Blending

[chuditch]

Having a good crop this year will post my results later.

But was hoping for some advice on blending cigarette tobaccos.

Its easy with my cigar attempts a leaf of this a leaf of that so on.

But with the cigarette types to blend.

How do you manage to mix the shredded varieties together so you get a complete mix?

So if blending 100grams.
I want say 50 % of my light varieties and 25% of oriental and a 10% another 10% and a 5% to make up my 100%.

I just don't see me getting a hundred cigarettes of close to the same blend in each tube.

Do others put the leaves through the shredder as the various types in a random order and hope they mix or shred separately and then mix together?

Was thinking when in the right case for shredding they would stick together and not blend mix together. If let them dry they get brittle they don't stick together but can go to dust. Putting in the food processor to blend them would chop up all those lovely strands.

Or is it a case of shred separately then mix in the weights I prefer of each and just comb through with my fingers turning and mixing and hope that when I do my cigarettes they will all get the correct mix of each?

I just see it as ending up getting all of one variety in one cigarette an not much of another in the next and not getting any consistency .

Love to hear what you all do.

 

[BigBonner]

Mix while they are still in case and never let it dry out and crumble .
I believe the key to a mix is letting the shredded tobacco sit a few days to let the flavor mingle together .
If my blend is lacking a certain tobacco , I just add a little more of what I think it needs .
Tobacco too dry will be harsher than if it is in the right case .

 

[chuditch]

Thanks BigBonner I will do that tomorrow then leave them a few days and then try my blends. Thanks for the input.

 

[Knucklehead]

I measure by volume as I shred. I strip the stem as I shred and that keeps from overworking the shredder. To mix I take the pile on a table and go through it like shuffling cards, pulling up the edges and running it through my fingers. The lightest or darkest tobacco of the blend will let you know when it's mixed thoroughly as the light or dark pieces will be evenly distributed.

http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/3609-Shredding-Blending-by-Volume

 

[chuditch]

Pretty much what I did Knucklehead. Although I made up 3 variations so did the various tobaccos by weight then mixed in a bowl running my fingers through them. Working on which we like the best and with which tubes. Have even found different tubes affect the taste.
At the moment enjoying a mix of 30% Tennessee Light Burley, 30% Cow Boy Light, 20% Izmir, 10% Little Dutch and 10% Adonis in the white Elegant Vera Cruz tubes.
30% Tennessee Light Burley, 30% Cowboy Light and 40% Adonis seems to be nice in the brown Nocturne Vera Cruz.
Also made a blend of the same two 30% Light Burleys with 10% Izmir, 10% Rot Front, 10% Adonis and 10% Little Dutch.
Mixed the batches up as 100grams so easy to do the maths (although the wife still seemed to get confused) so a 100 tubes of each variety.
Nothing so far stands out as "the blend" to go with the black Midnight Vera Cruz.

Thanks for your input.

And my cigar attempts have been "ok" but not fantastic but I have liked the taste (actually preferred to my imported cigars)just need to work on my rolling skills

 

[Knucklehead]

I haven't tried the white Vera Cruz though I do like the black and brown. Usually use Gambler full flavor for that Marlboro cowboy killer flavor.

 

[aronkennerly]

Nice advice BigBonner..It is tough to execute blending but I will surely try it out..

 

[tobaccouser]

Mix while they are still in case and never let it dry out and crumble .
I believe the key to a mix is letting the shredded tobacco sit a few days to let the flavor mingle together .
If my blend is lacking a certain tobacco , I just add a little more of what I think it needs .
Tobacco too dry will be harsher than if it is in the right case .

Thanks Bigbooner for such nice advice..I have never done blending before.. Now I will try it out and share out my own experience soon..

 

[chuditch]

Well the blend I have ended up with that seems to fit the bill and uses up all my tobacco varieties while leaving a heap of the best leaves for trying my hand at cigars.

30% Cowboy Light
30% Tennessee Burley Light
10% NB11
6% Adonis
14% Rotfront
5% Samsum Maden
5% Ismir

Last year just went with the two lights and enjoyed them.

This year so far the taste and smell are like chalk and cheese. Occasionally there is a sense of perfume to the taste or the smell, then a hint of pepper, there is a complexity that was missing last year.

We have made up 2 kg of this mix into airtight containers of 200 grams per tub and like was suggested by BigBonner the smells and flavours should blend, but couldn't wait to get started on them.

And as was said by Knucklehead the colours of the various tobaccos was very obvious when placed in a pile and fairly easy to mix to get a consistency of coloured strands in the mix. Mixed the 2kg in 500 gram lots to make it more manageable to blend.

This should give us about 2000 tubes

Tubes using are the three varieties of Vera Cruz.

At the moment in the Kilns (yes couldn't help myself I made another one so have two on the go at once) are filled with the two varieties of lights so about 2 or 3kg per kiln but I will weigh it at the end of the 6 weeks.

Then I still have more of the light to go through and more of the varieties including some Little Dutch.

I am going to plant more of some of my varieties for next year and better protection for the ones that don't seem to like the sun at all, Dominica, Florida Sumatra, Goose creek Red. Also the Jalapa and one other who's name escapes me at the moment. I will be planting a mass of sun flowers for stock feed and intend to grow them in between the rows so they are well protected.

This is only my second grow and really pleased with how it has turned out but disappointed on some aspects but have learnt a heap yet again.

The self sown varieties some were true to variety Cowboy or Tennessee others were mongrel crosses all were topped but the leaves have gone into the mix

Have saved seeds from all varieties so feeling confident or next season. Yes I had the heads bagged.

So far have put 3.5 kg of leaf through the Kiln and as I say now with two running twice as much per six week ferment

I am recording the weight and variety and will post when have it all processed. Is amazing how little it ends up. A huge pile of leaves, dried then through the kiln, centre rib stripped and weighed or shredded and weighed just a small bag full of lovely leaves.

Thanks to anyone who through in their comments and help to questions I may have raised the input is appreciated.

I wish you well in your grows

 

[COLIN]

I would also try a little bit of flu cured to your mix. Red leaf Bright leaf.

 

[DGBAMA]

I now mix my shredded blend, then put it in sealed bags, low case, in the kiln for a couple weeks at 125deg, F. Really melds the flavors and held consistency.

 

[ArizonaDave]

I now mix my shredded blend, then put it in sealed bags, low case, in the kiln for a couple weeks at 125deg, F. Really melds the flavors and held consistency.

Sounds like a scientific breakthrough. Also sounds interesting

 

[DGBAMA]

Sounds like a scientific breakthrough. Also sounds interesting

Thanks Dave, I know most of the forum is pipe and cigar, I just desire a good cigarette with minimal hassle.

 

[burge]

I just shred leaves in the Powermatic so got it down to how many leaves I need. In the tub I hand mix them by kneading the tobacco. Then put the tobacco in my tub and shake the tub. Push the tobacco down tight it ferments and melds the flavor

 

[riverstone]

I do similar to Burge. I know the amount of leaves of each variety I need and make up a block. Virginia Lemon, Virginia Red and a few Prilep leaves. I shred the block and it is just about blended by the time I have rubbed the slices to get them apart. I then add half of what I have blended to the remaining tobacco from the previous blend. That way I do not get any 'cut off' in flavor and if there is a change it is very subtle. I only shred a small amount at a time so I have approx two weeks (150 grms) shredded tobacco stored in jars.