Tobacco Drying Mistake Gave Me The Best Smoke In Ages.

[mawnansmiff]

"Unfortunately, Jay, as to JKP and others of that ilk, I don't do well with them."
John, have you ever tried any English or Irish plugs at all?
When you say 'English' blends do I assume you mean blends with Latakia? Thinking about it I have never heard of any plugs with Latakia as a component but there could possibly be some out there.
"I've always smoked Virginias bone dry. Can pick up the differerence between different Virginias that way."
Duane, it seems my serendipitous discovery of smoking almost bone dry tobacco is something much practiced by more experienced smokers. Though I have often read of (and largely agree with) folks drying tobacco, it has never occurred to me to dry it out to the extent that I accidentally did.
Still much to learn I don't doubt ::
Regards,
Jay.

 

[bigpond]

Take it easy old boy. I'm just yanking your chain. After all the comments on trigger warnings I wanted to give you guys a chance to shoot!
As far as moisture goes, I think it's up to every smoker to determine where they set their poles between dry enough to burn at pace and wet enough provide a rich flavor. The more experience I get the more able I am to get to where I want to be. Obviously, I would love to pop open a fresh tin of FVF and smoke it without requiring reconstructive surgery.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I tried the tobacco said to be close to Condor plug, but it disagreed with me.... Other heavy VAs and VaPers don't do well by me, either. Next time in Cornwall, I will look you up to try some of that plug you've made....

 

[rigmedic1]

Did that with a bowl of Squadron Leader that that I set up, and forgot to smoke. It was so much better after being out for so long, that I dry my Squadron Leader now before smoking. I would never have thought that drying the stuff would improve it that much.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Sometimes I feel I am talking into a large gale, but it's always good to hear of folks finding some bliss.

 

[cobguy]

Another in the "Crispy Camp" here ... steam is not my friend. ::

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Plan on drying out some 2016 Christmas Cheer on December 24th to enjoy in my yet to be smoked Weaver egg on Christmas Day.

Duane, I applaud your patience, not putting flame to tobacco in that pipe yet. It's been a long wait and I hope that smoke when it finally happens is the best damn smoke of your life :D
Trigger warnings? What did I miss?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Still much to learn I don't doubt

Was once told that one can learn to smoke a pipe in a week, but more than a lifetime to master. Been at it twenty-five years, and am constantly learning something new.

Duane, I applaud your patience, not putting flame to tobacco in that pipe yet. It's been a long wait and I hope that smoke when it finally happens is the best damn smoke of your life

Yeah, no kidding. This is the longest I have ever waited to smoke a pipe!

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Next time in Cornwall, I will look you up to try some of that plug you've made...."
So you have visited the county in the past...was it Port Isaac by any chance?
Got another (my third) in the press as I write but still haven't got myself a proper re-usable former yet.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[hawky454]

I'm with ya on that, I like my tobacco dry! I get much better and more intense flavors from it. FVF being my number one!

 

[mawnansmiff]

Well late this afternoon I prepped a small amount (3 bowls ish) of St. James Plug and have left it in the open for smoking on the morrow...that will most certainly convince me if it smokes anything like the FVP did.
I intend to try the same with a couple of flake blends too.
BTW, excuse my ignorance but what is meant by 'Trigger warning'?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Triggers! I believe it's a reference to any topic that engenders more heat than light.
And of course I went to Port Wenn! But staying with longtime friends down Bodmin way. A Charming 1830ish stone house, similar to Ken Barnes' love.

 

[shutterbugg]

See, folks get me wrong because they only want to hear what they want to hear. I never said anyone should smoke tobacco that's too wet to smoke. What I said was, blenders charging premium prices, really ought to seal the tins with the tobacco in the optimum range for best flavor and smokability. After all, they're the ones who blend the stuff with a particular taste in mind, and they're supposed to be experts at their craft, and thus ought to know what the optimum moisure range is.
But not all blenders do that. SWG makes some delicious blends, but they're all soggy as a bog. And, drying them often changes their taste, not always for the better IMO. I prefer the way their blends taste when wet, but prefer the way they smoke when dryer. If SG anticipated shipping them dryer, then perhaps they might change the blend slightly so the taste when dryer would equal the taste when wetter. Dunhill seems to not have any trouble with that. I've yet to open a tin of their blends where I felt it needed any drying time. In fact, on the few occasions I accidentally dried some out, the result was disappointing.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

See, folks get me wrong because they only want to hear what they want to hear.

I'll clue you in to something that's apparently been escaping you: It's not what you're saying. It's how you are usually saying it. No need to thank me.

 

[mackeson]

"Accidentally over drying" is the story of my life. In the evening, I often dry tobacco a bit to what I consider perfect and load a pipe. Then one of the kids needs something, I realize I need to be up for work in 4 hours, or any number of distractions and I find myself smoking it the next day. Always good stuff. I have a sneaking suspicion that sitting in the pipe overnight maybe help. The pipe and tobacco become special friends (said in a Bob Ross voice).

 

[sablebrush52]

Most of the blends that I smoke offer the most intense flavor when they're just shy of bone dry. Dry to the touch when squeezed, but still pliant. I only smoke outdoors, so I'm not smelling the smoke when smoking because I'm not sitting in a cloud of it. So, I've experimented with moisture content and other prep to find what offers me the most flavor on the sip and the snork, and it almost always happens when the tobacco is nearly bone dry. The extra moisture deadens the flavors.
Some of my best smoking experiences have come when I've dried the tobacco, packed the pipe, and left it for the next day.

 

[newbroom]

The action of burning itself produces moisture that can collect toward and within the bottom half of a bowl, I think I read somewhere.

Moist wood always took longer to light and made more smoke whenever I made a fire outside.

I've been 'pumping up' or promoting the D&R line of tobaccos lately, because I have found them to be such excellent value w/o sacrificing flavor and taste and THEY arrive dry, when bought in bulks, anyway.

I can easily re-hydrate any pipe tobacco I might want using the damp towel over a mixing bowl method. I have only used distilled water for this, and only really on some of C&D's dark burly, which came so dry it was dusty. (I hope)

 

[pagan]

most all straight Virginias taste better to me when they are almost crispy dry.

....never really thought about it, but now that you mention it I think I agree with that

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Dunhill seems to not have any trouble with that. I've yet to open a tin of their blends where I felt it needed any drying time."
Shutterbugg, I have to wholeheartedly agree with that statement but the only drawback is that the tin has to be smoked PDQ else it dries up far too quickly.
I prefer my tobacco to be slightly over moist thereby giving me more control over the smoke and of course the window of smokeability is that much broader.
At the other end of the scale we have both Kendal producers who are well known for selling soggy baccy. That said, soggy or no, they happen to produce many of my favourite blends :roll:
"I tried the tobacco said to be close to Condor plug, but it disagreed with me."
John, what is this blend called...I really must try it if it's said to be similar to Condor Plug!
Regards,
Jay.

 

[hawky454]

He's probably talking about War Horse Green?