Wasted Tobacco

[JMcQ]

I have tobaccos that I don't like, but don't have enough to give away, or tobacco that's too dry to smoke. Do I just throw it away or does someone have an outside-the-box use like fertilizer or coffee additive or attic insulation or air freshener or... well, you get the idea.

 

[gervais]

I'm sure you can think of something to do with it. Just keep that shit in a jar and throw it in the cellar. Maybe you'll like it in 5 years.

 

[3rdguy]

I usually mix it with a similar blend...

 

[alaskanpiper]

Sit on it and wait. Or blend it with other leaf.

 

[Pierre1965]

I have some English blend that I bought about six years ago. I was an aromatic smoker and while I loved the way this Latakia forward tobacco smelled in the jar I never got passed a couple puffs. It was very strong and very Latakia. I sealed the jar and didn't look at it until a couple weeks ago (it intimidated me). I'd already decided that I wanted to get away from the aromatics or at least put some serious effort into trying "straight" tobacco blends. I opened that jar, loaded a bowl, took a deep breath and lit it up. What a difference! I don't know if it was aging the tobacco, my changing palate or a combination of things, but a whole new world of tobaccos has opened up to me. Maybe just put it aside for awhile and revisit it in the future; you can always dispose of it later. I was gifted some really dry tobacco and used potato slices to rehydrate them. It worked fast and brought it back to life.

 

[olkofri]

I have some English blend that I bought about six years ago. I was an aromatic smoker and while I loved the way this Latakia forward tobacco smelled in the jar I never got passed a couple puffs. It was very strong and very Latakia. I sealed the jar and didn't look at it until a couple weeks ago (it intimidated me). I'd already decided that I wanted to get away from the aromatics or at least put some serious effort into trying "straight" tobacco blends. I opened that jar, loaded a bowl, took a deep breath and lit it up. What a difference! I don't know if it was aging the tobacco, my changing palate or a combination of things, but a whole new world of tobaccos has opened up to me. Maybe just put it aside for awhile and revisit it in the future; you can always dispose of it later. I was gifted some really dry tobacco and used potato slices to rehydrate them. It worked fast and brought it back to life.

Latakia mellows out a lot with aging, I hear. Maybe that's what happened here. If you haven't already, I'd buy some fresh English blend and find out whether the different experience was the result of time or your tongue.

 

[chopper]

I have tobaccos that I don't like, but don't have enough to give away, or tobacco that's too dry to smoke. Do I just throw it away or does someone have an outside-the-box use like fertilizer or coffee additive or attic insulation or air freshener or... well, you get the idea.

Tobacco is way expensive here so nothing is ever wasted.

Surprisingly, buying blends by the pound that I'd never tried before, I've not had one that I didn't like. [Mainly because I learned to trust the reviews by @jiminks ] but if that did occur I'd jar and cellar the blend; what we may not like today we could enjoy in a year or so. Tastes change.

Put similar blends that you don't like together in the one jar - vanillas with vanillas - Latakia blends together - so on and so forth. Others say that often by combining different blends they can come together and make a likable smoke.

If the blend was a non-aromatic, I'd make a mix of distilled water, rum, vanilla and spray a small amount to experiment. Sometimes a little sweetness and/or flavouring can make a big difference.

Or, if a blend is one that I'd never smoke - in my case I avoid nicotine after getting off a 40-a-day cig habit - If a blend was too high in nicotine I'd gift it to someone who enjoys Vit N.

The one blend that I really didn't like was a 50g tin of Samuel Gawith Firedance that I won on ebay. Horrible stuff.
Putting it aside, it lost it's disgusting blackcurrant topping over six months in it's rectangular tin. Now I find it rather tasty.

If a blend has dried out, rehydrate with a Boveda pack, or simply put it in a jar, secure a dampened tea-towel over it until it comes back to case.

One thing I'd never do is bin it just because it wasn't to my liking. That would be a waste and disrespectful to the tobacco Gods

 

[bullet08]

Never met a blend I don't like. Some are just OK, but I'll finish what I opened. Usually, most blends will tone down in few weeks. If not, in two months.

 

[chopper]

I have some English blend that I bought about six years ago. I was an aromatic smoker and while I loved the way this Latakia forward tobacco smelled in the jar I never got passed a couple puffs. It was very strong and very Latakia. I sealed the jar and didn't look at it until a couple weeks ago (it intimidated me). I'd already decided that I wanted to get away from the aromatics or at least put some serious effort into trying "straight" tobacco blends. I opened that jar, loaded a bowl, took a deep breath and lit it up. What a difference! I don't know if it was aging the tobacco, my changing palate or a combination of things, but a whole new world of tobaccos has opened up to me. Maybe just put it aside for awhile and revisit it in the future; you can always dispose of it later. I was gifted some really dry tobacco and used potato slices to rehydrate them. It worked fast and brought it back to life.

My grandfather taught me the potato peel trick. It works well [Before anyone claims it creates mould; one only leaves the peel in long enough to bring it back to case] Citrus peel also works. It imparts a very tasty flavour.

My introduction to Latakia was a generous sample of Becks Ol' Limey Bastard from 4noggins. At the time I described the bag note as "Asphalt, burnt rubber and butt" lol. Thinking, 'do people smoke this crap?' off course I had to try it.
Thankfully it didn't taste as bad as it smelt.
Mixing it 50/50 with Windsail Virginia produced an okay smoke that I enjoyed one small bowl every evening.

Latakia is an acquired taste for many of us.
I've noticed that quite a few say that they no longer enjoy Latakia after smoking it for some time. Most of them smoked Latakia forward blends which is what I suspect is the problem; too much of a good thing.
Although I enjoy English/American blends where Latakia is used lightly, I'm not fond of Latakia forward blends.

 

[jaytex1969]

If you really hate it, hand it off to one of those crusty bastards holding a cardboard sign by the road. They'll smoke anything....

 

[pappymac]

I have a jar filled with leftovers- the last bowl or less of a blend- and any blend I don’t like. After melding together, it makes a good smoke.

 

[3rdguy]

You could put it all together, stuff it in an empty Pelican tin for the Christmas exchange...

 

[olkofri]

I keep the leftovers and 'blend' them with another blend in a bowl.

Unburnt tobacco in an unfinished pipe is another matter: I just toss it if it's less than 1/4 of the bowl. Tobacco is hella expensive here too, but I won't sear my tongue trying to light that.

 

[peregrinus]

I have tobaccos that I don't like, but don't have enough to give away, or tobacco that's too dry to smoke.

Years ago Craig Tarler advised me to keep a jar handy and add to it the last bits from tins, samples or other odds n’ ends. Somehow this works and a smokeable blend evolves over time.
This came up when I asked him about the name of a blend he was offering called, “Hoover”. Seems “Hoover” was literally the bits he had vacuumed up from the blending table and, after a years worth, he would offer it as a limited edition blend at Cornell & Diehl; he said it was very popular.

 

[Magpiety]

I have an infinity jar that I throw that stuff into.

 

[SpookedPiper]

I got blends I won't smoke, blood red moon, 1Q, 1M, some planta crap xivxii?!! So they sit wasting valuable jar space, chilling until someone comes over and wants to try a pipe. ...You could press them together with a spaghetti press and make something interesting? But if it's table scraps and not enough for a bowl then just toss em in the mulch and call it a day!

 

[loneredtree]

I have had one blend that was aaaaaaaaaaaful. I soaked in in water till the water was very dark. I now spray my plants to kill the bugs in my garden. Works!!

 

[F4RM3R]

Blend them all. And dry doesn't matter as u can rehydrate. I'm sure someone here would pay for the shipping to have some free tobacco(I would, but I'm from Canada so not sure if that works), if you mix it all together is it a sizeable amount?

 

[JMcQ]

I think I'll take some of your advice. The eternity jar, is a great idea. For the rest, I will work on rehydrating and tuck it away.

 

[mso489]

Tobaccos can go out of favor in a huge variety of ways, so I won't list them. For good blends that have just gotten a bit harsh or dry, I find that some proportion of PS black Cavendish, for example, that is fairly moist, will make up a tasty blend with some of the virtues of both the dried out blend and the Cavendish. You can adjust the proportions to suit your taste. Sometimes a burley and/or Virginia will serve the same role. I can often tinker around and come up with a mix that will save a past-due-date blend that is otherwise hopeless.