A PM question asked (flue curing chamber)

[Chicken]

id love to have this thing in my back yard... but heres a old school bacca barn.... vents and all

..

 

[AmaxB]

Love it Chicken it's a picture of what I have in my head littler bigger though but very close.

 

[Chicken]

Yep..that one has been restored..behind it was some up to date l.p. gas barns...mines also gonna be built like that one..not as big..but very tall..

My issue is finding tall 4x4/'s. Or 30' poles..ID like for it to be 30'. Tall

 

[AmaxB]

30' that's up there for a small scale. You could build it using platform construction methods as opposed to poles with open floor/s using 10', 12', or 14', lumber.

 

[Chicken]

30' that's up there for a small scale. You could build it using platform construction methods as opposed to poles with open floor/s using 10', 12', or 14', lumber.

I'm not a carpenter.. I don't even know what your talking about ??

I'm thinking of leaving the floor dirt..so if I need humidity..I can just wet the ground..and possibly putting a fireplace..or a pot belly stove to it..

If my l.p. heater don't get it hot enough..and lining the walls and roof in tin..I'm sure that tin.and the hot Florida sun.should heat it up good..

But if I get all the plants I got in the ground.. It won't be a small scale grow.I'm shooting for over 400 plants...and putting them very close to each other...I got about 500 lbs of official 6-6-18. Bacca Fertilizer.. And a lot of my 4' hanging sticks.

 

[Knucklehead]

The biggest difference in humidity inside the chamber between the kilning or fermenting process, and flue curing is that kilning is done to leaf that is already cured and dry. Flue Curing starts with green leaf that is about 80% water. The water has to go somewhere so the excess moisture must be vented out of the chamber.

 

[Orson Carte]

Hi Chicken how are ya...........your post caused me to google search images curing barns. Found a very good PDF file ref. flue curing (see link below) and many pics of barns.
I would recommend reading it for those new and are going to flue cure. The first 1st page gives a sort of step by step instruction.
Yet another chart - simple easy to follow.
.
View attachment 17941 Just tossing this out - My chamber is about 4feet x 4feet by 5 1/2 feet high (inside) with one small electric griddle I can maintain a 300F temperature it takes (empty) about
an hour to get there. Full of tobacco I can reach and hold 120F in 1 hour 20 minutes.

When I build my curing shed I'll have two electric outlets. These outlets will be controlled by means of a temperature PID. I will have two griddles their temperature control knobs will be turned to high and left there.
They in turn will be plugged into the outlets. The outlets will be energized or de-energized by the PID as it draws temperature readings from it's censor. The censor will be located about one foot center above the tobacco.
I push the used of griddles because I know through the use of one that they use little power in a well sealed / insulated environment and it is dry heat. I will also have a small fan on the floor to move the heated air
around below the tobacco leaves keeping heat even below them. The fan will turn on when the griddles turn on. I will also use a cheap second temperature PID with a second censor to counter check the first control
PID.

How a PID control works- it has on it's back side connection screws. Two or more for censor/s, two or more for power out (low voltage usually) and two for normal voltage AC or DC in. It may have more for other things.
The voltage out usually goes to an SSR relay the SSR relay will have four connection screws, one side low voltage connected to the PID, and two for normal AC / DC voltage this voltage would go to what it is
you want to turn on and off (automated). The SSR is a switch of sorts. A PID can cost as little as $15 or as much as $hundreds. An SSR can cost a few dollars or as much as $45. Thermal censors can cost as little as
$2.50 and up. Wire length and type will dictated cost at this link you can find many K type Thermal Couple Censors, extension wire, plastic couplers (connectors) thermometers etc.. Get one for air temp. not liquid.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=thermocouple+k&_pgn=4&_skc=150&rt=nc

PID temperature link http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...RS0&_nkw=temperature+controller+110v&_sacat=0

SSR relays link http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...A0.H0.XSSR+relay.TRS0&_nkw=SSR+relay&_sacat=0

Dave when you build your shed make a photo log let us see what you have done and how it works out for you...please.

The PDF File https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/436/436-048/PDF_61-64CuringTobacco.pdf

Brent

With reference to the 'Curing Schedule', is it possible to monitor the targeted amounts of temperature and humidity by using a (dry) thermometer alongside a hygrometer (rather than using a wet-bulb)? Or is it that the wet/dry comparison provides some information that a hygrometer doesn't?
For example; a 100/97degrees dry/wet ratio indicates a relative humidity of 89% (I believe). 118/100 equates to 53%. 165/110 indicates 18% RH, etc.
If this is correct, why bother with a wet-bulb thermometer?
Thanks.

 

[AmaxB]

I'll draw you up something over the next Week Chicken.

 

[deluxestogie]

Wet Bulb / Dry Bulb RH conversion:

[http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/JAMC-D-11-0143.1]

Bob

 

[Brown Thumb]

Wet Bulb / Dry Bulb RH conversion:

[http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/JAMC-D-11-0143.1]

Bob

How long you been hiding that one.

 

[deluxestogie]

How long you been hiding that one.

Well, it's not all that useful. It's in centigrade. 50 degrees C (the max on the chart) is only 122 F. The lines go wacky at low humidity.

Bob

Oh. And the wet-bulb depression is +55 during stem kill.

 

[Brown Thumb]

I thought you were going to give directions too.

 

[AmaxB]

Chicken what I had in mind would need footer. You said dirt floor so maybe you might have a look at this..
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJuAdIRj2ac

 

[Chicken]

Chicken what I had in mind would need footer. You said dirt floor so maybe you might have a look at this..
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJuAdIRj2ac

Good video..but I don't have access to some good for resistant wood...but we do have swamps with a lot of cypress..but no 4 wheeler to get them out of the woods..and no trailer to haul them on..

So I'm going with store bought material...but I have been thinking of buying a all metal shed / carport....and turning it into a enclosed metal structure...

 

[Chicken]

this is really what i need,

..

 

[Smokin Harley]

I'm not a carpenter.. I don't even know what your talking about ??

I'm thinking of leaving the floor dirt..so if I need humidity..I can just wet the ground..and possibly putting a fireplace..or a pot belly stove to it..

If my l.p. heater don't get it hot enough..and lining the walls and roof in tin..I'm sure that tin.and the hot Florida sun.should heat it up good..

But if I get all the plants I got in the ground.. It won't be a small scale grow.I'm shooting for over 400 plants...and putting them very close to each other...I got about 500 lbs of official 6-6-18. Bacca Fertilizer.. And a lot of my 4' hanging sticks.

Chicken, if you are having a time finding 4x4s the size you want. Simply stack (lets say 10 ft'ers) end on end and scab a 4 ft 2x4 to both sides to stabilize until you reach your desired height. I would attach them with carriage bolts /nuts rather than nails.

 

[Smokin Harley]

this is really what i need,

..View attachment 17962View attachment 17963View attachment 17964View attachment 17965

I think If I were you if this structure is what you want...Try to find a supplier of sea vans(import containers). all you'd need to do it install your heat source and vents .