Tobacco management

[Gregg1980]

I've been a pipe smoker for what must be only a couple of months now.

One of the things that I'm really lacking in is good tobacco management. Now what I mean by that is the transport of tobacco for when im out and the process of returning it to the air tight giant jar i have the holds about 5 tins.

At the moment I get up in the morning, choose my tin, put it in my back pocket and then at the end of the day return said tin to the giant jar to preserve the moisture in the tobacco.

The issue I'm finding is that during that time in the day where the tin is out the process of the tobacco drying out incrementally occurs.

Do even when im returning it to the big jar over time i do always end up with dry tobacco on the final third of the tin.

I have put apple peel in a couple of tins which does kind of work but its not perfect.

I have tried using a tobacco pouch but i always seem to miss judge how much tobacco i need for the day and under shoot or over shoot.

If i over shoot i end up with a load of wastage because the tobacco has got dry in the pouch and if i under shoot...well thats just annoying.

Is there a better way of doing this? I'm wondering if i need a better tobacco pouch....is there such thing as an air tight option?

Thanks in advance.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Something to consider is to get smaller jars and distribute a single tin between two jars, so that you're only opening one jar briefly to load up for the day. Maybe fill a chamber of the pipe you typically take on the go and dump it out on a sheet of paper. Shake it out to a low drying level. Draw a circle around that as a guide for when you need to estimate a bowl's worth next time? Over time, you'll get a feel for about the right amount visually and it will become second nature.

 

[bullet08]

Carry multiple pipes prepacked.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

there are ways to rehydrate the tobacco that are probably more effective than the apple peel. Various techniques are discussed on this forum. I think Mr. Pease did an article about it one time.... Anyway, I think you might streamline if you play around with it, incorporate the method that works best for you.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

+1 on pre-packing pipes... but why be so obsessive about keeping the tobacco moist? There's nothing wrong with keeping it moist, but I wouldn't get so caught up in worrying. When I pop a tin or a jar, I dry the whole thing right away by setting it on a coffee mug warmer, before ever loading a pipe with it. And, if you are worried about staleness, that takes much longer than it would take you to smoke through a tin... years.

 

[Gregg1980]

+1 on pre-packing pipes... but why be so obsessive about keeping the tobacco moist? There's nothing wrong with keeping it moist, but I wouldn't get so caught up in worrying. When I pop a tin or a jar, I dry the whole thing right away by setting it on a coffee mug warmer, before ever loading a pipe with it. And, if you are worried about staleness, that takes much longer than it would take you to smoke through a tin... years.

Its an interesting point. i think it might be because i was finding that my aromatics seemed so much more flavoursome straight out the tin. I feel like as the tobacco dry's i lose that flavour.

 

[didimauw]

My tobacco management goes something like this. I dump my tub of Carter Hall into a fancy glass jar. I then mix it up with my hand to get the air flowing through it. Then I take the lid, and set it next to the jar. I leave it like that for about a month, until it is dry enough for me to smoke. Then while I begin to smoke through that jar, I open the next tub and leave it until my jar is finished. Then I have an entire 14 oz tub that's dry and ready for me to smoke.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Its an interesting point. i think it might be because i was finding that my aromatics seemed so much more flavoursome straight out the tin. I feel like as the tobacco dry's i lose that flavour.

Ahhhh, aromatics, yeh, probably best to keep those somewhat moist.

 

[Steddy]

I really like these little plastic containers. They keep the tobacco from drying out and travel well. Great for when you’re out and about, really great if you’re in the woods. I got mine from the Missouri Meerschaum website.

 

[burleybreath]

I really like these little plastic containers. They keep the tobacco from drying out and travel well. Great for when you’re out and about, really great if you’re in the woods. I got mine from the Missouri Meerschaum website.View attachment 146514

Hmm...any indication of rust on the lid? Is the seal effective? Will it stay effective? I like the idea. I know they're just for carrying around, but I hate returning tobacco to the source container, so I never do--therefore the seal over time interests me.

 

[onestrangeone]

Hmm...any indication of rust on the lid? Is the seal effective? Will it stay effective? I like the idea. I know they're just for carrying around, but I hate returning tobacco to the source container, so I never do--therefore the seal over time interests me.

It’s a regular two piece Mason jar lid. I have a couple as well, they work just like a jar but fit in a pocket and will hold 3-4 bowls maybe a bit more.

 

[onestrangeone]

Personally I don’t have any issues with putting dried, prepped tobacco back in whatever container it came from. My ’management’ process goes something like this,,,
set out a bowls worth to dry for my morning drive and evening drive, decide what the bulk of my days smoke will be this generally ends up being for the week, and estimate how much I might be able to smoke (depends on what job site I will be at) dry that out dump it in a pouch and go.

 

[aspiring_sage]

When I pop a tin or a jar, I dry the whole thing right away by setting it on a coffee mug warmer, before ever loading a pipe with it.

Do you just put the jar on the warmer? I'm intrigued in using this method to dry tobacco when the humidity gets high.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Do you just put the jar on the warmer? I'm intrigued in using this method to dry tobacco when the humidity gets high.

Yep, I dry the whole thing. In Alabama's high humidity, I sometimes have to leave the jar on the warm a half a day or more to dry.

 

[aspiring_sage]

Yep, I dry the whole thing. In Alabama's high humidity, I sometimes have to leave the jar on the warm a half a day or more to dry.

That pretty much settles it: I'm getting one.

 

[Staggerlee]

I’ve been smoking A pipe for 40 years and mostly aromatic tobacco. I use good quality roll up pouches and load as much as I can in them. I have never had a problem with the tobacco drying out. I don’t empty them back into a jar at the end of the day either. Get yourself I nice leather roll up pouch with a surgical rubber lining. Load it and go. When you get low just add more!
happy smoking!

 

[OSOBUCO]

i put some tobacco in a ziplock and then a pipe, lighter, tamper, cleaners and the ziplocked tobacco go in this:

https://www.amazon.com/Berliner-Vintage-Leather-University-Tobacco/dp/B09MFJLLSY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=Z1UOD3ZM8AAR&keywords=berliner+leather+bags&qid=1653087625&sprefix=berlin%2Caps%2C294&sr=8-3

These are on sale now at a great price and I actually picked up a couple more. The leather was a little dry when I got my first one but some conditioner that I use on my leather ski gloves worked like a charm. For ten bucks it's a steal

 

[OSOBUCO]

I have never had a problem with the tobacco drying out. I don’t empty them back into a jar at the end of the day either.

My guess is the humid environment in Florida (if that is where you been for the last 40 years) prevents drying out. Where I am...7000 feet up in the rockies tobacco dries to a crisp in a couple days if not sooner depending on the blend so I use a ziplock in a pouch

 

[scout19d3]

+1 on both the quality leather pouches & the Pipery's PocketJars

The leather pouch (this one folds instead of rolls) maintained tobacco from Houston to Virginia and back in the trunk of a GoldWing motorcycle through all weather (60s-90s) over the last 2 weeks.

Those PocketJars hold 3-4 bowls and use standard mason jar lid-combos if you need to replace the logo-lids

 

[reloader]

That pretty much settles it: I'm getting one.

@cosmicfolklore told me about his method of drying and I purchase a mug warmer straight away and never looked back.