Another South African

[Luke13]

T

Welcome to FTT.
I wish you good luck with your first grow.

Thank you that is very kind...everyone on this forum has been generous with their time and knowledge and their cigar-rolling skills literally take my breath away...every day. I have quickly developed a desire to create my own unique cultivar of hybrid leaf so that I can respond in kind and you will definitely be hearing more from me as soon as my seed arrives...my dream is to see people rolling those impeccable cigars with leaf that I have grown.
Thank you Charly...I will see you round the forum
Stay well
Luke

 

[BruceBear]

Greetings and welcome! Where abouts are you based? I am in Worcester planning my next grow (small scale), my first grow was 2016/17. Huge learning curve, obstacles and I didn't get around to ferment my produce. I am hoping to nail it this time, fingers crossed!

 

[Luke13]

Hi...thanks for dropping me a line...!
I am situated halfway between Plettenberg Bay and the Karoo.
I am so glad to hear that you are persevering with your harvesting and that you have some intentions toward fermenting.

I think South Africa would really benefit from a tobacco growing culture...like what happened in Cuba...even if we start on small scales here and here. Tobacco growing is one of the most powerful means of kickstarting an economy and it's a commendable art as well as a respectable science. It's a big part of how America was built. I don't know if you are electrically kiln fermenting or naturally fermenting in piles. Bob has mentioned that one doesn't necessarily need to pile ferment because the top leaves of some tobacco plants naturally develop on the stalk into Oscuro...so I am definitely going to attempt that method...as well as experiment with the pile fermenting eventually. There's so much to learn...that's why I'm starting very slowly and I will spend the better part of this year digging my beds and building a small wooden curing shed, big enough for hanging and drying...as well as a centre space for one pilone like in the photograph ...but I will, like yourself, be starting small with maybe 50 - 100 plants and I will be expanding from there once I have selected the phenotypes that I want to work with...so that's phase one for this year and next summer. I hope that we in South Africa will ultimately develop a centre like WLT where we can all send our leaf for distribution and really get something up and running.
Anyway thanks for the call and I hope your wife comes right with finding some leaf to smoke. Best of luck this summer...
Luke.

 

[Luke13]

Greetings and welcome! Where abouts are you based? I am in Worcester planning my next grow (small scale), my first grow was 2016/17. Huge learning curve, obstacles and I didn't get around to ferment my produce. I am hoping to nail it this time, fingers crossed!

Hi Bruce. I just replied to your message on my page but I forgot to adress it to you! Good luck!

 

[deluxestogie]

One pile of tobacco, to be effective at fermenting, requires over 5000 pounds (2268 kg) of tobacco all at once. That's more than an acre (0.4 hectares) of tobacco. The labor to build it is massive, and it must be rebuilt several times during the many weeks of fermentation. It's what you do when labor is abundant and dirt cheap, and there is no electricity--and the climate is sub-tropical or tropical.

Bob

 

[Luke13]

One pile of tobacco, to be effective at fermenting, requires over 5000 pounds (2268 kg) of tobacco all at once. That's more than an acre (0.4 hectares) of tobacco. The labor to build it is massive, and it must be rebuilt several times during the many weeks of fermentation. It's what you do when labor is abundant and dirt cheap, and there is no electricity--and the climate is sub-tropical or tropical.

Bob

Okay that definitely puts it in perspective. Thanks Bob. I read a couple of articles that said one requires only 2000-3000 leaves to build a pile...but based on what you are saying that would be wholly ineffective.

 

[Luke13]

One pile of tobacco, to be effective at fermenting, requires over 5000 pounds (2268 kg) of tobacco all at once. That's more than an acre (0.4 hectares) of tobacco. The labor to build it is massive, and it must be rebuilt several times during the many weeks of fermentation. It's what you do when labor is abundant and dirt cheap, and there is no electricity--and the climate is sub-tropical or tropical.

Bob

And based on the thread, from 2011 - 2014, 'Fermenting without a Kiln'...if I want a walk-in kiln for fermenting or sweating (these may be different processes) larger commercial amounts...then so long as the insulation is good the leaf would be hung, not piled, bagged or boxed in any way, and the temperature and humidity must otherwise be the same as for the smaller box-kilns...and this same walk-in kiln can be used for curing first and then fermenting afterward...or should I build two separate barns? I would appreciate any input but I can move the thread elsewhere.

 

[Luke13]

By curing, I mean air drying.

 

[deluxestogie]

Do read the New Growers' FAQ. "Drying" is not what shed curing is about. The function is to avoid drying, until the leaf has color-cured. In the Index of Key Forum Threads, have a look at the section on Curing: other.

Bob

 

[Luke13]

Do read the New Growers' FAQ. "Drying" is not what shed curing is about. The function is to avoid drying, until the leaf has color-cured. In the Index of Key Forum Threads, have a look at the section on Curing: other.

Bob

Okay thanks Bob. I'll be spending some time there. Stay well.