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Bad Smell - Perique Making

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DistillingJim

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Hey guys,
I'm having trouble making my perique. I've had it under pressure and under water for a few months now (I think since October) but I'm not sure if something has gone awry. Although I've not smelt straight, untreated perique (I have some Sam Gawith stuff to tie me over which is almost certainly cased with SG perfume), what I've made just smells like old lawn cuttings. It's not offensive, I was just expecting it to be more fruity and appetizing?

My setup was pretty spartan (coffee tin, jam jar lid, c-clamps) but bubbles were coming off the first few days. The room its being kept in does get quite cold so that could be factor if it were inhibiting the enzymes but other than that I'm at a bit of a loss. Any thoughts?
 

ChinaVoodoo

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Re: Bad Smell

The shop I go to has perique in bulk. I find it much more like lemon and black pepper than fruity. And because of that, I can spot it in blends really easy. I ain't never made nothing that tasted like that. My one successfulish batch was more like red wine and chocolate.
 

deluxestogie

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I have one thought about your container. Coffee tins are plated metal. The Perique process raises the pH. You may be leaching the plating metal into the tobacco liquid. It might be time to remove the Perique--to separate the leaf, and air it. In that process, examine the interior of the tin. If it looks intact, then recompact the leaf, and give it more time.

My experience is that the supernatant (the liquid above the Perique that seals it from exposure to air) needs to become quite thick, in order for the fruity aroma to develop. Every one of my many batches of Perique has a different aroma. I attribute this to not only differences in the tobacco variety, but also to the random nature of the microbial mix that predominates. The goal with the microbes is to allow the liquid to become so thick that its high osmolarity favors Pichia anomala over other microbes.

Bob
 

mwaller

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I recently finished my first batch of perique using Florida Sumatra tip leaves. They were under pressure for 4 months. Throughout the process, the prevailing aroma was that of over-ripe lily flowers... not at all what I expected! After drying the leaves, I've left them stored in a ziploc bag. Slowly but surely, the sharper floral notes are fading and the earthier, fruitier notes are starting to emerge.
So, you may find that your perique will continue to mature after you remove it from the press. Just a thought!

Hey guys,
I'm having trouble making my perique. I've had it under pressure and under water for a few months now (I think since October) but I'm not sure if something has gone awry. Although I've not smelt straight, untreated perique (I have some Sam Gawith stuff to tie me over which is almost certainly cased with SG perfume), what I've made just smells like old lawn cuttings. It's not offensive, I was just expecting it to be more fruity and appetizing?

My setup was pretty spartan (coffee tin, jam jar lid, c-clamps) but bubbles were coming off the first few days. The room its being kept in does get quite cold so that could be factor if it were inhibiting the enzymes but other than that I'm at a bit of a loss. Any thoughts?
 

KiwiGrown

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I've never made Perique but I'll be using this years burley to do so, if it's even half as good as St. James flake I'll probably cry with joy. What ever that perfume Samuel Gawith is using I'd think it's quite traditional? Maybe nothing more then molasses and water ?
 

BigBonner

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Did you de stem the leaves ?
Did you use purified water ?

Then time is what it my need and possibly more pressure .
 
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