patience.... still trying! @Faltown

[Faltown]

So with some festive time off approaching, my mind is already starting to wander onto processing my crop from this year further. Some might of seen that I signed off my 2025 grow log on the 4th of November, so just over a month ago. However, that was the last part where I finally finished flattening my leaves, where as the crop was harvested and finished colour curing first weeks of September. Still only 3 months or so, and the crop has been ageing in 68%RH and temps of around 22 degrees Celsius.

I only grew yellow twist bud this year, which in hindsight was a bit lacking in forward thinking, but I am where I am now! I'm a vitamin N fiend, and so am mostly on nightcap and Irish flake, so to my question!

Has anyone had any experience of making flake's from a single variety using all the different leaves?! And I am able to get loose latakia from a shop near me, but its already ribbon cut. So anyone ever layerd up leaves in a press and added a sprinkling of ribbon cut between layers? or am I being silly and should shred my leaf, mix and then press a crumble cake style?

Slightly vague questions I know, but apart from cavendish which I'm not so keen on as I want to keep as much N as possible, just a little lost for direction of where to go next, to get a strong, not one dimensional plug or flake, and thinking for the rest of the aging process it might help to move to the next stage.

cheers all for any thoughts!

 

[deluxestogie]

making flake's from a single variety using all the different leaves

That sounds practical. Also, sprinkling layers of leaf with Latakia, as you build the press block, should work well. Once pressed and sliced, it all ends up as a shred. As a burley, Yellow Twist Bud will be hefty. Emphasize the lower leaf in your initial blend. If you can make multiple pressings of different blends, you can compare them.

apart from cavendish which I'm not so keen on as I want to keep as much N as possible

Cooking leaf into Cavendish does not lower the nicotine (unless you dump out any remaining liquid). It does seem to slightly trend the pH toward neutral—makes flue-cured less acidic, and air-cured less alkaline.

Bob

 

[Faltown]

That sounds practical. Also, sprinkling layers of leaf with Latakia, as you build the press block, should work well. Once pressed and sliced, it all ends up as a shred. As a burley, Yellow Twist Bud will be hefty. Emphasize the lower leaf in your initial blend. If you can make multiple pressings of different blends, you can compare them.

Cooking leaf into Cavendish does not lower the nicotine (unless you dump out any remaining liquid). It does seem to slightly trend the pH toward neutral—makes flue-cured less acidic, and air-cured less alkaline.

Bob

Thanks again Bob, really appreciate it. Will keep you all posted with my adventure! Cheers all

 

[StoneCarver]

Also, if you don't mind the taste, you can always add some N. rustica to your blend. That's what I do to maximize nicotine.

 

[Faltown]

Also, if you don't mind the taste, you can always add some N. rustica to your blend. That's what I do to maximize nicotine.

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately I've not got any access to any rustica, but I did pick up 50 grams of Latakia yesterday, so going to aim for two 100gram plug's and see where I get to. Cheers

 

[Faltown]

So, I spent the day yesterday loading up a plug press I made. I loaded it up with 100 grams of seco and viso yellow twist bud, in medium case in around 70/30 ratio. As I stacked the leaves, I sprinkled some store bought loose latakia and tried to roughly estimate to get a even amount through the stack as I went. I pressed it for 30 minuets, then remove the plug and wrapped it in clingfilm. Then I returned to the press and placed the whole thing in the oven at 45 degrees Celsius for around 8 hours, before switching the oven off as I was a bit worried about leaving it overnight. this morning it was in for a further 4 hours, and I've taken it out and sliced and edge off. I'm really really hoping that the massive colour change is the change in my burley, and not just that all the latakia moved to the edge of the plug when I pressed it, because if the colour change is uniform through the plug, and given the smell, I cannot wait to try some of this out!

currently drying a bit, but going to try a bowl later this evening. cheers again for all the advice.

 

[Faltown]

Cut beautifully down the middle, and great smell, hoping for a few flakes to be dry enough for a pint and a bowl this evening.