Petzi
Active Member
It's been 4 years that I grow Virginia tobacco and optimizes my process by reading good advice on this forum. I only produce a small amount of Virginia (3-4 plants). Part of my production is for a friend and the rest for me, smoked in a cigarette or mixed with my pipe tobacco. This year, while reading Bob's great book on making pipe tobacco, I start preparing my own mix. The easiest way to start VA - Perique! I share my way here to give ideas to some and especially to receive your comments that will improve my process.
Harvest
Regarding baked Virginia tobacco, I never paid attention to the foliar floor during my leaf harvest. It comes naturally since I harvest them from the bottom up. The drying process lasts 7 days. My harvest spanning 3 weeks to 1 month (early September to October), at the end of my drying, I get 3-4 leaf distinctions. I will be able to name them now and understand the sugar level of each block.
Pre-drying
With my freshly harvested leaves, I store them for a few days (one to three days) in a cardboard box to speed up the ripening process with the ethylene gas produced by the leaves.
My flue-curing chamber
Following the different models that I could see on the site, I made an oven that meets my requirements. Drying of 3 to 4 plants of Virginia tobacco. Temperature and humidity control. I put you the plan of my installation.
1 - Digital control with probe
It allows me to control the temperature and humidity inside the oven. Easy to set up and set up. Option: cool, heat, moisten, dry. Very cheap. Never had a problem. Alarm system if the temperature or humidity threshold is exceeded.
2 - Main structure
Assembly of 2 storage tanks for vegetables. Dimensions: 60 cm H, 40 cm L, 60 cm depth. Thickness 3 cm.
3 - Ventilation system
On the front of my dryer, I installed a small corridor with a computer fan that propels the air up and down. It brews air to prevent moisture stagnant on the leaves and stains, and distributes hot air and moisture in the oven better.
4 - Heating
It is simply a lamp with controlled ignition that produces the necessary heat. I can easily and quickly heat to temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees C. The lamp is installed on a wooden support inserted in the bottom of the structure.
5 - Humiliator
Moisture is produced by two nozzles that I found on the internet. Water supply by two barrels of 5 liters each. The capacity is sufficient for the entire drying period.
Flue-curing
I picked up Bob's table of values. I proceed as follows:
Yellowing - 30 ° to 40 ° C, 80 to 85% rh
Duration of 1 to 3 days. First day at 30 ° C, up to 40 ° C with a humidity level of 80 - 85%
Drying of the leaf - 57 ° C, 50% rh
As soon as 95% of the green (chlorophyll) is gone, I drop the humidity to 50%. As long as the humidity has not dropped, I do not raise the temperature more than 49 ° C. I noticed that if I increase the temperature and there is still a lot of humidity, small spots (brown, green) can appear on the leaves. I leave the temperature at 57 ° C and the humidity at 50% for 24 hours.
Stem drying - 74 ° C, 10% to 15% rh
I shut off the ventilation and the humidification system by increasing the heat for a day. I did not understand this step until the day I took my blond tobacco after a week of storage. He became brown. The pigments were not killed.
At the end of the process, I turn off my system, let cool before opening the lid or the bulb may break. I open the lid and let the ambient moisture enter the oven before handling the tobacco, otherwise it will break.
Post-drying
The tobacco so parts are still green is introduced to the sun for a few hours. The remainder of chlorophyll disappears more or less. I leave it at 60% - 70% rh outside humidity for one night.
Storage
First of all, I remove the main vein from the leaves. For storage, I use two different methods. The first I roll the leaves tightly and put them in a jar. The second way, I keep the leaves in their total size and vacuum them.
Use
In a mixture with a cigarette or a pipe mixture. I have seen that aging blond tobacco gives it more roundness, less sugar and less acidity.
A little experience that I described in a log previously: https://fairtradetobacco.com/posts/163550/
Here in a few lines my flue-curing process. Feel free to comment, it will improve me!
Petzi
Harvest
Regarding baked Virginia tobacco, I never paid attention to the foliar floor during my leaf harvest. It comes naturally since I harvest them from the bottom up. The drying process lasts 7 days. My harvest spanning 3 weeks to 1 month (early September to October), at the end of my drying, I get 3-4 leaf distinctions. I will be able to name them now and understand the sugar level of each block.
Pre-drying
With my freshly harvested leaves, I store them for a few days (one to three days) in a cardboard box to speed up the ripening process with the ethylene gas produced by the leaves.
My flue-curing chamber
Following the different models that I could see on the site, I made an oven that meets my requirements. Drying of 3 to 4 plants of Virginia tobacco. Temperature and humidity control. I put you the plan of my installation.
1 - Digital control with probe
It allows me to control the temperature and humidity inside the oven. Easy to set up and set up. Option: cool, heat, moisten, dry. Very cheap. Never had a problem. Alarm system if the temperature or humidity threshold is exceeded.
2 - Main structure
Assembly of 2 storage tanks for vegetables. Dimensions: 60 cm H, 40 cm L, 60 cm depth. Thickness 3 cm.
3 - Ventilation system
On the front of my dryer, I installed a small corridor with a computer fan that propels the air up and down. It brews air to prevent moisture stagnant on the leaves and stains, and distributes hot air and moisture in the oven better.
4 - Heating
It is simply a lamp with controlled ignition that produces the necessary heat. I can easily and quickly heat to temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees C. The lamp is installed on a wooden support inserted in the bottom of the structure.
5 - Humiliator
Moisture is produced by two nozzles that I found on the internet. Water supply by two barrels of 5 liters each. The capacity is sufficient for the entire drying period.
Flue-curing
I picked up Bob's table of values. I proceed as follows:
Yellowing - 30 ° to 40 ° C, 80 to 85% rh
Duration of 1 to 3 days. First day at 30 ° C, up to 40 ° C with a humidity level of 80 - 85%
Drying of the leaf - 57 ° C, 50% rh
As soon as 95% of the green (chlorophyll) is gone, I drop the humidity to 50%. As long as the humidity has not dropped, I do not raise the temperature more than 49 ° C. I noticed that if I increase the temperature and there is still a lot of humidity, small spots (brown, green) can appear on the leaves. I leave the temperature at 57 ° C and the humidity at 50% for 24 hours.
Stem drying - 74 ° C, 10% to 15% rh
I shut off the ventilation and the humidification system by increasing the heat for a day. I did not understand this step until the day I took my blond tobacco after a week of storage. He became brown. The pigments were not killed.
At the end of the process, I turn off my system, let cool before opening the lid or the bulb may break. I open the lid and let the ambient moisture enter the oven before handling the tobacco, otherwise it will break.
Post-drying
The tobacco so parts are still green is introduced to the sun for a few hours. The remainder of chlorophyll disappears more or less. I leave it at 60% - 70% rh outside humidity for one night.
Storage
First of all, I remove the main vein from the leaves. For storage, I use two different methods. The first I roll the leaves tightly and put them in a jar. The second way, I keep the leaves in their total size and vacuum them.
Use
In a mixture with a cigarette or a pipe mixture. I have seen that aging blond tobacco gives it more roundness, less sugar and less acidity.
A little experience that I described in a log previously: https://fairtradetobacco.com/posts/163550/
Here in a few lines my flue-curing process. Feel free to comment, it will improve me!
Petzi
