Name that flake

[warren]

The bowl was pleasurable! So... aquadoc wins!
Enjoy that second helping Doc!

 

[woodsroad]

Until I see a lab report from a qualified facility, I'm going to assume that all of you are just taking shots in the dark. And getting pretty hot under the collar about it, too.

 

[warren]

Citations? Lab reports? Are you seriously suggesting posters offer citations and/or proof for their statements? The very idea goes against everything the internet stands for. Imagine a poster having to provide support for a posting. Why... it boggles my mind. I thought blind acceptance for everything internet was de rigueur!

 

[toobfreak]

yaddy, thank you for the link. Very interesting. It certainly seems reasonable that the processes described are at least probable in pipe tobacco as well, but jmatt makes some good points too. Though the article is probably at least partly applicable, there are enough differences in pipe tobacco composition and storage that I don't think it can be believed to account for everything.
BTW, xylitol is a sort of sugar.
It would be great to know more about these things guys, just what we are dealing with in our tobacco and maybe aquadoc will finally shed some unique light on the topic when he can. But it is just bloom on our tobacco, I love the stuff no matter what it is, and there should be no hard feelings between friends! :mrgreen:

 

[aquadoc]

Agreed. I am going to see if I can isolate the bloom and run it using a coupled gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer. Should shed some light. Maybe. Or maybe it will raise more questions. Honestly, I do not care but it gives me something interesting to use my useless skills on for the time being. I think as Toob mentioned, the answer lies somewhere in the middle of what everyone is speculating and maybe even the analyses that have come before. But in the end, it is the smoke that matters. And I think making volcanos with vinegar and baking soda every bit as relevant.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Yeast, mold, and some bacteria are responsible for fermentation, whatever that's worth. It occurs in your muscle even. My old VA's have a distinct vinegar smell about them and sparkle, whether by bacteria and yeast or magic they provide some great smokes.

 

[cally454]

For gods sake it's tobacco. Man I don't know if I should smoke sugar or yeast or what the hell else with my TOBACCO. It may be bad for me

 

[brian64]

I found this to be inspiring:
Time-lapse of Condensation, Fat Bloom, and Sugar Bloom Formation on Chocolate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beKbIkzmC4s

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

"Man I don't know if I should smoke sugar or yeast or what the hell else with my TOBACCO. It may be bad for me"
Cellulose, pectin, starch, sugars, and who knows what else is part of the package. If you're worried about something being bad for you maybe don't smoke.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

witches sink, ducks float, so... if it weighs more than a duck... burn it. I think.

 

[woodsroad]

Very small stones. Grape gravy.
I'm as curious for real answers as anyone, but they are not arrived at by group consensus on speculation.

maybe even the analyses that have come before

.
With all due respect, I've never seen the documentation of any prior analysis of pipe tobacco bloom.

 

[aquadoc]

Cosmic, I think I married a witch and she doesn't sink.
Woodsroad, then it may be worth publishing in some food science journal. Who knows? I only have stonehaven flakes with the exudate. I do not know how many of these I am willing to sacrifice part of for curiosities sake.

 

[toobfreak]

Some people have said they don't actually taste any difference smoking tobacco with bloom over non-bloomed sections, they just like the visual aged character it lends as a flag that the tobacco has reached that pinnacle of maturation.