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Stringing Tobacco Leaves for Kilning

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Orson Carte

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Has anyone had any experience using this old-school method for hanging leaves in a flue kiln?
I have been looking at this ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbPhzCIxiv8
and thinking that, by hanging just two large leaves per 'set', I might get plenty of circulating air-space around each. (On the video I think they are tying three per set, and quite close, at that).
As I've got a reasonably large quantity to process I'm considering that this time-tested method might be the most practical.
However, I'm somewhat concerned that as a learner-looper I might not get the tension right and as the stem shrinks the string might fail to hold the leaves onto the poles.
Has anyone tried this? And just how successful was it? Or, is there just a plainly better method?
Thanks
 

LeftyRighty

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Yeah, I've used this method for a few years, but for air-curing. It works very well.
When I had a bumper crop, and the strings between the rafters filled the shed, I hung poles from the rafters below the already hung leaves.
And I tied 3 leaf sets. But, alternate the direction of the leaves, i.e., face-to-face or back-to-back of the leaf, not all the same face-to-back. This allows the leaves to curl opposing each other as they cure, better air circulation. I even tried 2 or 4 leaves per set, and that worked also. It is a space-saver method.
Yeah, occasionally, a leaf falls out as the stems dry. I just re-hung the leaf on another new pole.
 

Orson Carte

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Thanks LR.
My main concern is that in a flue-kiln, which theoretically remains unopened for six days, a large number of fallen leaves would present a problem - where this isn't so much an issue in the air-cure process.
From the information I've gleaned, I think this method was the one traditionally use in a kiln and, once the 'knotting' is mastered, is an easy and economical way of hanging.
The 1000cu/ft kiln I have built (and shortly will test for the first time) is capable of holding quite a quantity of leaf per batch and I'm loathe to consider hanging every individual leaf on a hook.
I'm still hoping that someone might suggest a better alternative method.
 

deluxestogie

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Just string the leaf on a wire. I max out at about 60 leaves per string, just because a longer wire of leaf is difficult for me to handle. If, however, your chamber can support tobacco sticks (like the ones shown in the video), then you can simply attach a wire (I use 17 gauge aluminum electric fence wire) to one end of a stick, string the leaves onto the wire for the full length of the stick, then attache the other end of the wire to the stick.

In modern flue-curing, leaf is essentially skewered on a broad "bed of nails", so that it all stays where it is placed.

Bob
 

LeftyRighty

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My main concern is that in a flue-kiln, which theoretically remains unopened for six days, a large number of fallen leaves would present a problem - where this isn't so much an issue in the air-cure process.
.

The number of leaf that fell in my strings was minimal, at worst, maybe a dozen out of 3 - 8 ft. strings of leaf. And they usually fell because I bumped into them. I had an oscillating fan, circulating air, in the shed that blew 24/7 for over a month of air-curing - was enough to wiggle the leaves constantly (mold prevention). Recognize that the weight of the leaf bunch wiggling tends to tighten the loop of string holding them.

Normally, I hang leaf on a wire strung between the shed rafters, as Bob suggests above. I do this because I have a lot of partial strings that I continue to add to. This, because I prime leaf as they ripen, separate by type (6+ strains of baccy) and location on the plant, (low, middle & top leaf). When I used the pole/string method, I had a bumper crop of one strain, and was ripe-picking 60 - 80 or more leaves at a time. If one day's priming didn't fill my 8 ft poles, I knotted the string to the pole, then added more at a later priming.
 
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Orson Carte

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Just as a bit of feedback on this topic I initiated;
The 'stringing' or 'looping' idea has, so far, been a great success. Once practised it is very quick and easy to do - though it takes two people to do it.
I was initially concerned, that as the stems shrank radically in the final 48 hours of the flue-cure, I might have leaves dropping off the poles - and with my hotplate heat-source sitting below, present a fire hazard.
Well, I'm happy to report that I've had virtually no trouble, whatsoever. The only time a leaf dropped was when I hadn't looped a set correctly.
Referring to the video I linked as an example,early on I worked out that the string needs to be cinched on both sides of the pole. The person in the video was putting a twist into the loop that hung on her side of the pole but letting those on the far side just hang there in a loop without a twist. My 'modification' is to also rotate this far side 'bunch' after it's looped so there is a definite locking twist made in the string.
As long as steady tension is maintained on the string, and consequently each bunch as you move along the pole, it is easy to achieve a very tight and secure arrangement.
 

Orson Carte

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Did you use a stringing horse? If not, what method did you use?

Yes. Effectively I've got a 'horse'.
I drilled a hole into an upright wooden barn support, and the other end of the pole is retained in a bracket mounted on top of a reasonably weighty steel tripod.
I work from the wooden end, and towards the tripod. It all works pretty well.
I'd include a photo but I'm still working out just how to post one in here.
 

deluxestogie

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Go to Settings | General Settings | Miscellaneous Options (at the bottom). To get the icons in your editing interface, select Standard Editor.

Bob
 

Orson Carte

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Thanks for the heads-up. And just to show that I managed to carry-out instructions, here's a few pics relating to the thread.
I'll try and get a photo of my 'stringing horse' next time I have the camera out in the barn.
The photos I've shown are meant to illustrate the looping, and give some idea of my flue-chamber, which I was describing in another thread.


jeneral 001.jpg


001.JPG


Second Batch 001.JPG
 

deluxestogie

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That's an impressive flue-cure chamber. Very nice.

Does the door latch have a safety release on the inside? I think I see one in the last photo.

Bob
 

Orson Carte

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Yes, that's a safety release. As you can see it's a converted freezer. In the tobacco off-season I intend to revert to it's original purpose - to hang beef.
If anyone's interested, that vent at the front houses an extractor fan. (That's a styrofoam plug in it in the photo - when the fan's off).
I've found it dead easy to maintain the humidity targets by turning it on when the humidity needs reducing. I think I can probably automate this in future so I can actually leave the premises while a batch is curing.
The double-glazed window is a real bonus - glad I made the effort to fit it.
I have a circulating fan on the floor inside.
The hotplate/griddle sits in front of the window. This is another thing I'm pleased with. During the yellowing phase (at 38Celsius) the griddle runs for 7 minutes per hour and there only about one degree of hysteresis above and below the set target.

Kiln 017.JPG
 

BarG

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from barn fire flue cured to high tech, very cool, I would have to resort to old fashioned. Thumbs up dude.
 

Orson Carte

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from barn fire flue cured to high tech, very cool, I would have to resort to old fashioned. Thumbs up dude.

I don't really regard this as 'high tech'. (If it was it would've defeated me).
After putting it off for the past two years (because I thought it was), I'm surprised how rudimentary the basic process actually is. Personally, I think the thing to learn now is 'judgement' because each batch going in is subtlely variable.
 

Smokin Harley

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Has anyone had any experience using this old-school method for hanging leaves in a flue kiln?
I have been looking at this ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbPhzCIxiv8
and thinking that, by hanging just two large leaves per 'set', I might get plenty of circulating air-space around each. (On the video I think they are tying three per set, and quite close, at that).
As I've got a reasonably large quantity to process I'm considering that this time-tested method might be the most practical.
However, I'm somewhat concerned that as a learner-looper I might not get the tension right and as the stem shrinks the string might fail to hold the leaves onto the poles.
Has anyone tried this? And just how successful was it? Or, is there just a plainly better method?
Thanks

lets take a step back, and say stringing tobacco for color curing first. I use ( i think 0.040)mig welding wire, comes in 1/4 mile rolls at harbor freight for a few bucks and lasts a long time. if you use pieces 3 ft or so , they hold around 36-42 leaves each,with enough to loop both ends and hang on nails up in the shed. just loop one end around a sharpie marker and wind the end about 4 times around itself to secure it , cut the opposite end at a sharp angle to pierce the stem of the leaf no less than an inch from the stalk end back to back to front to front and so on keeps space for air circulation, slide the leaves on and when full ,loop the end like the first and hang up on nails. Never had any mold this way and is easily handled .
 
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