Dealing with a very low humidity environment, rolling, re sealing bags etc.

[Rectifier]

Looking at my nice bags from WLT and I want to grab out a couple leaves, case the binder and wrapper and roll one up. But we are in a drought. The humidity here is terribly low this summer, to the point where tobacco can dry out inside a plastic tupperware container! The only safe place to keep my pipe tobacco is inside mason jars.

The bags look very thick and capable of keeping the leaf moist, I'm wondering if anyone has a best technique for keeping them sealed after opening other than using a heat sealer. I am thinking to roll the tops over and then tape them shut with a very heavy packing tape?

Moving on, how about rolling in this ~15-20% humidity environment? Should I actually get a humidifier going or will doing something like misting up the cutting board before I roll be adequate to keep everything in case? Or just work fast?

Finally the humidor question. I keep my purchased cigars in a glass snap-lock with Boveda packs. However, I suspect the little packs will not have what it takes to get home rolled cigars into proper case in any volume without being quickly consumed. Would you recommend building a classic style humidor with the green sponge and PG/Distilled water blend to get and keep my home rolled cigars in smokable condition?

Thanks to any other tobacco enthusiasts that live in desert conditions!

 

[deluxestogie]

For sealing the WLT bags, I expel all excess air, fold over the two corners, then roll up the open end. I then press that rolled end flat, and keep it closed with 2 or 3 wooden clothespins. I've found this works better than tape, which always seems to allow the rolled edge to loosen a bit (plus, tape is a pain in the butt--You won't want to fully remove the tape each time you open the bag, but then you have to avoid getting a leaf stuck on it.). If, after repeated opening, the contents of a bag begins to become too dry, I just spritz it with a mist of water--a bit down one surface, and a bit down the other, then re-seal it. [The stems hold more moisture than the lamina, and likewise easily absorb any excess moisture.]

Despite recommendations to the contrary, I use water mist from a spray bottle to adjust the case of cigar leaf that I'm about to roll. I have a large, thick plastic bag (transparent) which I use to hydrate several wrappers/binders overnight, prior to stemming and rolling with them. When I bring out a properly hydrated half-leaf for rolling in very dry conditions, I keep it folded several times, resting beneath a plastic freezer bag laid on top of it, until the moment that I use it. For the filler, I stem it immediately, then, if needed, mist it just before gathering it all for rolling, but only if it has become brittle in the dryness. It's okay if it crunches, but not if it crumbles. Once the binder is on, I work more slowly.

If you are handy with cabinet making, then make a simple humidor cabinet (bigger than you think you need), using ample, unfinished wood (either tropical cedar or some unscented wood like bass or poplar) to line the entire interior. Add a simple hygrometer. The more wood, the slower the change in humidity. I also keep an open 1 lb. bag of inexpensive, unflavored, commercial black Cavendish pipe tobacco open within my humidor. That stuff already contains the PPG (why I don't actually smoke it), and maintains the moisture as well. I also have a small, slotted, humidification cassette that contains re-hydratable granules (just soak in water), for refreshing whenever the interior of the humidor sneaks down toward 60-65% RH.

Perhaps our Arizona members have further/better suggestions.

Bob

 

[PeacePipe]

We're in a totally opposite state here. I have to be pretty adamant about expelling trapped air once I open my WLT bags due to the excessive relative humidity. These bags are of a very thick ply and it sounds like you are getting moisture loss due to RH more than it being the plastic at fault even though porous most plastic bags tend to be in the long term.

When it is dry here I simply case my tobacco to further raise water content towards the maximum extent of 15% for processing. Its really not pleasurable to smoke though with this water content, as 12% seems like the sweetest. I'm thinking that you have tobacco with around 10% water content or less which crumbles and smokes poorly and harshly.

I keep all herbs here including tobacco in 60-60% relative humidity for the long haul and I only tend to take out a little at a time even if processing has been done.

Best of luck with this.. Long before Bovida the old clay discs were most commonly used and I prefer these as well as water soaked stones..

 

[waikikigun]

Yes, a $29 oil diffuser used as an H2O mister in your immediate rolling area will help a LOT. In that kind of dryness even time-of-wrapping spritzing can be somewhat insufficient to maintain an ideal case.

 

[deluxestogie]

You should be aware that most plastic bags are made from polyethylene of varying thickness. These are, of course, water-proof, but they are not vapor-proof (water in gas form passes through them at a rate that depends on the thickness of the polyethylene). Doubling the thickness of the polyethylene decreases vapor penetration. A bag inside a bag more than doubles the vapor barrier.

The bags in which WLT tobacco is shipped is laminated poly-nylon, which is both water-proof AND vapor-proof. That is the same material used for vacuum-wrapped foods, like a salmon filet. Their effectiveness as a vapor barrier is naturally increased with increasing thickness, but even a relatively thin, 3 mil poly-nylon bag can prevent transpiration of water vapor (both in and out) sufficiently to maintain the enclosed humidity almost indefinitely while still heat sealed, and over many months when carefully kept closed.

For my misting, I use a $1 spray bottle from the Dollar store.

Bob

 

[Rectifier]

Thanks for very good advice! It's interesting to know about the kind of bags that WLT is shipped in and why they are superior to regular poly bags.

I will look for a little diffuser/humidifier type thing to moisten the air in my work area and follow the misting recommendations here.

I'm not bad of a woodworker so that sounds like a plan to build a humidor now that I will have more cigars to store anyways. Interesting idea with the pipe tobacco as a humidity reserve, just the most basic Black Cav with no vanilla etc. to contaminate the cigars.

Believe it or not, it finally rained today! Well, not enough for the crops... but humidity is up into the 50% range so once I finish my farm work for the day it's time to break into the bags and get some binder and wrapper sprayed down and casing up for tomorrow. Fingers crossed to be able to roll and smoke a homerolled Father's Day cigar on the porch!