Orson Carte
Well-Known Member
As a relative beginner in this art-form, and having read an awful lot of the information contained in this forum, I am presently confused on a number of issues.
I won't burden you with all my queries at once (hoping that most of the answers will become self- apparent before I really need to know, towards the end of this year) but I'd really appreciate some enlightenment on this one;
The way I understand it, generally speaking, 'Virginia' varieties of tobacco are flue-cured (although I understand that they may also be air or sun-dried, and then 'aged', either quickly by fermentation or slowly by the mere passage of time). Have I got this understanding correct?
Now, I have recently read in the FAQ section that by flu-curing Virginias the light colour is retained and the leaf 'is immediately ready to smoke without further processing' (after five days). Is this correct?
If this is so, why do I read about folks then fermenting these flue-cured tobaccos? I do understand that you would need to do this (to age it quickly) if it had been only air-dried, but why would anyone do it if the flue-curing has already made it perfectly smokable? Isn't the fermenting process an overkill that does little more than darken its colour?
Thanks.
I won't burden you with all my queries at once (hoping that most of the answers will become self- apparent before I really need to know, towards the end of this year) but I'd really appreciate some enlightenment on this one;
The way I understand it, generally speaking, 'Virginia' varieties of tobacco are flue-cured (although I understand that they may also be air or sun-dried, and then 'aged', either quickly by fermentation or slowly by the mere passage of time). Have I got this understanding correct?
Now, I have recently read in the FAQ section that by flu-curing Virginias the light colour is retained and the leaf 'is immediately ready to smoke without further processing' (after five days). Is this correct?
If this is so, why do I read about folks then fermenting these flue-cured tobaccos? I do understand that you would need to do this (to age it quickly) if it had been only air-dried, but why would anyone do it if the flue-curing has already made it perfectly smokable? Isn't the fermenting process an overkill that does little more than darken its colour?
Thanks.