riverstone
Well-Known Member
I have just loaded my kiln with most of this years crop. Mainly Virginia Bright Leaf flue cured and Yellow Twist Bud air cured. As I loaded the totes I took notice of the different colours of the leaf on the same type of tobacco. I have seen many posts on curing where people are aiming for a yellow leaf or a red leaf in flue or air cures. BUT looking through all the books and papers on this site, from over the years, I am struck by one thing that we don't seem to mention here, and that is grading.
I know that commercial barns are set up for stem curing, whether by air or flue, and then the tobacco leaf is graded before being baled for market. We prime our plants, so all being equal, all our leaf should be at the same stage of maturity when we cure it. BUT if you do not have enough plants to fill your curing chamber our leaf will be at different stages of maturity to get the chamber full. This strikes me as being similar to curing a whole stem and different colours will come out of the cure. I have flue cured leaf that is pale yellow, through to dark brown from the same load. Does this mean I have Lemon, Bright and Red Leaf Virginia or is it just bad flue curing. All my Yellow Twist Bud has been air cured and is a beautiful orange colour.
I know that commercial barns are set up for stem curing, whether by air or flue, and then the tobacco leaf is graded before being baled for market. We prime our plants, so all being equal, all our leaf should be at the same stage of maturity when we cure it. BUT if you do not have enough plants to fill your curing chamber our leaf will be at different stages of maturity to get the chamber full. This strikes me as being similar to curing a whole stem and different colours will come out of the cure. I have flue cured leaf that is pale yellow, through to dark brown from the same load. Does this mean I have Lemon, Bright and Red Leaf Virginia or is it just bad flue curing. All my Yellow Twist Bud has been air cured and is a beautiful orange colour.