ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
An experienced grower in a Facebook group I'm in suggested to someone a method that is altogether different from what I've heard discussed in the forum.
He said once colour curing is done, raise the temperature to 99F, maintaining 70% humidity, for two weeks, then raise the temperature one degree a day until you're at 129F. Hold that until the aroma of ammonia is gone, then raise it to 130F to stop the fermentation.
I'm fascinated because I've never observed ammonia production strong enough to smell in my kiln despite hearing reports that commercial cigar barns are full of it. It sounds like he's doing something right. It makes sense that the enzymatic action would be the most active at this time because much of the water and vasculature of the leaf is still relatively intact, no?
He said once colour curing is done, raise the temperature to 99F, maintaining 70% humidity, for two weeks, then raise the temperature one degree a day until you're at 129F. Hold that until the aroma of ammonia is gone, then raise it to 130F to stop the fermentation.
I'm fascinated because I've never observed ammonia production strong enough to smell in my kiln despite hearing reports that commercial cigar barns are full of it. It sounds like he's doing something right. It makes sense that the enzymatic action would be the most active at this time because much of the water and vasculature of the leaf is still relatively intact, no?