storage of tobacco during the cold winter

[SmokeStack]

This year I was intending to store my tobacco from this year's crop hanging in a small barn over the winter. I am not sure what would happen to the air-cured tobacco by being exposed to freezing temperatures over the course of a south Michigan winter. I posted this thread here because this topic may involve a bit of science. I am a chemist but not a biochemist or a biologist, so my expertise is limited. I am aware that tobacco exposed to high temperatures (flue-curing and fire-curing) can destroy enzymes that play an important role in the aging of tobaccos. However, what are the effects of freezing temperatures on tobacco? Am I safe to leave my tobacco hanging in the barn over the winter?

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Dead leaf is fine, fresh will look like boiled spinach and never change after that.

 

[deluxestogie]

Yes. Once the lamina are brown, it can freeze and thaw all it wants. If it gets humid, and over 60ºF, then it will age a bit.

I have leaf that hangs in the shed through the winter. No problems, other than watching for mold during the warm, moist spells.

Bob

 

[janetta007]

That's how the Amish store their tobacco over winter. I saw it on Amish Mafia. Those barns are full of tobacco.

 

[SmokeStack]

Well, that's a relief. I have been storing my tobacco in large plastic storage bins, but now I have these bins have been accumulating and taking too much space.

In regards to tobacco drying green, I hung my leaf late in the season my first year of growing tobacco and they dried out green. but after a year or so, the leaves gradually turned brown. I purchased the seeds online and the vendor name the seeds "Italian Tobacco." I have no idea what type of tobacco it is - the vendor had it classified as a bright leaf. Recently I rolled a blunt and the aroma was more like a pungent cigar rather than a bright leaf. In any case,

I have read that once the leaf dries green, it is no longer any good. But if they gradually turn brown over time, is the leaf any good?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I would be careful and make sure your barn is free from drafts. Your tobacco will be bone dry and if a howling winter wind blows through your barn it'll pulverize your hanging leaf.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I've read where people tried freeze dried green leaf and said it was inferior to other leaf after it had turned brownish. I had some that actually froze in the patch and it didn't lose the green after a year and I tossed it. I'd say try it, you already have it.

 

[deluxestogie]

I've had late leaf that was harvested and yellowed while hanging in the shed, but froze before browning. This is live (though yellow) leaf when it freezes, so the cells of its lamina are disrupted by ice crystals--similar to the disruption that happens with the high pressure of the Perique method. This frozen, yellow leaf eventually turned brown, but it has a translucency comparable to Perique, and also Perique's unique leathery texture.

Yesterday, I stripped a Machu Picchu Havana stalk, which had been hanging in such a condition for over a year, and placed the leaves into a kiln.

A few years ago, I purchased several batches of some of Rabo de Gallo Negro leaf that Don had grown himself--back in his farming days. By my understanding, it had suffered some sort of similar freezing catastrophe. I still have a tiny supply of this now-unavailable treasure. What is curious about this leaf is that it exhibits a slight translucency, and--more notably--has an aroma that is unique to cigars produced by Hoyo de Monterrey. It's strength is medium to full, so a small strip is all that I will add to a large cigar.

I've tried, unsuccessfully so far, to reproduce such leaf. I'll know in a month if the Machu Picchu has come close.

So, the point of all this verbiage is to say that if leaf is able to yellow before freezing, it may be salvageable.

Bob

 

[SmokeStack]

I've had late leaf that was harvested and yellowed while hanging in the shed, but froze before browning. This is live (though yellow) leaf when it freezes, so the cells of its lamina are disrupted by ice crystals--similar to the disruption that happens with the high pressure of the Perique method. This frozen, yellow leaf eventually turned brown, but it has a translucency comparable to Perique, and also Perique's unique leathery texture.

Yesterday, I stripped a Machu Picchu Havana stalk, which had been hanging in such a condition for over a year, and placed the leaves into a kiln.

A few years ago, I purchased several batches of some of Rabo de Gallo Negro leaf that Don had grown himself--back in his farming days. By my understanding, it had suffered some sort of similar freezing catastrophe. I still have a tiny supply of this now-unavailable treasure. What is curious about this leaf is that it exhibits a slight translucency, and--more notably--has an aroma that is unique to cigars produced by Hoyo de Monterrey. It's strength is medium to full, so a small strip is all that I will add to a large cigar.

I've tried, unsuccessfully so far, to reproduce such leaf. I'll know in a month if the Machu Picchu has come close.

So, the point of all this verbiage is to say that if leaf is able to yellow before freezing, it may be salvageable.

Bob

I certainly hope so. Due to time constraints, I will begin harvesting all of my tobacco this week. I found that the average first frost date for my region is October 11th - 20th. Hopefully, that gives me a good three weeks to change the leaf color to yellow. But I am in Michigan, so who knows what will happen - we could have a blizzard tomorrow and a heat advisory the day after.

 

[SmokeStack]

I would be careful and make sure your barn is free from drafts. Your tobacco will be bone dry and if a howling winter wind blows through your barn it'll pulverize your hanging leaf.

Interesting point. In my first year of growing, I planted "Italian" tobacco from an online seed vendor who placed this tobacco seed in the flue cured or bright leaf category on their website. I harvested it late in the season also, but I placed it in a large garage. A couple of days later I returned to check on it and all of the leaves dried green. In desperation I did try using a plastic spray bottle to wet the leaf and it eventually turned brown. It almost seemed as if the leaves went from green to brown without turning yellow - I know that sounds strange. That was 2 years ago. I sampled some about a month ago by removing the mid-rib stem and rolled the into a makeshift cigar and it actually tasted like a cigar.

The point I am getting at is

1. since no one has never heard of "Italian" tobacco, this tobacco may be a cigar variety instead of flue cured or bright leaf as the seed vendor has categorized it.
2. or because the leaves dried green before turning brown, this may account for the typical-pungent cigar aroma instead of the flavor of a Virginia. (I did not kiln ferment it, but I thought aging the tobacco for two years would be enough to get an good idea of how it should smoke.)

I guess I won't know until I plant it again. (Just to be sure has anyone ever heard of or planted "Italian" tobacco?)

But getting back to what Jitterbug said, I hung it in a completely enclosed garage and I thought that this was the reason it may have dried green so quickly. So this year, I cleaned out the small old barn to hang my tobacco that has its large door missing and along with few broken (missing glass) windows - there is some ventilation - enough to flush the air inside the barn with the air outside the barn. I thought if exposing the leaves to the outside air, then it would be less likely to dry green (maybe the air in the garage is drier than the air outside?). But I will see what happens. If things don't work out, then I learned a lesson - don't plant and harvest late in Michigan! In any case, for the benefit of our northern growers, I will post my results.

Thanks for the advice Jitterbug. It is much appreciated. I will block winter drafts to keep my tobacco safe. I would not have done that if you didn't warn me.

Sorry for the long posts folks. I always have the tendency to write very descriptively.