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The Periqueining

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deluxestogie

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The process requires adequate temp for at least 3 months. The key to dark color is the number of times you pull it all out, expose it to air, then re-moisten and re-press. The O[sub]2[/sub] in the air oxidizes the nicotine that has been squeezed out of the ruptured cells. So, my take is that time alone won't darken the leaf as much as repeated exposure to air (like at least a few times, during the entire processing period).

Bob
 

ProfessorPangloss

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It's been in my house (like in the sixties) since it was started. I'll try to re-pack more frequently and maybe leave it for another month.
 

deluxestogie

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Okay. You made me navigate back to the first post, to see how long it has been "since it was started." (The phrase, "like in the sixties," said, "back in the sixties," to my addled brain.) Well...that's not even 3 months yet. Tobacco knows when it's being rushed. Especially when it's squishy.

On the plus side, when you finally remove the Perique, and dry it, the tobacco thinks you're just teasing it again, and darkens a little more. (Tobacco isn't very bright...unless you use bright tobacco.)

Bob
 

Smokin Harley

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I had a slight leaking issue with the oak box . enough that I had to add water to it every day or even twice a day..obviously the oak swelled up and pushed it apart enough to leak, this is why cooper-made barrels are tradition. they don't leak if made correctly. Unfortunately I do not have access to a barrel and after looking at prices , probably not very cost effective to get one made for the small size I would need. I don't own a table saw either and even though I'm sure I could cut at least an 8 sided vessel of some sort , again it wouldn't be cost effective for me to buy a saw either...or have the small hoops made to keep it as tight as it would need to be...
so
I came up with a "quick easy" solution to the problem with items I already have or easily obtainable .
I took the wooden press plate out of the box and took a gallon zip-lock storage bag .Put the wood piece parallel to the inside of the bottom of the bag and evenly placed it in the middle . The corners that hang out , I folded them over and taped in place ,forming a square bottom on the bottom of the bag that fits the bottom inside of the oak box. NOW , I have something leak proof. I reshuffled the perique leaf (now smelling fruity ,like aging apples !! I think this is a very positive thing at this point) and placed it inside the liner in the box ,replaced the oak pressing plate and put it back under pressure. The liquid that had leaked through the box dripped into the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket ...and became a bit concentrated and thick. I added just enough water to this to flow and I put this tar black sweet smelling liquid back in on top of the tobacco .Should add back quite a kick of nicotine. Tobacco is now again under pressure and under the "liquid air-lock".
I think now this will go untouched until spring or whenever...unless something else goes wrong.
 

Smokin Harley

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Okay. You made me navigate back to the first post, to see how long it has been "since it was started." (The phrase, "like in the sixties," said, "back in the sixties," to my addled brain.) Well...that's not even 3 months yet. Tobacco knows when it's being rushed. Especially when it's squishy.

On the plus side, when you finally remove the Perique, and dry it, the tobacco thinks you're just teasing it again, and darkens a little more. (Tobacco isn't very bright...unless you use bright tobacco.)

Bob

Shouldn't tease the tobacco, the environmental people get upset about cruelty to plants.
plus it doesn't help the self esteem of the tobacco itself. It already has to cope with the fact that at the end of its life , it will just get burned in the end.
 

ProfessorPangloss

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20170101_112556.jpg

Mold, right? It's been 3 months but it's still pale brown, and it's been aired like 5 times. I'll leave it out for a few hours and re-moisten. I pulled out the moldy bits. Any thoughts? More pressure? More liquid?
 

BigBonner

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More liquid . It looks way too dry . It laying there on white you should see water bleed onto the white background
More pressure would also help .
 

deluxestogie

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Perique tends to grow (harmless) yeast when it is stored damp. If it has a bread-like undertone to the aroma, and does not smell like mold, I would guess that it is yeast, and is smokable. I don't see yeast growth when my Perique comes right out of the pressure process, but do occasionally see yeast after I store it damp in the fridge.

Bob
 

ProfessorPangloss

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Thanks, Larry and Bob. I got it much wetter with distilled water and put it under as much pressure as I could muster with the hand crank on my press.

Larry, I had my nose in your bag of Perique yesterday. If mine comes out half as nice as yours, it'll be a huge success.
 

Smokin Harley

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View attachment 19716

Mold, right? It's been 3 months but it's still pale brown, and it's been aired like 5 times. I'll leave it out for a few hours and re-moisten. I pulled out the moldy bits. Any thoughts? More pressure? More liquid?

smell it,if its smells like a musty basement its mold. if it smells "barn yardy" or a little "sewage like" its probably not mold , probably yeast. If you've ever made cabbage into sauerkraut (simple thin sliced cabbage and kosher salt ,mixed and although no pressure it is kept under the liquid "air lock" and eventually forms a yeast...a pressureless periqueing of cabbage I guess.
 

deluxestogie

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Here' what my eyes see:

ProfPangloss_Perique.jpg


(after a bit of color-balancing for the stark white background)

Bob

EDIT: hmm. Looks almost the same. But, if the aroma is right, then it's a success.
 

ProfessorPangloss

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The pot and oak press are becoming too misshapen to be of much use. I may add a broader base to the press for v2.0. I was also going to fabricate a plug mold to be used on the same press for efficiency's sake. At any rate, I grew much more and better perique last season (this is 2015 leaf), so if I can't get the press back together, I'll probably try to dry it and mix it with my flue cured and oriental. I'm about a week of kiln time away from a completely homegrown blend.
 

Smokin Harley

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which is why I went from immediate contact with an oak box to a gallon baggie liner to the same oak box. The liquid pressed out just swells the oak and the liquid holding capability of the box is then lost.
As I stated when my oak box idea went south...this is why cooper made barrels were used. they are made specifically to hold liquids. As the wood swells, the barrel gets more water tight. But as Bob had told me the amount of wood to leaf is probably not enough to make any kind of flavor differences so a food grade polymer does just fine. After the pressing , the same baggie can be used to store the leaf until further processing.
 

burge

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Mark Ryan has come up with a new blend of tobacco using pressed Virginia. I would put in some liquor. They use old whiskey or sherry barrels. These barrels have liquor in them
 
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