School me on Propylene Glycol

[Briar Lee]

For the last week or so, I’ve been trying to smoke up all the opened pouches of “drug store” brand tobaccos I have stashed away in my garage and office, and it’s a pleasant task because any brand that uses propylene glycol as a preservative has an almost indefinite shelf life, even after opening.

Some of these opened pouches are at least a decade or more old.

Does anybody have any facts and history on the use of propylene glycol to keep tobacco fresh?

No maker is proud to say they use it, but when you open a 2004 copyright date pouch of Carter Hall and it’s still good, I suppose every brand in the drug stores uses it.

 

[anotherbob]

Personally I hate the stuff. It taste terrible. Many people get no taste from it but it's garbage in my opinion. And it also makes it impossible to get tobacco to the level of dry I like it to be at. But I'd assume it's been used since well as long as it's been used in food stuffs.

 

[anotherbob]

interesting fact it is used to make fake smoke. Might be another reason added to pipe tobaccos. To give the image of more full smoke.

 

[yohanan]

For the last week or so, I’ve been trying to smoke up all the opened pouches of “drug store” brand tobaccos I have stashed away in my garage and office, and it’s a pleasant task because any brand that uses propylene glycol as a preservative has an almost indefinite shelf life, even after opening.

Some of these opened pouches are at least a decade or more old.

Does anybody have any facts and history on the use of propylene glycol to keep tobacco fresh?

No maker is proud to say they use it, but when you open a 2004 copyright date pouch of Carter Hall and it’s still good, I suppose every brand in the drug stores uses it.

It is in almost everything you eat, drink or smoke. Look it up and see for yourself. I agree about tobacco, I opened up a tub of Carter Hall from 10 years go, and it is just like I bought it yesterday, either you like the results or you don't, the final decision is made by you, regardless what any one else thinks.

 

[anotherbob]

It is in almost everything you eat, drink or smoke. Look it up and see for yourself. I agree about tobacco, I opened up a tub of Carter Hall from 10 years go, and it is just like I bought it yesterday, either you like the results or you don't, the final decision is made by you, regardless what any one else thinks. View attachment 110594

but any idea when it was first widely used in tobacco?

 

[yohanan]

but any idea when it was first widely used in tobacco?

According to my scant research, Seven decades ago.

 

[anotherbob]

According to my scant research, Seven decades ago.

I thought it would be a decently long time.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

PG has the interesting ability to absorb moisture when the RH is above 70% and release it when it is below 70%. You can buy it at most any pharmacy, it is a slightly viscous gel. Cut a small square or rectangle of green florist sponge, add PG and some distilled water, you have a humidification device.

 

[OzPiper]

PG is very useful if you're storing cigars.
Pipe tobacco - not so much.

 

[bullet08]

Every time I hear "school me.. ", it reminds me of my old friend who dropped out of highschool due to getting tired of his ass kicked my monks in his catholic school.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

I can't stand it. It tastes like honey and lemon throat lozenges to me.
Screws up my pallet for a couple of days.

All of my tobaccos now are made by the Gawiths, except one.
So PG is a thing of the past for me.

 

[Searock Fan]

I would sooner suck on the exhaust pipe of my car!

 

[peteguy]

Propylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol | C3H8O2 | CID 1030 - structure, chemical names, physical and chemical properties, classification, patents, literature, biological activities, safety/hazards/toxicity information, supplier lists, and more.

pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[OldRocko]

PG is used in a wide variety of applications like cosmetics, pharma, food, paints, and plastics; and for industrial uses such as coolant or as solvent. It's available for human consumption, considered low to non-toxic, and can be injected, inhaled, rubbed, or eaten. It's a major component of e-liquids. Although it may not seem very appealing, this one of many chemical compounds we commonly use and depend on.

 

[forloveoffreedom]

PG doesn’t seem very healthy to me. Back in the day when I used vaping devices, it burned my throat and if it’s in soaps or deodorants, I get a rash. Perhaps allergic or it’s just bad stuff idk.

 

[mso489]

I've never zeroed in on how PG tastes, which is really a blessing, since some of the so-called OTC blends have it, and I enjoy a few of those. Most blends, even bag tobacco, don't. However, I do have a small jar with the small leavings of some 1-Q in it, and it remains not just moist but wet, all these years. It's like the Twinkie nailed to the barn wall that remains eternally "fresh," like Lenin's entombed body, but not requiring periodic restoration of the embalming and plasticization. Tobacco can go stale with mold, or simply by drying to dust. But mostly, it preserves fairly well, so that I'm surprised that PG was ever thought necessary or advantageous, since many smokers can taste it and don't like it.

 

[burleybreath]

I use it in my humidor and just tasted some. Tastes sweet and bitter at the same time. Weird. I never thought negative things about it, really, to the extent that I thought about it at all. What, me worry?

 

[Dublin Old Man]

I have noticed that some tobacco blends do not dry and have a rubbery feel to them. When smoked, those blends don't burn well or stay lit, have a harsh/hot taste, and leave excess moisture in the bowl. I assumed it was from PG. Some manufacturers use it heavily. I don't buy tobacco from those manufacturers.

 

[Cap]

Fresh 14 ounce tub of prince albert and i thought it was a newer pipe causing a problem.

Turns out i have about 7 pipes that smoke terrible and leave a burning chemical taste in my mouth and throat.

Been almost a week and i have not been able to get a decent smoke. Every tobacco taste the same (like chemicals)

I hate propylene glycol

 

[Bob the bear]

Perhaps it’s a genetic anomaly that some can not taste PG and some can, much like some hate the taste of fresh coriander and some like it. Apparently linked to a gene , so I’ve heard. I personally can’t taste PG and I loathe coriander