Fillet leaf question home grown

[Doogie]

ok I been buying tobacco for cigars, and am processing my own. Whit store bought I notice it's flat and they frogged the main vain. So is it pressed after the cut the vein? Anyone have experience or tips

 

[Knucklehead]

With the fillers I don't worry about any part of the main vein that is no larger than the biggest secondary veins. Most frog legged fillers I just roll without any further de-veining. I'm more careful with the wrapper leaf. Also, go through your filler leaves and pull out the leaf that is wrapper quality. Good cheap wrapper and it broadens your blending options.

 

[Doogie]

Ok I mean after they take h weigh out do they press the leaf so it's flat or its just dried that way. And I do like the idea of saving quality filler leaves to use for a binder.

 

[Smokin Buffalo]

I'm not an expert but I believe the flatness may come from the aging process. They are usually placed in bales or pilons that presses the leaves flat from the pressure of being stacked.

 

[Knucklehead]

I may be wrong but I think Don buys the tobacco in bales. He then has to slowly bring up the case so the leaf can be separated from the bale and handled without shattering (the bale is pretty tightly packed). I think he flattens it as it is taken out of the bale and then dries it down to proper case for packaging. It is already frog legged. He weighs it before shipping. Maybe Don will show up and explain the whole process. I'm just guessing based on snippets of conversation here and there.

 

[FmGrowit]

ok I been buying tobacco for cigars, and am processing my own. Whit store bought I notice it's flat and they frogged the main vain. So is it pressed after the cut the vein? Anyone have experience or tips

I'm not quite sure what the question is. What store sells cigar tobacco for rolling your own? I've never heard of such a place.

Maybe Don will show up and explain the whole process.

I can write a book on the processing, but briefly, some cigar tobaccos (mostly fillers) are frogged and pressed when it gets to the warehouse. Some tobaccos have to be graded for filler and wrapper. When we grade the tobacco, we will open the leaves and stack them flat. We don't do any stem removal to any tobacco.

 

[Doogie]

Ok thanks, my question was answered. I order tobacco online and my filler is perfectly flat and pressed. So I was wondering if they had it pressed under pressure to get rid of veins. But it all makes since, my tobacco is not that flat so getting it to draw would be a pain.

ps I didn't buy tobacco from this site, but I will in the future all the binder leaves I revived had molded main stems, and customer service sucked.

But i have 2 pounds to process from 2 years ago hopefully i can get it to case and press it.

 

[Smokin Harley]

Hey Doogie, I grew my own as do many others in here. I flatten my leaves when I sort them post-air dried /pre-kiln. Keeps a nice neat compact hand . Then I flatten and lightly press again after the kilning/rest period before I bag it.