Robncars 2021 Flue Cure

[Robncars]

This year (year #2) I have 6 varieties.
Incekara
Small Stalk Black Mammoth
Staghorn
Big Gem
N. Rustica
One sucker

Im wondering about flue curing all together (or like 3-4 varieties together anyway) I think I read somewhere you shouldn't cure them together so you keep the distinct personalities separate. I dont remember flue curing being in that scenario. If I remember right it was in forced aging.
I've got a lot of wind damage and plant knockouts so I was thinking of loading the chamber to max capacity but that would take 4 varieties to do.
I got
5 stalks of SSBM & Staghorn
2 stalks of Incekara
10 N. Rustica
20 Big Gem - I've only harvested about 12 so far
1 stalk of One Sucker

Everything is green because either the wind knocked it down and broke the stalk off or I got nervous because I couldn't keep enough diatomaceous earth on to stop the grasshopper buffet line. Everything that has had to be harvested so far has been topped for a week+ so matured enough for harvest.
So the question is what are your thoughts for flue curing (or generally curing in whatever form) different varieties together?

 

[Robncars]

For anyone just joining this season, I flue cure in a 2 door stainless steel fridge. Its generally too dry to color cure off the stalk, and it doubles as a kiln to force age.

 

[Charly]

I don't think it's a good idea to flue cure all these strains, some are not intended to be flue cured (one sucker, mammoth). I don't know what you would get with the rustica too.

It's easier to get good results with flue curing when you use only leaves with the same maturity.

 

[Yultanman]

Ive been flue curing a variety of brights together priming similar maturity leaves from different strains. Sometimes there are a few that yellow quicker or slower in the batch but i think that happens at the best of times. Anyways im happy with end results.

 

[deluxestogie]

1. Heed @Charly's words.
2. The difficulty you run into with flue-curing multiple varieties (of suitable varieties) in the same chamber run is that they nearly always yellow at a different rate. The same problem arises with flue-curing a single variety that includes multiple priming levels.

The variable part of flue-curing (for suitable varieties) is the duration of the yellowing stage. After that, they all go through the same temp ramping schedule.

Bob

 

[Robncars]

Thanks guys. I didn't think the yellowing would work the greatest with a huge variety.

@Charly maybe I misinterpreted something but my understanding was flue curing was a more controlled natural cure. Anything that can be sun cured or barn cured can be flue cured. I was trying Mammoth even though (if I remember right) that is a fire cure.
I definitely don't want to try fire cure right now but Mammoth is my best leaves by far so whatever insight I appreciate

 

[Robncars]

@deluxestogie
Another clarify.
I flue cured last year with this setup and my plants were at different stages (but all the same variety) but due to frost danger I HAD to prime whole plants and cure. They yellowed pretty good but not every leaf was a nice yellow -some were in fact rather green which is where my "green dragons" came from im sure- but 90% color cured ranging from a dark chocolate to a light green.

So im guessing the yellowing stage is far more picky for cigars, & cigarettes. Being that im using mine for dip does that change your point of view?

 

[Robncars]

I want you guys to understand I am not second guessing your expertise. I like to think outside the box I just don't want to destroy an entire crop when someone could have told me why it was a bad idea..

I know you guys see lots of posts and dip is -I think- a less common use of tobacco here

 

[deluxestogie]

Anything that can be sun cured or barn cured can be flue cured.

Sorry. Exactly the opposite. Anything that can be flue-cured can also be sun-cured or air-cured. Flue-curing essentially halts leaf metabolism when its sugar content is highest, then kills the leaf. This works for flue-cure varieties and for the Oriental varieties that I've tried.

If you halt leaf metabolism early (by flue-curing) with burley, Maryland, cigar varieties and dark air-cured, then you prevent the required breakdown of albuminous proteins and carbohydrates--a living process. I would consider that to be spoiling the crop.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

my understanding was flue curing was a more controlled natural cure.

Are you following the flue cure chart, or are you basically air curing in your chamber? What temps do you reach? Here’s the flue cure chart. Temps hit 165F.

 

[Robncars]

Are you following the flue cure chart, or are you basically air curing in your chamber? What temps do you reach? Here’s the flue cure chart. Temps hit 165F.

View attachment 38256

I follow that chart except this year the yellowing is taking longer.
Last year I followed it to a T. The dip was excellent

 

[deluxestogie]

Yep. It's that yellowing stage that varies with variety and priming level.

Bob

 

[Robncars]

Yep. It's that yellowing stage that varies with variety and priming level.

Bob

So can I can I yellow the leaves. Then pack the yellow ones in a box/newspaper for a couple days to yellow another batch and cure all together?

 

[deluxestogie]

You can do that, but it foregoes at least some of the benefit (halting sugar consumption) of immediately wilting and then killing the leaf. For flue-cure varieties, the delayed ones will lose some of the acidity of their smoke. For delayed Orientals, it will just shift the results closer to what you get with sun-curing them. So, no catastrophe. You might be happy with those results for your use.

Bob

 

[Robncars]

I decided to finish the cure with the leaves in the box. So I boxed the rest to yellow with the box/leaf/newspaper. I see some good yellow leaves in the box. I have 1 1/2 more days on my flue chamber. Ill load the yellow leaves to final cure them and leave the un-yellowed leaves in the cardboard box to finish yellowing.

 

[Pharmguy]

View attachment 38256

How do you get humidity below what is ambient? If it is in the chamber I understand it would be less than ambient slightly, but if my ambient is 50-60 how would I drop it to 15-20? A fan would do it?
Thanks,
Trevor

 

[deluxestogie]

How do you get humidity below what is ambient?

The capacity of air to hold water depends on the temperature of the air. For every temperature change of about 20°F, the relative humidity changes by about half. If ambient is 80°F and your flue-cure chamber is 100°F, the your relative humidity inside the chamber will try to be roughly half of the ambient humidity, with that change slowed by moisture within the leaf. For example, if your ambient humidity is 75%RH at 80°F, then the contents of your 100°F vented flue-curing chamber will strive toward 37.5%RH. It is unlikely to get to 37.5%RH before the yellowing is complete, and the temp is jacked up to the next phase of flue-curing.

For clarity, I have never felt the need to even measure the RH when flue-curing. (If you have a barn full, then monitoring RH is important for controlling the exhaust fan.) I just run until yellow at around 100°F, then never again open the chamber. I just follow--and trust--the flue-cure chart. I need to have my chamber fully closed (no venting at all) in order to reach 165°F.

Bob

 

[Pharmguy]

I just run until yellow at around 100°F, then never again open the chamber. I just follow--and trust--the flue-cure chart. I need to have my chamber fully closed (no venting at all) in order to reach 165°F.

Makes sense. Building a box is this week’s project since my Virginia is probably a week or so from being ready. I have been using a heater to get temps instead of a crockpot for my “burley barn”. Do you think this would work for a flue cure chamber since the leaves themselves will lose moisture during this time?
Thanks,
Trevor.

 

[deluxestogie]

Maybe, so long as the heat source is not too close to the leaf, and you have a good circulation fan.

Bob

 

[Robncars]

I have been using a heater to get temps instead of a crockpot for my “burley barn”. Do you think this would work for a flue cure chamber since the leaves themselves will lose moisture during this time?

I used an old electric cooking skillet for last year with a bucket of water. This year I couldn't keep the humidity up, but I couldn't keep my chamber full either because I had multiple varieties. I had to use a crockpot to keep the humidity up. Also its easier to remove the leaves if after you hit the 165⁰ for 24hrs then lower your temp to 100⁰ and add water to the crockpot again. (I use the skillet to go higher than 100⁰ so I plug my crockpot back in) it will make the leaves easy to handle without shattering. I also have 4 fans that came in the fridge that work so I use them for circulation. But I have no vent. Venting would lower my humidity.