ideas on natural ageing

[ringanator]

OK thinking on natural ageing some of my extra tabacco now just wondering on the steps from picking the yellow leaves off the plant to finished product. Humidity temp and how long do u let it sit in a given environment

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I pick my leaf and let it cure in my barn for about 6 to 8 weeks. I then put it all in to big plastic tubs. I monitor the leaf for about a week or two to make sure it is not too moist. I then put it in my basement until the following spring. Come spring I put the boxes back in the barn and let them "sweat" for about a month. I then put them back in my basement and let them set for about a year. If you use plastic storage boxes it's very important you monitor the moisture level.

 

[FmGrowit]

I pick my leaf and let it cure in my barn for about 6 to 8 weeks. I then put it all in to big plastic tubs. I monitor the leaf for about a week or two to make sure it is not too moist. I then put it in my basement until the following spring. Come spring I put the boxes back in the barn and let them "sweat" for about a month. I then put them back in my basement and let them set for about a year. If you use plastic storage boxes it's very important you monitor the moisture level.

Do use google maps for this routine or do you have the route memorized?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I've done it so long that there is actually a trail that goes from my basement to the barn.
I should add that GPS is helpful too

 

[Knucklehead]

OK thinking on natural ageing some of my extra tabacco now just wondering on the steps from picking the yellow leaves off the plant to finished product. Humidity temp and how long do u let it sit in a given environment

Are you growing for cigarettes? Your cigar leaf should be primed before it gets yellow. I normally prime cigar leaf when it turns a slightly paler shade of green. Cigar leaf is primed when it is mature. Cigarette leaf is primed when it is ripe, with a good bit of yellow showing.

As far as aging goes, you can leave it hanging where it cured until you are ready for it, as long as humidity doesn't stay over an average of 80% for a period of days so that it molds. If you are storing inside, just keep humidity low enough that the leaf doesn't mold, and high enough to keep it from drying out. Crispy dry leaf will not age properly until you add some moisture.

 

[deluxestogie]

The thing about aging tobacco naturally is that your body is aging at the same rate (1 year per year). Although kilning isn't exactly immediate gratification, only 1 month seems like a pretty good deal.

Bob

 

[BarG]

The thing about aging tobacco naturally is that your body is aging at the same rate (1 year per year). Although kilning isn't exactly immediate gratification, only 1 month seems like a pretty good deal.

Bob

That's funny, The older I get the tougher I get and more onery. tobacco does like the opposite. No matter how much I sweat myself I am still cool.

 

[ringanator]

Yes for cigarettes I will kiln enough to get me till next harvest but I planted enough for the next 3 years if all grows well so I figured I would age the rest naturally

Are you growing for cigarettes? Your cigar leaf should be primed before it gets yellow. I normally prime cigar leaf when it turns a slightly paler shade of green. Cigar leaf is primed when it is mature. Cigarette leaf is primed when it is ripe, with a good bit of yellow showing.

As far as aging goes, you can leave it hanging where it cured until you are ready for it, as long as humidity doesn't stay over an average of 80% for a period of days so that it molds. If you are storing inside, just keep humidity low enough that the leaf doesn't mold, and high enough to keep it from drying out. Crispy dry leaf will not age properly until you add some moisture.

 

[Knucklehead]

Yes for cigarettes I will kiln enough to get me till next harvest but I planted enough for the next 3 years if all grows well so I figured I would age the rest naturally

That's a good plan. Just make sure it doesn't get moist enough to mold or stay so dry that it doesn't age properly. It needs a little moisture to go through it's natural fermentation process. Getting dry won't hurt the leaf, but it will stop improving until it gets some moisture. It should get better as it ages.

 

[LeftyRighty]

The last 2 years, I've 'natural aged' my crop, primarily because it was expedient and less hassle, as I've got several years of baccy already cured, kiln-fermented, shredded and ready to roll/smoke.
It's prime picked, hung in the shed to cure, left until the following spring or summer (whenever) when humidity and warmth bring it back to case. As I bring it inside, I immediately blend & shred it, get it into proper case to store, pack into plastic bags, and leave it be. It's ready to roll & smoke, be it to sample in a few months, or years from now.

I've got enough baccy now for a decade plus, so am taking a break from growing this year.

 

[ringanator]

So would it work by shredding it once dried and letting it age in zip locks in a warm dark area or do you need are movement

That's a good plan. Just make sure it doesn't get moist enough to mold or stay so dry that it doesn't age properly. It needs a little moisture to go through it's natural fermentation process. Getting dry won't hurt the leaf, but it will stop improving until it gets some moisture. It should get better as it ages.

 

[Knucklehead]

So would it work by shredding it once dried and letting it age in zip locks in a warm dark area or do you need are movement

Air movement is not necessary, but the zip locks are not vapor proof and the leaf dries out very quickly. The vapor proof bags that Don ships his leaf in is the best thing I have found. He sells them separately: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/418-Vapor-Proof-Bags
It's not necessary to heat seal the bags, I just roll the top down and pin them shut with clothes pins. Label each bag with masking tape in case you want to reuse the bag later with another variety.

 

[chuditch]

What about vacuum packing the shredded leaf?