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hey from new Zealand

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vesta

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There is a ferry from Picton (south island) to Wellington. It takes 3 hours to cross. but the quickest is by mechanical bird.
For me the last time I ventured towards the northern climes i drove for hrs. to get to Picton so from now on i tend to fly straight up. There are peeps who swim across Its 22kms at its narrowest point. Can be a unfriendly patch of water with the tasman sea and the pacific meeting in there.


:The waters of Cook Strait are dominated by strong tidal flows. The tidal flow through Cook Strait is unusual in that the tidal elevation at the ends of the strait are almost exactly out of phase with one another, so high water on one side meets low water on the other. Strong currents result, with almost zero tidal height change in the centre of the strait. Although the tidal surge should flow in one direction for six hours and then the reverse direction for six hours, a particular surge might last eight or ten hours with the reverse surge enfeebled. In especially boisterous weather conditions the reverse surge can be negated, and the flow can remain in the same direction through three surge periods and longer. This is indicated on marine charts for the region.[SUP][10][/SUP] Furthermore the submarine ridges running off from the coast complicate the ocean flow and turbulence
just for interest: The first person to swim cook strait.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10661369
was my fathers best mate... He was an amazing guy.

I have been reading through a number of forums and i'm starting to get a little cofused.. i'm about to embark on the drying process of the bulk of my tobacco. I have already started drying small amounts and am having real trouble stopping it drying green and turning crispy.
How i understand (forgive me if i use the wrong terms, i will slowly pick them up as i go) it i've got to first dry the tobacco brown with the cosistency of leather, then put it into a controlled environment (42o : 85%) slowly flavoring it and sweeting the amonia out of the leaf..is that the way to do it?? i have read about different methods and starting to question myself.. what is the best practise?
I'd love to know a better method of drying the tobacco.. we're having incredibly hot dry weather 32o at present which isn't helping one iota.. for those not familiar with NZ (north) average temps this time of year should be around 23 - 25..
 

Knucklehead

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You must slow down the drying and introduce moisture somehow. Wet the floor, suspend towels from a tub of water, put your leaves closer together so they are sharing each others moisture, etc. They are drying too fast. If they dry green, they will never make good tobacco.
Where are you curing them now? In a shed, barn? Tell us what you are doing.
 

vesta

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You must slow down the drying and introduce moisture somehow. Wet the floor, suspend towels from a tub of water, put your leaves closer together so they are sharing each others moisture, etc. They are drying too fast. If they dry green, they will never make good tobacco.
Where are you curing them now? In a shed, barn? Tell us what you are doing.

I haven't started the curing yet but i will be doing that in an vented old fridge with a crock pot controlled by a thermo controller. At this stage i am only drying the tobacco. Some are hanging in the shed some outside under a vine and some in an old closet type of thing..What i'm finding is that any leaves I've discarded on the ground where the crop is are the ones that are drying most successfully..it's frustrating as hell...
 

johnlee1933

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I haven't started the curing yet but i will be doing that in an vented old fridge with a crock pot controlled by a thermo controller. At this stage i am only drying the tobacco. Some are hanging in the shed some outside under a vine and some in an old closet type of thing..What i'm finding is that any leaves I've discarded on the ground where the crop is are the ones that are drying most successfully..it's frustrating as hell...
Drying the leaf is also known as "color curing". It is the process of going from fresh picked green leaf to yellow or brown leaf with much of the moisture removed. The RATE at which the moisture is allowed to evaporate is critical.. Too fast (low humidity) you get a leaf the is dry but green. Too slow (high humidity) and mold becomes a problem. What you would like is about 70/80% RH and temps around 80° F. Much of the commentary and help suggestions are aimed at that. -·- John
 

SmokesAhoy

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yeah we had someone that read once that you just pick it, dry it and smoke it. i hope you are letting it color cure!
 

vesta

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yeah we had someone that read once that you just pick it, dry it and smoke it. i hope you are letting it color cure!
yeah i know, this is why i'm getting myself confused. some are saying exactly what you've written here and others have got other methods etc..i just want to do what works and stick to it..
when i'm donig the colour curing can i add flavour to the crockpot at that stage or do i have to wait till it has dried brown and then start that process ??
 

Knucklehead

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Have you read the curing and air curing sections on the forum. Color curing starts right after picking. And before the crock pot kiln or toasting or flavoring.
 

jekylnz

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just for interest: The first person to swim cook strait.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10661369
was my fathers best mate... He was an amazing guy.

I have been reading through a number of forums and i'm starting to get a little cofused.. i'm about to embark on the drying process of the bulk of my tobacco. I have already started drying small amounts and am having real trouble stopping it drying green and turning crispy.
How i understand (forgive me if i use the wrong terms, i will slowly pick them up as i go) it i've got to first dry the tobacco brown with the cosistency of leather, then put it into a controlled environment (42o : 85%) slowly flavoring it and sweeting the amonia out of the leaf..is that the way to do it?? i have read about different methods and starting to question myself.. what is the best practise?
I'd love to know a better method of drying the tobacco.. we're having incredibly hot dry weather 32o at present which isn't helping one iota.. for those not familiar with NZ (north) average temps this time of year should be around 23 - 25..

Im in sth Auckland and was having a few stay green,but like the others said ,I found keeping them bunched together they color better and won't dry so quick,even on real hot days I'll give them a light mist spray,also watch for mold tho wen bunched
 

Knucklehead

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vesta - it sounds like you found this forum in just the nick of time. We can help save your crop. Go to this link that takes you to a thread I started for you. We don't want to hijack jeckylnz's introduction thread. It will be under How to grow tobacco, curing tobacco (not curing arrangements) and then air cured. just click this link: http://fairtradetobacco.com/showthread.php?1954-vesta-curing-questions
 

FormerMember

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gday guys i just joined this forum tonight im in westport. im going to try hydroponic tobacco this spring/summer.
will be getting the gear together over winter.
has anyone in nz imported whole leaf successfully?
i want to buy a pound but cant afford to loose it at customs.
any advice appreciated.
cheers
 

deluxestogie

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Welcome to the forum. This is a 5 year old thread.

Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forum. If you enter your general location within your profile, it will appear alongside each of your posts.

Bob
 

Orson Carte

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gday guys i just joined this forum tonight im in westport. im going to try hydroponic tobacco this spring/summer.
will be getting the gear together over winter.
has anyone in nz imported whole leaf successfully?
i want to buy a pound but cant afford to loose it at customs.
any advice appreciated.
cheers

You won't lose a pound of it at Customs. Up to around 10 pounds will get through, duty-free.
But, they'll probably keep it for a month or more and charge you an extra $45 for the privilege of ruining it for you. And, it will cost you, in total, around $106 for a pound to land on your doorstep.
(See, my other posting to you for further explanation).
 
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