Preparing Burley for cigarette blend

[Knucklehead]

I haven't toasted or cased anything. I'm still smoking purchased whole leaf and apparently the aging took away any harshness. I can smoke the Burley straight in pipe. I'm getting some more equipment moved out of my shop so I'll have room for a kiln pretty soon.

 

[DonH]

I haven't toasted or cased anything. I'm still smoking purchased whole leaf and apparently the aging took away any harshness. I can smoke the Burley straight in pipe. I'm getting some more equipment moved out of my shop so I'll have room for a kiln pretty soon.

I've found that toasting Burley is not necessary if you're blending it and stuffing it in tubes. If you're smoking it straight or rolling your own it helps. I toast both Burley and Virginia for pipe blends.

I'm also not going to try the long toasting times. I find over toasting takes out too much flavor. I think big tobacco can do this by controlling the humidity. But I take it out of the oven as soon as it is bone dry.

 

[holyRYO]

Second casing experiment. Figured Root Beer would be a good match, also a good source of high fructose corn syrup. Started with precut and pretoasted burley (WLT's, 250 F for 1 hr). I dried it extra crispy so that it would soak up more casing. Marinated in Root Beer for 1/2 hr, then strained excess. Dried in oven at 150 F. Let it rest a bit, really only 10 mins... who can wait?

Liked the way it did not come out sticky at all, may be a little darker, can't tell its been altered.

The aroma is still "all natural like", a slight tinge of sweetness perhaps, did not change a whole lot. I think better and very nice.

Taste is improved, "rounder" for a lack of better description ability. Still "all natural like". No sweetness really detected, but you can tell a difference in flavor. I really like it.

Best of all, the smoothest whole leaf burley experience to date. Even "straight up" it makes a wonderful rich cig that is easy to smoke. Cool burning, a ton of body, and lots of smoke.

Easy, cheap, I think a winner, worth trying.

P.S. may be a stretch, but it reminds me of Solani Aged Burley Flake

 

[FmGrowit]

Figured Root Beer would be a good match, also a good source of high fructose corn syrup.

Do you have a recipe or did you just use root beer straight out of a bottle?

 

[Wagner]

Yea holy man, what's up with that? Barq's ? Hire's ? Dad's ?

You need to start divulging some secrets ......

 

[Seanz]

Hmm might have to give that a go

 

[holyRYO]

Store brand generic Root Beer right out of the bottle.

 

[RidgeRunner]

I like the idea. Just today I saw a recipe for braised pork roast in Dr. Pepper.

 

[holyRYO]

I like the idea. Just today I saw a recipe for braised pork roast in Dr. Pepper.

Dr. Pepper was my next idea to try. lol

Seriously, sounds like a good flavor match.

I don't even drink soda.

 

[DGBAMA]

So which one of our esteemed members is going to take this to the next level, from soda to Guiness or Ale? Both go well with a good smoke, so why not right?

 

[Wagner]

I gave holyRYO's casing recipe a try. Down & dirty method was to stuff a few (raw/untoasted) burley leafs in a big ole canning jar along with some orange soda pop, screwed the lid on and set it out in the FLA sunshine to heat up a bit. After about an hour or two the leaf was taken out of the jar, laid on a cooling rack and into the oven at 170 F until dry. (It was still on the wet side after 8 mins +/-...... so I turned off the oven and just let it sit in there). It was way to dry to get very involved but that didn't keep me from trying the burley mixed with a familiar ryo virg. offering. My initial reaction was very positive.
That's only two smokes though.

The remainder of the leaf stayed right there on the rack to see if it would pull moisture out of the air, it did... but after an honest three hours or more it was hardly noticeable. I mention that because corn syrup type sugars like to stay wet. Ever wipe up a spilled cola with a dry towel, think ya got it all, only to have it get sticky later on? Not especially a good thing for a cig stuffin' machine, to have sticky tobacco that is. So any how......what was left on the rack went into a ziplock baggie along with an equal amount of yet another familiar, somewhat lighter tasting ryo tobacco... to rehydrate over night.

I'm gonna to give that simple mix a thorough goin' over tomorrow and report back with my take on it. For what it's worth...

 

[holyRYO]

Wagner, I see nothing you did that followed the recipe... lol

Orange on burley? To each his own... makes me yak thinking about it... lol

Hope the wife does the cooking...

 

[Seanz]

Wagner, I see nothing you did that followed the recipe... lol

Orange on burley? To each his own... makes me yak thinking about it... lol

Hope the wife does the cooking...

I have used orange essence in a mix didnt come out too bad though I also had some choc essence ad a dash of aniseed so it wasn full on

 

[FmGrowit]

I have used orange essence in a mix didnt come out too bad though I also had some choc essence ad a dash of aniseed so it wasn full on

Nor should it be...unless you're smoking a hooka.

 

[holyRYO]

Orange on Virginia sounds appetizing... kinda a McClellan East Carolina Ribbon citrus type thing...

 

[holyRYO]

Anybody know what elevated temps and duration does to nicotine? Hate to loose any precious vitamins...

Answering my own question, I think... nicotine seems to be reduced, based on my extended high temp toasting trials... still plenty to go around with WLT's burley ... been reading claims in searches that there is a connection between harshness and nicotine levels... makes some sense anyway...

 

[Wagner]

For the record.....the orange flavor didn't shine through All in all it turned out too sticky to be practical/useful....oh well, no problem, only experiments.

Simply toasting the burley w/o a casing leaves something to be desired for my tastes.

As to nicotine levels.....I believe there is a correlation between nicotine & ammonia, a free base kinda thing....

Been busy the last week, need to get back to tuning my Burley leaf.

 

[holyRYO]

All in all it turned out too sticky to be practical/useful....oh well, no problem, only experiments.

Try drying it completely next time, crispy like. Then let it come back to a smoking moisture level, then bag it. That is how mine came out/was done, was and still not sticky and has not absorbed any additional moisture.

I am still liking the root beer... got a new casing marinating...

 

[Wagner]

Did you thin out your root beer 'casing' any with water?

(It was completely dry)

 

[holyRYO]

Third casing trial. Agave nectar, Domino organic light, diluted 10 parts water and 1 part agave.

WLT's burley, already toasted 250 F for 1 hr . Precut and dried crispy.

Marinated toasted burley for 1/2 hour. Strained excess. Dried in 175 F oven.

Did not come out sticky, aroma is about the same.

Taste is nice natural burley like without the "dryness", rounder, sort of brings out a chocolate taste in it. Did not really detect any extra sweetness, but you can tell its there, right on the threshold. Overall, I think fantastic .

No harshness so far, even straight it does not blow me away, a very nice smoke.

This is my favorite so far, should prove to be a universal blender. If anything changes after it rests, will let you know.