PS Luxury Bullseye Tolerates Drying Well

[mso489]

So there it is, after about a week of drying and several grandly enjoyable bowls, Peter Stokkebye's Luxury Bullseye Flake. I thought it might be a little gone by now, but au contraire, it's better than ever. Granted, I live in the misty moisty Southeast U.S., but I'm glad I didn't pitch it in compost. Delicious. And another bowl to go.

 

[aldecaker]

Why would you have pitched it? Did you not like it before?

 

[mso489]

I wouldn't have pitched it, because I'm a long time proponent of dry tobacco, much of which smokes well when in a visibly dry condition. But many don't understand that and go to lengths to rehydrate or start over with blend from the jar. The post is just a way of making that point. Most blends live outside a jar far longer than supposed without rehydration or any other help. Tobacco that's been "lost" in the glove compartment for a long time lights right up with full flavor. The old time sailors mostly had cloth bags for tobacco storage under the bad circumstances of a sea chest "before the mast," and they wouldn't have thrown out an expensive luxury like tobacco for any reason, and I think they enjoyed it to the last morsel.

 

[newfie]

I've always wondered why cigars are said to be not worth smoking after being dried too much but pipe tobacco, it's quite acceptable to rehydrate.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

MSO how long was it aged before that?

I wonder how much of a difference the condition prior to drying makes.
Regardless, I think I'm ready to give up on smoking things fresh from the jar now (barring the incendiary blends like Sutliff Top Shelf), even if I do lose some flavour the burning characteristics are finally becoming more important (and I can't find a reliable butane torch).

 

[cobguy]

Flakes, ropes and plugs, in particular, are still plenty moist internally even when they seem "crispy" on the outside.
I always prefer to start with a bowl slightly too dry over even remotely too moist.

 

[prairiedruid]

I heartily agree with cobguy. Mmmmm love me some Luxury Bulls Eye Flake. "What's that Lassie? Timmy is trapped in the well and I have to smoke some LBF to save him." Time to be a hero!

 

[jpmcwjr]

"What's that, Timmy? Lassie is stuck in the well?" Time to light up a bowl!! Hero or not, it's time for a nice smoke..... :lol:

 

[bcharles123]

Mr. MSO, being that your humidity is so high, after how many days does your tobacco stop getting any dryer? Baking in glove boxes aside.
I live in the southwest and humidity is very low and all tobacco, except goopy aros, dry crispy overnight. They are still good! But not a bit of pliability after, say, 12 hours. I would guess that in extreme humid environments it never fully dries out.
Maybe I'll take a coin ( have some escudo open) and weigh it every 12 hours?

 

[bcharles123]

Did a quick experiment. A coin of escudo, unbroken, lost about 25% of its weight in 48 hours.

It is pretty crispy but I suspect it will dry a little more but not much.
Obviously tobacco will dry to the humidity of the environment, and a loose cut will probably dry faster than a coin or flake.
My guess is that in South Carolina you have closer to a week.

 

[mso489]

bcharles123, +1. The ambient humidity is central. Some days I am probably re-hydrating the tobacco by taking it out of the jar. Ha!

 

[deathmetal]

Tobacco that's been "lost" in the glove compartment for a long time lights right up with full flavor.

I've noticed the same thing. A forgotten quarter-tin somewhere is a great discovery because unless it has been destroyed by humidity -- a risk around here -- it is simply dried and can be enjoyed. This requires some care because it will burn faster, but fans of Five Brothers, Semois, OJK and other "dry" blends should be familiar with this.