Bigdog
Well-Known Member
If you can use a bit of salt and water to calibrate a hygrometer, can't that same method be used to maintain 70% rh in a curing chamber?
Salt cure?
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DonH
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Yes, that has been done. But mostly it helps to keep the humidity under 70%. At the high temps needed for curing it wouldn't kick out enough water to keep it at 70% without another water source like a crockpot. Most refrigerator kilns go through 3 quarts of water a day.
Here's what you're looking for. http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/2434-Calibrating-a-Hygrometer?highlight=calibrating+hygrometer
Bigdog
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Istanbulin, it is that thread that started me on my quest, but I am looking for a low maintanance way of fermenting and was wondering if the calibration method can be employed on a larger scale to stabilize your kiln. Don, I'm only home for 4 days every 2 weeks so I'm thinking, what if I put a quart of saltpaste in my kiln and compliment it with a pan of water that is kept full by a external source. Wil the saltpaste keep the rh at acceptible levels even with the heat at 120°f?
DonH
Well-Known Member
That might work, it's worth a try. It might be easier to use the crockpot method. In that method you can control the humidity by adjusting the lid in the crockpot. And if you're able to feed the crockpot with water from outside the kiln than you wouldn't have to be there to fill the crockpot once a day. What is your heat source in the kiln?
Hygrometer calibration is generally carried in room temperatures (20-25 C - optimum 23 C). At 120 F (approx. 50 C) air can hold more water so this will cause a decrease in RH. There're some more factors in this issue (pressures etc.) and I'm not able to recall Physics 101. It may not work (probably) but there's no reason to try. How can you keep the salt in paste form with an external source ? I think this is quite hard. If I were you I'd buy some boveda and try this experimet with them.
First of all, I would not be inclined to use the term, "salt cure." It suggests salt in contact with the tobacco--like salt cod. "Salt stabilization of kiln humidity" might be more descriptive.
I have two small kilns. Both use a single two-quart Crockpot as the heat and humidity source. One contains a cup of rock salt; the other does not. After several years of continuous use, I can't say that I notice a significant difference in the final leaf.
Water usage is determined by the unique characteristics of the seal and ventilation of each kiln, as well as the heat intensity setting of the Crockpot (low vs. high). One of mine uses 1.5 cups of water every 4 days. The other uses 2 cups of water every 3 days. It's perfectly fine if the leaf dries completely from time to time, so long as you realize that little in the way of chemical change is happening in the leaf during the time that it is too dry. My routine 4 weeks of kilning seems to accomplish the kilning process, regardless of the leaf variety or stalk position. (Tip leaf, from the top of the plant, usually requires several weeks in low case after kilning to release all its off odors.)
Bob
I have two small kilns. Both use a single two-quart Crockpot as the heat and humidity source. One contains a cup of rock salt; the other does not. After several years of continuous use, I can't say that I notice a significant difference in the final leaf.
Water usage is determined by the unique characteristics of the seal and ventilation of each kiln, as well as the heat intensity setting of the Crockpot (low vs. high). One of mine uses 1.5 cups of water every 4 days. The other uses 2 cups of water every 3 days. It's perfectly fine if the leaf dries completely from time to time, so long as you realize that little in the way of chemical change is happening in the leaf during the time that it is too dry. My routine 4 weeks of kilning seems to accomplish the kilning process, regardless of the leaf variety or stalk position. (Tip leaf, from the top of the plant, usually requires several weeks in low case after kilning to release all its off odors.)
Bob
DGBAMA
Well-Known Member
Not sure, I had the same idea; was going to put a 3 gal bucket of water/rocksalt slurry in my kiln to try it but as of yet have not done it.
A couple guys have put a float valve in the crockpot with a small hose to a larger external water source so as to not need to open the kiln to add water every couple days.
I cannot keep over 70% humidity in my kiln at any more than 100 deg. (must figure out my sealing better I think). I have a batch in now which I placed in plastic totes with lids within the kiln. With this I can keep the humidity within the containers at 70-80% with 120 deg temp and only add a few ounces of water to the baccy in the containers about once a week. The containers seem to be doing the job.
I also have some baccy shredded and placed in Ziploc bags within the kiln........after two weeks, the baccy within the bags is still in low case and have added no water at all. Looking forward to seeing how it finishes.
Bigdog
Well-Known Member
Seems like there is something here, I've got some leaf that I can experiment with, I'm thinking of a "daytime kiln", I'm going to take a white 5 gallon plastic bucket with lid, put a 1gallon plastick container, with 3 quarts watery salt slury, inside and leave it in a spot that gets sun for the whole day. I'll strip the midrib out of 20 leaves and see what it does. It should reach at least 105°F once a day and 75% RH once a night. That seems better than nothing. How important is airing, and how often does it have to be done?
At one time, I used saturated table salt in a cooler to store bagged tobacco. I put a box of cigarette tubes in it, they picked up a fowl taste, had to trash them. Abandoned the salt idea. I you do it, try it on a small batch first.
Sould be "If you do it..." typo
Another option, look into using saturated glycol mixtures. That is the preferred method for humidors. Once I learned that you don't need a humidor to store tobacco, I never tried it.
Bigdog
Well-Known Member
I've set it up as I said. Will let you know what happened. Still need to know if is necessary to air it out though.
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