how to know when pipe tobbaco is the right humidity?

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new2thepipe

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Im new to pipe smoking and i dont have any money after ordering tobacco and a new pipe I didnt think about storage. my old pipe was a cheap one and it broke and now i got a better one and better tobacco. I can get my hands on masson jars but i dont have a humidity guage or a moistener or wax. Pleas let me know any ideas or recommendations. They will all be appreciated!
Thanks Ben
 
I use some little wide mouth mason jars which I found in the storage room, (she likes to do some canning but has more supplies than canning ambition) :)

Personally I re-use other small jars I aquire , It is not recommended to re-use the lids due to they may impart flavor from the original contents, And if the contents were pickels, peppers or other such I agree that could be unplesant,

On the other hand I have re-use the lids (against givin advice) when the contents of the used jars was honey, fruit, jelly and such, I cleaned them well made sure the seal was intact and for me I am good with it.

Small jars are cheap enough I reckon but I have eclectic taste and the decorative litte jelly and honey jars appeal to me. and any minute impartment of taste if any will be something sweet so I am good with it.

And I can surley see Why Spicy Dill flavored Balken may not be desirable, As to the proper moisture of the tobacco as I read here on the boards there is no one answer that fits all, only general guidelines, not so dry it crumbles, not so wet is clumps together,

As some say you have to get a "feel" for it, Aslo generally speaking aromatics run moist can burn hot, smoke wet, So many varibles, between the smokers technique, the tobacco and the pipe, what works for one may or may not work for others.

Keep the lids tight enough to seal , keep them in a climate controlled location like closet or cellar basically somewhere the temp doesn't fluctuate alot.

Trial and error mixed with well intended advice should result in more trail and error :) enjoy the journey

And with some more reading you will find lots of other imput here within the forum pages.

 
Just take a pinch of the tobacco in question and press it somewhat tightly into a clump. If it immediately begins to unravel, the humidity is perfect. If it crumbles and doesn't stick together at all, it's too dry. If it stays clumped then it is too damp. Some folk prefer tobacco on the drier side (myself, for one) and some folk smoke certain blends straight from the tin that I would consider soaking wet. "the right humidity" is subjective so you just have to see what you like
 
After you open a can, transfer the tobacco that you want to store into the jars. The moisture at that time should be ok. Keep the jars out of sunlight also. You did not say if you had bulk tobac, but the tinned tobacco can be left unopened for years. :bounce:
 
My humble experience is that everything ships too wet, regardless of the blend type. It's the blender's attempt to assure fresh product regardless of the time spent sitting on a shelf or in the back room. I've read reviews of folks receiving tins too dry, but I think that either they prefer wetter tobacco, there was a problem with the tin seal, or a mishap at packaging. I haven't experienced it yet.

That having been said, I immediately open a tin that I plan on smoking and put it in a large bowl to expose as much surface area as possible to the room's air. I then leave it sit, depending on it's tin moisture level. Some an hour or two...some overnight even. Unless, you expose it to a heat source or are not very careful, it won't turn dry and brittle. You're really only drying the outside of the leaves. The inside still retains moisture, as you'll see when you smoke it. The heat releases the moisture, hence your pipes get moist in the draw hole and bowl and why they require resting to dry back out.

After bowl time, I transfer to mason jars. I use the small "jelly" jars...I think they're 6oz, but I may be mistaken. They are the perfect container to hold a 2oz tin without having to cram it all down. Once in the jar, the moisture redistributes itself through out the leaf, and the moisture becomes more homogenized. This is how I store my smoking stash. When it's time to pack a bowl (wow...flashback), I open the jar and retest the moisture. Usually, a 20 minute dry out before packing gets me right where I want to be. Sometimes, though, if I'm impatient, I'll just pack directly, understanding that the pipe will smoke a tab bit wetter, but not wet.

As everyone says, it comes down to personal preference. I do recommend that you try drying it more than you think (even if to the touch it feels dry, if it's still resilient, you've got moisture holding inside..resiliency is the key), as it will provide an easier smoke.

I forgot that I had left some twist flake in one of my pouches. Musta been a month ago. When I touched it to fold it felt damn dry on the outside, but when squeezed to put in the bowl I knew it wasn't too dry. Turned out to be one of the least re-lit bowls I've smoked to date and had all the glorious taste with no harshness. It was dry...not dried out...if you know what I mean. Makes me think I should be giving even more bowl time than I am....

Unlike fine cigars, pipe tobacco is way more forgiving.
 
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