Jarring Flake Tobacco, Rub or No

[shanez]

When you jar flake tobacco, do you rub out the flake first or not?
Does it really matter?

 

[johnbarleycorn]

Oh FFS. No.

 

[cortezattic]

While the flake form is about twice as compact, if I smoke it rubbed out, then that's the way I store it to avoid a prep each and every time I go to smoke it. It's just less of a PITA when it comes to prepping a bowlful. It does defeat the inherent versatility of the flake presentation, though. (Genuine flake aesthetes will fold, cube cut, or rub out to varying degrees depending on the pipe they use, or whether they'll be smoking outdoors, etc.)

 

[seacaptain]

I've done both. I suspect most here will say the flakes will age better if you don't rub them out.

 

[64alex]

Cellar only as a full flake, no rub. First of all as I believe it ages better and second because I keep the option open to fold, rub or cube later on, if I rub to start I give away the options.

 

[ukbob]

I usually rub out or cube cut,.

 

[mikethompson]

Bang on 64Alex, it gives you the option later on if you should choose.

 

[npod]

Please don't rub out the flakes. They are happy little flakes and want to stay that way as long as possible.
Rub before cellaring?

 

[npod]

O.K., now that I got that out of the way. There is one notable exception. Samuel Gawith flakes (especially St. James Flake and Full Virginia Flake). In my active rotation mason jars I will dry the flakes first, then cube cut about 3/4 of the flakes and store them that way. It's rubbing out per se, but similar. I especially like St. James cube cut style. But this is an active rotation and not in the cellar taking a nap.
And I do rub out some Curly Block before jarring, but again that is an active rotation jar.
@64alex makes a good point above. Leave those options open!

 

[timt]

I cellar them as is. I usually rub everything out but with Full Virginia Flake, I really like to cube cut. I keep a jar of that cubed up, dried and ready to go.

 

[cortezattic]

Can somebody explain why they believe tobacco ages better in flake form? Granted, it may facilitate the melding of flavors, but are the sugars and other metabolites more accessible to the microbes responsible for aging?

 

[timt]

Always assumed it was the melding thing but what the hell do I know. I'm more of a keep my options open kind of guy. You know, fear of commitment. ::

 

[bryguysc]

I try to keep mine as close to the in-the-tin condition as possible. Minimal disturbance.

Also, I feel like rubbing the tobacco out will increase the likelihood of transferring contaminants, even with freshly-washed hands.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Genuine flake aesthetes will fold, cube cut, or rub out to varying degrees depending on the pipe they use, or whether they'll be smoking outdoors, etc.

Oh! I thought the flake enthusiasts would insist on smoking the full, unmolested, flake. Perhaps folded and stuffed, but no more.
I doubt there's any scientific evidence that flake ages better as is, or rubbed out. But perception counts for a lot.

 

[crashthegrey]

I personally jar it as a flake and smoke it as a flake.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I don't think it matters at all. But, lately I have started to despise smoking flakes, but I generally rub them out just before I smoke them. But, mostly that is just because I initially stored them in flake form. It would probably be a pain in the ass to rub out an entire pound or so at a time. Plus, if a wild hair hits and you want to smoke a flake, you can. It's easier to undo a flake than to undo a rub.

I never say never.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Time is time whether you take it before canning or you take it before you put it in the pipe. You also have the space issue to consider. I've stored over 50 pound of flake in the past 7 months. Had I taken the time to rub it out, I'd still be canning. Not to mention I rarely rub out a perfectly good flake. I have no way to know which would age better but I suspect there's not a great deal of difference. I've been fortunate enough to buy a fair amount of aged flake to smoke and it sure has aged nicely.

 

[crashthegrey]

I've never tried undoing a rub. I'll give that a whirl sometime. Ha. Cosmic, why the flake hate now?

 

[jpmcwjr]

It's like doing a 500 piece puzzle, only you get to smoke it at the end....

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Not hate, but I just prefer a more even smoke without having to fiddle with it. Folded flakes just tend to require me to keep pushing down the sides of the bowl to keep it going, or some other such maintenance. I would much rather cube cut over rubbing it out, but that requires time either before hand or on the go. The cube cut is the best of both worlds, maintenance free and slow burn. But, every now and then, I will fold and stuff. I am a never say never kind of guy.