Oldfella's 2021 grow & cure

[Oldfella]

Yeah that's fine you can poke fun at me, I don't mind.I don't know why we have to have so many different named units for things. ft-mm. Psi- kpa, °c - °f, etc, etc. The most confusing one I came across years ago was kpi, (kilograms per square inch). It took me awhile to figure that out, finally found it in an American Pipeline Standard. No wonder I get confused
Some pictures of my toasting games.
Still to high.
Better.
Burns well tastes, not bad.
Ash is grey and holds nicely.
I will play with casings and blends tomorrow. I'm hoping to get my kiln finished enough next week so I can harvest the rest of my crop before winter and wet weather sets in.

 

[deluxestogie]

Experimentation is always fun and enlightening to all of us. In going with higher temperatures, you might consider the time a simple electric toaster requires to go from soft white bread to toast, and on to burnt toast. I would be inclined to begin low and brief, then sneak it to higher temps and longer times if needed.

Bob

 

[Oldfella]

You're right Bob. But I have to admit that I'm renowned for leaping in boots and all. I'll try again today start low and work up. It’s all good fun. At least the batches I've done are smokeable, except for the first one that's been blended with the compost for ageing.

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

To keep the bears from eating you, just hang pieces of meat around your house.

Bob

does this work for cougars as well hahah

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Your daughter is an excellent gardener and has a great teacher Keep posting and getting better!! Glad your getting better

 

[Oldfella]

does this work for cougars as well hahah

Probably

 

[Knucklehead]

does this work for cougars as well hahah

I just tell them I’m in a committed relationship and they move on. They understand.

 

[Oldfella]

Hi guys, well my 20-21 season has finally drawn to a close, the weather didn't play nicely so kiln didn't get finished.
Never mind I got my harvest done in time so that's good. Time to start thinking about what I'm going to plant for the 21-22 season, I'll have a scratch through my seed collection and see what I've got. I'll do another post soon and let you all know, I'll put some pictures in as well.
Oldfella

 

[Oldfella]

A little trials and tribulation post.
Looks we have a technical hitch can't upload any pictures. Never mind I'm sure they'll sort it out.
In the meantime other than health problems it's been a good year for my grow. I've gotten everything harvested and stashed away for ageing. I'm now concentrating on finishing my kiln aka Tobacco Processing Chamber.
Out of last year's grows I think I like liked Yellow twist bud, Golden Harvest, for the Burley. Izmir Ozbas for Orientals and of course my favorite Virginia gold. This coming year I will stick with the V.G. and the Y.T.B. I'm undecided on the rest, have to think about it. I got the dressing removed from my burnt arm today and all has healed up great, so that's good news.
Oldfella

 

[Oldfella]

I'll try again with the pics.
Just getting on with my knitting here. Looks like it's OK now.
A few pics of my cardboard box yellowing process.
green in day 1.

put newspaper on top.

put another leaf or two then more paper. Carry on until box is full or you run out of leaves.

I like to inspect the leaves for bugs,dirt ect. I just use a brush to gently remove impurities.

every day or two tip the box upside down and empty. Restack putting top to bottom, check for mold or rot. If found remove the offenders.

Ready to hang to complete the cure.
Nearly there, another day should do it.
Need hang this one, any longer and the dreaded rot may occur.
out of the box now and hanging around.
And finally a WORM.

Enjoy.

 

[Oldfella]

Here's a photo for @deluxestogie. A rock formation found on a beach just North of us by my Niece.
A Martian Tortal hunter maybe?

Interesting what natural formations can do. Looks like a good day coming up so maybe I will be able to work on my lawn tractor.
Oldfella

 

[Knucklehead]

Here's a photo for @deluxestogie. A rock formation found on a beach just North of us by my Niece.
A Martian Tortal hunter maybe?
View attachment 39057
Interesting what natural formations can do. Looks like a good day coming up so maybe I will be able to work on my lawn tractor.
Oldfella

I see a cut stump with wood grain. That’s wild.

 

[Charly]

with an interesting smiling face !

 

[Oldfella]

Sorry people I misspoke, I meant stump but was so busy thinking about Mars rocks.
A lot of native timber was milled over 150 years ago so it maybe a leftover of that time. Who would think that there was anything to smile about when you're being chopped down.
Oldfella

Edit: I got my new drive belt fitted to my lawn tractor.

 

[Yug]

I have harvested the last of the leaves and here the weather is getting cooler and wetter. I tried, for the first time, to place the leaves in a box with newspaper sheets in between as Oldfella did. I have two questions:
1) I have found that indeed the leaves turn yellow quickly. I assume this is due to the rapid disappearance of chlorophyll. Why this speed, would it be due to the absence of light?
2) Does this process allow for a shorter "air cured" time?

 

[deluxestogie]

I'll sneak into this conversation. Tobacco leaves (and apples and pears and bananas and other fruit) produce ethylene gas as they ripen. The presence of ethylene gas, in turn, accelerates ripening. When you trap ripening leaves together, the ripening of each leaf adds to the speed of ripening of the other leaves.

Bob

 

[Yug]

Thank you very much Bob. I am very impressed with your science on tobacco and plants. Can I infer that this exposure to ethylene gas will then help the air cured process with less hot and humid conditions than normal? (I know, I need to build my oven for "flue cured" process )

 

[Oldfella]

Bob's answered your first question. As for the second. The leaves will be ready when they're ready. Air curing time is dependent on the weather conditions at the time. Warm sunny days, quiet quickly. Cloudy rainy days, slower.
All the cardboard box does is make it possible to color-cure the leaves when the weather doesn't permit it.
Try not to rush things to much, you'll only spoil your crop.
Oldfella

 

[Yug]

All the cardboard box does is make it possible to color-cure the leaves when the weather doesn't permit it.
Try not to rush things to much, you'll only spoil your crop.
Oldfella

Thanks Oldfella, that's what I thought. I kind of suspected that the paper would not do miracles with the bad weather, even if it does give a forecast.

 

[deluxestogie]

Can I infer that this exposure to ethylene gas will then help the air cured process

In general, the ethylene gets leaf to yellow sooner. A word of caution though. With white stem burley varieties (which are most of today's burleys), the yellowing already occurs more rapidly than the other necessary metabolic processes of color-curing [oxidation of carbohydrates and albuminous proteins], due to a genetic chlorophyll defect. So, regardless of how you yellow the leaf, allow extra time (weeks) after burley goes to brown, before assuming that it is fully color-cured.

Bob