The Tobacco that Would Not Dry.

[scrapyardape]

Sounds like the title to a really crappy horror movie, doesn't it? I bought this stuff (which shall remain nameless.. though I will admit that it is a drug store brand) on September 10th. To say that it was moist is, well... the kindest way I can describe the stuff. I have left it on a plate, exposed to the open air since the day it was purchased, and I swear that I could probably wring out a liter of water if I tried so today.
I'm not giving up, though. I'll get this to smoke-able condition if it kills me.

 

[latbomber]

It's probably because it has been doused in a preserving chemical that keeps the moisture in. Many cheap aromatics suffer from this problem. My suggestion would be to put the tobacco on a paper towel and then microwave it for 5-10-15 seconds until the moisture starts to dissipate.

 

[nsfisher]

Sounds like CB White

 

[leacha]

Or Lane BCA/Captian Black Dark. I love the stuff but damn that stuff wouldn't dry for me. I do not have the patience to wait. Days.

 

[scrapyardape]

It is not one of the Captain Blacks. I'm curious to see if anyone guesses what it is. :mrgreen:
I have not yet tried the microwave trick. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[judcole]

It's probably because it has been doused in a preserving chemical that keeps the moisture in. Many cheap aromatics suffer from this problem. My suggestion would be to put the tobacco on a paper towel and then microwave it for 5-10-15 seconds until the moisture starts to dissipate.

My suggestion would be to throw it in the trash, file under "lessons learned", and buy some real pipe tobacco. :nana:

 

[woodsroad]

It has been suggested (by smokers who grow their own tobacco)that Propylene Glycol and other humectant additives are to blame for at least some mouth bite problems.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I have one of those plug in coffee cup warmers kind of like this one here http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-557388/mr-coffee-mug-warmer.jsp?gclid=CMCrrfqV3boCFUhk7AodXywAlA&gclsrc=aw.ds
I'll put some tobacco in a coffee filter. The flat round bottomed kind fit perfectly on the plate. And I'll turn it on low heat for awhile. I've put some pretty goopy tobacco on there and it works like a charm. It takes a bit longer than using a microwave, but you have better control on how dry the tobacco gets. I just keep it close by, lean over and stir the tobacco around, give it a pinch to see if it's still sticky or not. It doesn't take very long. :D
Edit: This model in the link isn't the same I own. Mine has a high and low setting, and is made by Brookstone.

 

[ejames]

Smokers Pride? Super Value? Come in a plastic bag? More PG than tobacco.

 

[burlpettibon]

I got a REALLY moist can of Tudor Castle and to dry it out I just rub it out, put it on a plate, and put it in the oven and broil it for a minute or so and it is pretty much good to go.

 

[puffy]

CVS sells a brand that I think is called Admirals Choice..Someone gave me a bag about a year ago.It was really wet,and wouldn't dry enough to smoke.I ending up throwing it in the trash.

 

[petes03]

I've had this happen with both Lane BCA and Smoker's Pride Black Cavendish (also a Lane product). They never would dry to what I thought was an acceptable level, but they always smoked fine. I always preferred the SP over the BCA, and I still use it to blend with and occasionally smoke some straight.

 

[wilson]

PG's humectant properties are such that it makes it difficult to dry tobacco to which it has been added. That's sort of the point of adding a humectant -- it's doing it's intended job. Most (all) OTC's have some PG, or other humectant. Some are OK, some have way too much.
If left at 50% RH, plain tobacco would equilibrate at 8% moisture, which is very dry. So, if you leave tobacco that starts out at 14% moisture open to 50% RH air, it will dry. Pretty quickly.
Now, PG exposed to 50% RH will equilibrate at about 20% water -- the PG will actually want to try to absorb moisture.
So, the end result is that the mixture of tobacco and PG does not dry out very much (if at all) and any drying that does take place happens very slowly. Unless you live in the Sahara.
You can try the toaster oven, or similar, but would need to smoke pretty soon after (or put it in mason jars). On its own, or in a plastic bag, it won't stay dry, it will reabsorb moisture from the atmosphere.
Unless you really like this stuff, or are really on a budget, I'd toss it. Chalk it up to tuition: money spent to learn a lesson.

 

[instymp]

+1 & Ejames

 

[sfsteves]

jud said:

"My suggestion would be to throw it in the trash, file

under "lessons learned", and buy some real pipe tobacco."

My suggestion would be to follow Jud's suggestion ...

 

[scrapyardape]

Yep. Into the trash it goes. I figure if 60 days of open exposure is not enough to make it workable, then a few seconds in the oven or the microwave won't do much good either. (congrats to Puffy for guessing the brand)

 

[rcstan]

I've had a certain red coloured pouch of OTC tobacco bought in Anchorage this spring, that has been left open in the car in dry South Central Alaska for a month, flown on a plane to coastal SC ( humid ) , smoked, left closed intentionally to dry, and it's still sort of damp. I take a small bowl of it every once and again to remind myself why it's better to spend a little more on decent baccy.

 

[Wellington]

Frog Morton doesn't dry for me last time I tried. I loved the tobacco, but I had to cook it to dry it out. I left it in the can uncovered for a number of weeks and it didn't dry out a bit. I think it must have been quite humid in the apartment or something.

 

[buster]

I let a pouch of Captain Black set open for two weeks. It was still very moist after that.