Need Help: Stubborn Tobacco

[flipflopsandshades]

At a loss for what to do. About 2 months ago I bought a bulk tobacco from a B&M called "Sweet Virginia Flake". The problem is, I have smoked it twice before and I am trying to smoke it again only it has given me the worst tongue bite ever each time. It is exceptionally hard to keep lit. Inside the bag it is literally the consistency of tough beef jerkey. I really like it as it tastes good without too much of a kick but I even rubbed some out last night and let it sit until this afternoon but to no avail, the same problems once again.
Any suggestions? I am about to toss it all. Very frustrating and depressing.
Am I doing something wrong?

 

[lyst36]

I'd say to maybe rub it out to a finer consistency or let it sit out for quite a while. I'm not too versed in the flakes though. Just a thought.

 

[unclearthur]

Rub out the flakes and give it a wee bit of drying time if it is too moist. Sounds like you are having to puff way too hard to keep it going . I tend to smoke flake tobacco very dry.

 

[cortezattic]

If rubbing it out makes it crumble -- as opposed to falling apart into ribbons -- I suspect it's something like McClelland's bulk 2035. If it's rather black-ish and lemony tart, it probably is 2035. The beef jerky part fits the description (tarry and rubbery would be closer).
Try drying an intact flake with a hair blower set on low. Don't worry too much about over-drying it. Then follow some of the advice in Bob Tate's article, "Flake Pipe Tobacco Preparation", linked in the lower left column of this page.
These tobaccos can be very difficult to smoke. Don't be discouraged. You might try smoking it outdoors, to get a little wind assistance -- like the sailors who probably invented the format.
Also, the tongue bite is probably tongue burn coming from steam, so a long stemmed pipe might help. These tobaccos are usually stoved and/or fermented Virginias, so I don't think their pH is high enough to cause real bite.
In the unlikely case that these flakes are a true aromatic, then I don't know what to suggest. Maybe you can PM Bob and get his opinion.
Look up McClelland's 2035 at TobaccoReviews.com and see if anyone there wrote about a similar experience -- even if it isn't 2035, it sounds very similar.

 

[nyed001]

I have to agree with unclearthur.If it happens to get too dried out you can always rehydrate it to your liking.

 

[oldjazzlover]

I love my flakes, but everyone else seems to have given you all of the right suggestions. Let me know if they don't work out and you still want to get rid of it.

 

[fred]

A number of good points have already been made in this thread, but one

that has happened to me is of a different character. When you've tried

drying it out, smoking it in different Pipes, letting it age and even adding

a bit of Perique and it still bites like a dog, then it just might be that

individual body chemistry is the reason. There are a few blends where this

has happened to me - while others have no such complaint, and the opposite

can be fact as well. Sometimes, things just don't work out.

 

[juni]

Sam's Flake is a weird one. The previous tin was perfect in every way but the latest tin I got is horribly. No matter how I dry it it won't smoke properly - it smokes wet and has a lot of bite.
I think I kept the first batch in a jar for a few months before getting to it so I'll try that with this batch too.

 

[jimbo]

The hard pressed consistency sounds a lot like Dark Star, which I found impossible to rub out properly. I dumped some into an electric spice/coffee grinder and ground it up to a smokeable consistency. If yours is still too moist, it will dry out faster after being ground.