Charred Oak Plug press

[Emile]

Do you think there will be a benefit to char the interior of an oak press for plug ?

My air cured “petit Canadien” is currently in the kiln since 2 weeks, I plan to make a press and I would like to try charring the interior of it. When kilning will be finished, I would like to press a few plug with it.

Is anybody tried it yet ?

 

[Knucklehead]

Why You Should Char Your Whiskey Barrel (And How We Char Them) - Red Head Oak Barrels

Discover hand made oak barrels for spirits and wine on Red Head Oak Barrels' blog. Read our post, 'Why You Should Char Your Whiskey Barrel'.

redheadoakbarrels.com

Why Are American Oak Barrels Charred? - Red Head Oak Barrels

Discover hand made oak barrels for spirits and wine on Red Head Oak Barrels' blog. Read our post, 'Why Are American Oak Barrels Charred?' to learn more.

redheadoakbarrels.com

 

[Emile]

Why You Should Char Your Whiskey Barrel (And How We Char Them) - Red Head Oak Barrels

Discover hand made oak barrels for spirits and wine on Red Head Oak Barrels' blog. Read our post, 'Why You Should Char Your Whiskey Barrel'.

redheadoakbarrels.com

Why Are American Oak Barrels Charred? - Red Head Oak Barrels

Discover hand made oak barrels for spirits and wine on Red Head Oak Barrels' blog. Read our post, 'Why Are American Oak Barrels Charred?' to learn more.

redheadoakbarrels.com

It would be amazing if the charred oak press could give a natural vanilla flavor/odor to the tobacco plug

 

[johnny108]

The vanilla flavor extracted by whiskey from charred oak casks is more prominent when the whiskey is at high proof.
Age whiskey at 80%abv and it tastes like vanilla extract.
Age it at 40%abv and there is almost no vanilla, but the sugars are more prominent.

 

[Emile]

The vanilla flavor extracted by whiskey from charred oak casks is more prominent when the whiskey is at high proof.
Age whiskey at 80%abv and it tastes like vanilla extract.
Age it at 40%abv and there is almost no vanilla, but the sugars are more prominent.

Good to know, so they may be no significant smell/flavor of that kind to the tobacco.

 

[johnny108]

Good to know, so they may be no significant smell/flavor of that kind to the tobacco.

If you brought the tobacco into case with liquor, it might work, but then, why not just use a liquor with the flavor you want, already…?

 

[Emile]

Very simple, jsust a small 2” x 2” my with white oak. Sidewalls and both pressing cap are medium charred. I put it in the kiln with my kilning leaf. There’s 2oz of leaf in it.

I’ll see in a couple of days/weeks !

 

[Emile]

If you brought the tobacco into case with liquor, it might work, but then, why not just use a liquor with the flavor you want, already…?

Well… thats not the goal

 

[deluxestogie]

I put it in the kiln with my kilning leaf.

I will predict that the other leaf in your kiln will take on an aroma of fire-cured.

Bob

 

[Emile]

I will predict that the other leaf in your kiln will take on an aroma of fire-cured.

Bob

I will take a look at the kiln smell for the next few days.

 

[DaleB]

I will predict that the other leaf in your kiln will take on an aroma of fire-cured.

I have wondered, idly, if curing tobacco over smoldering peat would result in the Lagavulin of tobacco... sort of like the Islay version of Latakia. I'm honestly not sure if that would be the best thing ever, or the worst.

 

[Emile]

I have wondered, idly, if curing tobacco over smoldering peat would result in the Lagavulin of tobacco... sort of like the Islay version of Latakia. I'm honestly not sure if that would be the best thing ever, or the worst.

Try and see

 

[deluxestogie]

Smoke curing with peat

I live in Ireland, where peat is often used for curing various types of meat and fish (I've been particularly successful with venison). So, while considering the options of a latakia cure, I began to wonder: what would peat do for smoke-cured tobacco? (not for a Latakia-type, except in that...

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[Emile]

Well… I charred my press a little bit to hard, so the inner sidewall became round a bit. So I decided to make 2 other press. I toasted one of them 3h at 400F. I’ll see if it make any change.

My plug in the to much charred press became very dirty, but it is good and it has an oaky/nutty falvor.

I will continue to press it for a couple days in the white oak press with two lightly charred block to squeeze it.

 

[Emile]

1 week in the press, It is a 1/4 of the total plug. My leave’s were very low case when I put them in the press, I let my plug sit in the press in the kiln for 1 week at 125F ~72% RH. I’m very satisfied, pleasant aroma (dried fruits, vanilla), burn well no relight.

 

[deluxestogie]

The sliced plug looks nice. Did you use any casing on the tobacco, prior to pressing it?

Bob

 

[Emile]

The sliced plug looks nice. Did you use any casing on the tobacco, prior to pressing it?

Bob

No casing, no blending. It is only ligero, seco, volado from my petit Canadien crop.

Very satisfying smoke, better than certain commercial blend that I bought in the past. Slight oaky flavor little bit like oak alley from cornell & diehl . Nicotine is a bit high but it is not a problem for me. In my opinion it is a well balanced smoke.

 

[deluxestogie]

Interesting project. At that temperature, I would expect little if any microbial action. [EDIT: see next post.] You disrupted the lamina cells, and the tobacco's own enzymes did the rest. I usually attribute a "fruity" aroma from (room temperature) pressed tobacco to microbial changes.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I am, of course, incorrect. Duh! Many of the cheese culture microbes for hard cheeses are "mesophiles".

Bob

 

[Emile]

Interesting project. At that temperature, I would expect little if any microbial action. [EDIT: see next post.] You disrupted the lamina cells, and the tobacco's own enzymes did the rest. I usually attribute a "fruity" aroma from (room temperature) pressed tobacco to microbial changes.

Bob

Wich temperature do you refer to ?