Curing Chamber from the box up My Build

[leverhead]

You guys are providing the good information.

Bob

The growing condition conversation for flue-cured tobaccos could be a whole new thread, it would probably get messy quickly. I think most of the published data is skewed towards maximizing economic gain per acre, at the expense of quality. Reversing the skew could take some time.

Steve

 

[leverhead]

Leverhead I agree with you 1000% the guides are not much, they point a direction and little more. Kind of like >Go North young man - Lord it is cold I have gone as far North as I can. Now what???? <<<<

"Go west young man" was a polite way of saying "Get the Phuk out of here".

"Nitrogen is not my problem the only time I did any fert was 30 days before planting."

I had Nitrogen in my soil leftover from last year.

 

[AmaxB]

"Go west young man" was a polite way of saying "Get the Phuk out of here".

Could be

 

[AmaxB]

A great way to get tobacco in order after the cure..
For me I've got a griddle in the chamber, lay wet face towels over it (I used 3) not sopping wet just wet, Chamber should not be cooled do this immediately after stem killing, drop heat source temperature to 80F - 90F, and the griddle set it between warm and 150F. In an hour - hour and a half you should be able to handle leaves no problem.
Should be able to do something like this with a CrockPot (the crock being your heat source so drop it to 90F) put 1 or two wet face towels in it and close your venting.
You judge how many towels and how wet in relation to how much tobacco you cured.
This works much faster and better than a pan of water.
I'm off to inspect and bag my tobacco than I will start batch #3

 

[DGBAMA]

Looking forward to finished pics.

 

[deluxestogie]

I think most of the published data is skewed towards maximizing economic gain per acre, at the expense of quality. Reversing the skew could take some time.

I believe there is another issue at play as well. The Big Tobacco market expects specific hues of leaf for Virginias, and these have evolved to and from different standards over the years. Cigarette consumers expect the color of the tobacco showing at the tip to be the same from one pack to the next.

While we can clearly say that green leaf after the cure is bad, a light or medium brown--rather than lemon--color may smoke just as well as a brighter cure. I realize they have subtle differences in taste, but that's what home-growers specialize in. If you plan to sell the flue-cured leaf, then consumer expectations of color matter. Otherwise, sample the various colors of leaf that come out of the flue-cure, and enjoy the differences. For pipe tobacco, flue-cured brown always wins over very nicely air-cured Virginia.

I do love the crisp, acidic taste of very bright leaf, but I also enjoy the brown leaf that comes out of the flue-cure.

Bob

 

[AmaxB]

A photo - A few leaves from the second batch grabbed at random from front of 1st rack.... My fears were not justified by the look of these..
Still not there little more tweaking is in order...
.

 

[AmaxB]

I believe there is another issue at play as well. The Big Tobacco market expects specific hues of leaf for Virginias, and these have evolved to and from different standards over the years. Cigarette consumers expect the color of the tobacco showing at the tip to be the same from one pack to the next.

While we can clearly say that green leaf after the cure is bad, a light or medium brown--rather than lemon--color may smoke just as well as a brighter cure. I realize they have subtle differences in taste, but that's what home-growers specialize in. If you plan to sell the flue-cured leaf, then consumer expectations of color matter. Otherwise, sample the various colors of leaf that come out of the flue-cure, and enjoy the differences. For pipe tobacco, flue-cured brown always wins over very nicely air-cured Virginia.

I do love the crisp, acidic taste of very bright leaf, but I also enjoy the brown leaf that comes out of the flue-cure.

Bob

Yes but I think the big boys get it lemon Gold and in processing the color changes to the Tans and Light Browns expected at the tip of the Cigarette.
After heating, shredding, mixing with Berley, and Turkish it goes to a silo for the leaf to mingle through all this the color changes.
I have learned while aging my bright leaf that I want a certain color when done this color for me signals the better flavor. The color will also deepen after shredding and putting it aside a few days to a week.
The flavor runs parallel to the color and becomes more full bodied and richer. This goes for the aroma of the tobacco too when the container is opened.
Yum Yum.
I smoke only bright leaf.....

 

[AmaxB]

Photo Aged & Shredded 4 days old
.

.
It is darker brown than the photo shows my flash makes it look lighter.
Actually the color in the photo is perfect.

 

[deluxestogie]

The Kutsaga 110 looks great, as does the shred. You're a tough man to please. Given that this is your first year growing and your first few runs of flue-curing, you should be proud. Finesse will come with experience. Heaven knows your chamber has sufficient control, once you learn to play it like a pipe organ.

Bob

 

[workhorse_01]

So twelve more hours in the yellow phase?

 

[AmaxB]

Photo tobacco Bagged...
uum Don't know about a "Pipe Organ" Fiddle will due little humor there...
You got it right Bob I am dancing a Jig but I have a way to go yet....
''''''
I cleared out the Chamber am going to load a little differently I want to see down the Leaf for batch #3 and think I'll run African Red.
Here is a photo of some of Batch #2 Bagged Up I left the end open for now. Batch #2 dry weight was little better than 4 pounds.
.

 

[AmaxB]

So twelve more hours in the yellow phase?

84 hrs total, if I play around with my loading, be more selective of the leaf, and maybe run yellowing setting differently I can reduce time to the target 48Hrs.
Learned a few things this round.

 

[AmaxB]

Am posting fool
Last note than I'll let this be a while
Leaf drying was about 24hrs and stem killing was less...

 

[leverhead]

I believe there is another issue at play as well. The Big Tobacco market expects specific hues of leaf for Virginias, and these have evolved to and from different standards over the years. Cigarette consumers expect the color of the tobacco showing at the tip to be the same from one pack to the next.

While we can clearly say that green leaf after the cure is bad, a light or medium brown--rather than lemon--color may smoke just as well as a brighter cure. I realize they have subtle differences in taste, but that's what home-growers specialize in. If you plan to sell the flue-cured leaf, then consumer expectations of color matter. Otherwise, sample the various colors of leaf that come out of the flue-cure, and enjoy the differences. For pipe tobacco, flue-cured brown always wins over very nicely air-cured Virginia.

I do love the crisp, acidic taste of very bright leaf, but I also enjoy the brown leaf that comes out of the flue-cure.

Bob

I think big tobacco has done for tobacco what mcdonald's has done for beef and potatoes. I can only guess what the range of flue-cured tobaccos can do in a pipe or maybe even a cigar, cigarettes have their own quirks that are difficult to address. Natural aging leaves last years crop still pretty new, I'm just getting started on the artificial aging route. If I could get a Virginia to come out of flue-cure as smokeable as your Prilep or Celikhan, I'd have it made. I think there's a link there, but I want to think about it more before I stick my foot in my mouth.

Steve

 

[leverhead]

Photo tobacco Bagged...

Damn! If I had a picture like that, you couldn't make me shut up.

 

[johnlee1933]

before I stick my foot in my mouth.Steve

For me that sentence ends with (AGAIN!)

John

 

[leverhead]

For me that sentence ends with (AGAIN!)

John

I need a new pair of mint flavored shoes.

 

[Webby]

View attachment 7368

Thats inspirational, a little jig, i'd be out there paintin the town red and several other colors. Wow mate

 

[DGBAMA]

That looks wonderful.