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Kiln temperature got too high

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ChinaVoodoo

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I came home today to discover that the ladies, (wife and sister in-law) accidentally turned up the temperature on the kiln. The tobacco was at 140 degrees. So, now what? Are the enzymes destroyed? Is there nothing to worry about?
 

deluxestogie

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The most heat sensitive oxidizing enzyme is denatured at about 149*F. The leaf is still capable of further changes. The excess heat may affect the color and flavor. Although actual caramelization doesn't occur without much higher temperatures, many have noted a "toasty" flavor to leaf kilned above 135*F.

Bob

EDIT: The forum no longer functions properly when I use the symbol for degrees.
 
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SmokesAhoy

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In the snus world there is a long 185 degree cook, that is above Pasteur, Maillard and everyone else, do you or anyone else know what the significant changes, enzymatic or otherwise at this temperature are deluxe?
 

ChinaVoodoo

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The most heat sensitive oxidizing enzyme is denatured at about 149ºF. The leaf is still capable of further changes. The excess heat may affect the color and flavor. Although actual caramelization doesn't occur without much higher temperatures, many have noted a "toasty" flavor to leaf kilned above 135ºF.

Bob

That's fantastic news. Thanks Bob. Colour and a bit of toast I can live with. My biggest concern was that the CC98 might never develop that cigar character. I need to put some tape on the rheostat dial to prevent this from occurring again.
 

deluxestogie

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In the snus world there is a long 185 degree cook, that is above Pasteur, Maillard and everyone else, do you or anyone else know what the significant changes, enzymatic or otherwise at this temperature are deluxe?
Oxidase denatures at 149*F
Peroxidase denatures at ~191*F

I would expect a long cook at 185 to pretty much nuke the intrinsic enzymes. If the leaf is well kilned prior to that, then the oxidation work is pretty much complete already.

Cavendish is made by cooking color-cured leaf in steam. I doubt there is much additional change from aging. The heat itself is bringing about the chemical changes that are observed.

If the snus is subjected to microbial fermentation, then other changes are likely. I don't know much about that.

Bob

NOTE: The forum is no longer capable of displaying the degree symbol, as of today.
 

Jitterbugdude

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In the snus world there is a long 185 degree cook, that is above Pasteur, Maillard and everyone else, do you or anyone else know what the significant changes, enzymatic or otherwise at this temperature are deluxe?

The 185F cook is supposed to kill the bacteria that are responsible for converting nicotine into nornicotine. The nornicotine is the substrate for one of the tobacco specific nitroseamines (TSNA) that many consider to be highly carcinogenic.
 

Ben Brand

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I nuked some of my leaves, 70 deg C - 158 F for a few days. The leaves ( wrappers) don`t have any stretch in them, but they still taste and burn fine.
 
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