In a previous post (Small batch perique press) I described using a 1 pint home canning jar for a press container.
My 1 pint wide mouth jar had some advantages; they are readily available and do hold up to pressure fairly well, though I had several break from just the pressure. You can easily see exactly what your leaf is doing and it can be cleaned well.
But extracting the leaf from the jar broke a few more and once I was in my shop and heard a jar just pop at random from the pressure.
I will eventually try using PVC pipe. A 3" diameter pipe should work well for small batches. PVC pipe is designed to hold up to pressure, is considered non-toxic enough to be used in drinking water systems. I would use a wood plug to apply pressure (I used two layers of oak glued together with the grain at 45 degree angles). I would prefer to use white pipe for better visibility, but end caps are not easily available for white 3" pipe and are for black pipe.
By using a straight piece of pipe you easily push your finished tobacco out of the bottom of the pipe without having to dig it out of the top as you do in a jar.
A stainless or copper tube would also work as well or better, but 3" metal tubing is harder to find and work with.
Any opinions?
Oldbear
My 1 pint wide mouth jar had some advantages; they are readily available and do hold up to pressure fairly well, though I had several break from just the pressure. You can easily see exactly what your leaf is doing and it can be cleaned well.
But extracting the leaf from the jar broke a few more and once I was in my shop and heard a jar just pop at random from the pressure.
I will eventually try using PVC pipe. A 3" diameter pipe should work well for small batches. PVC pipe is designed to hold up to pressure, is considered non-toxic enough to be used in drinking water systems. I would use a wood plug to apply pressure (I used two layers of oak glued together with the grain at 45 degree angles). I would prefer to use white pipe for better visibility, but end caps are not easily available for white 3" pipe and are for black pipe.
By using a straight piece of pipe you easily push your finished tobacco out of the bottom of the pipe without having to dig it out of the top as you do in a jar.
A stainless or copper tube would also work as well or better, but 3" metal tubing is harder to find and work with.
Any opinions?
Oldbear
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