Ciennepi 2018 Grow Blog

[ciennepi]

After twelve days of kilning I opened it and find:
- there is no sign of mold;
- the poly bag can hold moisture wery well, all the leafs are still in high case;
- the plastic pin can hold closed the bag ever at high temperature;
- there is still a slight ammonia smell and no tobacco aroma.
This are three photos of the leafs:

 

[Levi Gross]

Beautiful looking leaf you have there!

 

[deluxestogie]

In my experience with kilning in bags containing large stacks (piles) of leaf, I have found that evaporation of some of the unpleasant volatile compounds is delayed by the bag--and my bags have one end open within the kiln. So I make certain that, once the kilning has completed its month, the leaf that is removed from the kiln is allowed to go fully out of case--get totally, crispy dry. Then I bring it back into case for use or storage. This seems to make a dramatic difference in the resting time required after kilning, for the leaf to reach a usable condition.

Bob

 

[ciennepi]

Thank you for the advice Bob. I will do the same procedure.

 

[ciennepi]

Today I prepare a new batch of cigarettes tobacco to use in the next Christmas holiday during dinner with friends. 1/4 homemade Perique and 3/4 homegrow flue cured Yellow Pryor. For me it's the best mix to eliminate the bite tongue and to give a few nicotine boost.

 

[deluxestogie]

Santa Fe Natural Tobacco makes two versions of American Spirit Perique cigarettes. You have discovered their secret.

Bob

 

[ciennepi]

With more realism the only two strain that I have to blend cigarettes tobacco are the Perique and the flue-cured bright leafs ( Yellow Pryor and Bucak). This year I didn't grow any Oriental or Burley. I smoke cigarettes very seldom and I don't think that worth the mess of other two strains. Even because my mix like me a lot.

 

[ciennepi]

After 20 days of kilning, in the shortest day of the year, I opened for the second time.
Good surprise :
- the ammonia smell is gone;
- the good tobacco smell is arrived;
- the leafs are passed from high case to a medium case. I take out of the bag and give them a few spray with rain water.
The leafs changed in color becoming a little darker and without stikness. Ever the Aztec have a nice colour and aroma. Here some photos:

 

[CobGuy]

Looks great!
I put my tobacco back in the bags, as well, and they are doing better than before.

~Darin

 

[deluxestogie]

Ciennepi, that is an excellent demonstration (volado vs. ligero) that the variety and stalk position, not the kiln conditions, determine the final leaf color.

Bob

 

[ciennepi]

Yes, I see myself that the colour become darker and thikness become greater from lower position to upper positions.
Next year I think that all my bagging separate stalk position will be useless. After kilning you can see and feel the position of the leaf without the need to read on a paper.
The only exception are two plants that I grow inside my greenhouse to have thinner wrapper. All the leafs from bottom to upper are about the same colour and thikness.

 

[ciennepi]

The recent post http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/holy-chaveta.8455 give me the cue to finish a job that I begin months ago. I made myself a chaveta an two casquillo for my rolling time. I forge the chaveta out of an old motorhoe blade ant quenched it in hot vegetable oil.
It come out pretty hard, the file don't take on it I let it "brut the forge" because I'm like the old look. The two casquillo are two simple stainless steel tube worked with the grinder. Ready to roll

 

[Charly]

Good job !
Congratulations !

I like its raw texture too

 

[drinkthekoolaid]

Very very nice!! I love the mill scale (iron oxide) look as well. There is something deepy satisfying building your own tools.

 

[ciennepi]

Oh yes. The pleasure of smoking a self grow cigar is not bigger that the pleasure of grow the plants and of making the tools you need to roll or kiln it! For me is like go hiking on a high mountain, it's nice to reach the summit but it's also nice the travel you make to reach it.

 

[deluxestogie]

George Steck, the author of several books on hiking wilderness trails in the Grand Canyon, relates this incident from one trek. After finally reaching a resting point following a grueling ascent of a steep cliff below the North Rim, a member of his small group of hikers gasped, "It's almost worth all the climbing just to be able to sit and rest again." Steck replied, "I think it's almost worth the time spent sitting and resting, just so we can climb some more."

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

"It's almost worth all the climbing just to be able to sit and rest again." Steck replied, "I think it's almost worth the time spent sitting and resting, just so we can climb some more."

Bob

Contrarians. Right thing, wrong time.

Parades are fun, but we don't put all the horses at the front.

 

[ciennepi]

After six week of kilning I take the leafs, let it go out of case, bring it back in low case and reclose in the poly bag. The smell is very good. The Nostrano del Brenta leafs have strong hint of walnuts and dried fruits while the Vuelta Abajo have a wonderful smell of typical tobacco and perhaps coffe. I'm happy with the results
I did not resist and rolled 5 cigars puros of Nostrano. The blend is the same for all:
filler 1/2 seco and 1/2 ligero
binder seco
wrapper volado
I rolled without using the mold because I will understand better of much compression I must give to obtain a good draw and because I will try different vitolas to see wich like me the most.
The dimension from left to right are:
5x56, 4x60, 4x50, 4 1/4 x44 and 4 3/4 x46.
When I'll smoke them I'll give you my thoughts.

 

[ciennepi]

And this is a photo with the tools that I used to roll them.

 

[ciennepi]

This is what I see outside my windows!
It is two day it's snowing.
It's strange to think that in one month I will have the first seedling of tobacco sprouting