Wood odor in tobacco

[Rickey60]

I have a question? Last year I built my kiln with luan plywood. It put a bad smell and taste in my tobacco. It was all I had at the time. How can I get this smell out of my tobacco? I will build a new one this year and line it with Hardie backer to bloc all unwanted odors.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Re: odor in tobacco

tobacco is renowned for its ability to pick up scents. maybe try airing it out for a long time, or storing in something with a scent you like for more time

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: odor in tobacco

Bring it up in case and let it dry out / air out where it can breathe good. Inside bud bags is good if you still have some. Some age could help.

 

[Matty]

Re: odor in tobacco

Sometimes bringing the tobacco in and out of high case to dry a few times helps. Also, if all else fails you could try rinsing it with water.

Edit: dang Knucks beat me to it

 

[deluxestogie]

Re: odor in tobacco

What odor are we talking about. My understanding is that luan is odorless. Perhaps glue odor from plywood?

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

Re: odor in tobacco

I would bet the kiln temp released fumes of residual adhesive from the plywood, and that the flavor is not from the wood itself. Running the kiln empty at a somewhat higher than normal temp with a pan of unused unlit charcoal inside (to absorb odor) should finish off anything left in the wood. Maybe give it a try then run 6-8oz of baccy through a cycle to test before doing another big batch. You may find you don't have to rebuild after all.

 

[Brown Thumb]

I run anything I build way over temp to release any gasses befor I use it for Baccy.
Let it Air Out?

 

[Rickey60]

Re: odor in tobacco

What odor are we talking about. My understanding is that luan is odorless. Perhaps glue odor from plywood?

Bob

Bob, this luan was used when I built my home. It is from China and it does have an odor of some type of wood that I cannot idinify. It does not smell like a glue or binder. It is not made like regular laminated plywood but has a bottom veneer then square pieces of wood and then a top veneer.
Thanks to everyone for you input, i will try them out. I do not have anything to lose.

 

[TheNewestOldtimer]

I have a question? Last year I built my kiln with luan plywood. It put a bad smell and taste in my tobacco. It was all I had at the time. How can I get this smell out of my tobacco? I will build a new one this year and line it with Hardie backer to bloc all unwanted odors.

If it is picking up the odor out of the air and not from direct contact with the wood it is likely to be some volatile compound(s). My best recommendation is to dry out the leave until they are completely dry and crispy(be careful to not break them). What this should do is get rid of any moisture where the volatile compounds may have dissolved in. This will also allow the compounds to evaporate. Then rehydrate them. The number 1 thing to remember be very careful when handling the dry leaf it is fragile. This is the same reason why you do not have to ferment cig tobacco complete drying lets the NH3 evaporate make a smoother smoke.

 

[Mad Oshea]

I think if it absorbed the odor it will always be there at one level or another.. The wood was probably intended for door skins or the like. And no telling what the glue was. Some woods shiped have a pesticide on them by export laws to prevent pests of any kind entering the ports. They do it with pallets . I think that one would be very difficult to tell You what to do on that one?? Got Me lost . Somthing to think about. Saftey is My first thought. I lost some from the insulation I used one time. Same thing.

 

[deluxestogie]

Some woods shiped have a pesticide on them by export laws to prevent pests of any kind entering the ports. Somthing to think about.

That's an excellent and worrisome point.

Bob

 

[Jitterbugdude]

How can I get this smell out of my tobacco?

Not sure if you can. You could try replacing the smell/odor with something else. For instance, load your kiln back up, put a bowl of vanilla extract in and let the leaves absorb the vanilla flavor ( or a flavor of your choice). It might work, or it might make your tobacco taste like vanilla luan.

 

[AmaxB]

I have a question? Last year I built my kiln with luan plywood. It put a bad smell and taste in my tobacco. It was all I had at the time. How can I get this smell out of my tobacco? I will build a new one this year and line it with Hardie backer to bloc all unwanted odors.

This is a road I have been down
If it were me and I wanted to continue to use the Kiln, I would buy urethane paint (gloss) coat the interior rolling it into the wood with a through away roller. Let it dry and coat a second time and let it dry. Run your kiln empty at 130 F plus for a few weeks and open every few days to allow poor air out and fresh air in.
If you line with Hardy Board you want to seal it or it will take moisture from your air in the kiln.
If you use food grade tub with a gasket in the lid, it will protect your tobacco and the need for crock pot & humidity in the air will be no more. Just put damp tobacco in the tub.
Don't know what to tell you about your tainted tobacco, I would not smoke it.
This is not what you want to hear but I hope it helps..

Brent

 

[Rickey60]

Thanks to all for your answers.
I will try to remove the order just to see if i can but will not smoke due to the risk it being tanted with pesticide.
Brent, i remember you had a problem last year with an odor on one of your first runs in your new chamber. I am going to redo the inside the way you did yours. I think a good coat of urethane paint would help any chamber made with a wood product. You never know were the lumber can from or what it was treated with. No one would want to smoke tobacco laced with who knows what.
Rick

 

[Mad Oshea]

You may look into MARLITE, It is what they put on the kit. wall in restrants and rest rooms.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I built my kiln out of 2 inch thick rigid foam insulation. I ran it for 24 hours at high temp to off-gas and have never had an odor issue.

 

[Boboro]

Some of that stuff has formaldehyde in it. It caused quite a stir when they put it in FEMA trailors.

 

[TheNewestOldtimer]

Thanks to all for your answers.
I will try to remove the order just to see if i can but will not smoke due to the risk it being tanted with pesticide.
Brent, i remember you had a problem last year with an odor on one of your first runs in your new chamber. I am going to redo the inside the way you did yours. I think a good coat of urethane paint would help any chamber made with a wood product. You never know were the lumber can from or what it was treated with. No one would want to smoke tobacco laced with who knows what.
Rick

The best that I can tell if any insecticide were to be used on pallets or plywood in the USA aside from the yellow or green treated lumber would be Fipronil. I would like for a member to correct me on this if I am wrong. Even Fipronil is unlikely to see being used on wood. As far as I know it is one of, if not the only broad spectrum insecticide used for public hygiene type things (type things is a scientific term). It is not volatile and is completely odorless. So I could be wrong that Fipronil is used on wood, but I don't know of any other insecticide that would be "safe" to expose the general public to.

I think it was Mad Oshea who stated that some pallets are treated with insecticide as a safety measure or import restriction. Could you perhaps find where you heard this or provide the trade or chemical name for the insecticide? I have not heard of trade restrictions on Chinese plywood regarding bug infestation (but then again I have not heard a lot of things).

So basically to recap my point. If they were to use an insecticide it could have been Fipronil. If infact it were Fipronil unless the leaf came in direct contact with the wood contamination would not be an issue. Also if it were Fipronil it would not be responsible for any smell as it is odorless. I am not recommending to smoke leaf that that you suspect to be contaminated I am simply informing you with what I have read. (please note this is not advise on what to do. You must make your own decision. I am providing you what I know. I am not necessarily providing factual info that should be to make a decision. In other words if you use what I say and end up getting hurt how unlikely that is to happen just don't blame me. )

 

[leverhead]

... I am not recommending to smoke leaf that that you suspect to be contaminated...

It wouldn't be much different than smoking big tobacco's products

 

[Brown Thumb]

This might help.
http://home.wlu.edu/~evanss/resources/Conferences/USITT/Dust_Collection/Luan-MSDS.pdf