How to ferment ligero and broadleaf？

[Luacino]

Hi friends, I recently received a batch of ligero and viso, but they're all a bit elastic and sticky. I'm wondering if there's a problem with my fermentation?

1. How do I re-ferment ligero and viso? Should I spray them with water again and pile them up? Would a fermentation like perique be helpful? Padron's ligero seems to be made that way.

2. How do I dry broadleaf? We have a bunch of hybrid broadleaf here, but curing is difficult; it's always green. Is it because the temperature is too low and needs heating?

Finally, I'd like to share my Padron clone recipe, which is actually quite simple:

habano/criollo wrapper/binder
corojo viso
habano/criollo ligero

Since I received locally grown hybrid varieties, the names and flavors might not match yours, but it definitely tastes like the 1926 style.

Thank you everyone, it's great to exchange ideas with like-minded people.

 

[WillQuantrill]

1. Picture would help, are the leaves brown? If you "perique" cigar leaf it may lose some of the qualities that make it distinctly cigar leaf. There are quite a few different ways to ferment leaf ranging in complexity and investment, most can be found on this site. Most commercial cigar factories use a Pilon method of fermentation as you described with Padron. Elasticity is a desirable trait for wrapper and binder.
2. Leaves curing green is usually indicative of "flash curing" meaning the temperature was too high and humidity too low when color curing. I dont personally know of anyway to fix leaf or complete the process that cured green.
I do occasionally use a double fermentation process with leaf that has aged a year or so, usually its in pursuit of finishing thicker leaf.

 

[Luacino]

Picture would help

this is the viso I was talking about，seems didnt ferment through. and the padron ligero thing is that we took apart some padrons，their ligero really looks like some kind of dark paste just like perique.

and this is a broadleaf I have difficult of curing

 

[deluxestogie]

If leaf is harvested before it reaches maturity, it may be difficult to color-cure.

Bob

 

[The Haroo ln]

The pilon method that commercial manufactures use to ferment require stupid amounts of leaves. We're talking around 1 tonne at least. If your fermenting on a small scale then you will need some kind of closed fermentation chamber. You can find lots of info/designs on them on this forum. The taste will be somewhat different from commercial cigars as their pilones are exposed to oxygen throughout.
As for curing. Leaf only stays/cures green when temps are too high and humidity is too low just as WillQuantrill said. Plus broadleaf is usually dried by hanging the whole stalk. This can also help properly cure if your suffering from low humidity issues.