Trials and tribulations of my first attempt
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DGBAMA
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Bex
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I suppose it might be difficult to investigate the supply chain of a commercial tobacco - but it was curious to me that there was no burley, or other blend specified in this, just Virginia.
In any event, my current run continues, although I am drawing it to a close by tomorrow morning. I went to visit my friend this morning, that has my other plants in his greenhouse. These plants were put out in the beginning of July, and have spent their lives in a warm, sunny greenhouse. They were topped about 6-8 weeks ago. And noticeably, there is not ONE yellowing leaf on any of them. Truly bizarre, I imagine.
To make this even more strange, for the leaf that I used in the current run in my freezer, there were some midribs that were way too long, that I snapped off. A few of these had a bit of leaf, still attached to them. Being an excellent housekeeper, I left the pile of midribs on the floor by the freezer. They have been laying out there in 50F or so weather, with somewhat high humidity naturally in the air. While I was checking my freezer this morning, I happened to look at them. What is laying on the top of the pile, but a midrib with leaf attached to it and....it has begun to yellow. I just don't get the rhyme or reason to this, even if the answers are somewhere in this thread!!
In any event, my current run continues, although I am drawing it to a close by tomorrow morning. I went to visit my friend this morning, that has my other plants in his greenhouse. These plants were put out in the beginning of July, and have spent their lives in a warm, sunny greenhouse. They were topped about 6-8 weeks ago. And noticeably, there is not ONE yellowing leaf on any of them. Truly bizarre, I imagine.
To make this even more strange, for the leaf that I used in the current run in my freezer, there were some midribs that were way too long, that I snapped off. A few of these had a bit of leaf, still attached to them. Being an excellent housekeeper, I left the pile of midribs on the floor by the freezer. They have been laying out there in 50F or so weather, with somewhat high humidity naturally in the air. While I was checking my freezer this morning, I happened to look at them. What is laying on the top of the pile, but a midrib with leaf attached to it and....it has begun to yellow. I just don't get the rhyme or reason to this, even if the answers are somewhere in this thread!!
DonH
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Bex
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Well, I finished my run this morning. Out of 100 leaves or so, I actually got about 20 that cured properly. The others have that green tinge along the rear of the leaf. I will experiment with kilning after my flue curing is done, and see what kind of result I get with them. So, I went up to the tunnel to get more leaves this afternoon. Ah, what a strange sight...I had not been up there in a week or so, and now, suddenly, I see slight yellowing at the tip of the lower leaves that are left up there, and along the fringe of the leaf. Wonder upon wonder, perhaps they are actually starting to mature (and probably I shouldn't have started doing anything until now, perhaps). In any event, I've started another run. 142 leaves. How do I know this exactly? Because I patted each and every one of them dry, as they had quite a bit of surface moisture (although, wonderfully, no mold on anything). I have done a bit of an experiment - I removed about half of the midrib in some of the leaves, and left it in, in others, to see if the existence of the midrib prolongs the green color. I am also not going to pay quite so 'much' attention to the hygrometer. When I finished my last run, the hygrometer still read 40% - I cannot imagine that this could be true, as the leaves were so dry and brittle that they were untouchable. When I started my current run, the little darling said 92%, just sitting on the shelf. Doubtful. Anyway, I will try to do this more by eye, feel and temp - pretty much like my first run, where I actually got some brightleaf. The tunnel is about half harvested now, although there are some small, sucker plants as well, but I would imagine, if the weather holds out, I still have about another 3 runs to go....
DGBAMA
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This should make you feel better ..... All about variety. The late harvest tops, some bright yellow, some total green...... After THREE weeks.
Bex
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I am sorry for your misfortune, but, on the other hand.....thank you!! Sometimes I (we) need to hear about these things, so that I don't 'beat myself up' trying to figure out what I did wrong.
On my last run, I strangely got some nice stuff:
And some not so nice:
(although the 'not so nice' is nicer than the photo - for some reason, the flash went off, and made everything look more grey than it is).
I am 48 hours into my current run, and things are just tootling along - I see a slight tinge of yellow here and there, which makes me hopeful, but I'm not getting overly optimistic about it. At this point, all I would like would be to be able to complete a run in less than 12 days. I am hoping that the leaf that is not curing properly can somehow be saved by kilning. Maybe, maybe not. But I'm continuing, boosted by DGBama's photo above (sorry, sorry!!).
So, DG, with the condition of those green leaves in your kiln, where do you go from there? Do you keep going with it (assuming that at some point all leaves will yellow) or do you stop??
On my last run, I strangely got some nice stuff:
And some not so nice:
(although the 'not so nice' is nicer than the photo - for some reason, the flash went off, and made everything look more grey than it is).
I am 48 hours into my current run, and things are just tootling along - I see a slight tinge of yellow here and there, which makes me hopeful, but I'm not getting overly optimistic about it. At this point, all I would like would be to be able to complete a run in less than 12 days. I am hoping that the leaf that is not curing properly can somehow be saved by kilning. Maybe, maybe not. But I'm continuing, boosted by DGBama's photo above (sorry, sorry!!).
So, DG, with the condition of those green leaves in your kiln, where do you go from there? Do you keep going with it (assuming that at some point all leaves will yellow) or do you stop??
Bex
Well-Known Member
72 hours into my current run. I've started off with the temps just a bit higher than in the past (having notice that, on my very first run where I actually did get 1 brightleaf result - which is now framed and mounted over the mantel for future generations), the temps had averaged higher than the 34C (93.something) than I have been using in the past few runs. I don't know whether or not this makes a difference, but, even though movement is slow, I'm actually seeing a bit of yellowing on some of the leaves. Funnily enough, the earlier predictions were correct - I'm only checking the container maybe 2x a day, rather than every 5 minutes. So, soldiering on, and hope that this run completes in less time than the past few ones have done. I still have a load of leaf in the tunnel, and would like to be able to process it, before it gets damaged up there.....
You'll be blown away at the difference between curing ripe leaf and what you are doing now. You'll need to start a whole new set of record keeping books.
Bex
Well-Known Member
This I am looking forward to. While it is apparent that the leaf that I am currently 'processing' is still nowhere near ripe, it is moving along in the chamber a bit faster than normal. I am coming up to 96 hours - normally I would see no movement at all at this time, but I am seeing the beginning of yellowing today. I am hoping that this works something like growing tomatoes - the tomatoes are green in the evening, and you wake up to red ones in the morning. It would be nice to wake up to yellow leaf tomorrow....!!
And next year will be easier - now that I have the tunnel, I will be able to put plants out about 2 months earlier, so that I'm not struggling in November with unripe leaf, I will look back on my 'diary' from this year, and laugh.
Bex
Well-Known Member
Sadly, no miracle of a chamber full of yellow leaf today. But there is progress, and this entire procedure has been a lesson in patience. My leaf is coming along, and I hope to be able to bump the temps up a bit tomorrow. I certainly have more yellowing than I have had in the past (where the leaf tends to go from green to brown), which, at least visually, is comforting. So, progress continues, albeit slowly.....
ArizonaDave
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Bex
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The natives are rejoicing, as it appears that I will be able to finish up my run tomorrow - a 7 day run, which certainly is an improvement. And it's just as well....I went up to the tunnel today, and there is quite a bit of condensation inside the tunnel. Something like trying to grow plants in a plastic bag. I'm unable to ventilate the tunnel, as the wind here would get into it and blow it to smithereens. I put a small propane heater in there today, but I am starting to see a bit of mold. There was 2 or 3 leaves showing this last week, and today I found another 5. Not the end of the world - I was afraid I would find a lot more damage - but now I'm in somewhat of a hurry to get the leaf out asap, before more damage occurs. I'm hoping that the heater gives me a bit more time. I will be pulling as many leaves as I can tomorrow, possibly filling the freezer up to capacity (200 leaves) in an effort to save as many plants as I can. Funnily enough, it is the more 'mature' plants that are showing signs of this - the smaller plants, at least thus far, seem to be ok.
I'm wondering, if I have to pull more leaves than the freezer will hold, is there any suggestions about how to 'store' leaf, while I'm waiting for a run to finish? It is chilly and damp here now, so pile curing may be out of the question. Has anyone ever stored their excess leaf for a week or so, and if so, what method did you use?
I'm wondering, if I have to pull more leaves than the freezer will hold, is there any suggestions about how to 'store' leaf, while I'm waiting for a run to finish? It is chilly and damp here now, so pile curing may be out of the question. Has anyone ever stored their excess leaf for a week or so, and if so, what method did you use?
If your indoor temperature is ~20ºF higher than outside, then the indoor humidity is ~1/2 what it is outside. You might consider stringing and hanging the leaf inside the house.
Bob
Bob
ArizonaDave
Well-Known Member
I'd 2nd this, as I have some hanging in my office/cigar rolling area. The VA gold has turned a wonderful yellow, and now browning, with indoor humidity now at 42%. Bob, what would you say is the best humidity? 50%?
Most leaf color-cures nicely at 60-80% RH. Once it has begun to brown, it molds above about 70%. Green leaf hung in low humidity tends to dry green.
Bob
Bob
Bex
Well-Known Member
Ah, you Americans are so funny, living in the lap of luxury!! I have no central heat in my house - one room with a turf burning range, where I can get the temps to about 70F. The rest of the house is unheated. I'll run my hygrometer in the house and check the humidity in my rooms. I imagine that a heated room is better than no heat, correct??
That must me a shocker each month, when you get the bill in the mail from your turf company. (Do you have a turf meter?)
Check the RH in each room. See what you come up with. If it's cold out, and warm in, then the humidity will be lower, unless you are boiling water.
Bob
Check the RH in each room. See what you come up with. If it's cold out, and warm in, then the humidity will be lower, unless you are boiling water.
Bob
Brown Thumb
Well-Known Member
I googled turf range and only came up with golf course stuff.
I googled turf range and only came up with golf course stuff.
Try "peat stove". Turf is another name for peat (or peat moss as it is commonly called here) and a range is a stove.
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