Now THAT'S the kind of advice I have been looking for!!!
Have been hoping since I first posted this thread that someone would give me a solution that involved a virgin!!
Now..... where did I put that virgin????
Wring out the Full Virginia Flake
- Thread starter Choatecav
- Start date
Have been hoping since I first posted this thread that someone would give me a solution that involved a virgin!!
Now..... where did I put that virgin????
Hmm, I have heard that this blend is hard to come by, and also that they recently changed the packaging for the 50g tins. Tobacco Pipes has "**Manufacture Change: Lightly Vacuum Sealed with Plastic Seal On Tin**" in large, red letters as an ominous warning on their site, but going by this thread, it seems to be the same seal as before only now it has an additional plastic seal on top. I just received mine the other day (Norwegian tobacco stores are lacking in selection, but one of them seemed to have stocked up on it), and it looked like any other 50g tin - with an additional plastic tamper seal. Didn't seem like a big deal to me, but those were some awfully big and red letters over on Tobacco Pipes...
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We've had plastic seals on their tins for quite some time in the UK, without the lid being any tighter. However, the recent tins of Cabbies I've had have all had a bit of extra vacuum, making the lid slightly concave, and first pop really rather challenging!
I forgot to add that I could smell a faint hint of tobacco from the tin before I opened it. Unlike those round tins, which seem to have a perfect vacuum seal, and from which I can perceive no scent. There was no "sshh" as I opened this one, and the tobacco was... standard moist, nothing more. I guess the shop had it stored for some time, if people's experience is that it comes particularly wet. I don't have a spare jar at the moment, so I put the lid back on and wrapped a lot of plastic film around it until I buy some more jars tomorrow.
Since I'm a nerd, I've taken to weighing my SG/GH&Co tins on the digital scale and recording the result on the back label when they arrive. (They're typically 115-120g, BTW.) So if I'm unsure of a tin's seal down the road, I can reweigh it and jar it up if it has been losing mass.
I take enough flake to fill a bowl, usually 2 strips. Gently pull them apart along the width of the flake, just enough to see daylight between the strands. Put on a plate & microwave them for 8-10 seconds. Let cool for 3-5 minutes. Then rub out the flakes & pack pipe.
This is a quick way, vs letting stand for a couple hrs. Personally, I notice little to no change in flavor over an air dried flake. My $0.02.
This is a quick way, vs letting stand for a couple hrs. Personally, I notice little to no change in flavor over an air dried flake. My $0.02.
Several have mentioned the microwave method and I'm gonna have to test it for myself. Thanks.
I pop a wet tin of this or some of the other wet blends (Old Dark Fired, etc.) and leave the lid off the tin for 24 hours. Then I stir it all up and tear it and shred it and put it back in the tin and don't do anything else. The ambient moisture in the tobacco and the tin's inherent ability to be "sort of" a good seal are, to me, sufficient to keep it very smokeable for the time it takes me to empty the tin. I also tend to work on emptying a tin once it's open - I don't keep multiple tins open at once, just 2 or 3, and tend to get them smoked in a month or so and it's on to the next. If I was going to keep it open for months, I'd put it into a 4 oz Mason jar. I have a tin of Old Dark Fired that i don't think is going to dry out, at all, no matter what. I just stopped worrying about it.
Plus all this stuff smokes better when it's on the dry side anyway - I think there is too much worrying about moisture. I hate wet, soppy smokes with 15 relights and a pile of wet pipe cleaners. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Plus all this stuff smokes better when it's on the dry side anyway - I think there is too much worrying about moisture. I hate wet, soppy smokes with 15 relights and a pile of wet pipe cleaners. Ain't nobody got time for that.
A lot depends on the local climate. Where do you live?
Please put your location in your Profile!
Why: It will save time for others when you mention local stores, weather, tobacco prices, availability, regulations, location of photos, wildfires, air quality, etc.
How: Under your avatar, (top right, left most of three symbols) you choose "Account Details", which brings up "My Account". "My Location" is halfway down.
Wouldn't a hygrometer give you more useful information?
Where you live makes a huge difference in drying time.
Please put your location in your Profile!
How: Under your avatar, (top right, left most of three symbols) you choose "Account Details", which brings up "My Account". "My Location" is halfway down.
Sure, but I'm talking about unopened tins. I think I got the idea for weighing unopened tins from Pipestud.
I'm not a fan of the microwave method, myself. Gives the tobacco a sort of "cooked" flavor, like Cream O Wheat. Of course, if you LIKE Cream O Wheat than I guess it's a good thing.
Well, I do like Cream O Wheat..... but not in my pipe.
This may be a quick experiment......
Another method is preheat oven to 200 degrees F, spread out on a cookie sheet & heat for 3-5 minutes, & let cool.
Yeah, someone mentioned that a few posts back....................
But thanks for playing anyhow...
I am probably missing out but I refuse to even smoke it. My first experience with it was similar to yours. I think I had a one minute smoke before it went out and wouldn't keep lit anymore and that was after 48hrs of dry time. The minute I had with it was absolutely delicious but I don't think I could ever smoke it again with how frustrating it is.
I know. It is very tasty but the moisture is a hassle. I rub it out and just leave it out for days. I think someone here suggested putting it in a microwave, but I have not tried that.
