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Curious about the casing WLT sells

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larryccf

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i've never used a casing - i have treated my tobacco at times, spritzing with a fine mist sprayer either a solution of PG/H2O or honey/H2O, in both cases low ratios ie 4-5% PG or Honey to the water.

what are the benefits or purpose of using a casing?
 

greenmonster714

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I've got a load of VG from making my own vape juices. Now that I no longer vape it just sits there. Could you use VG instead of pg? The VG is kinda like a sweetener and thought maybe it would be better. I dunno. I'm getting used to dry tobacco lately and probably won't mess with it. But I'd still like your input on the VG though.
 

larryccf

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yeah - Vegetable glycerine is a little sweeter or leaves a slightly sweeter taste than PG - i've used both, but it doesn't take much. Like i said above 4-5% VG/95% H2O. I'd make sure what you've got is food grade though. I've actually dropped the mix ratio down to 2% and saw the tobacco hold it's moisture longer than non treated.
 

MarcL

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"There are two things of interest here, namely "casing" and "top flavouring." They are two distinctly different approaches to altering a blend's flavor. Some tobaccos employ both. Casing requires that the tobacco be soaked in or sprayed with a "sauce" that may contain sugar, molasses, liquorice, alcohols like rum or whiskey, and various flavourings, natural or otherwise, depending on the manufacturer. Once the tobacco "drinks" the sauce, it's conditioned in large cylinders that dry it back to the desired moisture level, generally between 12% (on the dry side) and 22% (very moist). Optimal moisture for smoking depends on the smoker, but it's generally in the 13-16% range. The aromas and flavours imparted by casing will remain in the tobacco pretty tenaciously, and will affect the smoke throughout the bowl.
Top-flavouring is added by spraying the finished blend with scents and flavourings. This is usually a much lighter application, and doesn't alter the moisture content of the leaf dramatically. Sometimes called "top-notes," this can be quite ephemeral. Because of the volatile nature of many of the commonly used components, a tobacco left to "air out" may lose a lot of the perfume that's applied this way.

Depending on the casing used, tobaccos can become very sticky. Some producers use humectants to maintain a specific moisture level in the final product. You'll hear people talk about PG, or propylene glycol, the most commonly used humectant these days. It's generally spoken of in rather disparaging terms, thought it's not the PG that deserves the condmenation, but the blending houses who use it with reckless abandon. If the tobacco won't dry out, PG is likely the culprit. In small quantities, it does its job well. In large quantities, it produces a sticky, wet smoking, pipe clogging weed that should never see the inside of a pipe.
Not all flavoured tobaccos are cased, and casing is not always a bad thing, but the term is used incorrectly more often than not, so a lot of confusion has been created."

http://www.glpease.com/FAQ.html
 

larryccf

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thanks - i was aware of PG and as i stated earlier have used it, usually pretty sparingly - more than sparingly and as you state, it gives the tobacco a stickiness that doesn't serve me, the cigarette injector or the taste.

What i was curious about though, was WLT's casing - what are it's benefits or purpose?
 

MarcL

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You will find that was a quote in its entirety from the link I provided from a Google search .
If what you need is subjective opinions, I would say the given descriptions are good but, best to try them and see if you like them.
 

Orson Carte

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I am anticipating that Don might reply to the query posed in this thread.
However, (mindful that MarcL is quoting verbatim from another website and that we may be merely arguing semantics), if G.L. Pease's definition of 'casing' is correct then the liquid concoction being sold in small spritz bottles should perhaps be more correctly called 'topping'. In other words, the amount of liquid being sold is hardly enough to give any sort of quantity the 'soaking' that is suggested.
I am not splitting straws here - or at least, not intentionally. The subject genuinely interests me.
I have my own (pretty basic) casing mixture - essentially a mixture of sugars, including glycerine. I have experimented with it in three main ways;
I have lightly sprayed shredded tobacco, heavily sprayed (soaked) shredded tobacco, and heavily sprayed whole-leaf (minus stem). The latter two methods, of course, required a brief period of drying (in my kiln).
Lightly spraying doesn't seem to improve things very much at all. The method that seems to work best for me is the third one - which I then slowly dry and put through the shredder. It smells great, certainly improves the tobacco and hasn't as yet gummed up my shredder.
I'd be really interested to hear others opinions on this.
 

burge

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Personally a casing is not something I use. A casing should be sprayed on tobacco when it is shredded. I do know Export A used glucose. In my opinion god tobacco doesn't need to be cased or topped.
 

ZigZagZeppelin

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Casing helps with any inherent flaw in the cured tobacco I believe. I've learned to use Citrus based flavoring on my virginia fc's......2 tablespoons of honey, almost 8 ounces of distilled water, 20 drops of Key Lime flavoring (pg based concentrate). Took me 4-5 months to get this formula perfect.

None of my ryo vfc's taste anything like hay, with no casing sometimes you get the slight "hay" taste. Ash remains total white!
 

Cassidy

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I am new and tryin to make heads n tails of all this seeins as how my first order of whole leaf was ordered yesterday and I wish to sort all this out ahead of that. .
Orson said "I am not splitting straws here" but I for one would appreciate if we do as like Orson "The subject genuinely interests me"
So... with my order will come with some little spritzers that I must add water to labeled as: 1 bottle of cigarette Casing #1 for Flue Cured tobaccos 1 bottle of cigarette Casing #2 for Air Cured tobaccos... is this casing or topping?
Where I live generally ( lol generally.. a word that most likely will be eliminated from american english as no doubt it offends..general lee) It is real dry and there is no container that can keep tobacco moist enough to not turn to dust if it is opened even only 3-4 times a day so I have been accustomed to removing a few smokes worth of shred from the main can which I must put a small piece of fresh orange peel in every couple days to keep moist and I must also keep some peel or apple chunk or the like in my "day use" container. I mention this to say that I am quite used to having to reconstitute dry tobacco and all of this to wonder if the "casing" that comes with my order does more then add moisture to my newly shredded tobacco besides some flavor alteration.
I would be interested to know what is the simplest formula folks use as i am unlikely to acquire some stuff like pg or vg but do have stuff here already like honey and basic kitchen stuff.
So all that said I gather the process of spritzing tobacco after it is shred is meant to accomplish both adding moisture and a way to aid the shred to retain moisture a little better and in addition something to take the natural edge or harshness off a little.

 

ZigZagZeppelin

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Toppings are often used in pipe tobaccos. Their main purpose is to add aromatics, not taste. Although I'm sure it also affects taste. If tobacco is both "cased" and "topped" thats a lot of humectants you're smoking. The canned commercial yucky pipe tobaccos are an example of "cased" and "topped."
 

larryccf

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Cassidy, a real simple solution that eliminates having to keep a pc of fruit skin in with the tobacco, i use vegetable based PG with a little vodka & water - I keep the ratios low, 3-4% PG, 3-5% vodka with the rest water. I do similiar to what you describe, keep the main tub of tobacco separate and move a small amount (4-5 days worth) to a small tupperware). I spritz the tobacco in the larger container (i have some that 2 liter and a few that are 8 liter) - i'll spritz it lightly spread out on a sheet of freezer paper, only cause it's lined with plastic and 24" wide. One reason for using the vodka, the alcohol naturally attracts moisture and helps hold it, and the PG keeps it from migrating out. If it's too wet when i'm thru spritzing, i'll let it dry some before putting back into the larger container. 2nd reason for the vodka, i'm hoping it will kill mold spores - not sure how effective it really is at killing mold but i haven't experienced any yet

but the tobacco in the small tub, with the tub being opened 5-6 times a day, that tobacco holds it's moisture for a good 4-6 days. It's surprising how effective a small amount of PG is

I'd be careful with the PG as i'm not sure how safe it is, even though it's used in a number of food products (from sliced bread to twinkies), the EU rejected one tobacco maker's tobacco from importation as it exceeded the EU's PG levels - iirc, it was one of the D&R blends, but i'm not certain it was D&R


and amazon sells spritzing spray bottles, 4 to 8 oz, that are meant for the beauty industry (ie hair stylists) that really spray a fine mist, kind of like the perfume sprayer bottles that ladies had on their dressers back in the 50s & 60s, the ones with a little rubber ball that you squeezed

fwiw

I am new and tryin to make heads n tails of all this seeins as how my first order of whole leaf was ordered yesterday and I wish to sort all this out ahead of that. .
Orson said "I am not splitting straws here" but I for one would appreciate if we do as like Orson "The subject genuinely interests me"
So... with my order will come with some little spritzers that I must add water to labeled as: 1 bottle of cigarette Casing #1 for Flue Cured tobaccos 1 bottle of cigarette Casing #2 for Air Cured tobaccos... is this casing or topping?
Where I live generally ( lol generally.. a word that most likely will be eliminated from american english as no doubt it offends..general lee) It is real dry and there is no container that can keep tobacco moist enough to not turn to dust if it is opened even only 3-4 times a day so I have been accustomed to removing a few smokes worth of shred from the main can which I must put a small piece of fresh orange peel in every couple days to keep moist and I must also keep some peel or apple chunk or the like in my "day use" container. I mention this to say that I am quite used to having to reconstitute dry tobacco and all of this to wonder if the "casing" that comes with my order does more then add moisture to my newly shredded tobacco besides some flavor alteration.
I would be interested to know what is the simplest formula folks use as i am unlikely to acquire some stuff like pg or vg but do have stuff here already like honey and basic kitchen stuff.
So all that said I gather the process of spritzing tobacco after it is shred is meant to accomplish both adding moisture and a way to aid the shred to retain moisture a little better and in addition something to take the natural edge or harshness off a little.

 

FormerMember

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my experience with vg and pg in small and large amounts in various tests was a waste of time money and tobacco, they both make it harsh and taste like crap, they work in vaping except too much pg will give you nose bleeds, pg is used in shop bought vape juice to make the juice taste like theres nicotine in it, its vial tasting if you get it in your mouth.
as far as i know there is no such thing as vegetable based pg, its a chemical, vg is plant based and the liquid is sweet to taste but not with a flame to it and when soaked into tobacco.
i will never use vg or pg on tobacco ever again, or pg based vape flavour concentrates they dont seem to work either and i used capella which is widely known as the rolls royce of flavours and are my trate of choice for vaping.
when i have time im looking forward to trying more traditional old school casing, topping.
but vg and pg were a giant fail, apart from retaining moisture i see no real good reason to use them, if drying is going to be a problem store the baccy in glass mason jars with a humidity pack inside in a dark cool place, dont store in plastic its a very poor choice for long term storage, the pipe guys store in glass for years with no issues.
 

Valahnuk

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Different casings will react to different conditions. The casing that is sent with the blends is not intended to be stored long-term, but it should be fine for 4 -6 weeks if kept refrigerated.

OK. But what about the casings that are sold separately, those that is suited for air-cured, flue-cured tobacco and general cigarette casing?
 

FmGrowit

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The casings we sell are stable at room temperature. The shelf life should be around 2 - 3 months. Once the bottle is opened and water added, the unused portion should be refrigerated and used wiyhin a couple of weeks.
 

Valahnuk

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The casings we sell are stable at room temperature. The shelf life should be around 2 - 3 months. Once the bottle is opened and water added, the unused portion should be refrigerated and used wiyhin a couple of weeks.


Ok, now I know how many I can order.

The casing for air-cured tobacco is really good!
 
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