I Wonder Whom It Is I Pissed Off at Smokingpipes.com

[wyfbane]

I was feeling a bit blue lately. I comforted myself with a grand indulgence on the C&D sale at SP.C. I ordered 12lb 8oz of tobacco...
It came in the other night. I don't know if they routed it through the Gobi but only 3lb 4oz of it had ANY moisture in it fit to jar. Most of it sounds like a bag of pinecones...
I am now looking at damn near 10lb of tobacco that needs to be moisturized.
Any pointers on that grand undertaking?
AND I have 2 MORE lb coming on Friday with my tins of Squadron Leader.

 

[derfargin]

My 2 lbs were a bit crispy too, but the way I see it. It's sold by weight not volume, so you're actually getting more tobacco. So what if I have to rehydrate some of it. It still smoked fine.

 

[crusader]

If it were me, I would pour it into a tub and wet a towel with distiller water and lay it over the top not touching the baccy and lay the lid over it. Stir the next day and repeat until it is the way you prefer, then jar.

 

[mcitinner1]

C&D one pound bags are prepackaged, not loose bulk. I have had the same thing happen from SP, but not an order that large. If you want to keep the order, rehydrate it. But I think a call to them will get you what ever you want.
Here's how I rehydrated 2 pounds at a time. The quart jar is for perspective.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Since you didn't mention what the blends are, I assume you are familiar with how moist the tobacco usually is when you get it in bulk. But, keep in mind, some bulk blends are just dryer by nature. Usually when I order whole pounds or whole 5 lbs bags, they come unopened and fresh. But, even some blends are just dry by nature. D&R and C&D are two that almost always come to me dry to the bone. D&R makes sure all of theirs is dry to the bone, and advertise it that way.

 

[ericusrex]

I ordered seven 8oz bags of different blends from the C&D sale. I immediately put them in glass jars and was amazed at the different quantity of tobacco from blend to blend based on the moisture content. I really had to pack the dryer ones to get the whole bag into a 1 quart jar. More smokes per ounce, I figure.

 

[arkansastraveler]

Here's something that works for me. Order you about 6 or 8 oz.of G and H Brown Irish X. Cut off about a 2 or3 inch slice of rope and put it in the Mason jar with the tobacco you want to rehydrate. Might take awhile, but it will help you have more control over the moisture. After the rope dries out you can either smoke it, or put it in a ziplock with rum,and use it again.

 

[kanada]

Sounds like a total loss...you better send it on up to Canada where we know how to deal with pine cones and overly dry tobacco...

 

[tarak]

Isn't that brand known for shipping rather dry anyways?

 

[zitotczito]

I got 4 lbs and some of mine was crispy as well. Am I concerned, not really. I just put it that way in the jars and if I feel the need to hydrate it later I will. My thought was while in the jar it won't get any dryer and a lot less chance of mold.

 

[cortezattic]

As long as it isn't a bag of dust, it will be OK once you've re-hydrated it.

Check out G.L. Pease's article, Dust in the Wind - A Primer on Tobacco Moisture.

 

[wyfbane]

Sweet. Thanks guys. It's just a bit daunting with the volume. I will get started right away.

 

[daimyo]

You people are way nicer than me. I don't expect bulk to come with as much humidity as tins but crispy is not okay in my book. A lot of Balkan bulk seems to come especially devoid of excess moisture but if it's crispy then it's going back.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I ordered a couple of pounds each of several C&D Balkan and Virginia blends that all came really really dry. I don't remember from whom, but while I was boiling my jars, I let the tobacco set in the drift of the steam. I have since smoked a few of the jars, and they were good, well... as good as the tobaccos were meant to be I think, ha ha. But, I like my tobaccos on the dry side when I load it to smoke. I've only had two of C&D's tinned selections, so I can't speak for how they are.

 

[dmcmtk]

I have found C&D's bulks a little on the dry side in the past, but re-hydrating them is fairly simple.

 

[settersbrace]

Recent bulk deliveries of C&D bulk have been arriving at the shop in an extremely dry state. So much so that we may no longer stock it. If we have to open a sealed package and rehydrate it enough for it to become saleable then why are we paying what we are paying? Each time it comes in like that then someone who should be waiting on customers must now take time to unpack, rehydrate and repackage what's not going into the bulk jars. Dry English tobacco doesn't offend me but this stuff is crunchy, crispy dry. The owner has a simple philosophy, present it to the customer at an acceptable moisture level for most, if an individual wants his quantity drier he can do that after the purchase and deal with a much smaller quantity and can dry it to just where THAT customer desires it. I understand humicant is not used and I like that about C&D but something seems wrong with the last several deliveries over the last 6 months.

 

[wyfbane]

I just wanted to update everyone on my OP.
I want it noted for the record that this incidence was an anomoly and that I have been treated so well by them in the past that the shock of this happening was one of the motivators FOR the post.
I have been contacted by SPC and they would like me to connect with their customer service.
For me, if the stuff will rehydrate, I am ok. I don't want to bother with shipping stuff around or them thinking I am being "that" customer. They are a great company that I hope to continue to do business with.
Thank you again Mctinner for the visual of how to whet my appetite, so to speak.

 

[okiescout]

Glad it is working out for you, wyfbane. I have never ordered baccy from SP.COM, that I remember anyway, but they have been great on everything else. Glad they offered to step up. I understand the not wanting to get into the sending bits and pieces back.
I just spray misted 80 onces of Va picked up for a steal (down side to it was it was dry as black powder) I was given a large bottle of honey flavored whiskey last year. I don't need the calories of all that bottle, so I figured if the plan went FUBAR, I was not really out that much.
I put a quart jars worth of baccy in a bowl at a time, misted it until it was really moist but not dripping, then mixed back in a little dry baccy. Then I jarred it up in clean quart mason jars.

The "dislogic" was it would be easier to watch and dump if it molded. I generally use mylar bags now to cellar, but I would not be able to see any ugly surprises.
That was a month ago and so far it has not showed any signs of going bad. I have it setting in a dark room waiting to see if it goes south or not. If it turns out I'll send you some, if you are interested :lol:

 

[wyfbane]

Nice Okie! That sounds awesome. Let me know how it tastes.

 

[okiescout]

Will do