A few years ago I came up with the idea of kilning tobacco in containers. Since I had a very large supply of tobacco built up I decided to dismantle my large kiln and just use my small little bee box kiln with a few containers, just to kiln a little tobacco from any new variety that I grew. What I forgot was that the big kiln would have been nice to use as a flue cure chamber. Hence I turned to sun curing.
I made this little hoop house last year. Notice the blue tarp. Last year my tobacco stayed really moist. I suspected a lot of ground moisture was contributing to the problem so this year I added the tarp.
I pounded stakes on each corner to prevent the wind from blowing it over
I prime my leaf and let it hang till it is mostly yellow then I hang it in the hoop house.
I leave the tobacco exposed during the day to facilitate drying but at night I cover it up to prevent moisture.
The finished product
This works out pretty good for my wife's cigarettes. She typically likes 40% flue cured and 60% burley. The sun cured Brightleaf has probably about 1/2 the sugars that a flue cured leaf does so I make cigarettes out of this. 100% sun cured is close to a 40/60 mix.
For my pipe tobacco this method leaves a lot to be desired. I like real flue cured in my pipe blends. I think next year I might have to build a small flue curing chamber.
I made this little hoop house last year. Notice the blue tarp. Last year my tobacco stayed really moist. I suspected a lot of ground moisture was contributing to the problem so this year I added the tarp.
I pounded stakes on each corner to prevent the wind from blowing it over
I prime my leaf and let it hang till it is mostly yellow then I hang it in the hoop house.
I leave the tobacco exposed during the day to facilitate drying but at night I cover it up to prevent moisture.
The finished product
This works out pretty good for my wife's cigarettes. She typically likes 40% flue cured and 60% burley. The sun cured Brightleaf has probably about 1/2 the sugars that a flue cured leaf does so I make cigarettes out of this. 100% sun cured is close to a 40/60 mix.
For my pipe tobacco this method leaves a lot to be desired. I like real flue cured in my pipe blends. I think next year I might have to build a small flue curing chamber.