gomaos Posted March 25, 2003 My light virginian tobacco plants have self-seeded into other pots...what am I supposed to do with them? Can't sell them (not allowed) don't smoke them (have given up) maybe trade? Some friends have said they were the best tobacco they ever smoked... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Auxin Posted March 25, 2003 "Some friends have said they were the best tobacco they ever smoked..." How do you ferment your tobacco? I can grow and cure it without any problems, but I still havent figured out the fermentation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gomaos Posted March 25, 2003 Oh I don't ferment them either... this was just some tobacco straight off the plant...something that had dried to a golden-brownish colour on the plant... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted March 25, 2003 just store in a closed enviroment for a while in a semi dry stage, and keep checking, specialy if the material is too wet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted March 26, 2003 "Drying When the leaves are sticky and ripe they are harvested and hung by their stems to dry. Drying takes place best when done at a high temp and humidity (90 to 110 degrees. and 65% to 75% humidity). Drying should take 6 weeks check the leaves daily to insure they are not getting brittle if the leaves are feeling too dry damp them with a spray-misting bottle. A paper bag can help slow down the drying, just blow the bag up like a balloon and tie the end around the stem. An attic with a humidifier is a good place to dry them but a closet with a heater will work well too. Next, and most important, the leaves must be cured. Curing Curing is done through one of the following methods; Flue curing; This is the standard way that industry does it with the addition of 100 or more chemicals and exposure to wood smoke or just radiant heat. This is the fastest way to cure tobacco, big shops can make 70,000 cigarettes and hour or more. It's also the most costly as the equipment costs a fortune. Aging; If the leaves are wrapped in burlap and allowed to age at a perfect humidity (72%) and a temp of 75 to 85 degrees. they will be cured "naturally" this process is the slowest and takes 18 months to 3 years. This method is the slowest, needs the least equipment (a hygrometer a humidifier and a thermometer), and dose eventually produce an excellent smoke. Fermenting; There are two methods of fermenting, stacking and kiln fermenting. The stacking method is used by large growers, stacks of tobacco weighing around 100 lbs are wrapped ion burlap and allowed to "sweat" the internal temp is closely monitored and when it reaches 140 degrees the stack is broken down to release tar, ammonia, and nicotine. The stack is torn down and rebuilt several times until the temp will no longer reach 110 degrees, the stems are stripped and stacked in a cooler place (65 degrees to age for a time (6 weeks to 6 years). Kiln fermenting is what the smaller grower must use if he or she wants to smoke any time soon. The kiln is a small-insulated container with an artificial heat source that helps to simulate the fermentation stack. The leaves are wrapped in burlap and placed in the kiln with the lid shut heat and humidity are carefully controlled (temp 125 to 135 degrees and 72 to 75% humidity) the kiln is left on 24 hours a day and opened only once a day to rotate the bundles. After a week the bundle is broken down and repacked to vent the leaves. Kiln fermenting lasts about 6 weeks, the relative humidity must be carefully maintained during this time. A short aging period will fallow of 4 to 6 weeks until the leaves can either be rolled into cigars or cut for cigarette, pipe, or chewing tobacco. Remember aging will always improve a tobacco, and any tobacco leaves can be kiln cured if it has been properly stored (humidity no lower than 50%). Smoking uncured tobacco is unpleasant and dangerous as the nicotine and ammonia contained can be fatally high, not to mention it will taste like your smoking leaves from your front yard." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted March 26, 2003 that would be fahrenheit?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Auxin Posted March 26, 2003 Thanks for the info all. Torsten, yes nabraxas was talking in farenheit- the funny obsolete american system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted March 27, 2003 err...auxin.. farenheit maybe still in use in america, but that doesn't make it american. "Fahrenheit temperature scale, scale based on 32 degree for the freezing point of water and 212 degree for the boiling point of water, the interval between the two being divided into 180 parts. The 18th-century German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit originally took as the zero of his scale the temperature of an equal ice-salt mixture and selected the values of 30 degree and 90 degree for the freezing point of water and normal body temperature, respectively; these later were revised to 32 degree and 96 degree, but the final scale required an adjustment to 98.6 degree for the latter value. Until the 1970s the Fahrenheit scale was in general common use in the English-speaking countries; the Celsius, or centigrade, scale was employed in most other countries and for scientific purposes worldwide. Since that time, however, most English-speaking countries have officially adopted the Celsius scale. The conversion formula for a temperature that is expressed on the Celsius representation is: F = (9/5 C) + 32."-encyclopeadia brittanica. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gomaos Posted March 27, 2003 jeezez a very complicated system BTW not just english-speaking countries adapted celsius...I grew up in Germany and have never known anything different there than Celsius...it's gotta be decimal or it sucks...funny ounces are still sold in Australia, I find even them hard to remember...was it 27 gram to an ounce?...weird.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted March 27, 2003 if you cut the tabacco leaves wisely, :D a part of the stem becomes a hook (observed in cuba via sbs tv) like that, you can string the leaves up with ease. ...and what realy sucks is that metric and imperial measurments are still used at power tools. :mad: meaning the router bits or sawblades just fgn often dont fit. :mad: well in oz they had 5 or more different railway gauges... [ 27. March 2003, 13:44: Message edited by: planthelper ] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
