Growing Your Own Tobacco (updated)

Discussions on growing and cultivating tobacco.
pierredekat

Post by pierredekat »

Calumet wrote:Found some usefull information on:
http://www.pfeifenbox.de/articles/2004_en/soapy_en.htm
Sounds good to me. Though I'm not sure the author's particular tastes necessarily match up with my own, his technique sounds pretty close to what I've come up with so far.
Or are there no limits? Just make your own brew?
I don't think there's any limits, just so long as your tobacco still burns when you get done with it. :lol:

I aim to get a mild Aromatic smoker.
And I have a pack of Semois tobacco at home,But to tell you no lies
it's horrible,they call it the not for no reason "La langue du chien"
So if this is the baccy growing here I will come out like that I might try somthing else next year.
What in your opinion would make the mildest smoke?
To my taste buds, fermented tobaccos tend to be easier on the tongue. I guess the natural sugars tend to burn hot and caramelize on your tongue in the process, and fermenting removes a lot of those natural sugars.

But on the downside, I personally find that fermented tobaccos tend to leave a fouler aftertaste. If I smoke a fermented tobacco, I usually feel a strong desire to brush my teeth afterwards, whereas I don't necessarily when I smoke non-fermented tobaccos.

So there's a trade-off there: easier on the tongue, but a fouler aftertaste.
Is it in the size of the leafs or the matter of curing?
Drain the leafs in water? I've heard somthing like that but I prefer to here it from a pro. :lol:
Well, I'm hardly a pro, but yes, I do believe you can take a harsher tobacco and soak it in water, alcohol, liquor, etc., and just so long as you're draining away the liquid when you're done, you should also be removing ... something ... I don't know if it's flavor or nicotine or what, but you would be washing something out of the tobacco in the process.
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Calumet
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Post by Calumet »

Thanks again,for all your help so far.

Nick also for the advice to mix it with Perique.

When the leafs are dry I will do some experimenting.
And post my findings here.

For now gonna do some more investigating on how to's on the web
f.ex. Steaming and flavouring and what kind of stuff is mentioned a beeing hazardious for our health ect....

I realy wonder how it tastes when ready

Kind regards From Belgium
Frank
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kbadkar
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Post by kbadkar »

I checked the links you provided and found that the "native" (appearantly it's from Mexico) wild California tobacco plant was cultivated by "native" Indians for ceremonial purposes and has a high nicotine content. Victory Seeds even sell the seeds. Awesome! And I know it will grow well in this climate. I think I'll have to blend it with something else, because it's probably harsh and raunchy on it's own, since it hasn't been selected, bred, and cultivated for a 100 years or more. I wonder how Victory's seeds will compare to what grows wild out here. I'll have to try both. Pierre, do you have suggestions for a "sweeter" leaf to balance the wild stuff in a blend?
pierredekat

Post by pierredekat »

kbadkar wrote:Pierre, do you have suggestions for a "sweeter" leaf to balance the wild stuff in a blend?
Well, Virginia is supposed to have the highest natural sugar content, followed by Oriental tobacco. Those might be two good places to start.
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Smitty
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Post by Smitty »

Looks like I will have to carve out a bit of the backyard for next years crop! You guys have insired me, Thanks...I think :?
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Frank
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Post by Frank »

I read an amusing analogy about flavoured tobaccos from a guy trying to remove old tobacco odor from some estate pipes. His view on smoking flavoured tobacco was that you might as well be smoking a bowl of Fruit Loops. (For those unfamiliar with Fruit Loops, they're a fruity flavoured breakfast cereal for kids).

Hell, like I care. I enjoy my Scotty's Butternut Burley from the moment I waken until the moment I go to bed, and it doesn't cost me a fortune either.
Regards,
Frank.
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KurtHuhn
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Post by KurtHuhn »

You know, I'm not a big fan of aromatics, but Butternut Burley is some pretty damn good stuff. Even for a dedicated latakia smoker like myself.
Kurt Huhn
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Frank
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Post by Frank »

I forgot to mention, for the sake of beginner pipe smokers, the Butternut Burley has no hint of tongue bite.
I once bought drugstore tobacco when my Scotty's delivery was late. Man, that stuff bites like a junkyard dog! :flame:
Regards,
Frank.
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KurtHuhn
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Post by KurtHuhn »

Ugh. That stuff is narsty. I stopped with those after one try. I was about 23, and my tongue glowed red for days...
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Smitty
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Post by Smitty »

I just bought some seeds for Virginia, Burley and I really want to try a Latakia so I am trying Samsun. We will see how it goes.
Hoping to hear back from Pierredekat as to how his efforts faired.
pierredekat

Post by pierredekat »

Smitty wrote:I just bought some seeds for Virginia, Burley and I really want to try a Latakia so I am trying Samsun. We will see how it goes.
Hoping to hear back from Pierredekat as to how his efforts faired.
Hey, Smitty. Well, so far, so good. I have a lot of tobacco mostly cured, but I still have some growing, as well. My next project is going to be styrofoam cooler humidors.

I was going to try to get three of them made this weekend, but I just didn't have time. I harvested the last of my burley, and it took me half the day on sunday to cut the stalks, wash them, and hang them.

Up until this point, I had been hanging individual leaves as they "ripened", but what I had left -- approximately half the stalk with half the leaves -- I decided to leave together.

One thing I've noticed is that, when you hang the leaves on the stalk, the leaves tend to cure a lot darker as the sap in the stalk drains down into the leaves.

And since I already have a lot of honey-brown tobacco, I thought some more chocolate brown leaves would be nice. But wow, trying to wash whole stalks in the shower is a messy business.

In the future, I'll have to remember to put on my swimsuit. :lol:
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Smitty
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Post by Smitty »

Sounds like you have it "Going On"!
I was going to use the igloo coolers. I have enough of them around here from cigar smoking and BBQs. The shower thing is going to be a No-No according to the wife though. :wink:
I am thinking ahead here of course as I haven't got a seed in the ground yet. :D But I was also going to use a storage shed to cure some, and am thinking I might try to cure some with smoke. Flue cured I think it is called. My Father did it in Connecticut as aboy around Hartford.
pierredekat

Post by pierredekat »

Smitty wrote:and am thinking I might try to cure some with smoke. Flue cured I think it is called. My Father did it in Connecticut as aboy around Hartford.
Yes, I have been tossing that idea around, as well. I'm even thinking about using a regular "smoker" to do it, but I don't have any plans finalized, yet. Let me know what you come up with, and I'll do the same.
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Smitty
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Post by Smitty »

Great minds think alot alike! I have a big double barrel BBQ smoker and was thinking about using it for that very same purpose. I can control the temps and amount of smoke fairly easily with it for long periods of time. I cook a lot of food in it though. I don't want to have any problems with after tastes in my food. I may have to build another one to dedicate it for tobacco if this works out.
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Smitty
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Post by Smitty »

Seems as though the Samsun took off way quicker than the virginia and Burley so I am going to have a bunch of latikia leaf to experiment with. I have about 40 plants that are doing well and almost a foot tall. I was talking to my dad the other day about it and he seemed to agree that the smoker I have should work for small quanitites if it is kept smoldering. I have smoked fish in it before at very low temps for extended periods of time. I am really looking forward to the experiment.
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