Brown Thumbs Walk In kiln, Flue Cure, Attempt

[deluxestogie]

Beautiful leaf. Much, if not all of the slight green tint to some of the leaf will fade over the next few weeks.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

I will be doing a air cured comparison since I have left over leaf that don't fit in the chamber.
The first batch is out of the chamber. I thought it was wasted but to my suprise it turned out Pretty good and smells sweet. Second load in, Bright leaf , Gold dollar and White Mammoth . She is packed tight.

Try sun curing some. Jitterbugdude, leverhead and I have all sun cured flue cure varieties and we all seem to agree that the sweetness falls somewhere in between flue cured and air cured. It also cured much faster in the sun, clearing space for more leaf faster. With my humidity, I have much better luck yellowing it in the shop first before moving it in the sun. I think traditionally it is just wilted in the shade a couple of days and put in the sun still green, but it didn't work for me, some of it tried drying green, so I switched to yellowing first. I guess it's the difference in humidity or sun intensity between Alabama and Turkey.

 

[DGBAMA]

Got some good color there.

 

[Brown Thumb]

You've put together a really nice flue cure chamber to be one of the pioneers of home flue curing. How are you liking the steam injection?

It steamer works super, heat and steam at the same time. Holds the rh right where needed and when the leaf is done I crank her up and steam the leaf back into case. Takes about 2 hrs to be able ho handle.

 

[leverhead]

...I crank her up and steam the leaf back into case. Takes about 2 hrs to be able ho handle.

That's a huge plus right there!

 

[Brown Thumb]

I have the Two Chinese controllers running off if one probe for RH so I Get the same reading.
one opens the damper and turns on the fan for lowering the RH, The other turns on the steamer to raise it. I keep them set 3 % apart.
The only problem is overtemp in the bottom of the chamber after the heater shuts off it keeps climbing another 5 degrees while the heater cools back down.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Went into wilt mode this morning.
Raising temps 2 degrees a hr.
lowering rh 4.5 % a hr.
3 different types in their. they yellowed up Pretty close.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

That sher is purty lookin leaf

 

[Brown Thumb]

Thank You, JBD . Now I just got to get a little more green out while wilting and Keep it looking that way.
I need someone to build a IPhone controlled kiln for while I am not home.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Try sun curing some. Jitterbugdude, leverhead and I have all sun cured flue cure varieties and we all seem to agree that the sweetness falls somewhere in between flue cured and air cured. It also cured much faster in the sun, clearing space for more leaf faster. With my humidity, I have much better luck yellowing it in the shop first before moving it in the sun. I think traditionally it is just wilted in the shade a couple of days and put in the sun still green, but it didn't work for me, some of it tried drying green, so I switched to yellowing first. I guess it's the difference in humidity or sun intensity between Alabama and Turkey.

I am going to give it a try with my tips they are pretty big.

 

[Mad Oshea]

Try using an aluminum dryer vent from the top of the unit to the bottom with a fan to circulate the air from inside. I am putting a fan speed controle from a ceiling fan on Mine.

 

[Brown Thumb]

It does recirculate, there is four in the top and bottom. Look on the beginning of the thread you will see how I built the chamber, It is just Mad.

 

[Mad Oshea]

Got it. Good job. I'm putting two black lights in Mine for mold if something happens when I am not here. I have a steam unit to mount out side of it as well. May still go with the crock.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Screw the crock Mad, setup on a controller it is the nuts. Set it and forget it as needed.
Works for kilning And flue curing.
My heat exchanger takes out too much moisture. I was filling the crock constantly.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Second batch out last night.
I was concerned about three different types being in there.
To my suprise, The best load ever.

 

[Rickey60]

WOW, that makes me happy, happy, happy. Great job, I don't think it gets any better than that. You are a Master of Cure.

 

[leverhead]

Very nice!

 

[holyRYO]

Very well done! What a load! In know it's premature, but how does it taste? Got a favorite so far?

 

[DGBAMA]

Damn fine results. Hope you took good notes.

 

[deluxestogie]

Ah! Ze "showing of ze tobacco in ze sunlight" ploy.

Bob