a tin (1 oz) on a mason jar in the sous vide to start ball of the air inside will get heated to the same temperature and bake all together. Just leave the jar sealed for 2 weeks afterward for it all to equalize again inside.
 

gamzultovah

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
3,206
21,340
As the noob who wants to try everything and at the same time, doesn't own a ton of tobacco and isn't smoking enough to buy a pound or two to play with - could I grab some smaller amounts to play with and accomplish the same thing for a side by side comparison? or does it need to be a pretty fully mason jar?

Also... are there types of tobaccos that would just not be improved by any means by this that should be avoided, while other types that are better for this?
Yes, you can stove any amount of tobacco; just use the small 4 oz. Mason jars to do so.

As far as tobacco’s that would not improve by being stoved, this is totally subjective, but I will give my opinion. Everything changes when heat is applied (think food) so every type of tobacco will be ‘different’ after the stoving process. Tobacco’s such as Latakia, and Burley won’t change much (or might degrade) as they have low to no sugar content. And Cavendish (depending on the kind) is so heavily processed to begin with that it wouldn’t occur to me that any further improvement can be had by stoving. The reason stoving works so noticeably with Virginia’s is that they have a high sugar content which caramelizes from the heat. Also, young Virginia has a young taste (ie: grass, hay and extreme high notes) which gets tamed quite a bit from the stoving process (and age). The other reason I stove is that I am not fond of most of the casings and toppings used to tame tobacco. Stoving dissipates quite a bit of those flavors for me (as is the case with PS Luxury Twist Flake).

If you want to experience the flavor difference between stoved tobacco and unstoved tobacco, simply purchase some stoved tobacco from a micro-blender such as Ken Byron Ventures. He has a product called Ravens Eye which is nothing more than PS Luxury Bullseye Flake stoved almost black. You can then put it up against fresh PSLBF to taste the difference. I hope this helps.
 

turtlehead

Might Stick Around
Jan 1, 2022
78
155
44
Citrus Heights, CA
timhalberg.com
Yes, you can stove any amount of tobacco; just use the small 4 oz. Mason jars to do so.

As far as tobacco’s that would not improve by being stoved, this is totally subjective, but I will give my opinion. Everything changes when heat is applied (think food) so every type of tobacco will be ‘different’ after the stoving process. Tobacco’s such as Latakia, and Burley won’t change much (or might degrade) as they have low to no sugar content. And Cavendish (depending on the kind) is so heavily processed to begin with that it wouldn’t occur to me that any further improvement can be had by stoving. The reason stoving works so noticeably with Virginia’s is that they have a high sugar content which caramelizes from the heat. Also, young Virginia has a young taste (ie: grass, hay and extreme high notes) which gets tamed quite a bit from the stoving process (and age). The other reason I stove is that I am not fond of most of the casings and toppings used to tame tobacco. Stoving dissipates quite a bit of those flavors for me (as is the case with PS Luxury Twist Flake).

If you want to experience the flavor difference between stoved tobacco and unstoved tobacco, simply purchase some stoved tobacco from a micro-blender such as Ken Byron Ventures. He has a product called Ravens Eye which is nothing more than PS Luxury Bullseye Flake stoved almost black. You can then put it up against fresh PSLBF to taste the difference. I hope this helps.
That's great info. thanks! will definitely be playing with this. As much as I like buying tobacco, I might just grab a small amount of some virginia I've already got and just give it a go.
 
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SkyesGems

Lurker
Feb 14, 2022
4
7
After some experimenting on the GH Brown Irish x rope I have found that stoving on a coffee warmer in a mason jar with a little bit of water works very well but doesn’t change the tobacco much unless olive oil is added I have tried small amounts to saturating it and once the oil is on the tobacco it turns darker and with stoving for around 8 hours or more it turns nearly black and tastes almost identical to the black Irish x rope although I am sure that the oil I’m using has a slightly different taste than whatever they use. I also wrapped the oiled rope pieces in brown parchment paper and then tied it tightly with plenty of cotton baking twine to simulate the pressure of pressing which now I see may also serve to disperse the oil through the rope more thoroughly and evenly. In short, the results were very pleasing and I intend to oil and stove maybe half of my brown rope because I have now acquired more of a taste for it. I have also found that just oiling the brown makes it taste a lot more like the black so the primary difference between brown and black in my opinion is the olive oil not the stoving. Considering the temperature on a coffee warmer is probably only a bit over 100° I might have different results stoving at around 200° and will report back if and when I try that. I also intend to try to stove some of the Virginia’s that I have acquired. :)
 
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