Really Easy Perique Press

[deluxestogie]

St. James Parish (SJP) Perique has always been made in oak barrels, probably because that was the universal container in the 19th century. Comparing SJP Perique to batches that I've made in Lexan, I would say that if the oak imparts something unique, it's subtle.

Bob

 

[Brown Thumb]

I am playing with my Perique at the moment.
I used a 3 in oak plug which is used to press the leaf and is below the juice line.
Weather it tastes any different WTFDIK. JBD will have to let us know when I ship him some.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

St. James Parish (SJP) Perique has always been made in oak barrels, probably because that was the universal container in the 19th century. Comparing SJP Perique to batches that I've made in Lexan, I would say that if the oak imparts something unique, it's subtle.

Bob

At the very least, the resulting oak cubes can impart something noticeable to beer afterwards.

 

[DGBAMA]

I did a third airing out of my perique batch today and learned something by accident.

Previous airing, the leaf was somewhat sticky and difficult to separate. Today, kind of cold, and the leaf separated easily and without the stickiness.

Short story...... Chill your perique to about 50deg (I checked the temp of mine) and it separates much easier.

 

[Brown Thumb]

I did a third airing out of my perique batch today and learned something by accident.

Previous airing, the leaf was somewhat sticky and difficult to separate. Today, kind of cold, and the leaf separated easily and without the stickiness.

Short story...... Chill your perique to about 50deg (I checked the temp of mine) and it separates much easier.

i noticed the same thing.
I don't know if it is temp or not. But it was getting Cold in the basement.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I wonder how the low temp affects the final product? With sourdough bread you typically let it rise for 24 hours or so in a cool or warm envirnment. A cool environment will drastically change the ratio of yeasts, bacteria and fungi as compared to a warm envirnment. The difference in taste between a cool fermented and warm fermented loaf is quite noticable.

 

[Smokin Harley]

if anyone cares , I saw at my local Menards store that they sell whole unused charred oak wine barrels (with a wooden bung )...$129.99 each.

 

[deluxestogie]

In a year's time, I use less than 2 hands of tobacco (~40 large leaves, each) worth of Perique in my pipe blending. Granted, my pipe smoking is mostly in the winter, so that's about 1/2 year's worth for me. That amount of tobacco presses down to about 1-1/2" in the bottom of the clear jar shown at the outset of this thread.

A barrel of Perique is a huge quantity, and requires a 5+ ton jack to compress within a frame of some sort. Don or Larry could tell you how much tobacco fills a barrel, since they've both done it. I'm guessing at ~100 to 150 pounds. And if you mess up, you mess up big.

Now, if you can find one of those cute little brandy barrels...

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I guess I should mention that I did a run of Perique this past winter, using Chillard's White Angel Leaf. (Thanks, Will.) Going in, the leaf was a golden claro. I ran it for 3 months, resting on the floor of my enclosed back porch--average temp ~55-60 degrees F. The leaf was removed, aired and repacked into the press at 3 weeks, and again at 2 months. When it was finished, the color was a rich colorado, with a pungent, fruity aroma. It's not as intense as SJP Perique, but the pH seems about the same.

My impression is that if I use a light-colored leaf, I get a lighter color Perique. A variety that would kiln to a deep brown gives me a deeper colored Perique. The nicotine strength of the tobacco going in determines the nicotine strength of the final Perique.

Regardless, the resulting Perique has always been excellent for pipe blending with flue-cured Virginia. As with all blending (pipe or cigar) using home-grown leaf, the blending recipes are just a starting point, and have to be adjusted for the batches of leaf on hand.

Bob

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I made some perique too this year from what was left of my bcb and madole, down in the basement so 65 degrees, I differed at the end though, by making it into a perique or carotte, is still bound tightly, but starting to lose the funky smell, won't know for another few weeks or longer how it came out.

 

[deluxestogie]

Re: the Smokin Harley /Black Lion grow of 2016 is now under way

Chillard's White Angel Leaf Perique

After drying down a bit, the Chillard's Perique has lost some of its translucency, and is not quite as red.

A loosely packed gallon Zip-lock freezer bag.

Looking down into the bag.

Half-leaf strips.

Shredded.

Once shredded, I store small quantities within a pouch made from a poly-nylon WLT vapor-proof bag.

Bob

 

[Michibacy]

Well, it's been a month since the last post, how fitting, I think I might give this a go with my beloved YTB. I've got some stainless steel 30 ounce vessels at home used for curing sauerkraut, do you think this will work Bob? They're new, never used and have 6 of them I could part with to extend my tobacco world. It might give me something to mess around with for the winter (blending that is). I've got Maple, Cedar and Hickory blocks I can use, which would you suggest?

 

[deluxestogie]

YTB sounds like a good choice for making Perique. If you're talking about turning a wood block to use for pressing, I would go with the maple.

Stainless vessels are used for milk processing and cheesemaking, so I'm sure they would work well for making Perique. There's really no need to watch it ferment through a transparent container. If you plan to have it sitting at room temperature, I would suggest waiting until the fall, to avoid excessive heat. Then you can set it in a cooler part of the house. It won't overheat, and won't freeze.

Making Perique is about as close as any tobacco process gets to "set it and forget it." Start in September; ready for Christmas.

Bob

 

[ProfessorPangloss]

^so you don't go a year? I'm guessing you don't notice as much of a difference after three months, then?

 

[Michibacy]

Sounds good, thanks Bob! I'm intrigued by it as I've always love some Perique in my commercial blends. There was many a night in college I sat on the back porch at our old house in town smoking a ounce or two of a blend from our old local shop (now a hour and twenty minute drive, so it's not but a, well, pipe dream going back there)

This was the blend they made:


It shouldn't be too difficult to make something rather close.

 

[deluxestogie]

Way back--190 something posts ago, I discussed the duration. Three months will make excellent Perique. Maybe it would be better after a year, but I'll never find out.

Bob

 

[ProfessorPangloss]

Well then, something else for me to do in the cool, subterranean basement this summer

 

[Brown Thumb]

Don't forget they pull it out every month and repack the barrel.
Bob if you want to some yr. old stuff. Shoot me a pm with your address.

 

[rainmax]

Now, if you can find one of those cute little brandy barrels...

Bob

...it took 700 grams to fill up to half this tiny barrel...

 

[deluxestogie]

...it took 700 grams to fill up to half this tiny barrel...

If we translate into Klingon, that comes to 1-1/2 pounds of leaf for half the barrel. That capacity is certainly practical.

Bob