Hello from Wisconsin: @Thisguy

[Thisguy]

Hey all.
I used to smoke cigarettes and pipe years back, then got into vaping for health reasons. I still enjoy a pipe from time to time, but now with new laws, I can't get my hands on the vapes I want. I came across this forum, and decided to try my hand at making my own cigarettes. I got the sampler pack from WLT, and played around a bit, ended up getting a shredder and a powermatic mini. I recently ordered a few more lbs of tobacco, and I'm trying to find the perfect blend for me. I also want to get into blending pipe tobacco, but I'm not really sure what the difference is between cigarette and pipe blends. I've also got plans to stove some virginia I got, and toast some burley, since I heard it can be a bit harsh unprocessed. I'm really enjoying this hobby, and I'm glad I found a place with such a wealth of knowledge and experience.

 

[deluxestogie]

Belated welcome to the forum. You may wish to scan through the topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads, linked in the menu bar. There are links there to free books on blending pipe tobacco.

Bob

 

[WormHerder]

Hi

 

[jclif43]

Welcome!

 

[Thisguy]

Belated welcome to the forum. You may wish to scan through the topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads, linked in the menu bar. There are links there to free books on blending pipe tobacco.

Bob

Thanks Bob! I've read through a lot of that material, and it's mostly recipes, except for special processing like Cavendish and pressing, it seems to me the same ingredients are used for both cigarettes and pipe tobacco. I'm still unclear about what makes them different. I've smoked some of my cigarette tobaccos out of a pipe, and they taste good, so maybe there isn't much difference. I did find the part about tobacco ph very informative. I have half a pound of perique, which is supposed to be able to balance the high pH of lemon and bright tobaccos, but I'm a little intimidated by it. It seems very wet, and different from the leaves I'm used to using.

 

[Alpine]

Welcome to FTT

pier

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Welcome to the forum.

Cigarette and Pipe tobaccos are the same varieties. The differences are mostly in processing.

1st - the difference of delivery. Pipes, cigars, snus, snuff, and cigarettes are al a means to an end - the enjoyment of nicotine and the "flavors" of tobacco.

2nd - cigarette tobaccos are mostly air cured. Pipes blends often use flue cured Brightleaf/VA while cigarettes use air cured.

3rd - nothing matters other than getting the color curing right. If you like it, you smoke it. Aquire/grow diversity and pla

 

[deluxestogie]

I have half a pound of perique, which is supposed to be able to balance the high pH of lemon and bright tobaccos, but I'm a little intimidated by it. It seems very wet, and different from the leaves I'm used to using.

pH is sometimes a confusing metric. Low acidity implies higher alkalinity. Lower acidity is indicated by a higher pH. Likewise, increasing acidity lowers the pH. Lemon and bright tobaccos produce smoke with a lower pH (higher acidity).

With cigarette tobacco smoke, the magic to forcing you to inhale the smoke into your lungs is that its lower pH minimizes nicotine absorption by oral mucosa and nasopharyngeal mucosa. So most of the nicotine absorption occurs in the alveoli of your lungs.

Cigar and pipe tobacco smoke provide a high enough pH (more alkaline) for the nicotine to be more easily absorbed by your mouth and pharynx, which is why there is no need to inhale the smoke to get the nicotine.

Perique will raise the pH (decrease the acidity) of the smoke. Perique should be well dried prior to blending.

Bob