Misplaced PA Ridge Runners Attenpt to Stock Cure at 104 to 107 witha RH od 10%

[Ishi]

It was 107 and i needed to stock cure some plants. All my space for leaf cure is full.

Started off by just hanging. Day 2 was drying too fast so i added the blue tarp over the top. Day 3 still drying too fast so put tarp on the walls. This is what i ended up with. Only time will tell!

The row that is hanging next to the wall is drying green before i got it covered.

 

[Knucklehead]

I'm having to change up my curing procedure also, but I'm not at your extremes of temp and humidity. If you have a hygrometer, you can check humidity under the tarp. You may have to wet the floor. It's good that the floor is dirt.

 

[deluxestogie]

If the leaf and stalk are giving up their own moisture by evaporation into the enclosed curing space (rather than by added humidity), then evaporative cooling of the leaf surface may keep its temperature below the crucial 104ºF at which the leaf begins to cook. If you add humidity to the surrounding air within the tent, then evaporative cooling may be diminished. Having leaf attached to the entire stalk probably provides a temporary moisture resource for the leaf. Rapid water transpiration (and evaporation) from leaf surfaces is how plants can survive very high ambient temperatures, so long as there is sufficient moisture in the soil root zone.

Tough situation for curing tobacco.

Example of evaporative cooling:
Human skin will promptly scald at 120ºF, yet humans can walk into a sauna kept at 140ºF, and remain there safely until they dehydrate. That ability to survive 140ºF air is because human can sweat, and the evaporative cooling keeps the skin well below 120ºF. IF the humidity in the sauna is high enough to prevent evaporation of sweat from the skin, then a human would scald quickly, and die soon thereafter.

Bob

 

[Ishi]

That is why I am trying the stock cure in the tent. Same idea as a swamp cooler that we have in the house at 107 and 10%RH you can get a 30 degree drop in the air cumming out of the cooler. Before refrigeration they used to use a tall boxes with burlap in the sides and keep it wet for butter and milk. Will let you all know how it turns out.

 

[Knucklehead]

Good luck Ishi, those are some tough conditions. We can learn a lot from your experience.

 

[johnlee1933]

That is why I am trying the stock cure in the tent. Same idea as a swamp cooler that we have in the house at 107 and 10%RH you can get a 30 degree drop in the air cumming out of the cooler. Before refrigeration they used to use a tall boxes with burlap in the sides and keep it wet for butter and milk. Will let you all know how it turns out.

I have used swamp coolers and they work very well with hot dry air. I have found the cylindrical ones with dripping water and a good sized fan work best and should address your humidity problem. Good luck.

John

 

[Ishi]

John;
No power to this hay barn.

 

[Fisherman]

How is drying coming????