Been trying to figure out what my ideal RH is. Been using 62% Bovedas but I think maybe 65% could be perfect.
what do you all use?
what do you all use?
Staying Hydrated! What is Your Ideal RH for Non—Aromatics?
- Thread starter RamSeva
- Start date
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Nothing. Just keep the jar tightly closed.
You mean for smoking? Non-aromatics don't lose taste if dried thoroughly, so I do that unless I'm in a hurry.
You mean for smoking? Non-aromatics don't lose taste if dried thoroughly, so I do that unless I'm in a hurry.
No sweet spot. Just put the tobacco in the jar. Dry it as needed for each bowl.
Oh man! Everybody is giving you the cold shoulder. My brother gave me a lb of English blend in a standard Tupperware container, but it was pretty dried up! I used a new wet sponge to get it re hydrated.
I'm not sure what % it ended up, but it did the trick. I had to mix around and rewet the sponge about 3 times then it seemed good. Then I portioned it out in mason jars.
I'm not sure what % it ended up, but it did the trick. I had to mix around and rewet the sponge about 3 times then it seemed good. Then I portioned it out in mason jars.
Adding moisture to pipe tobacco is too risky for attracting mold.
Depends on the blend, but between 60% and 70% RH.
Putting a Boveda pack rated at X will not immediately reduce the moisture to that level.
I use hygrometers to help me dry good quantities at a time to the level I prefer.
Putting a Boveda pack rated at X will not immediately reduce the moisture to that level.
I use hygrometers to help me dry good quantities at a time to the level I prefer.
That has not been my experience. But I'd not do it for long term storage; as Duane points out, there is a risk.
Any tobacco that gets re-hydrated gets smoked promptly.
Also make sure you're using the right jars: mason jars. I've tobacco I purchased almost four years ago that's still moist in its mason jar. Any other jars, such as the ones with rubber gaskets will let moisture escape, as their seal is not hermetic.
I figured I'd take my chances. It just seemed way to dry, and if it ends up with mold, I guess into the trash it goes.
I thought worrying about humidity and using bovedas was for cigars.
If not an aromatic, dry is good and with the possibility of the deeming wiping out many favorite blends, I take precautions to keep my tobacco as safe as possible.
I agree - avoid it. The only time you should actively humidify your pipe tobacco is if it's completely dried out.
I live in a dry climate (SoCal and Saint George) and most of the time I still need to dry my tobacco. My rotation is not left in their tins, but transferred to Mason jars and consumed from there.
Some of my rotation is 2-3 years old (not my cellar, but since I opened the tin for rotation) and it's still moist, some of it to the point it still needs drying before lighting up. Well, except for my Semois from the Ardennes valley, grown in soil soaked with the blood of courageous soldiers that fought in the Battle of the Bulge..... but I digress....
Semois ships bone dry.
A neat, well known trick to ADD some humidity to your tobacco:
Some of my rotation is 2-3 years old (not my cellar, but since I opened the tin for rotation) and it's still moist, some of it to the point it still needs drying before lighting up. Well, except for my Semois from the Ardennes valley, grown in soil soaked with the blood of courageous soldiers that fought in the Battle of the Bulge..... but I digress....
Semois ships bone dry.
A neat, well known trick to ADD some humidity to your tobacco:
- Grab your over-dry tobacco
- fill your pipe with it.
- Tamp it down as usual, as if it was the correct humidity
- Take your mouth and place over the bowl make sure you have a seal on the bowl with your lips
- Blow backwards into the bowl for like 10 seconds
- Voila! Moist tobacco.
Oh, and if you MUST add moisture to your stored tobacco, use these with DISTILLED water:
They work great. Remember: Cleanliness is next to Godliness or Darwin, you choose.
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They work great. Remember: Cleanliness is next to Godliness or Darwin, you choose.
One more point - I've never purchased tobacco that was too dry to smoke. Sometimes that can happen if it was bulk tobacco was poorly handled or something went wrong, but it's pretty rare.
I prefer my tobacco very dry almost crispy. But the humidity in Wisconsin is so high lately, that if I bring a bowl out to dry, it ends up being more moist when I go to smoke it most days. But I work with what I got.
I do not attempt to rehydrate "dried up" tobacco. I live in a very humid climate down here in Florida and find that I prefer my tobaccos to be a bit on the dry side. No matter how dry you think it is (down here) the ambient humidity and the combustion will release plenty of water vapor. Though if I had a tobacco that was too dry (very rare) I've used the same trick @sandollars mentioned.