2021 first attempt ever: mbatini

[mbatini]

Second crop?
Hi all. On August 25th I've cut all coronas of my plants. So in my mind I was done in the field and moving on to other steps. Now I see this:

I'm full of suckers and new leaves and they are really a lot!!!! Also flowering is ongoing.
It's not that cold for the moment and we expect another 2/3 weeks without great shift towords winter.

Question: is it worth to harvest these?
Thanks for hints
Mauro

 

[deluxestogie]

Question: is it worth to harvest these?

That is a common question. I have never found sucker leaves to be of particularly good quality, and seldom worth the effort to harvest, cure and finish them. Part of the explanation may be the relative immaturity of the leaves at harvest. Part may be the poor curing conditions of late autumn. If you consider most sucker leaf to be in the same category as primary leaf from the very bottom of the stalk, and have some use for thin, weak, highly combustible leaf, then you may find it useful.

This season I carefully managed 3 stalks of Olor suckers, and harvested them specifically to make into Cavendish. I don't know at this time how well they will cure.

Bob

 

[mbatini]

That is a common question. I have never found sucker leaves to be of particularly good quality, and seldom worth the effort to harvest, cure and finish them. Part of the explanation may be the relative immaturity of the leaves at harvest. Part may be the poor curing conditions of late autumn. If you consider most sucker leaf to be in the same category as primary leaf from the very bottom of the stalk, and have some use for thin, weak, highly combustible leaf, then you may find it useful.

This season I carefully managed 3 stalks of Olor suckers, and harvested them specifically to make into Cavendish. I don't know at this time how well they will cure.

Bob

Thanks Bob.
I think that I still have a lot of steps towards my own sticks with my own tobacco and hence I will focus on what I have.
I've spoken with an Italian cigars manufacturer (kentucky fire cured for toscano) and in his words the 2021 crop is expected to be the best in the last 20 years. Hope my tobacco listens to this.

Bye
Mauro

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Along with everyone else's! Lol

 

[Knucklehead]

Thanks Bob.
I think that I still have a lot of steps towards my own sticks with my own tobacco and hence I will focus on what I have.
I've spoken with an Italian cigars manufacturer (kentucky fire cured for toscano) and in his words the 2021 crop is expected to be the best in the last 20 years. Hope my tobacco listens to this.

Bye
Mauro

As Bob is doing with his Olor suckers for Cavendish, you could experiment with fire curing, cavendish, Perique, etc. Failures provide valuable data or you could score a win with little more effort.

 

[mbatini]

As Bob is doing with his Olor suckers for Cavendish, you could experiment with fire curing, cavendish, Perique, etc. Failures provide valuable data or you could score a win with little more effort.

Thanks @Knucklehead I will think about experimenting. You know, first time grower is per se a lot of experimentation ....

Note about shipping: I've got some seeds from @skychaser ... in 6 days!!!!!!!!!!! What a flash!
Bye
Mauro

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I leave my suckers on the plant over winter. 3/4 of the time they're moldy in the spring, but sometimes they are half decent. And it takes no effort.

 

[mbatini]

I leave my suckers on the plant over winter. 3/4 of the time they're moldy in the spring, but sometimes they are half decent. And it takes no effort.

No effort ... sounds good! Thanks China.

I am deep involved in testing the Volado batch Have to define which variety to grow next year. Atm Sumatra is the most defined puro I've tested. Nostrano is too grassy, Habana Cubano is fresh air. Today Habano2000.

Would like to compare the way people carries on testing; I will go with a test stick for each priming just to try to understand if/how they perform well.

Bye
Mauro

 

[mbatini]

First priming (total 1.5 kg) is vacuum sealed and the second priming (2+ kg) set to dry for a couple of days until low case.


I was inspecting the quality of my kilned Nostrano ... and I was quite happy


And this is only the #2 priming, to me it looks like I have a good number of candidates to binder if not wrappers!

Bye
Mauro

 

[mbatini]

Blending exercises.
I'm reading as much as I can on the subject. It looks to me that the bottom line is (as usual) a never-ending path of personal experiences.
My idea is to go easy: few variety to mix in the filler, taste the doll without wrapper and then apply different wrappers at the mix I like most.
Attached is the first run.
Criollo 98 bound with Habana Cubano.

It was good ... for 1-2 inches! Then I've paid my impatience.
Too wet, too early. It 'seems' good on the background, but a lot of tongue bite, grassy enough, etc etc.

Going now to wrap all tests in paper and wait 2 weeks.

For the very few perceptions I've got from smoking, it clearly miss a certain level of 'body'. Need to add some Ligero ... but it is still into kiln !!!!!

So for the moment I will roll a couple of 38rg to check the lower leaves outcome.

 

[mbatini]

Warming up.
No, it's not winter approaching and hence having to put wood into my fireplace.

I'm starting production for the first blend:
Piloto Volado (40%)
Criollo 98 Seco (40%)
Sumatra Viso (20%)
Nostrano del Brenta Binder&Wrapper

Rolled a couple of 38rg (wrapped in paper) 10 44rg and 2 Robustos
Last on the right there is also a Perfecto that is quite imperfecto.
Need to dry out and first smoke could be in 2 weeks.

Have a great day to all
Bye
Mauro

 

[mbatini]

#BLACKSaturday

I've got priming #4 out of the kiln.

On the left Criollo 98 and on the right ... the near-black, fine smelling and oily Nostrano.
I have a lot of expectation on the taste of it because of the wonderfoul aroma I'm filling my house at the moment.


Have a good we

Bye
Mauro

 

[deluxestogie]

I found that my oily black Nostrano del Brenta leaf made a deliciously mild, oscuro cigar wrapper.

Bob

 

[mbatini]

I found that my oily black Nostrano del Brenta leaf made a deliciously mild, oscuro cigar wrapper.

Bob

Surely a hint to try for me. Only problem is ... I have to wait before smoke.

Mauro

 

[mbatini]

I was totally not aware that 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one is responsible for my 'impression' of wood taste when smoking.

from: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/7/1734/pdf

As already mentioned, tobacco aroma profile originates from two main processes, degradation of
carotenoids and Maillard reactions.
Degradation of carotenoids mainly results in floral
aroma compounds such as damascenone and megastigmatrienone. Maillard reactions result
in different aroma profiles [30] characterized with high levels of heterocyclic compounds,
mostly pyrazines [6]. Zhu et al. [8] reported furfuralcohol, furfural, 4-cyclopentene-1,4-dione,
2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, 2-acetyl, and 2-acetylpyrrole as the main volatile compounds resulting
from Maillard reactions. Those compounds give tobacco products a characteristic woody, caramel and
baking flavor [30].

And what about my other 'impression' when a stick tastes cheese? Who knows.

Bye

Mauro

 

[Alpine]

And what about my other 'impression' when a stick tastes cheese? Who knows.

Bye

Mauro

I’d say avoid adding Parmesan cheese to your blends Mauro LOL
Sorry, I couldn’t resist

pier

 

[deluxestogie]

Fortunately for us, tobacco research is still alive and well outside of the US.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I just read through that article. Pretty heavy stuff. I have studied a lot of organic chemistry, yet found it way above my head in some spots. Of note are some of the generalizations (e.g. always have to add sugars). This article focuses on the manufacture and manipulation of cigarette tobacco to produce a specific, unvarying character of commercial cigarettes. It also contains some contradictory statements regarding "drying" vs curing vs "processing."

I did find a lot of interesting stuff in there, and have saved the article. Our dilemma as home growers is that there are so many (dozens) of variables that we can seldom control. But we really have no need to produce an identical, finished tobacco year after year. That is part of the reward of not having to entice and sell to customers with unrealistic (commercially conditioned) expectations.

Bob

 

[mbatini]

I just read through that article. Pretty heavy stuff. I have studied a lot of organic chemistry, yet found it way above my head in some spots. Of note are some of the generalizations (e.g. always have to add sugars). This article focuses on the manufacture and manipulation of cigarette tobacco to produce a specific, unvarying character of commercial cigarettes. It also contains some contradictory statements regarding "drying" vs curing vs "processing."

I did find a lot of interesting stuff in there, and have saved the article. Our dilemma as home growers is that there are so many (dozens) of variables that we can seldom control. But we really have no need to produce an identical, finished tobacco year after year. That is part of the reward of not having to entice and sell to customers with unrealistic (commercially conditioned) expectations.

Bob

Totally agree Bob. Morover, listening to some 'artisanal' wine producer (low quantity - highest quality) here in Italy, I agree with them saying that there 'MUST' be a difference in every single product (as little as you want). Always identical and uniform cannot be a target when dealing with tons of variables.
From the referenced article, my grasp is that the curing phase (and timing) is one of the most critical and that is there that I need to grow in knowledge

Bye
Mauro

 

[smallwanderings]

And what about my other 'impression' when a stick tastes cheese? Who knows.