Please help me with 7lbs of unsmokable tobacco leaves

[tullius]

Hello Sophie (@Greasy Dirt) ,

If you shared the pipe blend you were enjoying previous to this, that might help the group give counsel to you.

And, as others have said, buy from WLT next time.

 

[furryfreek]

I've found that the quality of shredding greatly affects smokability, especially for rolling cigs. Given the amount of baccy you've got, I assume you're using some sort of mechanical shedding device(?) In that case I'd suggest chopping a small batch as finely as possible by hand. I've had the best results using sharp scissors but it's quite time consuming.

Strategic layering of different types of leaf can make a big difference too. If fast and slow burning leaves are layered alternately they should ply together a bit which helps the blend burn consistently and hold a decent ember.

Also, since hand-shredded tobacco is far less uniform than machined stuff, it tends to stratify over time as the finer particles settle to the bottom. Ideally, you want a decent range of strand/particle sizes so the smaller bits fill the gaps between larger ones, allowing embers to pass along more easily. The best solution is simply to always take from the bottom of a pouch. That way, all the dusty stuff gets put to good use rather than ending up as dregs.

Don't give up on your leaf just yet. I thought I'd bought a load of crap at first too, but my results improved a lot with a little practice.

 

[Ruffseas]

Hey y'all,

I just received my first order of whole leaf tobacco and, wow, 7lbs takes up more space than I expected, and also it's savage to smoke. Ok, so it's not 'unsmokable' but it's not good. I've been smoking a nice pipe blend for a while and maybe I've spoiled myself, but there must be a way to turn what I have into something enjoyable to smoke.

I've got 1lb each of:
Organic Burley
Maryland 609
Samsun Turkish Oriental
Greek Basma Oriental
Organic Canadian Virginia Flue Cured
Organic American Virginia Flue Cured
Bright Leaf Virginia Flue Cured Sweet

Should I, make a pound into Cavendish? Make a kiln and force age the lot of it? Press it into bricks? Stuff it into my collar and shirt sleeves so I can pretend I'm a scarecrow?

Please send help y'all.

Sophie

Hey GD, my experience with LO tobacco is the Basma and Turkish are not salvageable. I have had both sitting around for three years and have tried many treatments to no avail, always harsh and unpleasant. On the other hand the others would make an excellent rope/twist. I personally have found LO tobaccos need lots of processing, fermentation, stoving, cellaring etc. This regimen with an LO batch fairly similar to yours produced a decent smoke, bear in mind its a year in the making. > Get the lot up to med to high case - detectably damp but not wet, very stretchy and pliable, patience is the key. Mist lightly and cover (I use wax paper), checking case every few hours, it can take 24 hours for the leaf to absorb needed moisture. Keep in mind any added water increases odds of mold spores beginning active growth, process as soon as proper case is attained. Strip the mid rib from all leaves, set aside any leaf that would be suitable for a wrapper, we aren't making a cigar here, the leaf just needs to be mostly intact with minimal holes. You should have two groups, filler and wrapper, commence making the twist. >

View: https://youtu.be/sfCgZC4eSJw
< (great video on twist)
With what you have you should end up with approx six twists about 1 inch in diameter. Unfortunately with LO tobacco, sampling your twist will not indicate final product as they have not been adequately aged, that's next. Keep in mind my process grew from lots of experimentation on making said tobacco palatable. If you have a vacuum sealer, vaccuseal each twist individually if not, drawing as much air as possible from a zip lock bag may work. (Cue howls from the gallery) Freeze the twists for 4 to 6 weeks, thaw in a crisper drawer for a week. Once removed, the aroma should be a hint of raisins or prunes with a dash of barnyard, absolutely no musty mold smell. Slice into 1/8th inch coins/medallions, dry down to an approximate RH of 60 - measured by placing a handful of coins in a small baggie along with a calibrated cigar humidor hygrometer or any household hygrometer that's handy. Pack lightly into canning jars with fresh lids, label with approx tobacco ratios and date. Place in a cardboard box someplace with stable temperatures and not exposed to direct sunlight i.e. under a staircase or in the back of a closet. Cellar for a minimum of six months, take out one jar, rub out some coins to sample, return to cellar if need be. I ended up with 18 pint jars of medallions that smoked nicely after a years age.
Now I only buy from WLT, and no longer need to mess with all that. Just shred, blend, smoke. Mind you, the blending takes a bit of experimentation, but the forum abounds with great recipes to get you started. The nice part about it is you can work in much smaller batches while questing for your perfect smoke, knowing the leaf is ready from the start. For those twists - 1 part Burley, 1 part Maryland, 5 parts Virginia worked nicely.
Good luck,
Ruff