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Variation on the "Dash Board Fermenting" concept

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Michibacy

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I did this last year with some tobacco, it turned out well. Alas, it's too cold to do it here now so I'm considering doing the same thing with just a few modifications.

-Putting the tobacco in plastic bags (food grade, safe past boiling temp)
-expose to heat/light (does it need the light that a dash board receives or is it just the heat that makes it start fermenting?)

If you folks think it would work, I may put the tobacco in a plastic bag in an unused trash can, heat bulb in there was well and ferment that way. They would be hanging vertically so any excess fluid that happened to be in the bags would gravitate towards the bottom of the bags.

I'd imagine I would need to check daily, air out a bit etc. just the same as you do in Dash Board fermenting.

Chime in please

Michibacy
 

Jitterbugdude

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That's basically what I've been doing with my little electric roaster. I use mason jars though becasue I try to limit the amount of plasticizers/PCBs/Dioxin etc. You'll probably want to get yourself a thermostat hooked up or prop the lid open to mainain a constant temp. You do not need light to ferment.

Randy B
 

Michibacy

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Alright cool, sounds good. I usually leave it propped up just a bit to let a natural flue like action occur. I've got it running right now so hopefully it works!
 

SmokesAhoy

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I would think one of those Tupperwares for shoes would be good for this. Get the leaf into high case and press them tight so they have to share moisture. The lids aren't perfect seals so it it will off gas. Might try this next year as the sun has already gone into hiding this year.
 

Michibacy

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Hey there's an idea too. Speaking of the sun hiding, I was headed back from picking up an impact wrench from Lowes and the windshield was getting hit by small white flakes...damn you snow!
 

johnlee1933

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I would think one of those Tupperwares for shoes would be good for this. Get the leaf into high case and press them tight so they have to share moisture. The lids aren't perfect seals so it it will off gas. Might try this next year as the sun has already gone into hiding this year.
The shipping containers for Chinese take out make nice small volume humidors. Maybe they'd work for this too.

John
 

notcrack

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I would think one of those Tupperwares for shoes would be good for this. Get the leaf into high case and press them tight so they have to share moisture. The lids aren't perfect seals so it it will off gas. Might try this next year as the sun has already gone into hiding this year.

This is almost exactly what I do. I buy the storage boxes made for clothes that have a click on lid, drill a few holes down the side and squeeze a few kilos in there and let them sit near the radiators. In 2 months it has taken really bright yellow flue cured and made quite a satisfying orange leaf with a decent taste.
 

notcrack

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No. They're fully cured, but fermentation still takes place. As is my understanding. You've made me doubt that believe now though lol.
 

leverhead

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I do similarly to my flue-cured, below 18% MC, but not dry, kept in a warm place. A couple of months makes a big difference in the smell and texture of the leaf. Tonight I'll find the pertinent information. It's basically enzymes breaking sucrose down to simpler sugars.
 

Jitterbugdude

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Those are the changes that occur DURING flue curing. What about changes AFTER flue curing? I started a new thread on the changes that occur as flue cured tobacco ages
 

wazzappenning

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i searched for it and i got the other site. one guy said he did it with green leaf. i was wondering if i should take my cardboard box curing (scraps) which have all dried out and transfer them to a zippy bag spray, and put them in front of a window for the sun to hit them? im guessing though that most of this has to do with the temps a car hits in the sun (that i doubt i will reach in the house) (maybe inside the bag?)

on second thought wrap the zippy in a black bag. no uv, more heat absoption.
 

Fisherman

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I see this is an old thread but I didn't want to make a new thread on same subject.

When doing the dashboard method. should :
1] tobacco be dry?
2] Should you add water?

I added about 1/2 pound of dry leaf to a gallon bag and it sweated a little but nothing is soggy. It smelled like hay for a few days now smells almost like tea or tobacco. Has been in bag a week only.
It never smelled like ammonia so I was wondering If I should have or still should wet it some??????????

I ran search on "dashboard curing" and didn't find anything specifically on the subject. I added a tag to this thread for dashboard curing but cant tell if it helps in other peoples searchs????
 

Michibacy

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The tobacco should be, in my experience, moist enough to move without turning to dust, but dry enough it won't mold readily. I've only ever had it smell like ammonia 1 time, all the other times it smells like hay until the color I want is achieved, I let it air out and after a couple weeks it gains that all familiar tobacco smell.
 

Fisherman

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Was yours green or color cured when you put in the bag?
I messed around and wet it somewhat but will dry it back out. I was straight off the drying line when I put it in and it made a little water on inside bag without adding some but was hunting that ammonia smell. Thanks :)
 

Michibacy

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Sorry to bring back an old thread but I just now (yeah....3 and a half years later) noticed I never responded to Fisherman's question, my apologies. (Hopefully you'll see this, as I am again reattempting this method).

When I put mine in the plastic bags, I had them color cured and soft, not brittle to the touch. I then allowed the natural moisture (for the most part) from the leaf to condensate in the bag.

To resurrect this concept, I'll be using an insulated 35 gallon trash can from my previous Can Kiln attempt (ceramic heating element used). I would much rather use the mini crock pot and open chamber design previously noted in this forum, but the basement we have tends to stay a bit humid, and I would hate to have the inclusion of any mold or bacteria spores into the chamber, thus I'll be using the plastic bags to make "mini" chambers within the trash can, and use the crock pot as the heat source, as my 80watt ceramic heating element never put out enough heat, even with a combination aluminum heat sink and PC fan to circulate air.

I'll try and grab some photos once I get it together.

Has anyone attempted this concept since the original posting of this thread?

(PS moderators, if you would like me to make a new thread instead of bringing up this old one, let me know and I'd be glad to do so.
 
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