ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Part 1.
Press cake differs from flake in that it is shredded tobacco which has been pressed, where the latter is pressed plug which has been sliced. Why make press cake? Two reasons: it's easier to blend with, and it's easier to evenly apply pressure to.
Here is my mold.
I cut a piece of parchment paper to fit, and put it in the bottom.
I'm using small Harrow Velvet leaves from 2015 crop. This was the tobacco grown in a hole cut out of the lawn that I mentioned in another thread. First step is to spritz it with water and let it sit for an hour or two. This makes it stick better and prevents crumbling. I did not remove mid ribs because there's nothing wrong with mid rib in my opinion. Tossing them would be a waste. You'll see that how I do it, they are always cut perpendicular, so you never end up with big chunks of it. The leaves are all lined up so the ribs are all parallel. I put my press block on it to use as a guide to cut the leaves to fit lengthwise in the mold.
I stack the cut ends on top of the main part of the leaves
I load it all into the mold, and put another piece of parchment paper on top.
Then I press it and let it sit for an hour
Press cake differs from flake in that it is shredded tobacco which has been pressed, where the latter is pressed plug which has been sliced. Why make press cake? Two reasons: it's easier to blend with, and it's easier to evenly apply pressure to.
Here is my mold.
I cut a piece of parchment paper to fit, and put it in the bottom.
I'm using small Harrow Velvet leaves from 2015 crop. This was the tobacco grown in a hole cut out of the lawn that I mentioned in another thread. First step is to spritz it with water and let it sit for an hour or two. This makes it stick better and prevents crumbling. I did not remove mid ribs because there's nothing wrong with mid rib in my opinion. Tossing them would be a waste. You'll see that how I do it, they are always cut perpendicular, so you never end up with big chunks of it. The leaves are all lined up so the ribs are all parallel. I put my press block on it to use as a guide to cut the leaves to fit lengthwise in the mold.
I stack the cut ends on top of the main part of the leaves
I load it all into the mold, and put another piece of parchment paper on top.
Then I press it and let it sit for an hour