Cellaring some tobacco...little help?

[CANES]

Hey All,

Recently got in some bulk tobacco (VA/Burley/Turkish- non aromatic) and it's really really dry. The plan was to put this 8oz in Mason jars and stick 'em in the cabinet to age/meld the flavors.

Would it be advisable to re-hydrate the tobacco first or just can up the dry stuff? Years ago, I got some fantastic burley (C&D Crooner) that was bone dry and re-hydrated it with some tap water before sealing it up. Every jar got mold. I don't want to chance that again.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[bberg100]

Pouch Moistener - PIPES and CIGARS

Find Pouch Moistener Humidifications at the lowest prices here at PIPES and CIGARS!

www.pipesandcigars.com

I've used thes, two soaked in distilled water will rehydrate a quart jar quite nicely. But I only use them in active jars, never cellared any time with them.

 

[BanjoCowboyMartaTobes]

Smoke it first and see if it’s decent. A quality rehydration will take time and won’t change a bad blend to great. I often go the fast route and end up tossing the moldy part and smoking the rest. I don’t recommend lol. Another option is mixing it with another, moist blend (start small) and you might salvage the dry. SG FVF is not expensive and famously wet. I have mixed this with other unicorn virginias and had some decent results after letting them set for several weeks. Hope you have success!

 

[Whisky]

I’ve always used the damp paper towel on foil in a closed container to rehydrate and I’ve never had any issues. If you overhydrate you can always let it dry a little before jarring it. Always use distilled water when rehydrating, never tap. Don’t let your moisture source come in contact with the tobacco. @luvmysuper recently had some success rehydrating some tobacco. Here’s the thread.

Tobacco dried out

I went to have a pipe today and my tobacco is dried out bad. Is there a technique to rehydrate without wrecking it?

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[RazorbackFan]

I’ve always used the damp paper towel on foil in a closed container to rehydrate and I’ve never had any issues. If you overhydrate you can always let it dry a little before jarring it. Always use distilled water when rehydrating, never tap. Don’t let your moisture source come in contact with the tobacco. @luvmysuper recently had some success rehydrating some tobacco. Here’s the thread.

Tobacco dried out

I went to have a pipe today and my tobacco is dried out bad. Is there a technique to rehydrate without wrecking it?

www.badgerandblade.com

+1 for this suggestion right here. It works for me.

 

[Kentos]

How dry is it? Assuming it isn’t turning to dust, If you are going to cellar I would just jar it up as it is, then rehydrating as you smoke it.

 

[CANES]

How dry is it? Assuming it isn’t turning to dust, If you are going to cellar I would just jar it up as it is, then rehydrating as you smoke it.

That's where I'm at right now, too. I'd rather take the chance that the tobacco is too dry to age/meld together than for everything to mold. It's not dust, but pretty close to leaving a VA flake out overnight or so- it's crispy sounding when you rub it.

 

[CANES]

Smoke it first and see if it’s decent. A quality rehydration will take time and won’t change a bad blend to great. I often go the fast route and end up tossing the moldy part and smoking the rest. I don’t recommend lol. Another option is mixing it with another, moist blend (start small) and you might salvage the dry. SG FVF is not expensive and famously wet. I have mixed this with other unicorn virginias and had some decent results after letting them set for several weeks. Hope you have success!

It tastes pretty good- the Turkish seems more pronounced than other blends like this that I've tried. I don't know if it's because this blend has more Turkish or if the VA/Burley flavors are muted because of the moisture content.

I've smoked a couple of tins of the FVF and a ton of the old McClelland VA. I know exactly what you mean about being famously wet. I definitely had to plan ahead before smoking them.

 

[Columbo]

Hey All,

Recently got in some bulk tobacco (VA/Burley/Turkish- non aromatic) and it's really really dry. The plan was to put this 8oz in Mason jars and stick 'em in the cabinet to age/meld the flavors.

Would it be advisable to re-hydrate the tobacco first or just can up the dry stuff? Years ago, I got some fantastic burley (C&D Crooner) that was bone dry and re-hydrated it with some tap water before sealing it up. Every jar got mold. I don't want to chance that again.

Thanks for any advice!

Unless it’s falling apart like sawdust, I’d just jar it and smoke it as is.

Another easy way to safely rehydrate and age it at the same time is to toss a couple 72% Boveda packs into the jar before you seal it.

 

[Hirsute]

It depends on what your goals are. If you're cellaring for the long term to get the maximum benefits of aging, I'd recommend rehydrating first. The tobacco won't age properly if its too dry. With that said, it sounds like there's still some moisture in the tobacco. If your goal is just to keep the tobacco for a while and you don't care about maximizing the aging benefits, you'll be fine jarring it up as is and rehydrating each jar when you open it.

 

[Alex Jr]

You’d be amazed of how dry a tobacco can be before smoking.

Like already said, if it’s not turning to dust I wouldn’t do anything.

Chances are, it’s even more flavorful dried as it is.

 

[QaazerStyx]

As most people have already stated I would try it first, quite often some tobaccos come in too wet and you need to let them dry before smoking anyway.

I would suggest investing in some 4g boveda packs (I find the 62% works well for pipe tobacco). If the tobacco is dry when cellaring just place the boveda pack on the top or slightly submerged. If it is in there for awhile (and the tobacco isn't packed in the mason jar) it should hydrate all the tobacco so that when it comes round to taking some out for when you are ready to smoke you can reuse the pack in jar if not a solid rock.
The good thing about the boveda packs is that it won't over hydrate the tobacco. Boveda can also be used to dehydrate tobacco if a little too wet (and as long as it is not brand new). you can pick up a pack of 20 4g boveda packs for quite cheep.

As long as the jars are sealed the boveda pack should be fine and should keep the humidity at whatever humidity level you purchase.