Drying pipe tobacco

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run_n_late
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Drying pipe tobacco

Post by run_n_late » Wed Aug 20, 2014 3:25 pm

I have heard of many methods to dry pipe tobacco from Placing it on a paper towel in open room temperature air to putting it in the oven on low for a few minutes. Can you please talk about the methods that you have heard of and or tried and which ones works for you.

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Kip
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Re: Drying pipe tobacco

Post by Kip » Thu Aug 21, 2014 11:30 am

Just a few things come to mind:

1. To dry pipe tobacco, I normally just put it out on a sheet of paper for 30 minutes to an hour. This normally does the trick for me. It really is that simple - sprinkle it out on paper and wait. Of course, you'd try to do this ahead of time if you're impatient like me :D

2. Most tobacco, even if very moist, will dry on its own to a suitable level if you put a few days' worth into a pouch (the rollup or button/zip styles sold at many tobacconists). Don't expect it to last much longer than that, though. More than a week and you'll likely have crispy tobacco...

3. Personally, I would never put tobacco in the oven, except to experiment. Even at very low temps, it will "cook" the tobacco. It doesn't ruin it, but will significantly change the blend. Virginias are especially susceptible. Light, airy "bright" VAs will change color and mellow a lot in a 200 degree over in only a few minutes. The flavors can change radically and unpredictably. It's fun to experiment and find your own variation of a particular blend, but I wouldn't do this simply for drying purposes.
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