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Duke January
Member
Username: Duke
Post Number: 58
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Monday, July 13, 2009 - 03:54 pm: | |
I was getting a ride from a friend and needed to be ready upon his arrival. Part of my prep was to ready enough tobacco for the trip which was 50/50 mix McClnd’s #’s 2010 & 2035; two thick and highly pressed flakes that are reluctant to finely rub out. Preferring drier, fully rubbed flakes; I often keep some flakes in open air for future smoking, but not this day. Unprepared with my tobacco needs, I had to accept fully rubbed flake with higher than preferred moisture level, but maybe not. On a lark I tossed the flakes in the microwave for 8 seconds on high. I know it sounds creepy, a violation to good tobacco, but screw it. What came out of the microwave was magic. The rather stiff flake which by some would find drier than their likes was warm and moist. It appeared moister than it had prior to the heating, go figure? Beyond that it rubbed out effortlessly-it shocked me. Each leaf separated from the next. I topped off an old empty tin and caught my ride. The tobacco smoked and tasted fine and showed no signs of degradation from the process. I have repeated this effort since and particularly with thick highly pressed and stubborn flakes with fine results. I once went out and carelessly tossed a tin of unprepared flakes on a hot car dash to find the same result, the moist forgiving flakes. Has anyone else on this forum done the same or found a different effort? If you prefer your flakes whole or roughly rubbed that is your preference. My question is to those too who prefer smoking fully rubbed flakes. Thanks. |
Gerard Carroll
Member
Username: Nogbad
Post Number: 86
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Friday, July 31, 2009 - 05:19 pm: | |
I'm certainly going to try this. My latest tin of Best Brown is a bit moist, and I'm too impatient to wait for it to dry in the tin, especially in the humid wet summer we are having here. |
Harvey Click
Member
Username: Fafhrd
Post Number: 1486
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, August 01, 2009 - 01:20 am: | |
--"'m certainly going to try this. My latest tin of Best Brown is a bit moist, and I'm too impatient to wait for it to dry in the tin, especially in the humid wet summer we are having here."
Gerard, if you want to quick-dry the flakes (as opposed to softening them as Duke described), place a few flakes on a paper napkin in a barely warm conventional oven for a minute or two. |
Duke January
Member
Username: Duke
Post Number: 59
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Monday, August 03, 2009 - 10:22 am: | |
My reason for mentioning this is that the time required is minimal to soften the flake at most 8-10 seconds. I never want to damage the tobacco. From my view it is the short zap that heats all the water molecules at the same time making the flake soft and not dry. It is as if they expanded ever so slightly allowing the separation to ones preference. I enjoy and smoke mostly flake tobaccos, but prefer them fully rubbed. Understandably, Krumble Kakes are the exception to this method. Thanks for your response. I'm eager to hear of your experiences. |
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