DGBAMA Redneck Curing Chamber Build

[Knucklehead]

They're looking good DG.

 

[workhorse_01]

I like the pins. The KISS method is always the best. How about KISTG (tobacco grower)

 

[DGBAMA]

First run is completely dry. Color compared to the experimental batch that had been hanging a week before going in is amazing. Need to work on air circulation before the next batch I think this caused some inconsistency in coloring. Will bring back to order tonight and tie tomorrow. Box had a mildly sweet smell when opened at 150 d this evening. d

 

[deluxestogie]

That looks like the flue-cure we know and love. Great work.

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

That looks like the flue-cure we know and love. Great work.
.


Bob

Thank you. Getting airflow sorted and more attention to the yellowing phase should get the next run right where i want to be. with my hanging system I am thinking of removing individual sticks from the kiln as they fully yellow to allow the others to catch up. This should be no more than 12-14 hrs so they are all in the same state for wilting.

 

[deluxestogie]

Thank you. Getting airflow sorted and more attention to the yellowing phase should get the next run right where i want to be. with my hanging system I am thinking of removing individual sticks from the kiln as they fully yellow to allow the others to catch up. This should be no more than 12-14 hrs so they are all in the same state for wilting.

The yellowed leaf that you remove will be consuming its sugar while it waits to go back in.

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

The yellowed leaf that you remove will be consuming its sugar while it waits to go back in.

Bob

So at full yellow the leaf is still trying to live? Got it. If the leaf were shielded from light the process would be slower then ?m Would leaving the leaf in to yellow to long not have the same effect?

 

[Knucklehead]

We need to get Amax started on a rotisserie.

 

[DGBAMA]

We need to get Amax started on a rotisserie.

I am already ahead of the curve on that idea. It would be a huge kiln though. Ever seen the carpet rolls at Lowes? Just set it to advance the strung leaves a foot or so every so oftenI

 

[deluxestogie]

So at full yellow the leaf is still trying to live? Got it. If the leaf were shielded from light the process would be slower then ?m Would leaving the leaf in to yellow to long not have the same effect?

Light is used by chlorophyll to power the production of sugar. After yellowing, the chlorophyll is gone. In yellow leaf, rather than being light dependent, sugar consumption by the cell is temperature dependent: faster at higher temp, up to about 104ºF.

The obvious solution is to start the process with similar leaf.

Bob

 

[AmaxB]

Light is used by chlorophyll to power the production of sugar. After yellowing, the chlorophyll is gone. In yellow leaf, rather than being light dependent, sugar consumption by the cell is temperature dependent: faster at higher temp, up to about 104ºF.

The obvious solution is to start the process with similar leaf.

Bob

Been waiting for the answer Bob
But how does this leave the condition of the leaf?

Knuckles You would be hard pressed to get me cookin. You know I'm lurking and just trying to draw me out....

 

[deluxestogie]

...how does this leave the condition of the leaf?

One of the goals of flue-curing is to maximize the sugar in the final product. So prolonged yellowing (like my 4 day yellowing) reduces the sugar. I have no idea by how much, but my leaf has been sweet. I think it would require a number of trials to get a feel for the impact of longer yellowing, or of holding yellowed leaf out of the kiln for a day or two. Even then, without lab analysis of the sugars, we're just going by taste.

Bob

 

[leverhead]

One of the goals of flue-curing is to maximize the sugar in the final product. So prolonged yellowing (like my 4 day yellowing) reduces the sugar. I have no idea by how much, but my leaf has been sweet. I think it would require a number of trials to get a feel for the impact of longer yellowing, or of holding yellowed leaf out of the kiln for a day or two. Even then, without lab analysis of the sugars, we're just going by taste.

Bob

Somewhere in the the yellowing, the starches are converted to sugars. I can't cite it right now, but I've read that some varieties improve with extended yellowing. I don't recall that it stated what the improvement was.

 

[AmaxB]

Thanks Bob / Leverhead for your replies
I guess a 48 hour target window is what I should shoot for with most varieties. I was just beginning to think it was OK to go 70 plus hours as long as it yellowed OK

 

[deluxestogie]

The I think the problem here is that we don't really have much data to go on.

Bob

 

[workhorse_01]

Bob, I've been hanging mine two days with the air cure then put it in the curing chamber, so you think this makes it sweeter by faster yellowing?

One of the goals of flue-curing is to maximize the sugar in the final product. So prolonged yellowing (like my 4 day yellowing) reduces the sugar. I have no idea by how much, but my leaf has been sweet. I think it would require a number of trials to get a feel for the impact of longer yellowing, or of holding yellowed leaf out of the kiln for a day or two. Even then, without lab analysis of the sugars, we're just going by taste.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I'm not sure that it makes a difference with the sweetness, but may be a clever way to synchronize the fast-yellowing leaf (go directly to flue-cure) with the slower-yellowing leaf (into flue-cure at the same time, but having been shed yellowed for a couple of days prior). As you know, we're all walking virgin territory when it comes to home flue-curing.

I put a small number of huge, upper Bolivia Criollo Black leaves (didn't want to waste too much) into the current batch of flue-cure, along with two other varieties, just to see what you get when you flue-cure the Bolivia. It had yellowed totally to a bright canary after 48 hours, while the VA Bright had only partially yellowed. I gave it another 24 hours, then cranked it into leaf wilt (120ºF) an hour ago. Who knows what will come out.

Bob

 

[workhorse_01]

It may pick up some notes from the other. I threw some zimmer spanish in with my va. You can see the darker leaf in the picture, and all smells the same. I dont know about flavor yet.

I'm not sure that it makes a difference with the sweetness, but may be a clever way to synchronize the fast-yellowing leaf (go directly to flue-cure) with the slower-yellowing leaf (into flue-cure at the same time, but having been shed yellowed for a couple of days prior). As you know, we're all walking virgin territory when it comes to home flue-curing.

I put a small number of huge, upper Bolivia Criollo Black leaves (didn't want to waste too much) into the current batch of flue-cure, along with two other varieties, just to see what you get when you flue-cure the Bolivia. It had yellowed totally to a bright canary after 48 hours, while the VA Bright had only partially yellowed. I gave it another 24 hours, then cranked it into leaf wilt (120ºF) an hour ago. Who knows what will come out.

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

I'm not sure that it makes a difference with the sweetness, but may be a clever way to synchronize the fast-yellowing leaf (go directly to flue-cure) with the slower-yellowing leaf (into flue-cure at the same time, but having been shed yellowed for a couple of days prior). As you know, we're all walking virgin territory when it comes to home flue-curing.

I put a small number of huge, upper Bolivia Criollo Black leaves (didn't want to waste too much) into the current batch of flue-cure, along with two other varieties, just to see what you get when you flue-cure the Bolivia. It had yellowed totally to a bright canary after 48 hours, while the VA Bright had only partially yellowed. I gave it another 24 hours, then cranked it into leaf wilt (120ºF) an hour ago. Who knows what will come out.

Bob

Sounds like that Crillo Black even behaves like the Silver river in curing. I look forward to hearing the results of how it tastes. I actually had a stick of VA Gold in with this batch of SR and the VA took much longer to turn color.



If yellowed leaf looses sugar faster at higher temperature, then it could be benneficial to remove yellowed leaf from the kiln to ambient temp while waiting for the rest of the batch to turn instead of leaving it all in until all yellow. May just try it.

 

[DGBAMA]

Got the first run tied this evening.
Clearly the yellowing is the most important part to fished color and I got excited at the progress and rushed it. I guessed the last yellowing could finish at wilt temps and it did not. Patience on the next run.

I am still very happywith the overall results. Lots of good looking leaf. I