"Reclaiming" gloppy tobacco

[blacksmithtim]

Yes, I know, terribly technical term, "gloppy". Don't know what else to call it.

Last year I came into a few bags and cans of a friend of a friend's tobacco. Sealed can of half and half and something labeled "Vanilla and Toasted Cavendish".

I don't mind drug store tobaccos, and given the economy and my budget welcomed the few pounds.

I've usually gotten Half and Half by the pouch, this can was like someone had poured Kayro Syrup on top before sealing. OK, not that thick, but very wet and stayed wet. Of course it smoked terrible, wayyyyy too hot. By the simple expedient of leaving the lid off for a few weeks it dried and was back to being reliable H&H.

This other stuff is almost wet enough to be chew, and after many weeks with the lid off it's hardly dried.

The main question: is anything to be done? Yes, I could just throw it out. Call me Scotch (which I am) but I'd rather not.

I've been toying with rinsing the stuff in a collander and letting it dry, seeing if some of the syrup would wash away. I don't want to soak it as it would make "tea". That's my fallback: old fashioned bug repellant for gardening -- tobacco tea sprayed about.

I've also pondered wetting it and pressing it back into plugs, letting that set and dry and reshaving it. (It's coarse enough stuff.)

Other thought is to mix it with something cheap and very dry, maybe tossing it in a jar with some vodka or brandy, and revisiting it in a month or two.

Thoughts?

[Sasquatch]

Sounds to me like it's got glycol on it as a humectant. Rinsing it is a .... bad idea. You could try drying some in a warm oven... 150 degrees or something... and see if you can drive the glycol off.

[blacksmithtim]

glycol, that's the stuff, yes, smells similar to the canned H&H.

Oven might work. But you just gave me a thought.

It's 0 degrees F out today. And very, very dry. Can't hurt to stick the can it's in out in that and see what a freeze and thaw cycle does.

[kbadkar]

The stuff sounds nasty, perfect for Bug Spray.