MTnTime 2021 grow
- Thread starter MTnTime
- Start date
You are correct about the final stage.
The first stage (low-ish temp) yellows the leaf, while keeping it alive. The second stage wilts (and kills) the yellowed leaf. This halts cellular metabolism, and the metabolic consumption of sugars. The third stage dries the lamina, to avoid strange discoloration that would be caused by high temperatures on damp leaf. The final stage nukes the primary oxidizing enzymes, while it makes the stems crispy dry. The only real flexibility in the duration of the stages is in the first stage, where you hold the temp steady until the lamina is adequately yellowed. Upper leaf may require up to a week to yellow.
Bob
The first stage (low-ish temp) yellows the leaf, while keeping it alive. The second stage wilts (and kills) the yellowed leaf. This halts cellular metabolism, and the metabolic consumption of sugars. The third stage dries the lamina, to avoid strange discoloration that would be caused by high temperatures on damp leaf. The final stage nukes the primary oxidizing enzymes, while it makes the stems crispy dry. The only real flexibility in the duration of the stages is in the first stage, where you hold the temp steady until the lamina is adequately yellowed. Upper leaf may require up to a week to yellow.
Bob
You are correct about the final stage.
The first stage (low-ish temp) yellows the leaf, while keeping it alive. The second stage wilts (and kills) the yellowed leaf. This halts cellular metabolism, and the metabolic consumption of sugars. The third stage dries the lamina, to avoid strange discoloration that would be caused by high temperatures on damp leaf. The final stage nukes the primary oxidizing enzymes, while it makes the stems crispy dry. The only real flexibility in the duration of the stages is in the first stage, where you hold the temp steady until the lamina is adequately yellowed. Upper leaf may require up to a week to yellow.
Thanks Bob. Are the enzymes disabled when the leaf reaches 160F? Or does it need to be held there for a period of time for it to be effective?
At 165°F, the primary enzyme is totally denatured. The reason for holding the temp at 165°F is to dry the stems, so that they do not mold. Denaturing the secondary oxidizing enzyme requires going up to 191°F, which alters the taste of the tobacco.
The easy thing is that following the chart (after yellowing) works. And once the leaf has yellowed, you can't open the flue-curing chamber to peek, since that screws up the humidity and temp ramping.
Bob
The easy thing is that following the chart (after yellowing) works. And once the leaf has yellowed, you can't open the flue-curing chamber to peek, since that screws up the humidity and temp ramping.
Bob
This is great info. Thanks, Bob. Looks like my sun curing is pretty much over with. We've got rain coming in for a few days, looks like snow behind that. I've got some leaf part way through sun curing and more still yellowing. I tossed a couple hands of Virginia's in a 170 degree oven yesterday to see what would happen. Did 3 for 15 minutes and 3 for 30 minutes. I've got them hung up to finish drying in the house. Anyone try this before?
Last edited by a moderator:
Oldfella
Well-Known Member
Howdy Oldfella. I put the leaf in the oven just briefly. One batch for 15 minutes and one batch for 30 minutes. The idea was to kill the enzyme in the Virginias that flue curing typically takes care of. Now it's hanging to finish air drying. I didn't build a flue curing chamber and my window of opportunity to have tobacco outside has pretty much closed, so I thought I might give this a shot and see if any of the sugars would be maintained.
Hi guys. Well, I'm thinking my air curing will be done in the next week or so. I've got a seedling heat mat out helping dry some stubborn stems and I've got some fully dried leaf in a plastic box with some water to start getting moisture levels up in preparation for kilning. My Pennsylvania red seems to be drying awfully light. Some of it is still yellow but crispy dry. Will this stuff darken up with kilning? I've also seen that some of my Ahus has dried dark brown on one side of the leaf and green on the other. Will this correct with kilning?
Alpine
Moderator
Leaves will darken during kilning. Some shade of green on the back of the leaves will disappear too.
I noticed that, while air curing, the higher the relative humidity, the darker the leaf will cure.
pier
I noticed that, while air curing, the higher the relative humidity, the darker the leaf will cure.
pier
Thanks pier! I was definitely worried that some of the leaf was drying too fast.
I've made dozens of different batches of Cavendish. My impression is that kilning prior to Cavendish cooking makes a subtle difference in the aromas of the finished Cavendish. I think you can successfully cook Cavendish from fully color-cured leaf, without kilning. But having said that, I always allow color-cured leaf to age a while--sometimes up to a year in the shed--before using it. So newly color-cured leaf may not yield the same results that I see with my leaf.
Bob
Bob
Thanks, Bob. Seems like practicing patience and kilning first is probably the right move. It's so exciting watching the leaf evolve, I might be getting ahead of myself.
Homegrowngoodnes
Well-Known Member
For that matter a 'cooler' instead of mini fridge?
A seedling heat mat that could reach adequate kilning temperatures (>122°F to 128°F) would surely kill seedlings. The typical seedling heat mat will reach about 10°F above ambient.
Teeny-tiny kilns can work for teeny-tiny crops, or for eternal queues of leaf from a larger crop.
Bob
Teeny-tiny kilns can work for teeny-tiny crops, or for eternal queues of leaf from a larger crop.
Bob
Here’s one:
The Smallest Kiln in the World
Well, I think I did it! I built the smallest kiln in the world. Why such a small kiln?.. Why not? Actually I've been longing for some Wolf Brother's Rum Crook's lately and since they went out of business years ago I decided to make my own. I'm trying a technique I read about from a guy that...
Well that makes a bunch of sense, I reckon
Well I've got some leaf kilning now. Got it in my mini fridge with a 1.5 quart crock pot. Smells awesome. I've been having some trouble dialing in the humidity. I had the leaf too close to the top of the crock pot so even though the RH was high, the leaf right above the pot was crispy. I think I have that sorted out now. The RH seems to be pretty high, it's usually above 85% and touchs 90% sometimes. I've got the lid on the pot to try and get that humidity to simmer down. Also have a computer fan rigged up to run when the crock pot comes on.
I run my kiln's fan all the time.
Bob
Bob