Ammonia smell
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forumdotabaco
Well-Known Member
I dont know Dominican but the ammonia smell I do and its normal, at least in unaged tobacco like burleys etc , cigar types
the white dots are not mould, but sugar I guess
the white dots are not mould, but sugar I guess
buck
Well-Known Member
I had the same issue with Dominican seco and Nic habano viso , you need take what you intend to use and air it out for a few days.. the release of Ammonia is a bi-product of the fermentation process. I don't know what the dots are but I know it's natural and nothing like mold but curious if someone can explain that.
BarG
Founding Member
Almost any tobacco will produce that smell when unaged and enclosed. I noticed that if I shred a small quantity of fresh cured mainly you need to allow a small air escape in the container or ziplock . That will also help if your in to high case during shredding to prevent mold. Your flue cured shouldn't have that problem as well as aged tobacco.
Is the fermentation process then unfinished ?
It's part of the aging process. The older it gets the better it will smell and taste. Sort of like wine. Just air it out and it will be okay.
Brown Thumb
Well-Known Member
Them dots are a good thing . Quality leaf I forget what they call them. Frog Eyes?
The problem (if you want to call it that) with the vapor proof bags is not only do they not allow moisture to escape from the bags...they don't allow gases to escape either. Ammonia is a naturally occurring product of the tobacco as it ferments and ages.
The tobacco you're worried about has been professionally fermented and is used by many premium cigar producers. As I've mentioned many times before...simply take the tobacco out of the bag and shake it out to remove the ammonia. It takes less than 30 seconds to correct the issue.
The tobacco you're worried about has been professionally fermented and is used by many premium cigar producers. As I've mentioned many times before...simply take the tobacco out of the bag and shake it out to remove the ammonia. It takes less than 30 seconds to correct the issue.
BarG
Founding Member
I have never noticed any ammonia smell from The aged leaf I bought from WLT. Just from my homegrown by not allowing the ammonia smell to escape. Particularly if it is in a high case.
It's normal.
ok, aired it out overnight and the smell is gone ... back to rolling !
Just googled entubado y semi entubado and saw some nice methods on youtube !
Cutting the edges for making the round head was something new for me
Thanks for the answers,
Jan.
Just googled entubado y semi entubado and saw some nice methods on youtube !
Cutting the edges for making the round head was something new for me
Thanks for the answers,
Jan.
ArizonaDave
Well-Known Member
It's normal. So is the brown spots, I kind of like them. The dominican tobacco is medium in strength, and pairs well with Piloto Cubano Seco, Dominican Liguero, ⅛ to ¼ Brazillian Mata Fina, and Nicaraguan Habano Seco. Some leaves are good enough for a wrapper, but for even burning it's best paired with a thin wrapper. Hope this helps.
Yes, most of the ammonia smell will dissipate. I put some leaves in my humidor for two weeks, and the smell was gone. Even in the Dominican Liguero.
It's good tobacco for a blend!
Bruck
Well-Known Member
The ammonia smell is normal as mentioned above. After rolling a batch of cigars I let them dry out for a couple days b/f putting it in the humi. They tend to offgas some ammonia smell (Mrs. Bruck calls it the damp diaper smell) for a week or two in the humi so I open it up to let it breathe every couple of days. Usually after a couple of weeks they're ready to smoke.
ArizonaDave
Well-Known Member
Oh! The damp diaper smell! It's been some years since I've had to deal with that! Plus the Grand kids haven't had that problem in a few years
Ammonia is not bad, it's just a sign of gasses being released, like Don (FmGrowit) said. It's just part of the aging process. I have an Ashton desktop humi that works well to take out those gasses quickly, lots of Spanish Cedar, it does wonders!
I'm thinking he's had his answer over and over here in different ways.........
Ben Brand
Well-Known Member
The spots are definitely a good thing. It is what I call a ripe spot, it means that the tobacco was ripe when picked. When I was a comercial grower we always wished for spots like that. Our neighbour farmers in Zimbabwe always grew tobacco with spots like that, nice ripe dark orange flu-cured tobacco. We in SA couldnt do it, must be a climate thing, much more moisture in Zim.
I realy wouldn`t worry about the spots, its a good spot.
I realy wouldn`t worry about the spots, its a good spot.
CT Tobaccoman
Well-Known Member
It can be a sign of incomplete fermentation. It is also true that if fermented tobacco is kept in airtight containers, the ammonia smell will develop, since fermentation is continued in an airtight plastic bag.
Tobacco growers and cigar manufacturers store tobacco, fermented or not yet fermented, in cardboard cases, wrapped in mats or in wooden containers--never in plastic. The insides of the containers are lined with very thick brown wax paper. They keep the tobacco in proper condition because they have storage rooms in which the temp and humidity can be controlled. Some amount of air is always cycling through tobacco stored in a tobacco warehouse.
Conditions attainable in actual tobacco warehouses are seldom attainable at home. If it is a choice between storing tobacco in a vacuum in a plastic bag or letting it get dried out, it's better to let it dry out. One can always re-humidify, but if the tobacco becomes over-fermented it can be ruined.
It's worth noting here that completely dry tobacco stops its aging process, until the humidity rises again. The leaf does not "contain" ammonia. The ammonia is a byproduct of the enzymatic breakdown of proteins. Within a vapor-proof bag holding tobacco in low to medium case, the ammonia that is generated by the aging (enzymatic) process is trapped while the bag is closed, and promptly dissipates once the bag is opened. Just allow tobacco stored for a while in a vapor-proof bag to air out for a bit, before smelling it.
Bob
Bob
Fermenting and aging are two completely different things. If leaf is stored in low case (not dry), it will continue to "age". If you store it in a place that is consistently over 110°F, I suppose the fermentation process will occur and destroy the leaf, but I'm not aware of any study on the topic.
Storing tobacco while it is "Dry" will put it a state of suspended animation and little or no aging will occur. The biggest problem with storing tobacco dry is it becomes super fragile and you'll end up with tiny pieces of tobacco if handled.
It's a lot easier to store tobacco in medium/low case and allow the aging process to continue than to store it dry.
Storing tobacco while it is "Dry" will put it a state of suspended animation and little or no aging will occur. The biggest problem with storing tobacco dry is it becomes super fragile and you'll end up with tiny pieces of tobacco if handled.
It's a lot easier to store tobacco in medium/low case and allow the aging process to continue than to store it dry.
CT Tobaccoman
Well-Known Member
You guys have finished what I started to say.
Once I had some broadleaf that I put away in a ziplock bag, in "low" case and it sat for about a year. When I opened it the smell of ammonia knocked me out almost. I couldn't figure it out because, if anything, I had over sweated the broadleaf and it was black and thin. After a while, it did dissipate.
I didn't mean to say that tobacco never should be stored in plastic. Smaller amounts of leaf in low case will be OK for a long time, and plastic bags are essential when shipping small amounts by mail. I have all my stuff stored in plastic bags except un-stemmed leaf which I keep in a not airtight bin with humidification packs made for humidors. And it is a good idea to check tobacco regularly to make sure it is OK. More than once I have put tobacco away that was too damp. It is a matter of "feel," something you learn by doing.
CT
Once I had some broadleaf that I put away in a ziplock bag, in "low" case and it sat for about a year. When I opened it the smell of ammonia knocked me out almost. I couldn't figure it out because, if anything, I had over sweated the broadleaf and it was black and thin. After a while, it did dissipate.
I didn't mean to say that tobacco never should be stored in plastic. Smaller amounts of leaf in low case will be OK for a long time, and plastic bags are essential when shipping small amounts by mail. I have all my stuff stored in plastic bags except un-stemmed leaf which I keep in a not airtight bin with humidification packs made for humidors. And it is a good idea to check tobacco regularly to make sure it is OK. More than once I have put tobacco away that was too damp. It is a matter of "feel," something you learn by doing.
CT
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