stone
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Post by stone on May 3, 2019 12:24:24 GMT -5
Well, sort of 
If there happens to be a Stonehaven expert, I am willing to send a few flakes for an expert diagnosis. In 2010, I bought two 8 oz bags of Stonehaven, I opened one at that time and the other I just opened last month. They both have nice plume but they are not easy to keep lit and I don't want to mess with hydration until someone else gives me an expert opinion.
When I try to rub it out or fold it, I get firm little toothpicks which are difficult to pack and keep lit. I assume it may be dry but I figure it's worth sending a few to fellow member to see.
PM me if you can help.
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Post by mgtarheel on May 3, 2019 13:11:16 GMT -5
That is exactly what mine does. I work on the little "toothpicks" to break them down more. It takes a few relights to get it going though.
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Post by peteguy on May 3, 2019 15:13:51 GMT -5
Grab a big pinch and squeeze with your thumb and fore finger, if it sticks together for more than a couple of seconds it's still to moist. If it gently falls apart, it's just right. If the tobacco shatters and crackles and breaks when rolled into a ball, it definitely is too dry. If you can roll it into a ball and drop it on a table top, and the ball just lands plop and lies there lifeless, it is definitely too wet. If it bounces a little (or maybe a good bit) when it lands, and then starts uncurling and stretching out, moisture content is in the ballpark.
Try some after drying it for different times. It aint gunna kill ya.
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Post by Legend Lover on May 3, 2019 16:34:18 GMT -5
Have you tried using a coffee grinder to break it up a little?
That's what I use.
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Post by pepesdad1 on May 3, 2019 17:50:36 GMT -5
Have you tried using a coffee grinder to break it up a little? That's what I use. Yeah, and then I have dust...can't win for losing. Got a little hand grinder that apparently was for some other smoke, but it works just fine. |
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Post by Legend Lover on May 3, 2019 18:12:22 GMT -5
Have you tried using a coffee grinder to break it up a little? That's what I use. Yeah, and then I have dust...can't win for losing. Got a little hand grinder that apparently was for some other smoke, but it works just fine. Lol. You've got snuff then. |
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Mac
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Post by Mac on May 3, 2019 18:31:01 GMT -5
PM sent.
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xingpao
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Post by xingpao on May 3, 2019 21:13:10 GMT -5
Hahaha on the pm sent! Stony is so very much worth rubbing out, knifing up, etc to get it going. Keep at it! It is not dry, it is persnickity, like a great woman.
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sablebrush52
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Post by sablebrush52 on May 4, 2019 1:07:01 GMT -5
Stonehaven is one that I cube cut. And in this dry Southern California climate I usually give it about an hour of drying time after cube cutting it. The blend is moister than it feels, and unless it's smoked just shy of bone dry, it tastes of nothing. But if you hit its sweet spot, the flavors are truly wonderful. So it's either crap, or wonderful. And the range of that sweet spot is a narrow one. Stonehaven is a major PITA to get right.
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stone
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Post by stone on May 4, 2019 6:17:21 GMT -5
Hahaha on the pm sent! Stony is so very much worth rubbing out, knifing up, etc to get it going. Keep at it! It is not dry, it is persnickity, like a great woman. Are we talking about unicorn farts again? |
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Post by Scott W on May 4, 2019 6:46:27 GMT -5
I’d leave a flake out for an hour or two and then rub it out. Give it a try. If it doesn’t work, I’ll take the bags off your hands :-)
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stone
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Post by stone on May 4, 2019 6:53:53 GMT -5
I’d leave a flake out for an hour or two and then rub it out. Give it a try. If it doesn’t work, I’ll take the bags off your hands :-) I am going to try every possible method today with the exception of the coffee grinder because my blade grinder is at my hunting camp and I only have a burr grinder here.
I assumed it was dry because when I tried to rub it out I just got tiny crumbs and toothpicks, no spongy feel at all. But I will try cube cutting it and see how that works.
By the end of the day today I will have tried numerous bowls of Stonehaven  |
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Mac
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Post by Mac on May 4, 2019 9:12:54 GMT -5
Hahaha on the pm sent! Stony is so very much worth rubbing out, knifing up, etc to get it going. Keep at it! It is not dry, it is persnickity, like a great woman. What is so amusing by my stating I sent a PM? I think I can be of service to Stone re his tobacco. As you indicate, and Jesse indicates, it is probably still moist, which is what I wrote Stone. I offered to give an exact reading and opinion of the moisture content. I sent him my address, not for publication. |
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stone
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Post by stone on May 4, 2019 12:20:15 GMT -5
I rubbed out a flake and then busted up the bigger chunks and what I am left with is dust to chunks. The dust gets sucked up into the stem. I will try cubing it later today.
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stone
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Post by stone on May 4, 2019 12:33:04 GMT -5
Hahaha on the pm sent! Stony is so very much worth rubbing out, knifing up, etc to get it going. Keep at it! It is not dry, it is persnickity, like a great woman. What is so amusing by my stating I sent a PM? I think I can be of service to Stone re his tobacco. As you indicate, and Jesse indicates, it is probably still moist, which is what I wrote Stone. I offered to give an exact reading and opinion of the moisture content. I sent him my address, not for publication. I think it was a fair offer, and I am going to take you up on it if I haven't got it figured out by tomorrow. I'm curious, how do you go about measuring the moisture content? |
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Post by peteguy on May 4, 2019 17:00:29 GMT -5
I rubbed out a flake and then busted up the bigger chunks and what I am left with is dust to chunks. The dust gets sucked up into the stem. I will try cubing it later today.
Not sure what you have going here because that picture is dark and washed out. Try another picture and hopefully it looks something like this:  |
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xingpao
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Post by xingpao on May 4, 2019 17:07:09 GMT -5
Hahaha on the pm sent! Stony is so very much worth rubbing out, knifing up, etc to get it going. Keep at it! It is not dry, it is persnickity, like a great woman. What is so amusing by my stating I sent a PM? I think I can be of service to Stone re his tobacco. As you indicate, and Jesse indicates, it is probably still moist, which is what I wrote Stone. I offered to give an exact reading and opinion of the moisture content. I sent him my address, not for publication. I thought you were posting "pm sent" as a joke as many love stonehaven and would gladly smoke it. I honestly thought it was a funny joke, that's all. |
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Mac
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First Name: John
Favorite Pipe: Ken Barnes Canted Billiard
Favorite Tobacco: Margate, Smyrna, Vintage Syrian
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Post by Mac on May 4, 2019 18:04:05 GMT -5
What is so amusing by my stating I sent a PM? I think I can be of service to Stone re his tobacco. As you indicate, and Jesse indicates, it is probably still moist, which is what I wrote Stone. I offered to give an exact reading and opinion of the moisture content. I sent him my address, not for publication. I think it was a fair offer, and I am going to take you up on it if I haven't got it figured out by tomorrow. I'm curious, how do you go about measuring the moisture content? I have a bunch of small hygrometers. If room in the tin or bag, I place one or two (more accurate) of them in the container, and wait 6 hours for it to stabilize and give a good reading. If not enough room, I use a clean and dry Mason jar to do the same. |
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stone
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Post by stone on May 4, 2019 19:50:03 GMT -5
I rubbed out a flake and then busted up the bigger chunks and what I am left with is dust to chunks. The dust gets sucked up into the stem. I will try cubing it later today.
Not sure what you have going here because that picture is dark and washed out. Try another picture and hopefully it looks something like this: Well, that bowl went better than any other thus far. Tomorrow I will try to cube it. I will also get a better picture. |
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xingpao
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Post by xingpao on May 4, 2019 20:03:15 GMT -5
There was a video on Facebook kinda showing some advice on folding flakes then sorta twisting them off in the bowl. That method avoids the toothpick effects pretty well.
Somehow, Stonehaven seems to be largely dependent on smoking temperature, and the problem you face is when you taste it just right, you are gonna be in love.
I know I am.
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stone
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Post by stone on May 9, 2019 8:00:56 GMT -5
After monitoring the RH in the sealed jars which was about 73% I decided to lay out the Stonehaven to dry a bit to make sure it won't mold before I put it away. The plume is literally like a dried sugar coating and I suspect that this may have been influencing my perception that it was already too dry.
OMG, it smells so good I literally wanted to take a bite of it
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matt
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Post by matt on May 26, 2019 7:41:46 GMT -5
I know this is extemremely taboo within the pipe smoking community...but I microwave my tobacco. (I know, I know. Everybody grab your torches and pitchforks!) Put a flake or two on a paper towel and nuke it for 10-15 seconds. If still too moist, try another 10 seconds. It steams some of the moisture out, and softens the tobacco making it much easier to rub out. I’ve done this for years. Many can argue all they want, but it doesn’t alter the taste of the tobacco. I don’t have patience to let it dry, and then maybe let it dry some more and fool around with rubbing it out just right.
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Post by Legend Lover on May 26, 2019 7:49:14 GMT -5
I know this is extemremely taboo within the pipe smoking community...but I microwave my tobacco. (I know, I know. Everybody grab your torches and pitchforks!) Put a flake or two on a paper towel and nuke it for 10-15 seconds. If still too moist, try another 10 seconds. It steams some of the moisture out, and softens the tobacco making it much easier to rub out. I’ve done this for years. Many can argue all they want, but it doesn’t alter the taste of the tobacco. I don’t have patience to let it dry, and then maybe let it dry some more and fool around with rubbing it out just right. Don't feel bad about that. I do the same... And I learned about it from others in this forum. It works a treat. |
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Post by Baboo on May 26, 2019 7:54:29 GMT -5
I know this is extemremely taboo within the pipe smoking community...but I microwave my tobacco. (I know, I know. Everybody grab your torches and pitchforks!) Put a flake or two on a paper towel and nuke it for 10-15 seconds. If still too moist, try another 10 seconds. It steams some of the moisture out, and softens the tobacco making it much easier to rub out. I’ve done this for years. Many can argue all they want, but it doesn’t alter the taste of the tobacco. I don’t have patience to let it dry, and then maybe let it dry some more and fool around with rubbing it out just right. I do the same, often... smells like fresh baked oatmeal raisin cookies - heavenly! |
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Post by Legend Lover on May 26, 2019 8:12:13 GMT -5
I know this is extemremely taboo within the pipe smoking community...but I microwave my tobacco. (I know, I know. Everybody grab your torches and pitchforks!) Put a flake or two on a paper towel and nuke it for 10-15 seconds. If still too moist, try another 10 seconds. It steams some of the moisture out, and softens the tobacco making it much easier to rub out. I’ve done this for years. Many can argue all they want, but it doesn’t alter the taste of the tobacco. I don’t have patience to let it dry, and then maybe let it dry some more and fool around with rubbing it out just right. I do the same, often... smells like fresh baked oatmeal raisin cookies - heavenly! Last time I did that, I was drying a heavy latakia blend. The wife subsequently banned me from drying my tobacco in the microwave. She doesn't realise I'm still doing it, just not with latakia-forward blends.  |
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Post by pepesdad1 on May 26, 2019 8:46:08 GMT -5
Do what works!
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