Having some trouble with Kendal Plug

[Dillon]

I got a sample of this recently, and I'm curious about how the members here prepare their plugs. What I've done is kind of peel thick layers of the chunk I got off and cut them longways with a pocketknife, then cutting into even smaller pieces. I smoked a bit of it after that much preparation, and it smoked horribly, even though it was delicious. It was also pretty moist, but it was going out way too often. So last night I cut it up even finer--gathering all the bits into a clump then cutting it, clumping, cutting, clumping, cutting, just to reduce the size of the leaves. Not too fine (not nearly as fine as the Black Pigtail that I basically diced into tiny bits and might only be used now as a condiment), but still in small bits. I haven't tried smoking it this way yet, but I hope that cutting helped. I also find that I have to cut up my ropes pretty fine as well, and then pack the bits pretty tight to get a good smoke.

Does anyone enjoy leaving plugs/ropes in a larger, leafier form? And how moist/dry do you smoke them?

 

[Warwick]

I've never had much success with leaving plugs/ropes in larger chunks. Ropes I slice off 1/8"-1/4" coins, and then either unravel or cut them in quarts if they don't unravel on their own. Plugs I cut 1/8"-1/4" slices across the grain, and then cut it into roughly 1/4" cubes.

As for moisture, I find moisture=flavor. So while drier gives me much better burn, it gives me less full flavor. So I try to favor moist, even if it leads to more work for me.

Rarely can I smoke ropes or plugs without several relights. I've always taken it for granted that the nature of those forms is such that they are just more cantankerous. Then again, I've never been one of those "one match and it burns to a fine grey ash" kind of smokers. I guess I'm conflagrationally challenged.

 

[Buddy Springman]

Use a vegetable peeler on plugs. Slice so that you're not peeling off layers. You will get fine pieces that readily rub out and smoke as easily as ribbon.

Buddy

 

[Carlos]

Use a vegetable peeler on plugs. Slice so that you're not peeling off layers. You will get fine pieces that readily rub out and smoke as easily as ribbon.

Buddy

Cool idea. Ummmm....maybe I should buy my own vegetable peeler. I can hear it already if Cathy found me using her Pampered Chef peeler for plug tobacco. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

As for moisture, I find moisture=flavor. So while drier gives me much better burn, it gives me less full flavor. So I try to favor moist, even if it leads to more work for me.

It's a delicate balancing act, like smoking Flakes(which you could slice your cake into), you just have to experiment until you find what works for you. For me (with flakes(FVF)for example) I have them in pint jars; they are too moist right out of the jar, so most of the smoke is spent relighting. So I'll leave it out to dry, if it gets too dry, then no flavor as stated, so a solution I found is to get one of these small leather baccy pouches with a plastic lining and zipper top. I'll put about 5 flakes in it the evening before the day I want to smoke it (if I plan to smoke a bowl a day for five days). They dry out slowly in the pouch so usually the 2nd thru 4th flakes are just right while the first and last are still good. I usually pull out a flake at a time and rub it out it in my hands onto a sheet of paper or paper plate then stuff & go. Of course relative humidity affects it too, here in the mountains it might be hot & humid one day and hot & dry the next depending on the jet stream. Experimentation is the key.

 

[Eulenburg]

Dice it with a sharp knife.

 

[Dillon]

I've diced it up pretty thin, almost to Penzance consistency. I think drying it more and packing it lighter would help, both have so far.

 

[Anonymous]

A friend runs his through a food chopper-upper (whatever you call those things).

Works for him.

:face:

 

[vaperfavour]

go out and buy yourself a great big billiard, pack it with no resistance and wait for the first 1/8" to burn to ash then slightly tamp. Great big pipes have a way of smoking better than little pipes. try it. ipe: