My city has 79% humidity. Can I dry the tobacco in the oven?

[mrmachado]

That's the question...

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

There are numerous threads about drying tobacco. Do a search. I have never used the oven to dry tobacco but I seem to recall some people have. Microwave and heating under a lamp seem to be some popular alternatives. Is your house air conditioned?

 

[admiral]

I sometimes put some on a napkin next to the fan outlet of my laptop

Blowing hot air for 30 min seems to do the trick

 

[cortezattic]

Here's a related thread:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/anyone-know-how-to-dry-out-tobacco

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Just looking at the question from a purely analytical perspective, all of the ovens that I have owned have the lowest setting at 200F. You would have to just heat the oven up to 200F, and then turn off the thermostat and put your tobacco in with the door open to try to keep the temperature below 170F. 170F is the magic number. If you leave your tobacco at this temperature for any length of time, you are altering flavor and cooking the tobacco. I would suggest that you just heat up an eye on the stove, turn it off, and set the open tin on it for a while. But, once again, you don't want it over 170F. If you can touch the eye, that might be a guide to temperature. If the eye gives you third degree burns, it's too hot. If it is merely second degree burns, then you are good. ::
I might recommend putting an open tin under a light bulb for a while. You would lessen the risk of cooking the tobacco.
Cooking it isn't terrible, but it does change the flavors some.

 

[balkisobrains]

Use a heat gun / hair dryer & put the tobacco in a flour sifter so the air flows through & doesn't make a mess. ::

 

[pappymac]

Try living along the Gulf Coast. Outside relative humidity is usually around 95% at 6:00 am and if we are lucky, it will fall to about 75% by the afternoon when it will start going up again. But that is only during the warmer months like April through October.
That being said, you didn't tell us where you live or if your house or apartment is air conditioned. My has has central air/heat. The humidity inside my house is usually around 47%. It may go up occasionally if we have a lot of in or out traffic or if the door is left open but the a/c filters out the excess humidity fairly quick.
I would recommend getting a hygrometer and setting it somewhere inside your living area to measure the inside humidity.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Microwave is just fine. But what pappy says is right on. Inside humidity often is wildly different from (outside) ambient RH. One reason I am able to leave a jar open and not see a great change in moisture in the jar. Inside RH is about 50%, but no a/c, just a mild coastal temperature combined with being inland a few miles.
I am a hygrometer maven/freak/advocate. It helps me a lot in slowly bringing wet tobacco to the right level and the Mason jars keep it there, and I do it at volume.

 

[rmpeeps]

Like some others here, the A/C in the house pulls the humidity down which facilitates a slow dry.

If I’m in the mood to push things along quicker I set a small Pyrex dish of my blend in the top of a lamp shade.

Five minutes there is usually perfect, depending on the bulb’s wattage.

 

[mrmachado]

pappymac,

hoosierpipeguy,
No air conditioner, why?
And also, my bedroom is like a sauna. No ventilation and there seems to be a lot of vapor.
Any other advices?
As for putting the tin on the top of the oven, I have no tobacoo on tins. Only tobacco on packs.

 

[pappymac]

mrmachado - air conditioning removes humidity from the air. It's one way it reduces heat in a house. You may also try putting the tobacco in your refrigerator as that would also reduce the moisture.

 

[mrmachado]

Thanks! For how long should a little tobacco (bowl) be in the fridge to dry?

 

[mau1]

Peeps' suggestion re drying the tobacco in a dish, nestled in a light shade of a lit lamp, is simple and very effective. And less costly than using your oven. You can easily stir the tobacco while it's drying. I've used this method myself.

 

[crashthegrey]

There is always this.