Whether you are about to light a cigarette or fill a pipe, compacting the tobacco can be considered the ritual that precedes the act of smoking. Some argue that compacting tobacco stays fresh longer and burns slower during smoking, but the benefits of this process go far beyond that. Squeezing the tobacco helps to collect together the fragments of tobacco that, being inside a paper or a jar, may have broken down over time. This article will give you all the tips you need to better compact your tobacco. Read on for more information.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Compact the Chewing Tobacco
Step 1. Open the jar to assess the freshness of the tobacco
Chewing tobacco is usually stored in cylindrical jars designed to keep the humidity and aroma of the tobacco unaltered. Tobacco chewers compact it in a corner of the jar for various reasons, but above all to collect it in a single area of the container and facilitate its removal (and also because it makes a good impression).
Squeezing chewing tobacco does not revive it at all, nor does it make it "fresher". If you don't, that's okay anyway. It is more a ritual than anything else, and it has the advantage of collecting it in one place in order to evaluate how much is left of it
Step 2. Hold the jar between your middle finger and thumb
After closing the container, place the tip of the thumb in the center of the jar, on the underside, and the tip of the middle finger (always in the center) on the top side. Rotate the jar so that it is perpendicular to the ground.
Step 3. Slam the jar down with one quick motion
The grip must be loose, but firm enough for the jar not to fall out. Circle the lid with your index finger, as you would to jump a stone on the water. While keeping your index finger relaxed on the lid, quickly move the jar up and down.
- Start the movement from shoulder height, then give a downward tug. With each yank, your index finger should snap against the rim of the jar. Repeat the movement several times to better compact the tobacco.
- Some people make particular movements, shaking the jar back to one side of the head or shaking it away from the body, as if to throw a Frisbee. Experiment with different movements to find the variant that suits you best.
Step 4. Open the jar
The tobacco should have collected in one spot, making it easier to pick up some. You are now ready to enjoy your snuff!
Method 2 of 3: Compacting the Tobacco of a Cigarette
Step 1. Squeeze the tobacco before you even open the package
When you buy a pack of cigarettes, consider the fact that it has probably been on the store shelf for some time and, as a result, the tobacco inside the rolling papers may have lost their original firmness. This causes many smokers to squeeze the tobacco before they even open the pack, making cigarettes easier to light and improve the draft.
- Although it is not necessarily necessary to perform the above operation, cigarettes with slightly compressed tobacco tend to snuff when the ash is thrown away.
- Also, by squeezing the tobacco, the cigarettes remain slightly hollow at the ends, making it easier to ignite.
Step 2. Turn the package upside down
Hold the package with your dominant hand, between your thumb and middle finger, with the top side facing down. Improve your grip by keeping your index finger on top of the pack. Keep your other hand open with the palm facing up.
- To prevent the package from opening while you shake it, it is best not to remove the plastic tie that keeps it sealed.
- Hard and soft packets should be treated in the same way, as well as filtered and unfiltered cigarettes; however, it is better to handle soft packages more delicately, since the contents are less protected.
Step 3. Slam the package into the palm of your hand
To compact the tobacco, tap the top of the pack into the open palm of your hand. Keep your grip slightly loose so you don't injure your hand, and let the simple momentum of the movement slam the pack into your hand.
Lift the packet and repeat the process about ten times, depending on how compact you want to compact the tobacco. The more you repeat the process, the more the tobacco will compact inside the cigarette, making the puff more full-bodied
Step 4. Open the package and take out a cigarette
If you are not satisfied with the result, because the tobacco is not pressed enough, you can put the cigarette back in the packet and repeat the process. If, on the other hand, the tobacco is too pressed, turn the packet over and beat it a couple of times in the opposite direction.
Method 3 of 3: Fill the Pipe
Step 1. Only fill clean and good pipes
Between uses, let the pipe cool down completely and clean the mouthpiece by repeatedly passing a pipe cleaner through it. The inside of the stove should appear dark and be covered with a thin layer of ash, which allows the tobacco to burn evenly.
Never fill a pipe immediately after smoking it. In this case, the mouthpiece, full of condensation, will pass a particularly hot and unpleasant smoke to the taste
Step 2. Fill the stove half full with tobacco
Fill it completely at first, then use a tamper (a flat-ended metal rod) to press the tobacco until it is halfway through.
If you don't have a tamper, you can very well use your thumb or index finger, or a lighter with a rounded bottom. The tamper is a great tool, but it's not essential
Step 3. Add more tobacco
Refill the torch to the brim, then press the tobacco. The shank should be 3/4 full, depending on the variety of tobacco you use and its elasticity. If the stem of your pipe is particularly large, you can add a little more tobacco but, to start smoking, a pipe 3/4 filled is enough.
Step 4. Turn on the tobacco and suck gently
After pressing the tobacco, you can light your pipe and start smoking. In a rhythmic manner, take light puffs to prevent the pipe from overheating and the tobacco from spoiling.
Step 5. If your pipe goes out frequently, ask your trusted tobacconist for advice
Filling a pipe is an art and requires some experience but, at the same time, there is no need to consider the more complicated thing than it is. You don't have to buy the most fancy tools or the most expensive tobacco. If your pipe goes out frequently, it may have a faulty mouthpiece or the tobacco inside it may have been over-pressed. Experiment and, if you continue to have problems, ask your trusted tobacconist for help.
Advice
- If you cannot collect the tobacco in a corner of the jar, turn the container to the side and tap it a couple of times against something (the leg, the knuckles of the fingers, the edge of the table, etc.).
- If you continue to have problems, put down the jar, put your thumb and middle finger together and snap your index finger over it. After a couple of attempts, repeat the process with the container in hand.
- When there is little tobacco left, you can take the lid and use it to collect the tobacco in a corner of the container.
- To best compress the tobacco, dig into it and press it at the same time. It takes a little practice, but with this process you get a more compact tobacco grip.
