And I thought only my immediate neighbors were complaining about the grass. You are a man of vision.
Bob
deluxestogie Grow Log 2017
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Bob
In another timeline that view might have been from a cruise ship or a mining vessel. Ah to go back to the 50's and set right what once went wrong, Sam Beckett style.
Gavroche
Well-Known Member
Smoke blend... lol !
Today, I finally stripped some stalks of Baldió Vera (4 out of the 8 that I grew) which have been hanging in the shed since they were stalk harvested in 2016. Some of the stalks have become moldy, but none of the leaf or leaf stems.
Each stalk held 18 to 20 leaves. Each tied hand contains leaf from 2 stalks. It will go into the kiln soon. I still don't have a clear idea what this variety offers. It's moderately thin, and really pretty.
[Sorry for the grimace. It must be the non-stop rain.]
Bob
Each stalk held 18 to 20 leaves. Each tied hand contains leaf from 2 stalks. It will go into the kiln soon. I still don't have a clear idea what this variety offers. It's moderately thin, and really pretty.
[Sorry for the grimace. It must be the non-stop rain.]
Bob
mwaller
Well-Known Member
That looks great, Bob! How do you decide whether to stalk harvest, or prime the leaves individually?
There are all sorts of traditions related to priming or stalk-harvesting. For example, most cigar wrapper varieties are primed, but CT Broadleaf is usually stalk-harvested.
My decision is based on the maturation pattern of the variety. All of my cigar wrapper varieties are leaf-primed, aiming to minimize environmental damage to leaf that is left on the plant longer than necessary. For most cigar varieties, I prime the leaf when a tiny yellow tip shows. If this maturation seems to progress in synchrony over much of the plant, then I may choose to stalk harvest. Or I may prime the lugs, then stalk-cut the remainder of the plant at a later date.
Burley is usually stalk-cut, waiting for most of the leaf to ripen. Leaf for flue-curing is typically primed in batches of matched maturity.
I have harvested various Orientals both ways.
Varieties that tend to dry green may do better on a whole stalk, which slows leaf drying.
BOTTOM LINE: It is pretty arbitrary, whether I prime or stalk-harvest. I just ask myself which way will get the job done properly, with the least amount of work at harvest.
[Although stalk-harvesting is less work at harvest, it requires stripping the leaf from the stalk after color-curing.]
Bob
My decision is based on the maturation pattern of the variety. All of my cigar wrapper varieties are leaf-primed, aiming to minimize environmental damage to leaf that is left on the plant longer than necessary. For most cigar varieties, I prime the leaf when a tiny yellow tip shows. If this maturation seems to progress in synchrony over much of the plant, then I may choose to stalk harvest. Or I may prime the lugs, then stalk-cut the remainder of the plant at a later date.
Burley is usually stalk-cut, waiting for most of the leaf to ripen. Leaf for flue-curing is typically primed in batches of matched maturity.
I have harvested various Orientals both ways.
Varieties that tend to dry green may do better on a whole stalk, which slows leaf drying.
BOTTOM LINE: It is pretty arbitrary, whether I prime or stalk-harvest. I just ask myself which way will get the job done properly, with the least amount of work at harvest.
[Although stalk-harvesting is less work at harvest, it requires stripping the leaf from the stalk after color-curing.]
Bob
Jummy. I get few leaves from Spain three years ago. It was the best home grown Burley that I have tried. But it didn't make such a big leaves in my country also taste was different.
Bob, have you ever tried pile curing (Pilone fermentation)? It is my wish for this years cigar tobacco.
greenmonster714
Well-Known Member
Beautiful leaf Bob.
The one small cigar that I rolled from Baldió Vera leaf (kilned) did not taste like burley. It certainly looks like burley while growing, and it color-cures beautifully, also like burley. Once I have more of it kilned, I'll have a better idea what it is.
About curing in a pilón, aside from not having a suitable location, I'm not comfortable with risking the quantity of leaf that would be required. A couple of years ago, I did try using an insulated box and moderate pressure with 5 huge hands of moist Swarr-Hibshman. I never did see a temperature rise. Maybe some day I'll try again.
We know from BigBonner that tightly baled leaf sometimes begins to ferment. So I'm confident that the insulated pressure box would work, if I could just figure out the parameters.
Bob
These Baldio Vera leaves have a beautifull color !
That reminds me that I wanted to ask you (Bob) if you let your leaves age for many years, because in your grow blog you seem to smoke them just a few month after harvesting
Just the time to color cure than to kiln it one month.
If you age your leaves (after kilning) do you notice a big difference after many months/years ?
That reminds me that I wanted to ask you (Bob) if you let your leaves age for many years, because in your grow blog you seem to smoke them just a few month after harvesting
Just the time to color cure than to kiln it one month.
If you age your leaves (after kilning) do you notice a big difference after many months/years ?
I would like to try and I'm ready to risk leaf from whole season. I read somewhere that when vegueros make pilón they need to "activate" fermentation. I don't know how to activate if this is the right word for it? OK, water. They cover it with cheese cloth or some kind of fabric. Then there must be pressure. If pilón is about 1 meter high then in the midle tobacco is pressed. I will not have so much tobacco so I will calculate and press it somehow. Is there some enzyme or bacteria they add to start fermenting like when you make sauerkraut or vinegar or vine... how you start the process?
Is there any knowledge about that in our forum? KNOW HOW ?
I have found that some varieties change very little after kilning and a few weeks of rest. Others change dramatically.
Certain varieties that contain noticeable terpenes (a kind of pine or spruce sap taste) become much more mellow after a year or two of aging. I would include Colombia Garcia, Bolivia Criollo Black, Silver River in that group. Some folks have described their taste as "almost like menthol", though I disagree. It's almost like turpentine. Also, some "primitive" varieties, like Guácharo and Iztepeque, became fairly nice after a few years of aging.
My Corojo 99 was very good a few weeks after kilning, but improved to excellent after another 6 months of aging.
For most home growers, the possibility of extended aging must await a surplus of leaf. Otherwise it's all smoked before it ages. I now have stored leaf that goes back to 2011 (maybe a bit from 2010 also). There's no planning involved. If it tastes crummy, then I put it away. I then "rediscover" it years later. By this metric, none of my 2016 crop of Corojo 99 will have the opportunity to experience significant aging.
Bob
Maks,
So far as I know, there is no magic "starter" for tobacco. The fermentation relies on enzymes that are already within the leaf cells.
Here is a link to my attempt in 2015: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/6002-Deluxestogie-s-Unheated-Foam-Fermentation-Box-Fiasco
Bob
So far as I know, there is no magic "starter" for tobacco. The fermentation relies on enzymes that are already within the leaf cells.
Here is a link to my attempt in 2015: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/6002-Deluxestogie-s-Unheated-Foam-Fermentation-Box-Fiasco
Bob
I see what you mean about the turpentine or menthol taste, the semois I grew this year gives me a hint of this "pine sap" aroma (it reminds me lightly menthol too) when I take a sniff in the box where it's stored, when smoking there is only a very small hint of this flavor.
I agree, if the leaves are good, they won't have enough time to age
I agree, if the leaves are good, they won't have enough time to age
Thanks, so after proper color curing and drying is time for proper moistening and pressing..
I will read your blog slow with patience..hope for good result.
Family Portrait
Well, there they are, all gathered together by the clothes dryer. "Move a little closer. That's it. Smile!"
With 1 to 3 weeks before it's party time, all the seedlings look good. The biggest will be a little too big by then, and the smallest will have caught up to the rest. The 1020 trays hold 48 each. That's 192 total. Only about 3/4 of them will be set out. The remainder will be mercilessly slaughtered, once they are no longer of use as replacements.
I still have 2-1/2 beds to weed. A week of nearly solid rain (4") has slowed that process. The lawn is well above my ankles, but its lush green promises a bountiful summer.
Bob
Well, there they are, all gathered together by the clothes dryer. "Move a little closer. That's it. Smile!"
With 1 to 3 weeks before it's party time, all the seedlings look good. The biggest will be a little too big by then, and the smallest will have caught up to the rest. The 1020 trays hold 48 each. That's 192 total. Only about 3/4 of them will be set out. The remainder will be mercilessly slaughtered, once they are no longer of use as replacements.
I still have 2-1/2 beds to weed. A week of nearly solid rain (4") has slowed that process. The lawn is well above my ankles, but its lush green promises a bountiful summer.
Bob
Gavroche
Well-Known Member
[QUOTE = deluxestogie; 134629] Portrait de famille
Bien, là-bas, tous rassemblés par le sèche-linge. "Mettez-vous un peu plus près. C'est tout. Souriez!"
Bob [/ QUOTE]
Two to the left close eyes ... redo the photo Bob!
les deux à gauche ferment les yeux... refaites la photo Bob !
Bien, là-bas, tous rassemblés par le sèche-linge. "Mettez-vous un peu plus près. C'est tout. Souriez!"
Bob [/ QUOTE]
Two to the left close eyes ... redo the photo Bob!
les deux à gauche ferment les yeux... refaites la photo Bob !
mwaller
Well-Known Member
I see that most of your seedlings have a pronounced stalk. My seedlings are probably a bit younger than yours, but they are very low to the ground with almost no stalk to speak of. Is the difference caused by mine being grown under florescents?
Shorter stalk is better. It means that they are happy with the light they are getting.
Mine are exposed to direct sunlight through the windows for about half of each day. Unfortunately, we've had over a week of rain or overcast sky.
Bob
Mine are exposed to direct sunlight through the windows for about half of each day. Unfortunately, we've had over a week of rain or overcast sky.
Bob
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