Curing

Once you've grown and harvested your tobacco, what do you do with it? Talk about it here.
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pierredekat

Curing

Post by pierredekat »

Well, I thought I would kick off this new tobacco processing section with some information I've found on curing tobacco.

"Curing" is the first stage of tobacco processing and refers to a variety of methods employed to turn green tobacco leaves brown and make them suitable for smoking, chewing, etc.

The late great Chris Gurney developed an economical tobacco curing chamber that has a lot of merit. It allows for very controlled tobacco curing, which, by many accounts, results in a better quality tobacco. And it allows people in apartments, etc., to cure tobacco without stinking the place up, as the "exhaust" can be vented outdoors.

Chris also documented a quick how-to on "sweating" tobacco to convert it, via a short fermentation process, from green to yellow. Once it's yellow, tobacco will turn brown naturally. This method is used a lot with Havana and other dark tobaccos to ensure that the leaves don't dry green.

Of course, if you're harvesting leaves after they have started to yellow, sweating isn't necessary, but if you still have dark green tobacco toward the end of the season, when it's turning cooler outside, sweating might help you get over that green-to-yellow hump on your way to rich brown tobacco.

For air curing, your goal is to get your tobacco hanging -- either on rods, canes, galvanized wire, etc. -- in an environment where the temperature ranges from 90 to 130 (F) degrees, the relative humidity is somewhere in the 70 to 80 percent range, and there is enough air circulating to ward off mold.

Depending on the variety of tobacco and the method used, curing can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks and should ultimately result in tobacco that is golden tan to chocolate brown in color and dry to the extent that the main rib will break when you bend it.

Looking at the ideal conditions for curing tobacco -- 90-130 (F) degrees, 70-80 percent humidity, slight air circulation -- there are a myriad of possible locations to cure your leaf. The rafters of a garage, your attic, a barn or storage shed, etc., could all be pressed into service.

Once cured, tobacco can be left to hang for an extended period of time, or it can be moved to a humidor or stored in brown paper bags in a moderately humid location to age and/or await further processing.

Cheers.
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NuViking
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Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:54 am
Location: Open plains of southern Sask Canada

Post by NuViking »

Hi there. A little experiment I pulled off this fall. Out on the dry prairies we sometimes have a problem with grasshoppers and they like a little chew once in awhile. We were also facing our first frost in early sept and I didnt know how fros would treat teh plants. So I picked a bunch of the plants and hung them in my shop. half of the leaves turned brown but the other half was kinda brownish green. I took many of the brownish green leaves and made chewing tobacco out of them and half I soaked for a few days in some home made ruhbarb wine. I have tried wine before and the smoke is alot like a low end cigar taste. an acceptable blending or filler tobacco. The leaves turned brown in the wine . I let them dry for a few days before toasting in the oven
The few plants that I left outside exposed to frost were actualy not that bad. The frostbit leaves first turned a dark green color, sweated most of their moisturee out then dryed to a dark brown color. Next year I am not going to worry about frost. The flavor was week but still a good filler.
helicopters do not eat their offspring
pierredekat

Post by pierredekat »

NuViking wrote:Out on the dry prairies we sometimes have a problem with grasshoppers and they like a little chew once in awhile.
Oh, man, I hear you about the bugs. Every day this summer, that was part of my routine: water plants and check for bugs.

I had some of the biggest caterpillars I've ever seen just appear overnight. They were green -- I guess from eating all my tobacco -- and as big as my finger. Fortunately, I could just pluck-em-and-chuck-em whenever I found them.

And oddly, wasps are your friend. I watched wasps buzzing around my plants, picking up the smaller caterpillars, and hauling them off to feed their young. Wild stuff.
We were also facing our first frost in early sept and I didnt know how fros would treat teh plants. So I picked a bunch of the plants and hung them in my shop. half of the leaves turned brown but the other half was kinda brownish green. I took many of the brownish green leaves and made chewing tobacco out of them and half I soaked for a few days in some home made ruhbarb wine. I have tried wine before and the smoke is alot like a low end cigar taste. an acceptable blending or filler tobacco. The leaves turned brown in the wine . I let them dry for a few days before toasting in the oven
The few plants that I left outside exposed to frost were actualy not that bad. The frostbit leaves first turned a dark green color, sweated most of their moisturee out then dryed to a dark brown color. Next year I am not going to worry about frost. The flavor was week but still a good filler.
Hmmm, interesting. I'm not sure where I would find rhubarb wine, but maybe I could get my hands on some sort of alternative wine. I'll have to try that on a batch. Thanks.
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NuViking
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:54 am
Location: Open plains of southern Sask Canada

Post by NuViking »

I made the rhubarb wine myself. I am a closet hillbilly. I make my own beer, some wine from time to time and my own liquers. I have grown tobacco a few times but this was my best crop ever. I have also been on a forum called coffinnails and have found a wealth of info there. I will be doing many more experiments with next years crops.
As soon as I figure out how to post pics here I will send some in of my plants.
helicopters do not eat their offspring
pierredekat

Post by pierredekat »

NuViking wrote:I made the rhubarb wine myself. I am a closet hillbilly. I make my own beer, some wine from time to time and my own liquers. I have grown tobacco a few times but this was my best crop ever. I have also been on a forum called coffinnails and have found a wealth of info there. I will be doing many more experiments with next years crops.
As soon as I figure out how to post pics here I will send some in of my plants.
What you call "hillbilly", I call "Rural Renaissance Man". It sounds like you have all the bases covered, in other words. I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures.
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NuViking
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:54 am
Location: Open plains of southern Sask Canada

Post by NuViking »

I think next year I am going to try to roll some cigars too. This year I made some chew out of the last of the leaves and I love it. Can hardly be bothered with store bought blends anymore.
helicopters do not eat their offspring
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