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hello everyone from Texas.... ready to harvest

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vipertwo2

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i grew 4 plants this last winter to get a little experience in to know what to expect... now i am ready to harvest my first batch... my oriental ( Shirazi ) i pulled the sand lugs last week and topped all but 2 plants ( seeds ) 16 plant total of this..... 1st 2 images july 13 20 17 001.jpgjuly 13 20 17 009.jpg my Virginia gold is as the same age.. i topped all of these last week so no cross poll. i have seeds from my 4 plants this winter....july 13 20 17 004.jpgjuly 13 20 17 016.jpg i have 24 of these.... next is Virginia bright leaf,,,i have 12 of these( i like these seam to be a little sturdier than gold,,, better for my thunderstorms here ))cant wait to see what the leaves cure to..july 13 20 17 006.jpgjuly 13 20 17 018.jpgthese are about 2 weeks behind the others no seed pods started yet......last is 12 golden burly same age no pods yet....july 13 20 17 005.jpg july 13 20 17 017.jpg i like these, color is beautiful nice looking ornamental plant for patio ......will be pulling leaves of shiz. and v gold next week.....this is what my wife calls the Bunker..july 13 20 17 007.jpgjuly 13 20 17 008.jpg any suggestions on color cure with heat and hum.. i have been reading alot on it .... thanks tim oh i have started some seeds for my 2nd crop......2 crops per yr. here
 

Leftynick

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Welcome to FTT. I am sure interested with your 2 crop per year. I am thinking of doing the same here. If you start a grow log, it will be very interesting to follow
 

ChinaVoodoo

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This chart works really well.

Flue Cure Chart.jpg

I do want to add that the 48hrs yellowing should be a general rule. You want everything you picked for that run all to become yellow at about the same time. If it's been yellow too long, you get some brown leaves. If it's not ripe enough you get green. So fault on the side of smaller batches that are ripening at the same time.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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This chart works really well.

View attachment 21246

I do want to add that the 48hrs yellowing should be a general rule. You want everything you picked for that run all to become yellow at about the same time. If it's been yellow too long, you get some brown leaves. If it's not ripe enough you get green. So fault on the side of smaller batches that are ripening at the same time.

That's if you intend on flue curing the Virginia Gold. Otherwise, air curing, 65 to 75% rh, and 55 to 100 F is a reasonable range. It's hard to go wrong.
 

vipertwo2

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july 13 20 17.jpgthanks guys for the welcome....i would like to flue cure it......what about the barley and oriental..... can it be flue cured also?? can lights be used as a heat source.... i have lp gas and burner as option....how about a small circulating fan???this are up for 2nd crop will be ready to go in ground when the 1st crop is done..
 

deluxestogie

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do u have to yellow the oriental leaves before u sun dry it/?
After harvesting leaf, your task is to color-cure it. The living leaf consumes its chlorophyll, and becomes yellow, while still alive. After that, the leaf dies as it dries out, and turns to brown. That whole sequence is "color-curing". This usually occurs while leaf hangs in the shed, and requires anywhere from 1 to 6 or more weeks, depending on the variety and conditions. If the green leaf dries (that is, the leaf dies) prior to turning yellow, then we call it "drying green," and it's not likely to ever taste the way you expect. (Candela cigar wrappers, the green wrappers, are made by doing this.)

Orientals are often color-cured in the sun. Depending on the variety, the temperatures and the relative humidity, you can sometimes hang green Oriental leaf in the sun, and it will transition to yellow, then to brown. A safer approach to sun-curing is to allow the leaf to at least begin to yellow in the shade, before putting it out in full sun. I have successfully stalk-harvested a number of small Orientals, and immediately hung the green leaf, still on the stalk, in direct sun. The moisture of the stalk then serves as a reservoir to minimize the risk of the leaf drying green. (It's curious to note that if you purchase commercial whole leaf Orientals, there are often spots of green.)

After color-curing (including sun-curing) you can either allow the leaf to naturally age for months to years, or force-age it in a kiln (~125ºF at 70%+ RH) for 30 days. We usually just refer to this as kilning. Cigar leaf, for example, that has color-cured, then been kilned, can be used soon thereafter.

Flue-curing (for flue-cure varieties and some Orientals) is not preceded by color-curing. The point of flue-curing is to yellow the leaf as rapidly as possible, then halt all further chemical changes by raising the temp, in stages, to 165ºF, all over a period of typically 5 days. Sun-curing is a poor man's version of this. The notion is to rapidly cure the leaf, in order to prevent its sugars from naturally converting to starches. Flue-cure varieties (often just called "Virginias") and some Orientals are naturally high in sugars, so this works. Most other varieties (including burley varieties) don't have that sugar, and generally come out crappy if flue-cured.

Now, your "bunker." If you use it for color-curing, then you simply hang the leaf in there, provide some ventilation, and wait for the leaf to color cure. I do that with a simple wooden shed that has an internal box fan and a window exhaust fan (that turns on at 70ºF or higher). You need to keep the 3-day-average humidity in the range of 70%. You may need to increase or decrease the humidity, depending on your weather. [Vent at night and close in the day to increase humidity. Vent in the day and close at night to lower humidity.] The color-curing takes as long as it takes.

If you want to use your "bunker" for a kiln or flue-cure chamber, then you'll need to determine a sufficient heat source for that size structure and insulation. For a structure that size, I doubt that lights are the answer for heating. Using LP is more complicated, since the combustion products must not mix with the tobacco, and need to be vented with a flue of some sort. [Gas combustion products exposed to the leaf increase the tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in the tobacco, which increases the cancer risk.] Most household oil-filled radiators have built-in temp circuit breakers that won't allow the device itself to reach kiln, and certainly not flue-curing, temperatures.

If the "bunker" wall is just 1" foam board, I don't think you can get it up to 165ºF without a massive amount of energy input.

Bob
 

vipertwo2

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thanks bob for the info......i will let this sink in for a bit im sure ill have another question or 2 tim the bunker is 2 1//2 foam with plastic in between ......can u color cure the leaf at 100 for 48 hours or so then hang dry the rest of the way.... i can get 100 with 2 hal. lights ........
 

vipertwo2

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just thinking if a hot water heater run through a 3/4 copper radiator....or element out of a ele oven......probably the best electric oven element i do have a mig welder....
 

ChinaVoodoo

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thanks bob for the info......i will let this sink in for a bit im sure ill have another question or 2 tim the bunker is 2 1//2 foam with plastic in between ......can u color cure the leaf at 100 for 48 hours or so then hang dry the rest of the way.... i can get 100 with 2 hal. lights ........

Yellowing does accelerate when you're air curing at 100F as compared with, say 80F. Once it's yellow, you can do anything you want with it. If everything in the shed is yellow, you could keep it warm but reduce the humidity to dry it faster. If only some is yellow and you want to pull it out to hang elsewhere, making room for newly picked leaf, you can certainly do that too.

In regards to heat, for perspective, my shed is 8'x4'x8', R24 (6") Roxul insulation plus R6(?)1.5" expanded foam insulation--total R30, and I can reach 180F with 900 watts of heat.
 

Charly

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welcome Vipertwo2, congratulations, your plants look good !
I think Bob sums up the color curing task, for a first crop, you should perhaps try some simple air curing ? And find how to make a good kiln, it would already be great :)
Maybe try some sun curing (after yellowing in the shade) your virginias.
good luck
 

vipertwo2

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we hello i tried between 92 to 94 drying to fast.....its wanting to try and set a few tips green... so droped temp to 88 to 90 and and raised hum. to 70 - 72 one window in door open 4-5 inch....small 6 inch fan on low.....running about 88.7 73 hum.. on 40 watt bulb this is during day i have a 60 and 75 watt for tonight which one it takes ....... to harvest orent. 3 weeks after topping.... cut stalk down and dry on stalk..in shade till yellowing starts and then sun them.... what color should i expt when sun dun...../??? what color should my golden burley be when dun air cur...... do u need to kiln all tobaccos/? thanks everyone for taking the tim to write tyhis down for me ... its probaly be explained here 100 times are so.... so thanks to all .... and u Bob for the time Tim
 

deluxestogie

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Charly or anyone any good small plans for a kiln i have seen a few only need a small scale one any suggestions... Tim
Go to the index of key threads: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/3868-Key-threads-in-the-FTT-forum, and look at Curing: Other. The requirements of a kiln are similar, regardless of the scale. So, for my endoskeletal kiln, if you cut the height down, you still need the same insulation and frame structure and hinges and heat source, etc.

Nearly every FTT member who has made a kiln wishes it were bigger. My endoskeletal kiln is too small (could definitely use another foot of height), but I sized it to fit my available location. I would say that one that is the same depth and width, but 2/3 as tall would be a minimum, realistic small kiln.

My very first kiln was a converted wooden toolbox. Gosh was it tiny. I used an old child's sleeping bag over the top for insulation, and an empty cheese box beneath it. It required a HUGE effort just to get the leaf into a form that would fit inside it. It contained a 2 quart Crockpot.

BabyCrockPotKiln20120921_493_doorOpen_400.jpg

This worked, but just between you and me, it really sucked to use it.

Or you can just grab an old refrigerator, and convert it to a kiln.

Bob
 

Brown Thumb

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Welcome aboard,
the bigger the better.
I also store my dried leaf in there in the big trash bags.
image.jpg
 

vipertwo2

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i can't control it( heat) set green on first few leaves i tried .......... ok so herejuly 20    2017 008.jpg is some just air drying looking good next question...my orent. has about 2 weeks since i toped a few and let 2 go to seed... when should i harvest it and how..... i think cut the stalk and hang plant... is this correct..... all were planted at same time but some try to seed at different times..... now 2 question golden burly no seed pods but are yellowing a lot is it time to harvest or do i wait for pods to form.....july 20    2017 015.jpgjuly 20    2017 016.jpg all tobacco was planted at same time... no pods on bright leaf ether should i pick the burly or cut whole plant.... also should they be hung upside down or side ways....
 

BarG

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After harvesting leaf, your task is to color-cure it. The living leaf consumes its chlorophyll, and becomes yellow, while still alive. After that, the leaf dies as it dries out, and turns to brown. That whole sequence is "color-curing". This usually occurs while leaf hangs in the shed, and requires anywhere from 1 to 6 or more weeks, depending on the variety and conditions. If the green leaf dries (that is, the leaf dies) prior to turning yellow, then we call it "drying green," and it's not likely to ever taste the way you expect. (Candela cigar wrappers, the green wrappers, are made by doing this.)

Orientals are often color-cured in the sun. Depending on the variety, the temperatures and the relative humidity, you can sometimes hang green Oriental leaf in the sun, and it will transition to yellow, then to brown. A safer approach to sun-curing is to allow the leaf to at least begin to yellow in the shade, before putting it out in full sun. I have successfully stalk-harvested a number of small Orientals, and immediately hung the green leaf, still on the stalk, in direct sun. The moisture of the stalk then serves as a reservoir to minimize the risk of the leaf drying green. (It's curious to note that if you purchase commercial whole leaf Orientals, there are often spots of green.)

After color-curing (including sun-curing) you can either allow the leaf to naturally age for months to years, or force-age it in a kiln (~125ºF at 70%+ RH) for 30 days. We usually just refer to this as kilning. Cigar leaf, for example, that has color-cured, then been kilned, can be used soon thereafter.

Flue-curing (for flue-cure varieties and some Orientals) is not preceded by color-curing. The point of flue-curing is to yellow the leaf as rapidly as possible, then halt all further chemical changes by raising the temp, in stages, to 165ºF, all over a period of typically 5 days. Sun-curing is a poor man's version of this. The notion is to rapidly cure the leaf, in order to prevent its sugars from naturally converting to starches. Flue-cure varieties (often just called "Virginias") and some Orientals are naturally high in sugars, so this works. Most other varieties (including burley varieties) don't have that sugar, and generally come out crappy if flue-cured.

Now, your "bunker." If you use it for color-curing, then you simply hang the leaf in there, provide some ventilation, and wait for the leaf to color cure. I do that with a simple wooden shed that has an internal box fan and a window exhaust fan (that turns on at 70ºF or higher). You need to keep the 3-day-average humidity in the range of 70%. You may need to increase or decrease the humidity, depending on your weather. [Vent at night and close in the day to increase humidity. Vent in the day and close at night to lower humidity.] The color-curing takes as long as it takes.

If you want to use your "bunker" for a kiln or flue-cure chamber, then you'll need to determine a sufficient heat source for that size structure and insulation. For a structure that size, I doubt that lights are the answer for heating. Using LP is more complicated, since the combustion products must not mix with the tobacco, and need to be vented with a flue of some sort. [Gas combustion products exposed to the leaf increase the tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in the tobacco, which increases the cancer risk.] Most household oil-filled radiators have built-in temp circuit breakers that won't allow the device itself to reach kiln, and certainly not flue-curing, temperatures.

If the "bunker" wall is just 1" foam board, I don't think you can get it up to 165ºF without a massive amount of energy input.

Bob

Welcome fellow Texan. Good to see another grower from here. Bob, that is very informative, and thanks. I never got into the the science of growing and curing.

Tim G.
 

vipertwo2

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Welcome fellow Texan. Good to see another grower from here. Bob, that is very informative, and thanks. I never got into the the science of growing and curing.

Tim G.
thanks for the info.. ( EVERYONE ).. i read it often and yes i have the spots but not so much on oren.. as i do on the vig. brite leaf and a little on goldgold but it seams to brown out tim g. its hot and humid in southeast texas im having to try to slowdown drying i guess its tricky to u figure your drying area ... couple pic spots is this the spots u talking about it's not mold.also does adding green leafs to the bunker effect the ones already in there couple weeks..... my oren. have been in flower state for 4 weeks come sunday thats when i topped all but these 2...is it time to harvest leafs are still green no yellowing at all. i would like to stalk dry to slow the process down any thought on that and when to put in sun is sun mainly to dry stems/ thank Tim T. also received some seeds from victory seed co. trying to get a better seed... also my seeds i harvest do u think it will spot when i grow them...because of the quality of seed i started with.aug.4    2017 028.jpgaug.4    2017 032.jpgaug.4    2017 037.jpg
 
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