View Single Post
Old 11-03-2008, 01:07 PM   #4
Python
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Mold on pipe tobacco

Pipe tobacco is a lot more forgiving than cigars. Cigars are more naturally made.
What I mean by that is; Cigar tobacco is grown, harvested, dried, aged, and rolled.
Pipe tobacco is grown, harvested, dried, aged, and then there is a lot of processing that is applied. What I mean by processing is; different cuts, pressed, made into ropes, plugs, sometimes flavorings are added, etc.

You also have to keep in mind that cigar tobacco is totally different from other types of tobacco used in all other tobacco products such as pipes, chew, dip, snuff, cigarettes, etc.

Cigar leaf is cigar leaf. The tobacco used in other forms of tobacco are Virginia, Maryland, Burley, Perique, Turkish, Latakia to name a few. They already lose a lot of their natural oils during the processes that are done to them.

(Please DO NOT mistakes processing for putting harmful additives in them like most pre-manufactured cigarette companies do. Roll your own cigarette tobacco and some pre-manufactured cigarette companies do not even put harmful additives in their products.)

The correct RH for pipe tobacco is 10-14%. Some people actually prefer their pipe tobacco on the dry side. I prefer a lot of mine to be on the dry side depending on the blend. There is some debate between dry and moist. What would a hobby be without debates on what methods are better . You have the people in the moist camp and the people in the dry camp.
I do not detect much change, if any, in flavor in dry tobacco. Of course there are always exceptions.

Just for clarification; when I say dry, I do not mean crumbly, turning into dust when touched dry. I mean right before it gets a little crispy dry. If it gets crumbly, dusty dry it MIGHT be too late to re-hydrate it, but it does not mean it is un-smokeable. Just crumble it up a little and add it on top of some other tobacco in the pipe.

I suggest, for all of you who haven't tried it yet, to let a little bit of your favorite blend dry out a bit and try smoking it that way. See if you notice any difference, good or bad. You might find out that you like it on the dry side.

(sorry about the long post, I was just trying to include as much info as I could. )
  Reply With Quote