Brown Thumbs Walk In kiln, Flue Cure, Attempt

[Brown Thumb]

I will do this when I get home then just mark the diff next to controller that is wrong.
I peeped in the hole this morning and they are starting to yellow up nicely .
At least something is going in the right direction.

Thank You, Workhorse
That worked perfect, I was able to grab the top sensor thru the peep hole with a coat hanger and pull it out.
Took the readings from both controllers with the same sensor in Ice Water. Got my differences, Now it is Spot on.
Getting the top sensor back into the wire tie loop was another story. Click, chug, chug, Looks like I got to get my own. Yellowing up nicely.
,

 

[Brown Thumb]

I am into 72 hrs at approx. 100 degrees and over 90 rh.
I would say 89.6 are yellow the rest are light green.
Should I start ramping up to wilt or wait till the morning.
The tips are curling on almost everything, I might have packed them too tight.

 

[DGBAMA]

I would say goto 104 hold about 8 hrs then go to temps.

 

[AmaxB]

YES move on

 

[Brown Thumb]

Thank You Guys, up we go .
A few things I learned so far.
1. Make a wet bulb , I was in a hurry and have not made one yet.
2.Check your controllers, temp and humidity calibration. See Workhorse.
3. HeatBox , Do not build one like mine. The heater is fine but it is too tight around it .
It takes the rh, right out of the air. Build a box like Amex, so air,moisture goes around also.
4. Electrical enclosure is A Must Have, 110,220,whatever you must ground and have Enclosed.
You never know when the neighbor, nephew, ect. Will put there hand on it.

 

[Boboro]

GFIs are a must When elc. and drunks collide.

 

[DGBAMA]

GFIs are a must When elc. and drunks collide.

Would be a good idea to add an arc-fault circuit breaker too.
http:// http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc-fault_circuit_interrupter

 

[Brown Thumb]

I went to 104 overnight, started ramping this morning and now up to 120.
I am going to keep rh up 95%.
I still have some light green leaf and veins, Should I be concerned?
thanx.

 

[AmaxB]

Start reducing RH - 110 to 135 you want wet bulb of 105F & 135 up you want 110F wet bulb.
105 / 110 to 120 / 135 you are fixing color do not ramp to fast if you have a nice yellow it could go red or even brown
If you hold humidity to high for to long you may go from yellow to red

watch your leaf after most has gone yellow (some may be very light green) you will see it start to shrink a bit, when you see this (wilt stage) move to higher temps slowly 1 - 2F an hour at this point take wet bulb to 110F.
About the wet bulb I tried a number of different style set-ups after 4 I went back to the glass bottle with the rubber nipple it worked best and will hold water through the entire cure.
The others I tried would drip and loose their water.

 

[AmaxB]

This batch #7 I started differently than all the others. I blasted the heat at 110F for about an hour it took that long for my sensor in the tobacco to read 90F. Than I dropped heat to 91F and held for 1 hour, I than blasted the heat at 120F until I had a top chamber reading of 110F (about an hour) than dropped back down to 91F heat and let the chamber cool to 91F am now 19 hours in to the cure. I held humidity at 98% am now 94.5%
am watching the leaves I want damp not wet...from my reading wet can lead to red / brown / dark brown tobacco

 

[Brown Thumb]

Man, I Brown Thumbed this batch It has been over 48 hrs. A Lot of leaf is not drying in middle of the leaf. Why, I put all the leaf in the same direction and now it is all hugging each other. It is past the leaf drying stage and the leaf is still in med. Case+ on the inside. I am running 135 degrees 35 rh. Should I just keep it there and check it in the morning.
thanx

 

[AmaxB]

Sounds like it has compressed to the middle of your wire? All facing same direction makes no difference but density / even loading does.
What is the color?
Guessing you left 120 degrees and ramped to 135 to soon / to fast.
I would wait, cut the temp back to 125 and wait you could be screwed no matter the choice. If the leaf lamina is not dry and you proceed you could sponge and or scald.
I am guessing................

 

[Brown Thumb]

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They were tight to start with. Then the leaf all curled the same direction trapping the moisture between the leaves,
I let them at 130 overnight 35rh and they seem to have caught up.
Time to kill the stems.

 

[Rickey60]

What are you holding in the bottom picture? Most of it looks good to me.
Rick

 

[DGBAMA]

Looks like good color to me. Well done.

 

[Brown Thumb]

What are you holding in the bottom picture? Most of it looks good to me.
Rick

A pic of The way the leaf cupped over each other trapping the moisture. that is the stem end facing you. Bad pic,

 

[Brown Thumb]

Looks like good color to me. Well done.

Thanx, Amex for all your help!
I still need to find a stinking shoe lace to make my wet bulb.
screw digital, my Rh meter was 20% off and I did not know.

 

[AmaxB]

That looks yellow to me the little bit of green should change if ya age it.
Your on track I would call that a win for first run.

 

[deluxestogie]

The color looks prety good.

If you string the leaf back-to-back, front-to-front, in pairs, they will attempt to curl and cup in opposite directions--usually.

Bob

 

[Fisherman]

This batch #7 I started differently than all the others. I blasted the heat at 110F for about an hour it took that long for my sensor in the tobacco to read 90F. Than I dropped heat to 91F and held for 1 hour, I than blasted the heat at 120F until I had a top chamber reading of 110F (about an hour) than dropped back down to 91F heat and let the chamber cool to 91F am now 19 hours in to the cure. I held humidity at 98% am now 94.5%
am watching the leaves I want damp not wet...from my reading wet can lead to red / brown / dark brown tobacco

On the last 2 runs I made I had a leaf fall into the water pan and they both stayed pale yellow the whole time.... I am guessing the red brown spotting etc. happens when the leaf is removed to atmosphere. I am sure the leaf I talk of are ruined as for content tho