Storage humidty vs. drying tobacco for smoking

[Ryszard]

Hello all, I have recently picked up pipe smoking and I have had a tough time wrapping my head around the recommended humidities. Once I buy a tin, I usually open it right away and put it in a mason jar. The jar goes in my cellar - it stays there, I basically forget about it.
Now when I open one of my mason jars for smoking, I used to pack my pipe straight from the jar. I've noticed with certain tobaccos the factory's tin humidity (preserved in the mason jar) is too high for an enjoyable smoke. I need to dry my tobacco prior to smoking, which takes time I usually do not have.
Now my (possibly stupid) question is, what would be the disadvantage of simply drying the tobacco before jarring it? Does a low humidity in the mason jar contribute to a loss of flavour during longer periods of storage?
Is it generally more recommended to preserve the tin humidity for long-term storage and then dry the tobacco prior to smoking, if yes - why so? I read about people microwave, set out to dry for hours, treat with a heat-gun tobacco prior to smoking - why not just store them dry enough for smoking right away?
Thanks in advance, and excuse my - perhaps stupid - question!

 

[mikethompson]

No such thing as stupid questions, especially with pipe smoking.
There are several members here who dry out their tobacco to their optimal level and then jar them up. That way you can just fill a bowl from the jar. Nothing wrong with that.
I just put it straight into a jar myself. I only let it dry out for about 30 minutes before filling a bowl.
Either way works. Its just finding what works for you that is the key.

 

[Waning Embers]

I jar it at tin moisture and when ready to use it, I let it dry overnight.

 

[pianopuffer]

I'm in the dry it first camp, then jar it up and have it at the right moisture when I want to enjoy it.
My only exception to this rule are with blends that I'm aging for long term storage. In this case, the bulk blends go straight into a mylar bag and are sealed and tagged for a later date.
Good luck!

 

[seanv]

If needed I will dry pre jarring. I don't think it matters much either way

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It really depends on what you goals are for jarring. First, I never swap from tin to jar to store for aging. You might as well dry it before jarring since you are disturbing the delicate microcosm going on inside the tin. You would never swap a wine from it's bottle to a pitcher if you were wanting to age it. But...
If you want any sort of change to occur in the jar, two things are required; air and water. There needs to be some moisture to feed the microbials that will start the magic. But, if aging is all just bunk to ya, then dry it beforehand.
But, I usually just dry the whole tin/jar just after opening it to make smoking a lot less of a hassle. But, I also can smoke a whole tin or jar pretty quickly.

 

[sablebrush52]

Actually, if you want to have tobacco ready to pack, drying it down and then jarring it while consuming it is a perfectly good idea.
Different blenders tin at different moisture levels. Hearth & Home blends are mostly ready to enjoy right from the tin. Samuel Gawith blends need significant drying time. Smokers who don't want to deal with drying out their tobacco before every smoke dry out and jar enough to last them several weeks or more.

 

[cigrmaster]

I never take tobacco out of a tin to store in jars. When I am putting away bulk I never dry the tobacco first. I want the original moisture with the natural oils to age together.

 

[Olkofri]

Original moisture here. Some times, however, I'll dry out some tobacco and then put it in an 'instant jar' from which I can quickly fill a pipe if I'm on a hurry and have no time to dry.
Do note that drying times vary from minutes to hours depending on the humidity of your environment. If I let the tobacco to dry overnight it'd be so dry as to be unsmokable in the morning, especially in the winter.

 

[sjs1164]

If I run into a wet blend, I'll load up a pipe the night before and let it sit out. Then on my way out the door, I just grab & go. Another slower method is to use a zippered pouch. Load it up and then come back to it a day or two later & it's usually good to go...

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Put a bowl full in a coffee filter, set the microwave for 8 seconds, and when it finishes, let it set for a few more seconds.

Or, better yet, I just use a coffee mug warmer. Set the tobacco on it for about an hour. I like mine crunchy... depending on the blend.

 

[jaytex1969]

I don't pop tins until ready to smoke them.

When I jar up bulks, I usually fill two or three jars without drying and put the "odds and ends" in a recycled tin for more immediate consumption. (the "working" tin) Get some blue masking tape for easy on & off tin labeling.

Each blend will want different treatment. Whenever you get a new blend, try sitting out enough for a bowl for 12 hours. Let it get downright ugly, crispy dry.

Try smoking it and see how you like it. You might be surprised. Back off on the dry time a bit for each subsequent bowl until you find YOUR sweet spot.

This method is mainly for non-aromatics. I understand that over-drying aro's can ruin the flavors, so seek better advice for aromatics from a more experienced aromatic smoker.

I have baggies and unsealed tins all over the place and have had exactly one specimen become negatively impacted over the last year or two. (a small piece of Triple Play plug) This is in a room that stays between 77-81 degrees and 45-60% humidity, generally.

If I open a working tin and feel the contents are getting too dry, I dunk both ends of a q-tip in water and lay it inside the tin on top of the foil or paper wrap each time I open it until the desired moisture level has been reached.

After some time monitoring moisture levels and accompanying burn characteristics, you'll begin to get a "feel" for your preferences and it will become second nature to adjust on the fly.

Like sex and pizza, there is no "bad" tobacco, per se. Just "less good"... :lol: