Preparing Burley for cigarette blend

[Knucklehead]

It's for cigs. I haven't tried it or any other casing, but he claims you don't taste much chocolate but it gives the tobacco a really smooth pleasant taste and takes the bite out of Burley.
http://fairtradetobacco.com/showthread.php?130-Hershey-s-syrup-recipe

 

[AmaxB]

I have tried it Alabamaknucklehead for me it was ok and led to a few of these other crazy things I have been doing. I did a good deal of reading yesterday other forums, articles, in ref to burley. Along the way am picking up a level of some understanding of what the roasting, toasting, baking is intended to do. I seen Don's recipe at various places it is a good recipe.
I love my cigs and this is the first time in my 56 years that I have had the opportunity to smoke whole leaf and experiment with it so am just a kid in the candy store.

Yesterday I made another batch an oz or so of tobacco shredded (Bright VA and MD Burley 50/50) did a solution of water bout 2 oz, teaspoon of honey, 1/2 teaspoon chocolate syrup, 1/4 teaspoon Carmel syrup. Wet the tobacco till soggy mixing it than shaped it into a like cake 1/2 inch thick and roasted / toasted at 176F till dry mixing and flipping it till dry being careful not to singe it. When finished smoked one for me it was a bit light, but taste was good. Put it in a container and misted lightly with water (that was yesterday). Just made a smoke with it added a little straight bright leaf makes a nice smoke if ya like lights but with a slight nicotine kick.
Made another smoke this time I mixed it 50/50 with that that I baked Letting moisture vent slowly (see the post in this thread above) I like this better full and rich but very smooth.

Here is a pic of the stuff I roasted yesterday the tobacco at the left is what it looked like before I roasted it.
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I'll make up about a half pack of cigs out of the second one I rolled to smoke today

 

[Michibacy]

I usually treat my cigarette tobacco with that syrup recipe. I tried a coffee roasted tobacco the other day, let it age for a bit and see how it smokes.

 

[AmaxB]

How do ya like that ya did with the coffee Michibacy?

 

[Michibacy]

I've yet to smoke it, but after 3 days of "cooling off" it smells very pleasant. Not so raw as it did before. I'll let you know when I smoke it

 

[Knucklehead]

What is the "double toasted Burley" that was used in Chesterfield and Lucky Strikes?

 

[holyRYO]

Total newb to whole leaf, but experienced in RYO/pipe cut tobaccos. What surprised me is the harshness of the burley. Accustomed to burley being the least harsh, if not soothing. Besides the body it brings, this is why I love the stuff. Ok, why is the OTC so smooth and the whole leaf the opposite? I am thinking the answer my be the use of PG and glycerin? Aromatic pipe tobacco is drenched in the stuff, like smoking vapor, opposite of harsh, no flavor. Traditional OTC pipe tobaccos like PA, CH, and SWR have some PG, but still good flavor, and zero harshness. I have tried one casing/topping experiment with pancake syrup, helped the harshness somewhat, but not enough. Is PG or glycerin the answer? Newb wants to know... any experience?

 

[deluxestogie]

...why is the OTC so smooth and the whole leaf the opposite?

I'm going to stick my neck out and say, "time." Without kilning, it takes most burley varieties 6 months to 3 years to age into smoothness. Even after kilning, my burleys have required another month of rest in order to calm down.

Bob

 

[johnlee1933]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say, "time." Without kilning, it takes most burley varieties 6 months to 3 years to age into smoothness. Even after kilning, my burleys have required another month of rest in order to calm down.

Bob

Bob, When your leaf is hanging what kind of temp/humidity ranges do you see?

 

[DonH]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say, "time." Without kilning, it takes most burley varieties 6 months to 3 years to age into smoothness. Even after kilning, my burleys have required another month of rest in order to calm down.

Bob

Bob, I followed your advice last year and primed my Burley early and after seven months it's smooth as silk and doesn't need toasting. I didnt even kiln it. I think stalk curing mature Burley requires aging and toasting.

 

[deluxestogie]

Bob, When your leaf is hanging what kind of temp/humidity ranges do you see?

My shed is open to the ambient conditions. I do not heat it, but do use a box fan year round, and a temp-controlled window exhaust fan. So the hanging leaf is exposed to typical temp and humidity for my location.

Bob

 

[johnlee1933]

My shed is open to the ambient conditions. I do not heat it, but do use a box fan year round, and a temp-controlled window exhaust fan. So the hanging leaf is exposed to typical temp and humidity for my location.Bob

Thanks, I am pretty much the same except I'd guess it is a bit cooler here. I hang leaf in a closed sun porch but glass doors permit good circulation when desired and a ceiling fan stirs it continuously when desired. My only add on is humidifiers I can run when I want to soften leaf for rolling.

Different subject. Did you ever try to roll a cigar from shredded leaf? If so how'd it turn out?

 

[Knucklehead]

Total newb to whole leaf, but experienced in RYO/pipe cut tobaccos. What surprised me is the harshness of the burley. Accustomed to burley being the least harsh, if not soothing. Besides the body it brings, this is why I love the stuff. Ok, why is the OTC so smooth and the whole leaf the opposite? I am thinking the answer my be the use of PG and glycerin? Aromatic pipe tobacco is drenched in the stuff, like smoking vapor, opposite of harsh, no flavor. Traditional OTC pipe tobaccos like PA, CH, and SWR have some PG, but still good flavor, and zero harshness. I have tried one casing/topping experiment with pancake syrup, helped the harshness somewhat, but not enough. Is PG or glycerin the answer? Newb wants to know... any experience?

Did you not like any of the methods described in this thread? Toasting alone does wonders for the harshness.

 

[johnlee1933]

Did you not like any of the methods described in this thread? Toasting alone does wonders for the harshness.

Very true. I am considering toasting whole leaf as a blender for my cigars. It'll be a neat experiment. Rib a leaf. Toast one half and not the other. Blend it in the same proportion in two different cigars and see what difference (if any) you can taste.

 

[Michibacy]

Very true. I am considering toasting whole leaf as a blender for my cigars. It'll be a neat experiment. Rib a leaf. Toast one half and not the other. Blend it in the same proportion in two different cigars and see what difference (if any) you can taste.

I've done this with my Green Brior as well as some burley from Bigbonner. The toasting does wonders, as well as letting it age AFTER you've toasted. The telltale signs of grassyness are nearly gone after it ages.

 

[holyRYO]

Did you not like any of the methods described in this thread? Toasting alone does wonders for the harshness.

I have not tried toasting yet. Still wonder if anyone has fooled with PG or glycerin and its effects on harshness of burley?

 

[DonH]

I have not tried toasting yet. Still wonder if anyone has fooled with PG or glycerin and its effects on harshness of burley?

Toasting would be better, imo, than messing around with those humectants. I doubt they will affect the harshness except by keeping it moist but who knows?

Try toasting a small batch (it's easy) and smoking side by side a puro cigarette with untoasted Burley and toasted Burley. Last time I smoked a pure untoasted Burley, I couldn't even finish it. It was rough. But a pure toasted Burley cigarette tastes pretty good. Just spray it with a solution of 1 teaspoon honey and 8 oz water in a mist spray setting. Put it on a plate in an oven preheated to 250 F and leave it in until it's dry. Take it out, put it in a ziploc and give it a couple of short mists and leave overnight. Later you can experiment with flavorings but they are not needed, but some kind of sugar lowers the pH of the smoke, which is key. The toasting part evaporates some of the things that also cause harshness, I think.

 

[Michibacy]

I have not tried toasting yet. Still wonder if anyone has fooled with PG or glycerin and its effects on harshness of burley?

I've used glycerin before, wish I hadn't. I've used it in casings before as well as without. IMO when mixed, I never noticed a difference with or without. Using it pure made a semi-sticky leaf that for me atleast slowed down the burning a lot but just wasn't something I wanted to smoke too much.

 

[Boboro]

I use it in shisha and dont think it takes away harshness. Toastin it should.

 

[holyRYO]

Thanks gents for the info, going to try the toasting next.