Re-hydrate Tobacco suggestions

[Feazelle-n-it]

I have a tin of tobacco that has dried out. What is a good way to re-hydrate it?
I have heard of putting a slice of apple in a bag with the tobacco but I'm not sure that is the best way. I would think the apple would influence the taste.

 

[Richard Burley]

Yeah, leave rotting fruit out of it. I'd suggest re-hydrating gently by putting the tobacco in a large container with a wet, folded, partially wrung-out paper towel not in contact with the tobacco. Suspend it or prop it up or something and close the lid. You can use a more direct method just by spritzing with an atomizer of distilled water, but it's difficult to know the proper amount. I've had bad results doing that. Either way, you'll have to let it sit a while.

Be careful. Wash your hands and stuff. Never re-use the paper towel. I once lost an entire pound of C & D's Yale Mixture to mildew. Man, that sucked.

 

[Feazelle-n-it]

Thanks. I thought about putting the open tin in my humidor but I don't want to affect my cigars in the process. It seems to be a tricky process.

 

[Clay]

I've done it in a large glass bowl with a damp paper towel over the top then plastic wrap over that. It worked great. Good luck.

 

[DrT999]

I agree that's a good method for v dehydrated tobacco. For less drastic cases, I've had good luck putting the tobacco in a ziplock baggie that's not quite closed and then jarring it along with two of the good old little metal encased clay pouch disks. Leave it for about 2-3 weeks.

As others have said, stay well away from the fruit!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

My method, works in 24 - 48 hours.

Fold a business card in half, preferably not one that's glossy or coated.  

Take a single square of toilet tissue.  Fold it in half as many times until it will fit inside the folded business card.  Do not put TP in the folded business card yet.

Run folded TP under water for a second, remove, press with index finger and thumb so it is not dripping.  It should be moist, but not sopping, and certainly not too dry.

Now you can place moistened TP square in business card, put this little parcel on the top of a tobacco in a tin or a jar.   Seal with lid.  Tin may need to go inside a ziploc bag to ensure moisture isn't migrating.  Larger jars may need two of these.   Do not fret if tobacco stains the card slightly.

Wait 24 - 48 hours.

Some tips: Index cards make great surrogates, but stiff paper stock.  It keeps the moisture away from the tobacco without a fuss.  Do not leave any packets in the tobacco for more than 48 hours; mold may develop.  If more moisture is needed, repeat process with fresh packets, and add more packets.


Living in the desert, I have this problem a lot.  I discovered this method because I got tired of relying on finding those damn clay discs whenever I needed them, and after a while, the discs do fart out and stop soaking up the necessary amounts of water.   I also about had a psychotic episode trying to get the "steam bath" method with all sorts of bowls, plastic, towels, hot water to work without soaking the tobacco in condensate or due my own clumsiness.  There had to be an easier way, and I found one.   It turns out dry tobacco is naturally hygroscopic, more so than moist paper.   Paper traps all minerals and other undesirables.     Disturbingly cheap, readily-available, nearly foolproof,  easy, and disposable (though I can and do re-use packets once or twice if they're not too stained).

Happy hydrating.

8)

 

[monbla256]

My method, works in 24 - 48 hours.

Fold a business card in half, preferably not one that's glossy or coated.  

Take a single square of toilet tissue.  Fold it in half as many times until it will fit inside the folded business card.  Do not put TP in the folded business card yet.

Run folded TP under water for a second, remove, press with index finger and thumb so it is not dripping.  It should be moist, but not sopping, and certainly not too dry.

Now you can place moistened TP square in business card, put this little parcel on the top of a tobacco in a tin or a jar.   Seal with lid.  Tin may need to go inside a ziploc bag to ensure moisture isn't migrating.  Larger jars may need two of these.   Do not fret if tobacco stains the card slightly.  

Wait 24 - 48 hours.  

Some tips:  Index cards make great surrogates, but stiff paper stock.  It keeps the moisture away from the tobacco without a fuss.  Do not leave any packets in the tobacco for more than 48 hours; mold may develop.  If more moisture is needed, repeat process with fresh packets, and add more packets.


Living in the desert, I have this problem a lot.  I discovered this method because I got tired of relying on finding those damn clay discs whenever I needed them, and after a while, the discs do fart out and stop soaking up the necessary amounts of water.   I also about had a psychotic episode trying to get the "steam bath" method with all sorts of bowls, plastic, towels, hot water to work without soaking the tobacco in condensate or due my own clumsiness.  There had to be an easier way, and I found one.   It turns out dry tobacco is naturally hygroscopic, more so than moist paper.   Paper traps all minerals and other undesirables.     Disturbingly cheap, readily-available, nearly foolproof,  easy, and disposable (though I can and do re-use packets once or twice if they're not too stained).

Happy hydrating.

8)

What Kyle says !! I've done this in several tins and IT WORKS !! Easy peasy !! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[ftrplt]

I put a damp washcloth in a plastic baggie, leaving the baggie open. Place 'baccy (in whatever container you wish) in Tupperware (or equivalent) container. Place washcloth baggies (3 or 4 is what I use) in Tupperware alongside 'baccy. Seal T'ware container with lid. Check every 24-48 hours. Remoisten washcloths as needed. Dry tobacco will absorb to it's surrounding moisture level. I use this same method (using fewer baggies!) to keep my cigars at a constant moisture level. FWIW FTRPLT

 

[Kyle Weiss]

What Kyle says !! I've done this in several tins and IT WORKS !! Easy peasy !! :twisted: :twisted:

If Monbla AND I agree upon it, it's probably the end of times, or there's something to it. :lol!:

Next think you know he'll be smoking all GLP, I'll be swearing by McClelland, it will rain frogs, etc... but our leaf will stay moist. Heh.

8)

 

[Carlos]

Use distilled water to help keep mold and mildew at bay.

 

[Feazelle-n-it]

What Kyle says !! I've done this in several tins and IT WORKS !! Easy peasy !! :twisted: :twisted:

If Monbla AND I agree upon it, it's probably the end of times, or there's something to it.  :lol!:

Next think you know he'll be smoking all GLP, I'll be swearing by McClelland, it will rain frogs, etc... but our leaf will stay moist.   Heh.

8)

Hahahahahahaha!! Dead rising from the grave!! Cats sleeping with dogs!! Mass hysteria!! Then the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man appears in New York.

But our tobacco will still be moist.

 

[monbla256]

What Kyle says !! I've done this in several tins and IT WORKS !! Easy peasy !! :twisted: :twisted:

If Monbla AND I agree upon it, it's probably the end of times, or there's something to it.  :lol!:

Next think you know he'll be smoking all GLP, I'll be swearing by McClelland, it will rain frogs, etc... but our leaf will stay moist.   Heh.

8)

Oh Kyle WE HAVE ALWAYS AGREED, just differently  :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Brewdude]

On the rare occasions I've had to do this, I put the weed in a wide bowl and spread it out evenly and as thin as possible. Next, I get a clean white washcloth and get it damp with distilled water. I then stretch it out over the bowl, making careful to not allow it to touch the weed.

Check after say 12 hrs (more or less according to your climate and R/H and especially when the washcloth feels dryer). I go by how the weed feels in the hand and will usually go with the lesser end of the moisture spectrum. Less is more.

That's the general idea.


Cheers,

RR

 

[KevinM]

Put dry tobacco on a pie tin or similar . . . Put some (preferably distiller) water in a spritz bottle . . . Spritz a fine mist over (not at) the tobacco such that the mist falls on the tobac soft as the morning dew . . . Play with it a little . . . Once mixed, replace tobac in jar or whatever and wait a few days. Do NOT over do with the water. The biz card toilet paper works, too, but don't use terlet paper with moisturizer.

 

[fsu92john]

Yeah, leave rotting fruit out of it.  I'd suggest re-hydrating gently by putting the tobacco in a large container with a wet, folded, partially wrung-out paper towel not in contact with the tobacco.  Suspend it or prop it up or something and close the lid.  You can use a more direct method just by spritzing with an atomizer of distilled water, but it's difficult to know the proper amount.  I've had bad results doing that.  Either way, you'll have to let it sit a while.

This method has worked for me. Very important that you use distilled water. I also have had mold result from spritzing the tobacco directly.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Use distilled water to help keep mold and mildew at bay.

Funny thing, I did a little experiment at the suggestion of a cigar-junkie biotech friend, because of a heated debate at a cigar party at the local baccyshop.    Soaked a piece of cedar from a cigar box in distilled and tap water, shoved 'em each in their own ziploc, put 'em in the same warm, dark spot for a month.  As the only non-cigar guy who was listening to this battle, I was the unbiased third party.  

They both molded nearly identically.   I brought in the results at the next cigar party, and left quickly in a puff of Peaseweed before blood was shed.  :heart:

One cannot escape fungi spores--they're microscopic and everywhere already, just minimize their ideal environment.  Most spores need moisture, organic matter as food, time, temperature and oxygen.   Severely skimp on one component, no-go.  On the other hand, increase one, and mold explosion.  Tap water in my white trash hydration method works perfectly, so long as the paper products aren't left for too long.   If done properly, the tobacco will be moist and the card/TP nearly dry.    :albino: :albino: :albino:   Magic.  

8)

 

[Kyle Weiss]

The biz card toilet paper works, too, but don't use terlet paper with moisturizer.

Can't afford that fancy arsewipe, anyway. :heart:

Grab an extra handful of fast food napkins. :lol:

8)

 

[Richard Burley]

I think the use of distilled water is to obviate concerns about chemicals, minerals, and stuff in tap water. And some tap in some parts of the country is just plain nasty. Come to think of it, though, maybe a little chlorine might be more useful than none for this purpose.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Could be. Most folks just figure out whatever works for 'em anyway.

I know a lot of humidifying systems in cigar humidors call for distilled water, and this is due to mineral build-up over time. Honestly, Reno water is pretty damned good. The Sierra Nevada mountains see to that. Worst water I ever had was in Alabama, second-worst was San Diego.

Hell, the fancy folks can use Fiji bottled water on silk toilet paper with vintage Egyptian papyrus for all I care. :lol:

 

[fsu92john]

I use distilled water because fluoride does not make tobacco taste good. This I know from experience.