Making dry fire cured cigars

[SmokesAhoy]

Does anyone have any tips on making these cheroots? I gather it's just dark fired tobacco rolled in a thin cigar and allowed to dry out to less than 15% moisture.

Is there anything I'm missing here? They're expensive to buy (tuscanos) but seem to be something a pound of dark fired could make like 50 little 5x35 rings.

I tried some that were not nearly dry enough, might have to try again in the winter when I can drive all the moisture out of it.

But they are good cigars, should be able to set up a ton of them for very little money.

 

[Smokin Harley]

I'll tell ya what ...If you were here today and rolled a bunch , all you'd need to do it set them outside for an hour or so and they'd be dry.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I was playing around with that a year ago. I found that most i made with the dark fire cured ended with it burning inside out. It helped to avoid using the ribs. I also found the dark fire cured was too smoky to compare to a Toscano. I think light fire cured would probably work better but I don't have any.

Closest thing I've made to a Toscano would have been wrapped with WLT dark air cured with a thin strip of the dark fire cured in the filler. Don't ask me what the rest of the filler was. I can't remember at all. Maybe the Burley if not some other cigar filler. I might try wrapping with the PA oscuro binder as well if you found the dark air too strong.

 

[deluxestogie]

Just bake them at low temp, then rehydrate if needed. Although Toscanos are made with "Kentucky" tobacco, it is a variety that has been grown in Italy for many generations. I would guess that the fire-curing is not as overpowering as USA Kentucky dark-fired.

Bob

 

[Tutu]

About eight months ago I was experimenting with using different blends but I always found that using one big fire cured leaf for filler was the limit for me. That was an Indonesian fire cured. Not exactly sure what sort of fire cured leaf it was as I didn't know much about anything else besides dark air curing.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I've found that crumbly dry helps it burn better. Maybe the 60 day wet ferment helps break down the things that reduce burn quality. I watched a lady rolling them and they are rolled wet, then allowed to dry, that might be a part of the process too, kind of how when you moisten tobacco for a twist when it is dry it is so much more aromatic than before you twisted it.

 

[ProfessorPangloss]

I've found that crumbly dry helps it burn better. Maybe the 60 day wet ferment helps break down the things that reduce burn quality. I watched a lady rolling them and they are rolled wet, then allowed to dry, that might be a part of the process too, kind of how when you moisten tobacco for a twist when it is dry it is so much more aromatic than before you twisted it.

I think they're dried in a kiln of some kind, baked even. I know the wet fermentation is definitely a factor in a real Toscano.

 

[Matty]

There are a few good videos on youtube showing how Toscano is produced. It's been awhile since I've seen them but if I remember, they are blended kentucky burley and fire cured tobaccos. They are also rolled sopping wet using a strange combing and tearing technique. They are then lain flat in trays placed in racks in large rooms to ferment and dry out. This takes varying amounts of time determined by leaf type, cigar size and so on. I do enjoy a Toscano from time to time. Something I didn't know for the longest time is that they are cut in half to smoke them, they don't unwrap after cutting.

 

[Smokin Harley]

I've cut cigars down before ,for time constraints . As long as the correct end goes in your mouth it shouldn't unravel.

 

[wrapper]

There are a few good videos on youtube showing how Toscano is produced. It's been awhile since I've seen them but if I remember, they are blended kentucky burley and fire cured tobaccos. They are also rolled sopping wet using a strange combing and tearing technique. They are then lain flat in trays placed in racks in large rooms to ferment and dry out. This takes varying amounts of time determined by leaf type, cigar size and so on. I do enjoy a Toscano from time to time. Something I didn't know for the longest time is that they are cut in half to smoke them, they don't unwrap after cutting.

I cut my Toscanos in half as they are a powerful smoke. The taste is great, but I can't take too much in one hit. I hear that they do not need to be kept in a humidor and are smoked dry....?

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Yes, dry.