Are these ready for the garden?

[mwaller]

I discovered a minor disaster in the kiln yesterday... I suppose its part of the learning process, but it still stings...
A large hand of Corojo 99 that was pressed up against the kiln wall had begun to mold! A similar problem affected the tips of my Florida Sumatra where they contacted the floor of the kiln. I trimmed off all the rotting, moldy leaf and reloaded the kiln with a smaller load.
I hypothesize that I over-stuffed my kiln to the point where the circulation fan was not effective in distributing heat and moisture evenly. I also wonder whether I should try increasing the peak kiln temperature, which is currently set to 123F at the highest point in the kiln. I'm guessing there is a large temperature gradient inside the kiln, so the bottom never reaches full temperature. Thoughts?

My crystal ball says that magic will happen starting in week three.

Bob

 

[Alpine]

I prefer my kiln set at 52 to 55 C (125-131 F) and load it so the leaves never touch the sides or the bottom. 75% RH is good for me. With big leaves, loads are small and less efficient in terms of quantity, but I've never seen mold. Cold wet spots are our enemy!

pier

 

[deluxestogie]

Perfect insulation would resolve the problem, but my kiln, with 2" of XPS foam board still allows leaf compressed against the sides to be cooler than the rest of the leaf. It's the heat pump problem again. Moisture is driven to the cooler leaf against the side. And no fan is forceful enough to equalize the temperature behind a mass of leaf pressed against the side.

You have discovered the remedy. I am less aggressive at filling every bit of space in the kiln, and avoid having the hanging leaf pushed against the sides. A few leaf tips touching the side doesn't seem to be a problem. I currently run my kiln at 124 to 128ºF. I ignore the humidity, and refill the Crockpot whenever it runs low on water (about every 4 to 5 days).

I will also generalize and say that the lower the kiln temp, the greater the need to monitor humidity. Fermenting a number of varieties of thin, light-colored shade leaf is often performed in the range of 100ºF, in order to retain the lightest color. At these temps, leaf will surely mold above about 65% RH. Above about 120ºF, mold simply cannot grow vegetatively. (Killing mold spores requires very high temps.)

Bob

 

[mwaller]

Sounds like I may do well to up the temperature a bit and throw a blanket over the kiln... perhaps that would reduce the amount of condensation that forms...

Perfect insulation would resolve the problem, but my kiln, with 2" of XPS foam board still allows leaf compressed against the sides to be cooler than the rest of the leaf. It's the heat pump problem again. Moisture is driven to the cooler leaf against the side. And no fan is forceful enough to equalize the temperature behind a mass of leaf pressed against the side.

You have discovered the remedy. I am less aggressive at filling every bit of space in the kiln, and avoid having the hanging leaf pushed against the sides. A few leaf tips touching the side doesn't seem to be a problem. I currently run my kiln at 124 to 128ºF. I ignore the humidity, and refill the Crockpot whenever it runs low on water (about every 4 to 5 days).

I will also generalize and say that the lower the kiln temp, the greater the need to monitor humidity. Fermenting a number of varieties of thin, light-colored shade leaf is often performed in the range of 100ºF, in order to retain the lightest color. At these temps, leaf will surely mold above about 65% RH. Above about 120ºF, mold simply cannot grow vegetatively. (Killing mold spores requires very high temps.)

Bob

 

[mwaller]

Would it work to stack leaves on wire racking in the kiln? I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to increase the leaf count without the mold problems...
I'm imagining a large pile of leaves suspended in the middle of the kiln with room on all sides for air to circulate... thoughts?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

You could get yourself a big plastic tub, fill it with tobacco in the proper case, put the lid on and place it in your kiln. If you have a small amount of tobacco you could put it in mason jars and do the same thing. Using a container in a kiln, the only thing you would have to worry about is the temp ( assuming your leaf is in proper case).

 

[OldDinosaurWesH]

I have the opposite problem. My proofer / kiln has so much circulation that the tobacco dries out rapidly if I don't keep adding water. I found out last year that it is easy to "toast" tobacco. I have since learned how to deal with that. When I was in high school, a hundred years ago, the FFA motto was "Learn by doing". I guess you are learning.

Wes H.

 

[mwaller]

My first kiln load will complete its 4-week run in just a few days! The aromas from the kiln are pleasant - like hay with a touch of raisin-y sweetness. But it doesn't smell anything like the cigars in my humidor...
When the leaves are finally removed from the kiln and allowed to air out, do they take on a more earthy, woodsy tobacco smell?

A red letter day - tobacco is in the kiln!
View attachment 21888

 

[deluxestogie]

Usually, near the end of a run, the kiln smells like cigar leaf.

What variety is in there?

Bob

 

[mwaller]

I have Corojo 99, Little Dutch, and Florida Sumatra in the kiln.

Usually, near the end of a run, the kiln smells like cigar leaf.

What variety is in there?

Bob

 

[mwaller]

I have Corojo 99, Little Dutch, and Florida Sumatra in the kiln.

Forgot - there is some Vuelta Abajo in there, too. All of these are first priming.

 

[deluxestogie]

First primings are often not particularly aromatic. I would suggest returning the leaf to low case, after the kiln run, and resting it for a few weeks. [After, of course, smoking some to quench the irresistible siren call.]

My first primings are never great, even after aging. They are volado. So, if you can store it until higher leaf is kilned, it will improve the burn of your cigars.

I have to confess that some of my most truly awful leaf awakened me to the dramatic improvement that additional age brings. Stuff that I just couldn't stand, but couldn't bear to throw away, became my first home-grown, 3+ year aged cigar leaf. Some of it became decent filler, some became spectacular. But you really need a supply of leaf to tide you over, while that tucked-away leaf ages.

Bob

 

[mwaller]

My first kiln run is complete! Despite a few mishaps along the way, I'm pleased how some of the leaves turned out. These Corojo 99 are nearly wrapper grade, and they have great elasticity.

 

[greenmonster714]

Those are beautiful. How long did you have them cooking? Do they smell as good as they look?

 

[mwaller]

Thanks for the comments! These were in my kiln for 1 month. The smell is somewhere between black tea leaves and graham crackers. It's pleasant, though not necessarily what I associate with a cigar. These are lower stalk position leaves, though.
I reloaded the kiln with mix mid-stalk Corojo 99 and Florida Sumatra, and a handful of Corojo 99 tip leaves. This time around, the kiln has a much more potent smell - I'm definitely getting some ammonia and other 'raw' elements. I'm hoping this translates into more pungent finished leaves (in a good way!)

Those are beautiful. How long did you have them cooking? Do they smell as good as they look?

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

My first kiln run is complete! Despite a few mishaps along the way, I'm pleased how some of the leaves turned out. These Corojo 99 are nearly wrapper grade, and they have great elasticity. View attachment 22224

They look good. What were the temperature and humidity parameters in your kiln?

 

[greenmonster714]

Thanks for the comments! These were in my kiln for 1 month. The smell is somewhere between black tea leaves and graham crackers. It's pleasant, though not necessarily what I associate with a cigar. These are lower stalk position leaves, though.
I reloaded the kiln with mix mid-stalk Corojo 99 and Florida Sumatra, and a handful of Corojo 99 tip leaves. This time around, the kiln has a much more potent smell - I'm definitely getting some ammonia and other 'raw' elements. I'm hoping this translates into more pungent finished leaves (in a good way!)

I hope they finish well for ya. I look forward to seeing how they turn out. I plan on growing a few of those cigar varieties next year. Only three though...no more..seriously only three..lol.

 

[mwaller]

After a month in the kiln and a week to air out, I chopped up some of the Little Dutch (1st Priming) to try in my pipe. The aroma was nice, but the smoke was very spicy on the tongue - almost like a hot pepper! Does this mean it needs more time to mellow, or...?

 

[deluxestogie]

First priming leaf tends to burn at a hotter temperature, when unblended. It's hard for me to judge the adequacy of the kilning from your description.

Bob

 

[mwaller]

Tonight's a big night for me...