I tried making a small-batch preique press using C clamps and one pint wide mouth canning jars:
A 6" C clamp would work, but a heavy duty 8 inch provides enough pressure to extrude liquid.
Note the cork pad under the jar and the oak clamp pad on top.
I also used two layers of Kraft paper under the clamp pad to get a better seal against the jar.
I applied as much pressure as possible checking the pressure over several days.
This experiment used a commercial bag of inexpensive pipe tobacco (probably a burley) that was moistened with distilled water to a damp consistency.
After 15 days I opened one jar to see what was happening. In my cool (70 F) shop there was probably little fermentation taking place. The tobacco had a slight fruity odor and after drying a small sample smoked fine. There was a slight perique-ish sour taste toward the end of the bowl and no ammonia odor at all.
Oldbear
A 6" C clamp would work, but a heavy duty 8 inch provides enough pressure to extrude liquid.
Note the cork pad under the jar and the oak clamp pad on top.
I also used two layers of Kraft paper under the clamp pad to get a better seal against the jar.
I applied as much pressure as possible checking the pressure over several days.
This experiment used a commercial bag of inexpensive pipe tobacco (probably a burley) that was moistened with distilled water to a damp consistency.
After 15 days I opened one jar to see what was happening. In my cool (70 F) shop there was probably little fermentation taking place. The tobacco had a slight fruity odor and after drying a small sample smoked fine. There was a slight perique-ish sour taste toward the end of the bowl and no ammonia odor at all.
Oldbear
