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Pressing plug concentrate nicotine?

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Leftynick

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I have been reading many topics on pressing tobacco plugs and most of it state that pressing tobacco not only concentrate flavor and force them to marry the flavor faster, but it also concentrate the nicotine. I found some thread at smokingpipes.com that they tried to make cake from commercial loose tobacco and find that pressing the tobacco concentrate the nicotine of the blend.

My homegrown tobacco has become really nice smoke both in cigarette tube and pipe after 2 weeks in jar. However, the nicotine content is quite on the low side. In cigarette, it is fine because I used to smoke light cigg. However, in pipe, I am expecting a bit more in the nic department. Will pressing these tobacco help in concentrating the nicotine? Anyone tried the same tobacco loose and pressed notice any different? I am asking because I almost out of the current blend and thinking will it worth it to spend money on pressing rig.
 

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Since you put more tobacco in a smaller volume (pressing), you have more nicotine and flavor per volume :)
So if you want more nicotine in your pipes, you should try pressing ;) This way you can have potentially more burning tobacco in your pipe, resulting in more flavor and more nicotine.

I am not very sensitive to nicotine, but I can confirm the fact that pressed tobacco offers more flavor in a pipe (and burn slower).

you don't need a lot of equipment to press tobacco, I remember some people here did simply put the tobacco in plastic bag and put it under something heavy (a cabinet) and let it sit for some time.
 

DistillingJim

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Other option is to experiment with your blends to make them stronger or grow some slightly more potent varieties. But as Charly rightly points out, ultimately in a press you end up smoking more so you'll feel the effects more as well
 

ChinaVoodoo

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Charley pointed out the only logical reason why pressing would increase nicotine: because you can fit more tobacco in your pipe.

I've honestly given up on regular, commercial, pipe smokers for tobacco knowledge. Their community is just a big circle jerk of misinformation. The last straw was when they argued with me about Esoterica tobacco precipitating sugar out as it ages being due to "quality", while insisting it's 100% natural.
 

Leftynick

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Charley pointed out the only logical reason why pressing would increase nicotine: because you can fit more tobacco in your pipe.

I've honestly given up on regular, commercial, pipe smokers for tobacco knowledge. Their community is just a big circle jerk of misinformation. The last straw was when they argued with me about Esoterica tobacco precipitating sugar out as it ages being due to "quality", while insisting it's 100% natural.

so pressing my homegrown wouldn't give me sugar crystal like any virginia flake that I bought? It is a shame then. I just about to ask that question.
 

Leftynick

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Other option is to experiment with your blends to make them stronger or grow some slightly more potent varieties. But as Charly rightly points out, ultimately in a press you end up smoking more so you'll feel the effects more as well

I am waiting for my TN90 for harvesting. I think it has slightly higher nicotine based on what I've read. I also waiting for rustica seed coming. Will make some potent blend after this. I tried smoking Little Dutch in my pipe, it has more nic but the taste is slightly off to me. Maybe it will taste better after blending.
 

Leftynick

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Since you put more tobacco in a smaller volume (pressing), you have more nicotine and flavor per volume :)
So if you want more nicotine in your pipes, you should try pressing ;) This way you can have potentially more burning tobacco in your pipe, resulting in more flavor and more nicotine.

I am not very sensitive to nicotine, but I can confirm the fact that pressed tobacco offers more flavor in a pipe (and burn slower).

you don't need a lot of equipment to press tobacco, I remember some people here did simply put the tobacco in plastic bag and put it under something heavy (a cabinet) and let it sit for some time.

I did that with my vanilla tobacco I tried not so long ago. But it is a really potent tobacco to begin with, so I wouldn't notice the different. Will try pressing after harvesting this year.
 

deluxestogie

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One other factor to consider. If you press tobacco firmly enough to rupture plant cells, and the pressed tobacco then develops a "fruity" aroma, then you probably have created conditions in which Pichia anomala yeast can grow (a happy event). In addition to creating a fruity aroma, Pichia also raises the pH of the tobacco. With a higher pH (more alkaline), the same level of nicotine in the smoke is more readily absorbed by the mucous membranes of the oropharynx.

The nicotine from more acidic tobacco smoke is easily absorbed from the lungs (cigarette smoking), whereas pipe tobacco is usually drawn only into the mouth, throat and nose.

So, the notion of "concentrating" the nicotine is likely incorrect (other than the extent to which a greater mass of tobacco is smoked per unit time), but the effect of feeling more nicotine may be correct in the instance of higher psi pressing.

Bob

EDIT: This microbial path probably never happens with commercial tobacco, which nearly always contains anti-microbial casing.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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so pressing my homegrown wouldn't give me sugar crystal like any virginia flake that I bought? It is a shame then. I just about to ask that question.

The real shame is that before long, you'll be making better tobacco than what you have been buying, but some numb nut is gonna think their store bought is better.
 

Leftynick

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One other factor to consider. If you press tobacco firmly enough to rupture plant cells, and the pressed tobacco then develops a "fruity" aroma, then you probably have created conditions in which Pichia anomala yeast can grow (a happy event). In addition to creating a fruity aroma, Pichia also raises the pH of the tobacco. With a higher pH (more alkaline), the same level of nicotine in the smoke is more readily absorbed by the mucous membranes of the oropharynx.

The nicotine from more acidic tobacco smoke is easily absorbed from the lungs (cigarette smoking), whereas pipe tobacco is usually drawn only into the mouth, throat and nose.

So, the notion of "concentrating" the nicotine is likely incorrect (other than the extent to which a greater mass of tobacco is smoked per unit time), but the effect of feeling more nicotine may be correct in the instance of higher psi pressing.

Bob

EDIT: This microbial path probably never happens with commercial tobacco, which nearly always contains anti-microbial casing.

I'll refer to the perique thread then for suitable force to rupture those cells. But if I go this route, wouldn't it be too perique like taste to develope?
 

DistillingJim

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What is the story with the sugar crystals then? I must confess I have, up until now, accepted this conventional wisdom.
 

DistillingJim

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Now that I stop and think about it, this makes sense. If ageing breaks down sugar, why would sugar suddenly crystallize? If on the other hand, the sugar was dissolved in a solvent, it would make sense that the crystals appear as the tobacco dries.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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Now that I stop and think about it, this makes sense. If ageing breaks down sugar, why would sugar suddenly crystallize? If on the other hand, the sugar was dissolved in a solvent, it would make sense that the crystals appear as the tobacco dries.

It sounds theoretically possible that pressing causes cells to rupture, and release sugar which could then crystallize as the tobacco goes through cycles of changing humidity over time. But, a) why does it only seem like it happens with certain brands? Are they claiming that their tobacco has magic sugar that other tobaccos do not? - b) in what way does sugar content equate with quality? (As growers, we all know it's far more complicated), and c) it doesn't happen with processed whole leaf we know to be excellent tobacco.
 

DistillingJim

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I wish there were a few more clues about as to how Germains process their tobacco given how much the pipe community froths over it. Their virginia processing does seem to be one of the key elements and, based on your observations, seems to involve a heavy sugar casing.
 

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I don t like german tobacco, as you said they tend to case too much their blends with artificial sugars and flavors...
I find that german virginias bite too much.
English brands do lighter casings, much more to my likings
 

DistillingJim

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Charly, I was referring to Germains, the company in the British Isles who make Esoterica, (modern) Balkan Sobranie and Pelican, not German ;)

People who smoke the esoterica stuff in particular comment on the uniqueness of their Virignias. Some companies give a bit of information on how they process their Virginia and provide us with some things to consider along the way. Germains seem pretty tight lipped about what they do though.
 

Charly

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Oups ! I've read too fast ! My bad :D :D :D

I know "J.F. Germain and son" is the house that blends "Esoterica Tobacciana" :D I already smoked a few blends from them.
It's been a while since I smoked some of their blends, but I remember I had a lot of pleasure with "Dunbar" (a Va/Perique blend) and "Margate" (english).
Some other blends from this house did not ringed my bell, and I am pretty sure they case (or at least add sugar) to their virginias (but less than houses from Germany :D ).
 
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