Processing Burley

[Bot]

I have been wondering what kind of processing might be required to make the WLT Kentucky burley palatable in a pipe. WLT website says it needs processing to become palatable, or to use it as only a small part of a blend. Toasting or making it into cavendish, are the only two processes I am aware of - I have much to learn.

Also, I wonder how it would be, to smoke all on its own.

I'll know one day, after my first order from WLT arrives. I also look forward to trying the dark fired Kentucky, and the dark air cured, straight, in a pipe.

 

[deluxestogie]

For my pipe blends, 50% straight burley is pretty much my max. More commonly, the burley is 25% or less. I truly enjoy burley cooked into Cavendish, as a pipe blending component. With my home-grown burley, I always kiln it after it has cured.

Bob

 

[Bot]

Thanks for the reply Bob. Hmm, kilning. I'll be reading all about all the finishing processes, in a cool book I received yesterday, called 'Grow Your Own Cigars'. I look forward to diving in to the book.

 

[jman590]

I have been wondering what kind of processing might be required to make the WLT Kentucky burley palatable in a pipe. WLT website says it needs processing to become palatable, or to use it as only a small part of a blend. Toasting or making it into cavendish, are the only two processes I am aware of - I have much to learn.

Also, I wonder how it would be, to smoke all on its own.

I'll know one day, after my first order from WLT arrives. I also look forward to trying the dark fired Kentucky, and the dark air cured, straight, in a pipe.

Dark air cured is decent fresh out of the bag. It is relatively smooth, but doesn't have a great flavor. I had some in the oven last night, but haven't had a chance to try it yet.

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum, @jman590. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forum. You may find topics of interest in our Index of Key Forum Threads, linked in the menu bar.

Bob

 

[jman590]

Cooked some dark air cured @230°F for 2 hours, rotating the leaf every 30min. It's pretty dry right now but it smells good. Had to sample it, and it tastes pretty good. It's still a little harsh at first, but it smoothes out after a little bit. I'm not sure how to smooth out the roughness I'm getting though. I've been reading that actual toasting needs to be hotter. Am I kilning it at these temps?

 

[deluxestogie]

Kilning is carried out below 130°F, and with continuously high humidity. If you have some Oriental or flue-cured Virginia, try blending one of those with the dark air-cured, at a ratio of 50:50. See if this alters what you are perceiving as "roughness". If it changes it, then adjust the blend ratio. Dark air-cured leaf produces rather alkaline smoke—bite at the rear of the tongue. Both Oriental and flue-cured produce smoke that is more acidic—bite toward the tip of the tongue. A magical blend of the alkaline and acidic will land in a relatively neutral pH, and the bite vanishes. This is regardless of nicotine content.

Bob

 

[jman590]

Bites the nose, I have noticed that I almost always retrohale while smoking the pipe.

 

[jman590]

I just picked up some Kentucky burley and some dark fire cured, along with some other stuff. The dark fire cured kinda feels like the same leaf as the dark air cured. I'm thinking that something about the fire curing process is the key here. The fire cured stuff had no sting on the nose and in all honesty was very enjoyable straight. I'll do some digging and report back.

 

[deluxestogie]

Dark air-cured varieties and dark fire-cured varieties differ only in that the additional fire-curing is traditionally used in some of those varieties. That is to say, they are all the same general market class of tobacco. All dark air/fire-cured varieties can be cured either way. Prior to more modern environmental control, in geographic areas that tended to be overly humid during the curing season, small fires were built within the curing sheds to prevent mold. These geographic areas became associated with fire-cured tobacco, while the less humid areas became associated with air-cured tobacco.

One feature of both is that the leaf morphology is similar. They are heavy and thick, with more dense trichomes (leaf hairs) than other tobacco varieties, which makes them sticky and higher in nicotine.

In areas of Mexico and Brazil, small open fires (of dried banana plant waste or other random, dried vegetation) are still routinely used to avoid mold during "air"-curing. This imparts a recognizable aroma to Mexican and Brazilian cigar tobaccos which are not identified as "fire-cured".

Bob