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Smoking rustics - cigarette not staying lit

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SmokeStack

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I purchased some Indian Rustica and tried smoking it as a cigarette. It has a nice fragrant aroma and perfect nicotine content. Unfortunately, the Rustica cigarettes had trouble staying lit. In fact, I have to use a lighter every time I take a drag. I dried it to a crisp and it still doesn't burn consistently. I thought about mixing in some Burley, but that would change the flavor of the smoke and detract from the fragrant aroma of the Rustica. Has anyone experienced poor smoking characteristics of Rusticas or other types of tobacco?
 

Matty

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Yes, I found rustica to burn poorly. Haven't played around with it too much. If you don't want to blend it try a different type of cut, say thinner or flake. Blending with another type of tobacco would make it burn better and may even improve what you are looking for in flavor. Burley might be too much of a contrast for the rustica, virginia would probably compliment it more. You'll have to try different things, that's where the fun is.
 

BarG

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Has anyone experienced poor smoking characteristics of Rusticas or other types of tobacco?

Yes , But it was my own fault and not related to a varietys characteristics. Fertilizer issues did me in. Specificaly, Muriate of potash or chlorides applied at shortly before topping and harvest.

edit; the same fertilizer during entirety of growth.
 

SmokeStack

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Yes , But it was my own fault and not related to a varietys characteristics. Fertilizer issues did me in. Specificaly, Muriate of potash or chlorides applied at shortly before topping and harvest.

I read that chlorides are bad for growing tobacco, but I am not sure why.

From what I understand, tobacco varieties that are rich in carbohydrates tend to burn poorly.
 

BarG

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I read that chlorides are bad for growing tobacco, but I am not sure why.

From what I understand, tobacco varieties that are rich in carbohydrates tend to burn poorly.
I'm trying to learn my self smokes. When I learn enough to be halfway versed in it i'll try to say why. Needless to say chlorides and readily available chlorine will cause a poor combustibility in tobacco. Even that may have been stated poorly.

I am making an extremly concientious effort to avoid that problem this year.

I'm going to look for some recent articles posted to refresh.

Tim
 

Jitterbugdude

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From what I understand, tobacco varieties that are rich in carbohydrates tend to burn poorly.

I don't think this is true. Virginia type tobacco's are very high in carbs while Burleys are low and they both burn the same ( give or take a little). If you have some reference please post. I'd like to learn more about this subject. I've just started taking Brix reading of my tobacco (17 different varieties) because I'm curious about this very subject.
 

johnlee1933

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This may be completely off the wall but consider the following. Both chlorine and oxygen are strong oxidizers. (You've never had fun til you have burned paper in a high chlorine, no oxygen atmosphere. Some neat science fiction has been written about chlorine based life forms.)

If oxidizable molecules like sugar, starch or cellulose have already combined with chlorine wouldn't that make it hard/impossible for them to combine with oxygen? So, if the number of such are higher in a given tobacco maybe it would burn less well?

Just a thought.

John
 

Jitterbugdude

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John, I do not believe that chloride can combine with a sugar. It might be able to combine with another salt such as manganese or zinc etc and that would be dependent on the bonds (covalent?). I'm pretty sure it does combine with lime to form Calcium Chloride.The chloride content of the lamina is about 2.5 times less than that of the midrib. The chloride content also rises from low leaf position to high leaf position. As to why it prevents or slows combustion I do not know.. but I'd like to. I know that increasing the Nitrogen content of the leaf ( via fertilization) decreases the chloride content but that still does not explain the burning issue here. High leaf chloride content is also supposed to yield leaf with poor storage qualities.
 

johnlee1933

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John, I do not believe that chloride can combine with a sugar. It might be able to combine with another salt such as manganese or zinc etc and that would be dependent on the bonds (covalent?). I'm pretty sure it does combine with lime to form Calcium Chloride.The chloride content of the lamina is about 2.5 times less than that of the midrib. The chloride content also rises from low leaf position to high leaf position. As to why it prevents or slows combustion I do not know.. but I'd like to. I know that increasing the Nitrogen content of the leaf ( via fertilization) decreases the chloride content but that still does not explain the burning issue here. High leaf chloride content is also supposed to yield leaf with poor storage qualities.

Good thought but sugar will burn producing CO2. It seems to me that sugar should combine with chlorine in much the same way producing chlorides instead of oxides.

Smokestack where are you when we need you? :confused:

John
 

leverhead

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In the reading I've done since January, a bunch, I can't cite it right now. I remember high chloride leaf referred to as either "wet dog", "wet rag" or something like that. If the chloride were combined with calcium or magnesium in the leaf, it might be very descriptive. If I can find the citation(s) I'll post them.
 
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