Perique mold

[Ellis003]

Hi Gang

As some of you know I only got into the hobby of tobacco last year. As it's new I tried to cure my tobacco in three different locations to see which would work the best/which I could maintain heat & humidity. As a result I lost about two thirds of my crop so because I had so little left I tried two different types of finishing just incase one went bad. One of which was perique. So the first time I put it in water with pressure it was fine then I took it out to air and repack with new water but since then the water is constantly going mouldy. Any ideas what is causing this? Or do you think it's ok to take out and pack for storage? Cheers and as always "Gentlemen you may smoke"

Doug

 

[GreenDragon]

Making perique is basically a controlled rot (bacterial bloom) followed by a partial fermentation (yeast bloom), both in an anaerobic environment. You know you are doing it right if it stinks to high heaven the first few months. Don't change the water - doing so just restarts the process and you are throwing away the flavor components that are being developed. After several attempts myself, I decided to leave it up to the experts in Louisiana and buy it. Instead I use my Beerique technique. While the result is not exactly comparable to real perique it's faster and doesn't smell.

 

[Ellis003]

Thanks mate I'll give that a try later this year

 

[Guyrox]

As I bought some Perique and it's potentially sold damp in vacuum sealed bags, what would be the best way to prevent mold from developing after I receive it (storage)?

 

[adamziegler]

As I bought some Perique and it's potentially sold damp in vacuum sealed bags, what would be the best way to prevent mold from developing after I receive it (storage)?

I took it out of the bag and flattened out the leaf and left to hang in the hot sun for several hours until case dropped considerably. My leaf is still workable, and has been store in a plastic bag since then for 6-8mo with no mold.

 

[ProZachJ]

As I bought some Perique and it's potentially sold damp in vacuum sealed bags, what would be the best way to prevent mold from developing after I receive it (storage)?

If the bag is fully vacuum sealed then it shouldn't grow mold, but since it's not really easy to use straight out of a vacuum sealed bag, I also took mine out and flattened the leaf. I let it hang out on my processing table in my room that is kept at 45% humidity by a dehumidifier for 24 hrs. At that point it was pretty dry (noisy but not crispy) then I shredded it and put it into a acrylic "humidor jar"

I don't put all my tobacco in such jars but this seems to keep my SJP in peak useable condition, moreso than just sealing it in a mason jar like I do with most of my blending ingredients.

 

[deluxestogie]

If the bag is fully vacuum sealed then it shouldn't grow mold

Agree. In the past, I stored an opened then re-closed bag of perique in the refrigerator. Although it did not develop mold, it eventually began to show signs of yeast growth—after many months. What grows under aerobic, refrigerator conditions is also dependent on luck.

For the past few years, whenever I open a new packet of WLT perique, I dry all of it, then store it in low case, just like any other tobacco.

Bob

 

[Havok]

This thread was starting to get me a bit anxious, so I decided to go check on my own perique stash. I pack mine into plastic food containers right out of the bag from WLT, high case and all.

May be just the right conditions in my storage room. No mold on my perique, and the oldest stuff has been there for almost 1.5 years.

Bob- what are the signs of yeast growth and what do you recommend doing with finding that on your perique?

 

[deluxestogie]

Yeast typically appears as tiny (~1 to 2 mm diameter), gelatinous, perhaps slightly yellowish dots on the surface. In the past, when I found that on refrigerator-stored SJP perique, I detected no unusual odor. I just peeled off the surface layer of the perique, and discarded it. The remainder, I dried for ongoing storage at room temp.

Bob

EDIT: I've stored soggy perique in a closed container within the fridge for as long as 15 months without signs of mold or yeast. But mold spores are ubiquitous, and Pichia anomala yeast are what make perique into perique, so the risks are always there, so long as there is sufficient moisture.

 

[Guyrox]

Ok, so when ready to use, take it out to give it some dry time and then store in a good food container. Thank you, gents.

 

[Guyrox]

As I have no experience with Perique leaf, should I consider my Perique done (mold) or is this a normal turnout, as it dries?







Some of these brown spots seem dry to the touch. Others, not, but not wet, either, just flexible.

I can't say if the leaf smells like mold......................It smells like Perique.

 

[ProZachJ]

Looks normal to me.

 

[Guyrox]

Looks normal to me.

Thank you.