Attempt at making sun-cured rajangan

[ChinaVoodoo]

The process was briefly described to me by Tutu. In Indonesia, they apparently shred certain tobacco before sun curing them. This article sparked my interest even more: https://medium.com/@pylorns/indonesian-pipe-tobacco-71630487a33d

Then I found this photo of the process


I picked the lowest leaves of Delhi 34 yesterday and piled them overnight. Then I pulled out the yellowest of the lot and destemmed them.


I sliced it with a knife.




I put them in a 1020 basket and put clear domes both on top and underneath the tray with the dome vents open. I'll probably have to stir it every day until dry.

 

[Tutu]

Re: Attempt at making sun-cured rangingan

It's wrongly spelled in the article, as it's Rajangan. You are making a very interesting attempt here. Funny thing is that while you are using the lower leafs for rajangan, here on Java the rajangan farmers don't cut up the lowest leafs of the plant but sun cure them straight as whole leafs, strip them, and sell them as Jatim. So only the middle plant positions are used for rajangan. I guess it doesn't matter much for your experiment. I most definitely want to see pictures of how it ends up. If it ends up being good, you should grow some of the Indonesian varieties that are actually used here for rajangan!

 

[Hasse SWE]

Re: Attempt at making sun-cured rangingan

Chinavoodoo really interesting if you keep on with this project, I have spoken with a friend and decided to make something similar next season. But as Tutu saying, perhaps I should take a second look at my next season grow-list (don't think I have any Indonesian tobacco in that)... I was planning to grow most dark variants.. But interesting to see this already this year..

 

[Gavroche]

Re: Attempt at making sun-cured rangingan

Hello China which hygrometry in your opinion in your tank?


Thank you


Hello China

quelle hygrométrie à votre avis dans votre cuve ?

Merci

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Re: Attempt at making sun-cured rangingan

Hello China which hygrometry in your opinion in your tank?


Thank you


Hello China

quelle hygrométrie à votre avis dans votre cuve ?

Merci

I'll put a hygrometer inside and report back. Outside the dome is 25% according to the weather report.

 

[Tutu]

Just for fun, let me include a few photos of a meeting I had with farmers last Friday night. These farmers grow normal dark air cured, but I know that some of them have experience with sun cured Kasturi and with rajangan, mostly Samporis. We're showing them some slides and videos on a screen from tobacco grown in the States and we're handing out farmer handbooks and such.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

That looks like a lot of fun, Tutu. To be involved both in improving farm efficiency, having an expert workforce. Everyone benefits.

Gavroche, by the time I woke up, the tobacco was 3/4 dry. It was pointless to try to get a humidity reading. That box probably got pretty hot. Good thing the tobacco was already yellow. I wonder if it would darken more if I closed the vents.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Random large leaf scraps that had fallen in the field after harvest seem to be sun curing really nicely. There seem to be quite a few ways to skin a cat.

I am going to try this in a 1020 tray too.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Random large leaf scraps that had fallen in the field after harvest seem to be sun curing really nicely. There seem to be quite a few ways to skin a cat.

I am going to try this in a 1020 tray too.

It was just the mesh insert. I don't know if I was clear on that. It happened to be a green one. A black one might be even warmer.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

This morning it was all moist again. I closed the vents completely. Now it's totally dry. It smells good.
Here's the images.

 

[Tutu]

Sure looks good to me! Would be nice to smell it. Are you going to blend it or are you going to try and smoke it straight later on?

 

[Leftynick]

That look good. Keep us updated about the taste

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Sure looks good to me! Would be nice to smell it. Are you going to blend it or are you going to try and smoke it straight later on?

I don't have much patience. It'll rehydrate on its own tonight and you'll probably have my tasting notes early morning (Mountain Daylight Time).

I was expecting it to shrink more than it did. Next time I'll probably be more diligent in getting a narrow cut.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

When I smelled the tobacco this morning, I didn't think it was ready. It smelled green. Nervous about smoking it anyways, I was pleasantly surprised at how decent it was. It tasted like freshly flue cured tobacco to me. It can only improve, hey.

 

[Charly]

Very interesting !
Thank you ChinaVoodoo for sharing your experiment with us !
If I find enough time, I will try to do the same too

 

[Leftynick]

When I smelled the tobacco this morning, I didn't think it was ready. It smelled green. Nervous about smoking it anyways, I was pleasantly surprised at how decent it was. It tasted like freshly flue cured tobacco to me. It can only improve, hey.

I smoke Malaysian version of rajangan tobacco almost daily. It does smelled raw and green and taste somewhat harsh. Here, they just sun cure the tobacco, packed it and ready to sell. I tried to kiln the tobacco but it just lose all the flavor and become tasteless. The nicotine also seems to diminish too. That is why I think most of my homegrown tobacco is a little low in strength. The taste is different though. The rajangan tobacco green taste translated into flowery bouquet on my palette. It taste good with nipa leaves or cornhusk too. The traditional way to smoke this tobacco is with a sprinkle of cloves, and a touch of incense to add the flavor depth. But I dont know the variety of tobacco used in the tobacco, so it might be different from your tobacco.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I smoke Malaysian version of rajangan tobacco almost daily. It does smelled raw and green and taste somewhat harsh. Here, they just sun cure the tobacco, packed it and ready to sell. I tried to kiln the tobacco but it just lose all the flavor and become tasteless. The nicotine also seems to diminish too. That is why I think most of my homegrown tobacco is a little low in strength. The taste is different though. The rajangan tobacco green taste translated into flowery bouquet on my palette. It taste good with nipa leaves or cornhusk too. The traditional way to smoke this tobacco is with a sprinkle of cloves, and a touch of incense to add the flavor depth. But I dont know the variety of tobacco used in the tobacco, so it might be different from your tobacco.

View attachment 21854

Is it s burley tobacco? I am using a bright tobacco, so I don't expect the authentic rajangan this year. Next year though.

I have to say, since it's already shredded, kilning will be much easier. I just have to stuff it into a jar and seal it.

 

[Leftynick]

Is it s burley tobacco? I am using a bright tobacco, so I don't expect the authentic rajangan this year. Next year though.

I have to say, since it's already shredded, kilning will be much easier. I just have to stuff it into a jar and seal it.

I dont know what type of tobacco it is. The research I made has scattered information. Some claim it oriental because of the process, some claim it burley because of the nicotine content.

 

[Tutu]

Yeah that's an interesting question. Over here on Java the Rajangan comes from these varieties called Samporis, Moris, and a few others. Then there are the Madura varieties which are usually a bit lighter. I think they are somewhat like Burley, but not the same. As Deluxestogie found, they crossed varieties with Orientals on Madura to get something different. I don't think it's being grown on a large scale, but evidently it's there. In other islands they are using local varieties, like the ones from Sumba and Timor-Leste. They are cured like Rajangan as well. I am not sure what the varieties are like in Malaysia. Probably somewhat similar.

Maybe Lefty, I can send you some of my finished leaf, the sun cured ones, as I don't smoke cigarettes anyway. I think it'd be nice for you to have a few different things to blend with. I am not sure what leaf you are working with at the moment. I can send you some Besuki, both sun cured and air cured. I have some dark air cured Liquiça for you which really has its own typical smell, and I have a lot of sun cured KxA for you, which is the Kasturi X Amersfoort cross. Those leafs are all sun cured and thin. Then I am currently sun curing Xanthi. None of those are in Rajangan form, you'd have to shred them yourself. Let me know if you are interested.

As for China, keep them coming. Looking forward to new updates!

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Tutu, when they do this in Indonesia, how long does it take? Is it in proper, 12 to 15% case when it's done, or is it dry?

I think my tobacco dried out too quickly. What little green there was initially was still there afterwards. It only took two days, and it was bone dry afterwards.

I'm doing another batch trying to slow it down. I have a bottom 1020 tray with a quarter inch of water, the tobacco in a basket, the clear dome with vents open. Today, day one, according to my thermometer/hygrometer which records minimums and maximums, the min max temperatures and humidity was 49F to 104F, and 55% to 100%. It was a cloudy day.