Tutu
Well-Known Member
Great to see that some of the Indonesian strains are catching on in Canada! Looking forward to see how the Samporis and Kasturi perform for you!
China Voodoo 2018 Air-cured and Rajangan
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Good to see you, Tutu.
Bob
Bob
Tutu
Well-Known Member
Good to be online again. Drowning in work at the moment, so hard to find time to look at all these beautiful homegrown tobacco's, but it sure is worthwhile
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I am also happy to hear from you, Tutu!
I have 12 each of Kasturi and Maesan Samporis. I did lose a Samporis to cut worms yesterday, and 3/4 of a Kasturi including the growth tip, as well. (They also gnawed off the base of a Nostrano)
Ants killed a corn. A hare chewed the top off a corn. Some one else, probably the neighbors kid, killed an amaranth. Hare ate half my beets. It's chaos!
I have 12 each of Kasturi and Maesan Samporis. I did lose a Samporis to cut worms yesterday, and 3/4 of a Kasturi including the growth tip, as well. (They also gnawed off the base of a Nostrano)
Ants killed a corn. A hare chewed the top off a corn. Some one else, probably the neighbors kid, killed an amaranth. Hare ate half my beets. It's chaos!
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
Yeah! Where's a big cat when you have an annoying neighbor kid and need one?? LOL
On top of the usual suspects, we also have Javalina here and they will eat darn near anything it seems.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
It's unlikely to be a major risk, but I don't let the cats out front at night. There's no fence because coyotes wander around once in a while. I think they're after garbage because they aren't doing very well with the hares. A cat could scare away a hare, and surely some cats could kill them, but not ours. I just sprinkled a bunch of cayenne around the front garden, and put screen over the beets. I had a few extra tobacco plants, and those recruits have gone into service.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
So on International Enjoy a Cigar Day, I had the pleasure of meeting Alejandro Turrent of Turrent cigars, Te-Amo, etc. We talked about the variety they grow, Negro San Andreas, and about curing and fermenting. I'm not ready to write about what I learned, because I've got school work to do. But it was awesome. He is a little shy, but friendly, and he loves what he does, and has a passion for tobacco and cigars. Real ubermensch.
I grew San Andrés in 2015 (Pi 80250 TI 117) acquired by GRIN in Mexico's San Andrés Valley in 1929. It has a "Spanish" type growth habit. I'm not aware of a San Andrés Negro. The leaf cured to a decent cigar filler. Height was 5 feet, and productivity was reasonable--21 harvestable leaves.
I have seed for this variety, though I suspect that Turrent grows a more recent derivative of it.
Bob
I have seed for this variety, though I suspect that Turrent grows a more recent derivative of it.
Bob
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
That's a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on his knowledge!
Tutu
Well-Known Member
I hope the Kasturi turns out nice, thick and rough as it should. It should give you a good high nicotine level. The Samporis should be slightly more smooth, both the plant and the nicotine level, but its amazing you're growing something that actually gets made into Rajangan in Indonesia as well.
Working with San Andres at the moment here in the DR. Bob, do you have pictures of finished San Andres leafs, cured, kilned?
Working with San Andres at the moment here in the DR. Bob, do you have pictures of finished San Andres leafs, cured, kilned?
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I asked him if there were different varieties of tobacco from San Andreas, and he told me quite certainly that Negro San Andreas is the only type. They use it for filler, binder, and wrapper. It is likely the same strain that you have, or like you say, a more recent derivative, Bob.
Cob Guy, I can't imaging having to keep swine out of my garden. Best of luck, there!
Cob Guy, I can't imaging having to keep swine out of my garden. Best of luck, there!
A spelling point:
San Andreas is the big crack in the Earth's crust that will cause Los Angeles, California to fall into the ocean. San Andrés Tuxtla is the region of Vera Cruz, Mexico that is the primary cigar tobacco growing region of Mexico. (There are also many other San Andrés towns, cities and regions in other countries.) So San Andres or San Andrés would be the tobacco.
Bob
San Andreas is the big crack in the Earth's crust that will cause Los Angeles, California to fall into the ocean. San Andrés Tuxtla is the region of Vera Cruz, Mexico that is the primary cigar tobacco growing region of Mexico. (There are also many other San Andrés towns, cities and regions in other countries.) So San Andres or San Andrés would be the tobacco.
Bob
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
In regards to kilning. He knows about the process we use, 120F, for a month or two. He says every tobacco is different in a pilon, depending on thickness, and hydroscopy, and intended use, with regards to temperature and moisture level. He said some small growers have successfully had auto thermal reactions with piles as small as 60 kilos. Theirs are around 1000. Although we didn't discuss it specifically, but he seemed to believe Bob's heatless kiln was a theoretical possibility, ie, that you could reduce the required weight of tobacco by adding weight in some other form.
Mold can be an issue in a pilon, and therefore weekly rotating and inspection of the leaves, coupled with years of experience in finding the balance of oxygen and moisture and heat are required. Given that there is some +/-, 40C/104F for 6 months to a year is the kind of figure we're looking at.
Mold can be an issue in a pilon, and therefore weekly rotating and inspection of the leaves, coupled with years of experience in finding the balance of oxygen and moisture and heat are required. Given that there is some +/-, 40C/104F for 6 months to a year is the kind of figure we're looking at.
Sr. Turrent must have really appreciated discussing his passion with a knowledgeable and genuinely interested person. I'm sure most of the folks he encounters in publicity tours are just ordinary consumers. (e.g. "What's your favorite cigar color?")
Great info. Thanks.
Bob
Great info. Thanks.
Bob
Interesting !
I have already planned to try to do some kilning with lower temperatures like 40 or 45°C (104 or 113°F). I will definitly try.
Did anybody tried to let some leaves in the kiln for 6 month ?
P.S. Nice to have some news from Anton !
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Interesting !
I have already planned to try to do some kilning with lower temperatures like 40 or 45°C (104 or 113°F). I will definitly try.
Did anybody tried to let some leaves in the kiln for 6 month ?
P.S. Nice to have some news from Anton !
I had most of last year's crop in the shed, dry and cold for the last six months. I certainly could have kilned it instead.
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