I Love Flakes. I Also Hate Them.

[gervais]

Anyone else have trouble with certain flake tobacco? I've tried rubbing it out, cube cutting and just can't seem to keep some brands lit for more than a minute. I just finished a half bowl of rubbed out (left out for 2 nights dry time even) FVF and I must have relit over 10 times. For a half bowl! Mind you the aftertaste right now was worth it all. Don't have the same trouble with OGS i find. Nowhere near as flavourful though as FVF, imo. Any other people in the same boat? I wish I could find a ribbon Virginia as good as FVF. Ah well, first world problems I suppose

 

[troutface]

If you can't keep it lit more than a minute I'm guessing you never really got it lit well to begin with. This is a common problem because folks fear overheating the bowl. Get that thing cherry red, then let it calm for a bit, now you're on easy street.

 

[didimauw]

The few flakes I DO smoke don't take long to dry at all.

1. Could be the humidity in your area.
2. I find that the more I rub a flake out, the better it drys and therefore the better it smokes. Like I leave no pieces of flake at all. Almost completely crumble it. REALLY break it down more and try it again.

 

[Casual]

For stubbornly wet flakes, microwave for ten seconds once or twice. Then the water evaporates off quickly over the next minute or so. It works to dry it out, but I don’t now if it does anything else to the flavour.

 

[gervais]

The few flakes I DO smoke don't take long to dry at all.

1. Could be the humidity in your area.
2. I find that the more I rub a flake out, the better it drys and therefore the better it smokes. Like I leave no pieces of flake at all. Almost completely crumble it. REALLY break it down more and try it again.

I will try this, thank you. The pieces are pretty large after cube cutting so maybe I'll cube cut, then really rub that out till it's fine

 

[alaskanpiper]

The few flakes I DO smoke don't take long to dry at all.

1. Could be the humidity in your area.
2. I find that the more I rub a flake out, the better it drys and therefore the better it smokes. Like I leave no pieces of flake at all. Almost completely crumble it. REALLY break it down more and try it again.

This is my preferred packing method for flakes as well, crumble them out as much as possible. If your fingers don't smell like sticky tobacco when you are done it's not crumbled enough! Haha. To each their own in that regard though, just my $.02. Could also be a packing issue? I definitely pack a little looser with flakes.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I’d recommend about 5 -7 seconds in the microwave at first. See where that gets you.
And to echo above, the charring light should be thorough. It sets the tone for the rest of the bowl.

 

[alaskanpiper]

the charring light should be thorough. It sets the tone for the rest of the bowl

Can't stress that enough either. Sometimes I do 4 or 5 charring lights before pouring the coals to it. Makes a huge difference.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Flakes make up at least 75% of my smoking. FVF is one of the most difficult. I find that it takes a fair amount of finagling to get it lit initially but once I have it going real good, just a few relights. This is with fold, twist, scrunch and stuff. The only thing I cut up or rub out are plugs. I personally don't see the issue of having more relights with FVF. It's simply a somewhat challenging blend to smoke but the rewards are worth it.

 

[gervais]

Can't stress that enough either. Sometimes I do 4 or 5 charring lights before pouring the coals to it. Makes a huge difference.

Mega-charring light. Got it!

 

[gervais]

Flakes make up at least 75% of my smoking. FVF is one of the most difficult. I find that it takes a fair amount of finagling to get it lit initially but once I have it going real good, just a few relights. This is with fold, twist, scrunch and stuff. The only thing I cut up or rub out are plugs. I personally don't see the issue of having more relights with FVF. It's simply a somewhat challenging blend to smoke but the rewards are worth it.

Thanks Hoosier, maybe i should take your no - worries approach to this. Seems like it's just one of those things with this tobacco

 

[mso489]

I'm shameless just rubbing out flake, mostly. I'd rather be more of a purist, but once I get the whiff of those flakes even broken a little to fold and stuff, I'm in no mood to tarry. It still burns longer than most other cuts, as do plug, coin, and rope. I think these cuts keep a lot of the flavor locked in, in an especially good way. Loose tobacco has its own pleasures, like ease and readiness.

 

[litup]

Maybe if I were using matches to light my pipe, relighting would be a burden I'd try to avoid. But the effort it takes to get a flame from an IM Corona lighter onto my tobacco is practically none at all. I relight as many times as I need and sometimes more than I need to and so far no one has come to take away my verified pipe smoker card.

 

[gervais]

I'm shameless just rubbing out flake, mostly. I'd rather be more of a purist, but once I get the whiff of those flakes even broken a little to fold and stuff, I'm in no mood to tarry. It still burns longer than most other cuts, as do plug, coin, and rope. I think these cuts keep a lot of the flavor locked in, in an especially good way. Loose tobacco has its own pleasures, like ease and readiness.

Can't agree with you more on that one. Nothing like opening a tin, stuffing a pipe and running out the door when you're in a hurry!

 

[alaskanpiper]

so far no one has come to take away my verified pipe smoker card.

SURPRISE B!T$H!!!! I'm an undercover agent with the FDA Tobacco Abuse and Regulation Divison (TARD)! Surrender your Verified Pipe Smoker Card IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!

 

[dcon]

I choose how I handle flakes similar to how I choose a tobacco or pipe to smoke. I do what I feel like at the time. Sometimes I f/s, sometimes I cube, sometimes I rub to a ribbon, or I just may rub it all to hell. They all work. If it is too much of a hassle, there are some great ready rubs/ ribbons. Capstan (Gold or Blue), 4th Generation 1855, and SG Golden Glow quickly come to mind.

 

[ray47]

I don't like the fold & stuff method so I use a mini food chopper to grind up my flakes to a ribbon cut.

 

[litup]

SURPRISE B!T$H!!!! I'm an undercover agent with the FDA Tobacco Abuse and Regulation Divison (TARD)! Surrender your Verified Pipe Smoker Card IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!

That made my afternoon. Legit LOL from me.

 

[cfreud]

FVF ... dry it. Then dry it some more. After that, dry it. Then repeat the three previous steps.

 

[lochinvar]

With Gawith flakes (especially FVF and Navy), I open the tin, then set it aside with the lid resting on top but not shut all day then close. After that, I'll let what I'm going to smoke sit out for half an hour. I fold and stuff 3/4 of the bowl and rub out the last quarter to get the bowl going well. I still have multiple relights, but not as many. Either way, FVF merits the effort.