Flue-Cured Tobacco basic overview

[Rayshields]

I am hoping to flue cure some of my Virginia Bright Leaf. I bought the temperature and humidity controllers that were posted on here earlier. I am going to use a vertical Coke display unit with either heat lamps or hot water thru the cooling system on the unit for heat. I am trying to figure out Daniel's comment that the air must flow through the leaves and not around them...having a tough time visualizing how to accomplish this.

Ray

 

[Daniel]

Ray, I saw that issue on the sites I visited. If a flue curing chamber is not properly loaded the air will pass around the leaves not between them. The leading cause of leaf damage or failure in flue curing is improper loading of the chamber resulting in improper air flow. The importance of air flow is to carry off excess moisture. If you imagine a chamber fairly tightly packed with leaf but leaving a half inch gap around the edges. you can imagine that the air will tend to flow through that 1/2 inch gap rather than through the smaller spaces between leaves. IF you space your leaves with more gaps it is not an issue.

 

[leverhead]

Thank you Daniel! I figured I would learn as I go, fear of the unknown gets to me if I let it. I'm thinking plywood boxes, no top or bottom, that stack like milk crates and manifolds top and bottom. A buddy has a mobile home heater unit (electric), I just need to find the stops so I can go to about 170F. Controls are a big issue right now, the glue in the plywood is next down the list. I don't think lining or insulation are going to be a problem. Physical sizes are still open, depth of the box will be determined as I see what my leaf length is going to max out at. Has anybody had any thoughts on racking inside of a round tube (AC ducting)?

 

[Rayshields]

Hey Daniel, I finally get it! Sometimes a different word or words make a lot of impact on the reader/listener...I got it...I got it!

Ray

 

[Rayshields]

Leverhead, you might be interested in this post http://fairtradetobacco.com/showthread.php?806-Temperature-and-humidity-controllers

Ray

 

[darren1979]

I found some detailed plans for a flue barn including the furnace set-up HERE

 

[Michibacy]

Cool looking article Darren, if I ever get a bigger lot of tobacco I might consider building a scaled down version of this barn!

 

[Daniel]

Leverhead. I have not thought of ducting but I like the modular thinking. I did make a very small model of a curing chamber then never had enough leaf at one time to test it. I will come up with something. I am just tied up with getting my plants started and planted for the next couple of weeks. The temps here are dropping down into the 50's today. It is 41 degrees right now. I have come to know Nevada pretty well and knew this late cold snap woudl happen. We have been having 80 and 90 degree days but here it never lasts. Hopefully this will be the last cold snap for the season.

 

[leverhead]

Daniel, I think spring has sprung here. Low 90's daytime low 70's night time, the Devil should be heading north for the summer in a few weeks. My current pastime is buggin', I think when bugs die they go to Texas. I'll have the lower leaves to experiment with, so if I size it for them and don't screw anything up I can add more levels/layers. Or else I'll end up air curing.

 

[leverhead]

I have a general questions. What factors do you consider when deciding how may leaves to harvest per plant? Once a week, fewer leaves or stretch it and take more leaves. I have 180 plants so I don't think the length of time involved either way will change much, just the number of cure cycles for the season. My best guess for 3 leaves per plant X 180 = 540 leaves should weigh in the range of 75 Lbs, green weight. Does this sound semi right? It may just fit in an open head 55 gal steel barrel, cleaned out of course.

 

[Chicken]

^^^^

those numbers would be best if threw at DELUXESTOGIE OR DKH2

im sure those 2 would have your answer

 

[indianjoe]

Just a thought, 80-90 percent of green leaf is water. I would not suggest using a metal barrel, clean or otherwise.

 

[Daniel]

I am taking a guess based upon some fairly complicated knowledge I have. In the end I woudl think 75 lbs of leaves would fit fairly well in a 55 gallon drum. It might very well leave enough room that spacing of the leaf would not be a huge issue. You need the humidity pretty high in a flue curing chamber for the first 24 to 48 hours though. High enough that a steel drum might not make a good choice. After that you intentionally want the humidity to be low because you want to dry the leaf and stem. Heat rises to do so and humidity is lowered.

 

[leverhead]

Why would weight have any direct relation to volume? There is no way 75 lbs of green leaf would put a dent in the volume of a 55 gallon drum. I take that back Two big black heavy duty trash bags full of green leaf would fill it maybe but for what purpose?

I still want to move air through it. The best info I've found for packing density is for bulk curing, about 15 Lb / cubic foot (random orientation). I want to hang them butt end up, most of the bulk (weight) will be in the top 2 feet. On a 55 Gal drum that figures to be 5 1/2 cubic feet X 15 = almost 83 Lbs.

Indianjoe, I'm afraid of the glue / mold issues with plywood or OSB, that and allot of it is made in China, after what they could do with baby formula I don't trust them. I think clean steel seems to be the safe bet. I open to any arguments, before I start building is the time for me to change my mind.

 

[Daniel]

What about coating the inside of the barrel? even painting it might work.

 

[leverhead]

Daniel, it might. I think it might only stain a little bit.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I have a general questions. What factors do you consider when deciding how may leaves to harvest per plant? .

As a very general guideline you will start to harvest about 3 weeks after you've topped your plants. When the leaf snaps like celery it is ready to be harvested. The first harvest you will pick all the lower leaves off. I've never counted but it's probably about 6 leaves or so. A week later pick off all the middle leaves then finish a week later with the uppers.

 

[johnlee1933]

As a very general guideline you will start to harvest about 3 weeks after you've topped your plants. When the leaf snaps like celery it is ready to be harvested. The first harvest you will pick all the lower leaves off. I've never counted but it's probably about 6 leaves or so. A week later pick off all the middle leaves then finish a week later with the uppers.

Good one Dude ! Simple and to the point. Even I can follow directions like that. John