Regarding Tonguebite From Virginias

[workman]

I seem to have developed some kind of sensitivity to some virginias.
FVF in particular used to just pleasantly tingle my tongue, but that tingling has grown to an irritation in most of the mouth, quite similar to the effect of eating too much pineapple.
I found this to be happening during the first half or so of the smoke, and after that it sort of settled down and became its pleasant self again.
This led to me thinking that a DGT approach might be beneficial.
I've tried that a couple of times now, and it works. A thorough charring light in the evening, and the rested tobacco smokes just fine the day after. So far anyway.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Right moisture content of tobacco, meerschaum chips in bowl, and light packing usually would help in the battle against tongue bite, and if things would go in wrong direction, biotene mouthwash is your fried, I have to be watchful with Virginia tobaccies as well, but I'm learning , and yes ,Drying out tobacco is crucial

 

[lukasstrifeson]

... developed some kind of sensitivity to some virginias.
... quite similar to the effect of eating too much pineapple.
...

Interesting... It seems like you have remedied your problem but I'd be curious to hear more about this. I, too, noticed that recently with newer production virginias I have a slight allergic reaction.

My current working hypothesis is that fresher virginias probably have the highest nicotine hit, which is causing my reactions...

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I went through something like this a tad over a year ago, and I have heard of a few other people saying that Virginias seem to be biting more lately, experienced smokers.

I used to keep a smoldering bowl of Virginias in my clench all day long, but now I opt for a Virginia burley blend, like Cube Cut or Burley and Bright. I still work in the occasional Virginia through the day, but I just can't bring myself to smoke it all day, as I have been.

Interesting, and it makes me wonder if there might be more going on, whether in something I (we) might be doing differently that makes us more susceptible, or if there was a change is something else.

 

[stokesdale]

I went through something like this a tad over a year ago, and I have heard of a few other people saying that Virginias seem to be biting more lately, experienced smokers.

I used to keep a smoldering bowl of Virginias in my clench all day long, but now I opt for a Virginia burley blend, like Cube Cut or Burley and Bright. I still work in the occasional Virginia through the day, but I just can't bring myself to smoke it all day, as I have been.

Interesting, and it makes me wonder if there might be more going on, whether in something I (we) might be doing differently that makes us more susceptible, or if there was a change is something else.

Increased use of box barns maybe? Less air flow, sharper bite. Less sweet. I have noticed that plain reds especially have become more peppery...just a thought...

 

[ofafeather]

Wonder if there is a higher sugar content in general? Bite is so tricky because it’s not one thing. Is it a steam burn? Alkaline irritation? Allergy?

The fact that DGT works could mean that extra drying time in the bowl helps. Also relative humidity changes can possibly make a difference. I don’t know how that is by you.

 

[stokesdale]

Wonder if there is a higher sugar content in general? Bite is so tricky because it’s not one thing. Is it a steam burn? Alkaline irritation? Allergy?

The fact that DGT works could mean that extra drying time in the bowl helps. Also relative humidity changes can possibly make a difference. I don’t know how that is by you.

Could be; I don't generally get bite from higher sugar though, not in plain tobaccos like Bright leaf; I generally get it from a more acidic/peppery angle. Everyone's body chemistry is different though and it changes over time...

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I don't know. Maybe its something in the air. I do know that one other person, who I don't want to drag into this conversation lives on the other side of the world.
Magnetic poles?
:::sigh::: I could speculate on whether it is leaves used from higher on the plants to make the blends, but I am not so sure that it is just new blends. I haven't bought a new Virginia in quite a while with so many boxes of tobacco stacked in my back room. Could there just be a wall you hit after so many years of smoking Virginias?
Inquiring minds wanna know.

 

[ofafeather]

Everyone's body chemistry is different though and it changes over time..

That’s what keeps it interesting...and frustrating! Too many variables.

 

[stokesdale]

I don't know. Maybe its something in the air. I do know that one other person, who I don't want to drag into this conversation lives on the other side of the world.
Magnetic poles?
:::sigh::: I could speculate on whether it is leaves used from higher on the plants to make the blends, but I am not so sure that it is just new blends. I haven't bought a new Virginia in quite a while with so many boxes of tobacco stacked in my back room. Could there just be a wall you hit after so many years of smoking Virginias?
Inquiring minds wanna know.

LOL. I've been smoking straight VA's for nearly 40 year now, if I ever hit that wall, I'll peacefully retire to the mountains of Peru and live my life with ancestors of the Incans...

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Things I do know...
Virginias have more acidity, but as Russ once posted on here, the differences in PH between a Virginia and a burley is like 1 PH point.
Water in a blend makes steam, which can acerbate burns.
Smoking too fast, especially with Virginias can make bite worse.
A lot of people are claiming to be cry babies allergic to reds.
Drinking alcohol strips something out of the mouth that protects it from... IDK, smoke?
The higher up on the stalk a leaf is harvested, the more nicotine it is and the harsher it smokes.

I probably know a few more things, but I keep forgetting what they are.

 

[ofafeather]

I'll peacefully retire to the mountains of Peru

But at that altitude things might smoke radically different! Just think of the possibilities!(I kind of hear Christopher Lloyd as Doc from Back To The Future in my head as I wrote this)

 

[stokesdale]

Things I do know...
Virginias have more acidity, but as Russ once posted on here, the differences in PH between a Virginia and a burley is like 1 PH point.
Water in a blend makes steam, which can acerbate burns.
Smoking too fast, especially with Virginias can make bite worse.
A lot of people are claiming to be cry babies allergic to reds.
Drinking alcohol strips something out of the mouth that protects it from... IDK, smoke?
The higher up on the stalk a leaf is harvested, the more nicotine it is and the harsher it smokes.

I probably know a few more things, but I keep forgetting what they are.

Great points, all of them. As an aside, a PH scale is logarithmic, so each point difference is 10 times more (or less) acidic.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Wonder if there is a higher sugar content in general? Bite is so tricky because it’s not one thing. Is it a steam burn? Alkaline irritation? Allergy?

The fact that DGT works could mean that extra drying time in the bowl helps. Also relative humidity changes can possibly make a difference. I don’t know how that is by you.

I suspect modern red virginias have lower sugar content.

I'm listening through PM Radioshow with the McNiels today, if anything relevant comes up I'll be sure to share, but I do vaguely remember the main reason they wrapped up shop was because the quality of virginia leaf they were sourcing was just not good enough anymore.

 

[gamzultovah]

Red Virginia has historically bitten me the worst. This has been an issue with me since the McClelland 5100 days. I do notice with FVF, time (aging the tobacco) and moisture content has a lot to do with taming the effect. But me and reds, we still tussle.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Red Virginia has historically bitten me the worst. This has been an issue with me since the McClelland 5100 days. I do notice with FVF, time (aging the tobacco) and moisture content has a lot to do with taming the effect. But me and reds, we still tussle.

Completely agree.

"Fresh" tobacco almost always exacerbates the problem for me.

 

[stokesdale]

Red Virginia has historically bitten me the worst. This has been an issue with me since the McClelland 5100 days. I do notice with FVF, time (aging the tobacco) and moisture content has a lot to do with taming the effect. But me and reds, we still tussle.

Reds are a strange beast for sure; it's nearly all I smoke nowadays, but they can be very inconsistent across harvests--not like burleys which seem to be more consistent year after year.

 

[ofafeather]

Plus large blenders tend to blend across crops to try to keep they’re blends consistent over time. Smaller blender often look to the character of single crops to produce a unique product. Hence the C&D special offerings.

 

[gamzultovah]

Reds are a strange beast for sure; it's nearly all I smoke nowadays, but they can be very inconsistent across harvests--not like burleys which seem to be more consistent year after year.

I’ve read that some people have an allergic reaction to reds, but I don’t know if this is just speculation of fact? I am slowly reintroducing myself to reds in the hope that I can overcome the curse. I sure wish now that I hadn’t thrown away the half pound of 5100 that I bought years ago.

 

[badbriar]

I notice the same thing. Not all Virginias - just some. I picked up one of the weed grinders to sjred into smaller, more even sized ribbons / chunks. Worked wonders!