Rubbing Out a Whole Tin of Flake or Twist

[Mr_Smokey]

Are any advantages or disadvantages for rubbing out an entire tin to save time later?

I've ordered some rope twists (SG 1792 mixture & Brown Twist no.4.) I transfer all of my tobacco into Ball jars, I'm wondering if it's a good idea to rub the whole lot out or not?

 

[gervais]

Id do it if I planned on smoking the whole tin within a few months, otherwise id leave it flaked for storage purposes

 

[karam]

Why would you do that? I really mean, what's the driver/benefit to do that? Is it convenience?

The way I see it the flake and rope would start deteriorating much faster rubbed out than intact.

For flakes, I now fold and stuff, so there's little need to fuss with it from the tin. In fact one more reason I love flakes is that I find a single folded 10x7 cm flake fits exactly right into my the bowl of the pipe I use for flakes so I found fast that it removes any thought or bother around packing. Really the perfect form of tobacco for me.
For ropes, as they keep their moist state for ages, I want to keep it that way, so I cut and rub only a bowlful at the time. That way it stays moist and continues its aging process for longer.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I will cube cut a whole tin of flakes to make it easier to load and smoke on the go.
I don’t think anything is wrong with rubbing out a tin at a time.

I also will dry a whole tin for the same reason. But, a tin really only lasts me a week, so YMMV.

 

[Mr_Smokey]

Why would you do that? I really mean, what's the driver/benefit to do that? Is it convenience?

The way I see it the flake and rope would start deteriorating much faster rubbed out than intact.

For flakes, I now fold and stuff, so there's little need to fuss with it from the tin. In fact one more reason I love flakes is that I find a single folded 10x7 cm flake fits exactly right into my the bowl of the pipe I use for flakes so I found fast that it removes any thought or bother around packing. Really the perfect form of tobacco for me.
For ropes, as they keep their moist state for ages, I want to keep it that way, so I cut and rub only a bowlful at the time. That way it stays moist and continues its aging process for longer.

Thanks for the replies,

It's more convenient for me to rub it all out at once but I'm also asking to see how it affects the tobacco, in a negative or beneficial way. Perhaps it's subjective.

I rubbed out a whole tin of SG Best Brown Flake a couple of weeks ago, it was incredibly moist so I also left the jar open for a few hours. It seems fine but i still sometimes have to leave pinches out to dry but not for so long.

I'll be smoking it within a few months.

 

[karam]

Yeah the Gawiths are particular for that, to me they have the consistency of playdough.

As cosmic says, depends on your rate of consumption too. I like to switch it up so tins may take me months to finish. Just last week I finished a tin of Deluxe Navy Rolls bought before Christmas, the last few coins were a bit on the dry side, but by no means dry.

 

[BROBS]

Are any advantages or disadvantages for rubbing out an entire tin to save time later?

I've ordered some rope twists (SG 1792 mixture & Brown Twist no.4.) I transfer all of my tobacco into Ball jars, I'm wondering if it's a good idea to rub the whole lot out or not?

I sometimes rub out enough for a pouch, but never a whole lot of tobacco. It will dry out much more If it’s all rubbed out and won’t store as long. Plus depending on how you rub it out you could be introducing contaminates to the tobacco.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I normally rub out 4-5 bowls full but then again I don't smoke nearly as much as some of the lads on here. If I did and was going to smoke it in a few weeks or so then I probably would.
Saying that there's no finer site than a lump of some aged SJP/FVP thats gone all dark and brooding.

 

[workman]

Nothing wrong with that. Saves you a lot of planning and timing the drying of flakes, which really is impossible with SG flakes anyway, because they all have different personalities and will sometimes stay moist for weeks only to annoy you.

 

[Mr_Smokey]

Yeah the Gawiths are particular for that, to me they have the consistency of playdough.

As cosmic says, depends on your rate of consumption too. I like to switch it up so tins may take me months to finish. Just last week I finished a tin of Deluxe Navy Rolls bought before Christmas, the last few coins were a bit on the dry side, but by no means dry.

I heard the moisture level goes 'drowned rat' and then just 'Gawith' is above that. Love the blends though.

My rate of consumption will probably be determined by how much I like it, perhaps I'll rub out a bit and see how I go. Then I'll rub more out if I'm going to be smoking a lot of it.

 

[karam]

Ah yes hat's the StuffnThings terminology!

I haven't tried the two you mention, but StJF and Balkan Flake are amazing for my tastes. Will try G&H Bob's Chocolate flake over the weekend.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My rate of consumption will probably be determined by how much I like it, perhaps I'll rub out a bit and see how I go

Yeh, at this point, I know which ones I am going to devour quickly. If I am opening a tin of an unknown, I proceed with more caution.

I think you've got this.

 

[jpmcwjr]

A good idea, unless it's for long term storage. You can even dry out the whole lot to the right moisture level, and it will keep just fine in a Mason type jar.

 

[Rebub24]

It really comes down to what you prefer and how you are storing the tobacco. If it makes it easier to prep the whole tin or box beforehand and just pull from it when you want to smoke then there's nothing wrong with that. However if you are rubbing out a whole tin or box, I would recommend keeping it in a mason jar or some type of sealed container to keep it fresh and pulling from the container to fill a tobacco pouch if you're planning on going out for the day. Unless you're smoking a full tin in a few days I wouldn't recommend keeping it in the tin after the seal has been broken.

 

[cigrmaster]

I would never rub out flakes as I smoke them whole. I also cube cut plugs and only prepare one bowl at a time. The preparation of each bowl is part of my ritual so I keep doing it.

 

[verporchting]

I often rub out a few bowls worth and leave the rest intact. Saves me time but preserves the option for aging as well as fold & stuff or cubing. Best of both worlds for my purposes.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

So for me, Ill always rub out a flake/coin/cake, cut off a piece of plug chop it up etc as I need it, but I always have more than I need for my pipe, soo.. the rubbed out bits organically grow in the jar. But as a general rule I leave flakes and plugs intact till I need em. I feel being compressed helps them age better than loose.

 

[anotherbob]

I find it easy to rub out a flake even if strolling about. Then again I rarely rub out most flakes beyond just a slightly broken. There are two issues I see with breaking it up before hand. One flakes seem to dry less in flake form then rubbed out form, though not an issue if you jar it. The other is you can't derub a flake. That seems like the biggest reason not to do it. So yeah it's your flake and if you like flakes rubbed out a certain amount there doesn't seem to be any real reason to have a problem with doing so.

 

[blues4goose]

My favorite rope (and my favorite tobacco in general) is SG Black XX, and I would tackle someone if I saw them pre-rubbing out that beautiful black turd. That tobacco is magical when sliced and smoked perfectly fresh. If it dries out at all or is exposed to air for too long, it loses the wonderful oily texture on the palate that makes it so special. I even have to keep the tin in a ziplock bag so I don't have to smoke the whole thing in three days.
When I first started smoking I pre-rubbed and dried a few flakes and plugs, and regretted it every time. Different pipes & environmental conditions call for rubbing out & drying to different degrees.

 

[mso489]

I'm inclined to rub out enough for three to five bowls at a time. Intact flake, coin, plug and rope retain their moisture and flavor nicely, so there's no point in buying it if you don't take advantage of this characteristic. If you need the convenience, I'd buy loose tobacco and just keep it in a well sealed jar.