DGBAMA Redneck Curing Chamber Build

[DGBAMA]

Finally advancing temps today. Pleased with results so Far.. Will see how it finishes. With 5 runs done and observing various results i am no where near a master but feel i have learned enough about "the process" to dump the "schedule" (which is based on huge barns, single variety, and uniform ripeness of leaf), slow things down a bit and "listen to the leaf" for timing of the "process".

 

[Fisherman]

Excellent stratigy.... Keeping in mind that weach progressing cure or priming is higher on the plant and adjustments gotta be made

I got some Lil Dutch that wont yellow at all on the plant... wondering what to do with them?

 

[Knucklehead]

Excellent stratigy.... Keeping in mind that weach progressing cure or priming is higher on the plant and adjustments gotta be made

I got some Lil Dutch that wont yellow at all on the plant... wondering what to do with them?

Cigar varieties are usually primed as the leaf reaches maturity rather than when it is ripe like cigarette varieties. The leaf will show some alligatoring texture and will turn a paler shade of green. Normally no yellow is showing when you prime for cigars.

 

[DGBAMA]

Really pleased with this run. Objective was NOT "bright flue cure".

no green and nice color/texture from a mixed variety run that started with lots of really dark green leaf.

Top to bottom, izmir, Bursa, ytb, silver river.

Total time 12 days.

 

[leverhead]

Is that picture (post #224) finished dry? If it is, very nice!

 

[jekylnz]

Cigar varieties are usually primed as the leaf reaches maturity rather than when it is ripe like cigarette varieties. The leaf will show some alligatoring texture and will turn a paler shade of green. Normally no yellow is showing when you prime for cigars.

Can you still cure cigar varieties in a flue??I suppose you're just speeding things up??..

Bama that last one looks excellent. .you'll be happy with that one..i would be

 

[DGBAMA]

Is that picture (post #224) finished dry? If it is, very nice!

It is. Finished Saturday. Just back into case today. Very happy.

Got it in hands. The SR is simply amazing. Low-med case it is tacky feeling as though it had been cased with honey.

 

[jekylnz]

Mmmmm..what category is S.R? Flue?

 

[Rickey60]

That whole run looks great, nice color and texture. Have you smoked and silver river yet? Please let us know how it smokes. I like your chamber also. I think I will build one like yours.
Rick

 

[AmaxB]

Way To Go!!!

 

[Brown Thumb]

Wow, that looks Great. Now If I could get mine to look like that I might pee myself with happyness.

 

[DonH]

Can you still cure cigar varieties in a flue??I suppose you're just speeding things up??..

Bama that last one looks excellent. .you'll be happy with that one..i would be

If you're going to use the cigar varieties in cigars.", I wouldn't flue cure them. The reason to flue cure is to lock in the sugars which makes a low pH smoke. Good for cigarette smoking and inhaling. Cigar varieties are high pH mostly, which allows the nicotine to be absorbed through the mouth. Also, flue curing destroys the enzyme that you want to give cigar tobacco the right flavor by fermenting (kilning in our case). But Bob can corrects if I'm wrong.

 

[Chicken]

them hands look good,

im shredding some of my early pickings right now,,,, filling up them 2 gallon jars with ready to use baccy.

 

[DGBAMA]

Can you still cure cigar varieties in a flue??I suppose you're just speeding things up??..

Bama that last one looks excellent. .you'll be happy with that one..i would be

Todd, if I used the chamber for cigar varieties it would be just to maintain ideal "air cure" conditions, temp and humidity. No schedule but late in the season when conditions are less than ideal it would let you do cigar varieties in 2-3 weeks instead of months with worry of mold or drying green.

 

[workhorse_01]

I agree with you bama, only to maintain ideal air cure conditions for cigar types. I'm going to kiln with my chamber too. I wonder how to fill it up with hands. LOL

Todd, if I used the chamber for cigar varieties it would be just to maintain ideal "air cure" conditions, temp and humidity. No schedule but late in the season when conditions are less than ideal it would let you do cigar varieties in 2-3 weeks instead of months with worry of mold or drying green.

 

[AmaxB]

Good Idea had no thought of using one to air cure...

 

[jekylnz]

Thanks for that guys...I thought it would kill the cigar leaf fermentation process

Ive been playing around with some of the only leaf I have fresh.. a havana...I know I cant get it to flue yellow but it still allows me to see what effect the heat and humidity has ..before I start wrecking good fkue types. Haha

 

[DGBAMA]

Good Idea had no thought of using one to air cure...

We have not built simply flue chambers. We have built "climate control boxes". If my normal air cure area is only at ideal conditions 6hrs a day i can cut cure time by at least 50% if I can maintain ideal conditions 24/7, especially late season.

 

[jekylnz]

I know what you mean ...most are in a hurry to get things dry enough to pack away before the climate turns to shyte cure conditions

 

[Rickey60]

Is silver river a flue cure or an air cure type? Bama's SR sure looks like a flue cure just going by color.
Rick