6. Rehydrating & Drying Tobacco

[bubba]

Questions answered in this FAQ:

How do I rehydrate (freshen) dry tobacco?
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My tobacco is too moist, how do I dry it safely?
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[bubba]

It happens; you open a bag of tobacco and it's as dry as the Sahara. Don't despair. If you're careful, you can rehydrate the tobacco with very little loss of quality.

The most important thing to remember is DO NOT HANDLE the dry tobacco any more than necessary. Don't even take it out of its container. Dry tobacco is brittle and will easily be turned to unusable flakes and powder (called shake) when handled.

To rehydrate, simply move the entire container of tobacco to a 70% humidor and allow it to sit undisturbed for several days. You are now ready to roll and smoke.

If you don’t have a humidor, just about any moderately air-tight container will work; zip lock bag, Tupperware, a pot with a lid, etc. Just place the opened tobacco in the container with a glass of water, damp sponge, etc. and monitor 1-2 times per day until rehydration occurs.

In an emergency situation, rehydrate tobacco by sitting it (spread out as much as possible) on your bathroom counter while running a very hot shower with the vent fan turned off. Leave the bathroom door closed and check the feel of the tobacco every 10-15 minutes for improved hydration.

[bubba]

You could spread it out on newspaper for a few hours, but then it could get too dry and pretty soon you’re in a vicious circle of humidification. Here’s another method:

Find a see-through container that is about double the volume of the tobacco you want to dry. Place the tobacco in the container, then place your hygrometer in a visible location on top of the tobacco. Cover the container with 1-2 sheets of newspaper or paper towel. Put the container in a location where you will remember to check it often and keep your eye on the hygrometer until it reaches 70%. If the tobacco is more than 2 inches deep in the container, you should gently rearrange it once a day to insure even drying. Try to be patient, but if the process seems to be going too slowly, remove the paper for a few seconds occasionally to allow fresh dry air into the container.

[ProSmoking]

Yesterday I planned ahead and things went very well today I have had very inconstant luck with tobacco from the local cigar shops. I have had some too wet and most too dry. Yesterday I picked up 3 ounces for use today, and instead of just using it I opened the packs an checked for moisture. It was dry so I placed it in a plastic container with a polypropylene jell jar from my cigar humidor and let it sit overnight. Today it was of a very nice moisture content and I loaded 93 tubes with no jams because of it being too moist and no powdery crumbs from it being too dry.
From now on I will plan ahead and condition the tobacco before use. It sure made the RYO experience much more enjoyable. It also improved production speed and end quality of product.
The poplypropylene glycol jell jars (from the local cigar shop) are nice since they regulate the humidity to 70%. They will take it up or down and hold it at 70%. Use only distilled water with the jars.

[TheBill1979]

Does anyone have any tips on drying BaliShag? I've tried the plastic container method and it doesn't seem to work properly (still not try enough to inject smoothly).

[crazyreppert]

The easiest way to dry your tobacco is just spread it out and let it sit for about 2 hrs, checking it regularly.

[meflin]

I got a 20 qt. Sterilite Gasketbox at target for $7.50.

A canning jar full of http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/ 70% beads ( $20 ).

SOP when i get tobacco i open the container and put it inside the Gasketbox for 24-48 hours.

When I stuff my daily smokes I usually make a whole carton , put them back in the tube box and store it in the Gasketbox.

I like this method because i do not need to know or care if my recent purchase is to wet or dry, or do anything about either ( I'm lazy sue me ).

As a bonus it keeps my cigars and cigs nice and fresh

Meflin

[meflin]

I have a new and intersting reason to get a big plastic box for you tobacco.

Yesterday I got 1.4 inches of rain in 20 min. Since my condo patio / main door is below ground level, and the sump pump failed I had 18 inches of water outside in the patio .. rushing through the door ..weeeee!

There was about 5 inches of standing water inside. So there I was .. I need a scotch and a PS Late Harvest ... and the Gasketbox was floating by .. keeping the tobacco dry.

Meflin

Looking for any silver lining I can get.

[Barjer54]

I have a new and intersting reason to get a big plastic box for you tobacco.

Yesterday I got 1.4 inches of rain in 20 min. Since my condo patio / main door is below ground level, and the sump pump failed I had 18 inches of water outside in the patio .. rushing through the door ..weeeee!

There was about 5 inches of standing water inside. So there I was .. I need a scotch and a PS Late Harvest ... and the Gasketbox was floating by .. keeping the tobacco dry.

Meflin

Looking for any silver lining I can get.

OUCH! I can empathize with you, honestly. I had a situation like yours many years ago - in a brand new rented duplex, with no insurance. Then just last winter I had a basement take on water unexpectedly through an interior wall, and the sump pump wasn't doing the job I needed it to do. Luckily I had found some hydraulic cement on clearance prior to that, (wasn't even sure of its application use) bought it for 75% off retail. I found out fast how great that stuff is....water pouring in, me frantically patching cracks, and voila....within minutes the cracks were sealed tight and stayed that way. Hubby sure was impressed!

I hope things get better for you, Meflin.

[ElRopo]

See my other post on ice chests. They work very well, even for re-hydration.

Do a search for my username to find my previous post