Curing Chamber from the box up My Build

[leverhead]

The Chamber's bottom temperature reading of 97F is higher than that of the Chamber top and the Heat Box. There is no reason for this except for the cheap multimeter
I am using to take it, it could be off.

It looks pretty normal to me. When the heater is cycled on, it will make the wet bulb read lower by several degrees. As the air moves through the leaves it picks up moisture evaporating off the leaves, lowering the temperature of the leaves and air. So the outflow side of the leaves will be cooler. At this point you're moving most of the heat into the leaves and out the vents or to cool spots in the system as condensation. Later as the temperature goes up, more of the heat goes to losses of the box/system.

The numbers look allot better than my first run, you've done well. Don't try to change the temperature too fast and everything will be fine. It should start smelling sweet soon, that means the starches are converting to sugars. When you start to dry the stems, the smell will take on a more scorched smell. While you're hanging around, you might want to figure out a box fan and an open window so that you don't stink up the whole house when the time comes. It gets pretty irritating after a while.

 

[AmaxB]

Leverhead did your leaf take on a very light green / green white before going to Yellow?

Got another Multimeter they read the same and if you noticed the Dry bulb is at 87F...
I'm not going to fret it and let her take her coarse.

 

[AmaxB]

Flue Curing Data Log
Yellowing Phase
.

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Date[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Time[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Heat Box[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Temp[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Top Temp.[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Bottom Temp [/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]RH Sensor[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Wet/ Dry [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Bulb RH[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Tobacco Temp[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]8/10/13 [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]10:30 PM[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]91.4F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]95F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]102F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]93.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]89.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]93F[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]8/11/13 [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]6:32 AM[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]95F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]95F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]97F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]90.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]W-82F[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]D-86F 89%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]91F[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]8/11/13[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]2:00 PM[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]96.8F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]96.8F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]101F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]91.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Door Not[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Opened[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]93.1F[/FONT]

 

[leverhead]

Leverhead did your leaf take on a very light green / green white before going to Yellow?

Got another Multimeter they read the same and if you noticed the Dry bulb is at 87F...
I'm not going to fret it and let her take her coarse.

The green got lighter, The center rib got real pale.

What crossed my mind was if the pair (wet/dry bulb) were away from the flow of air. From looking at the temperature difference above and below the leaf, you're probably fine. I'm assuming you haven't changed much since this morning. The temperature split during yellowing seems to act similarly to the wet/dry bulb split, but the response time is much slower.

 

[AmaxB]

Thank You leverhead this is what my leaf is doing color wise it is good to know it is OK!
I have 4 means of tracking temperature in the chamber and one in the heat box.
In the chamber there are 2 on the top one is for tobacco temp. and the other a sensor for ambient air.
On the bottom one is dry bulb and the other a sensor for ambient air. I got it figured out I think it is all about the location.
On bottom the temp sensor is located just of the wall across from and opposite of the wall with duct for air in. So it would show higher temps for sure.
The dry bulb is to the side of duck for air in and near the wall with duct for air in.
The temperature from the internal senor of the heat box and that of the top of the chamber have been pretty much the same, so the others I won't
worry over as long as they are close. Latter I'll see about better locations for the ones at bottom of chamber.

 

[AmaxB]

Just checked in on the leaf are at 28 hours 40 minutes running time. All leaf tips across the bottom of the racks are yellow with bits of light green the leaf at the front of the outer rack is going yellow 2 thirds up.
No yellow across stem butts across the top of the racks.

 

[AmaxB]

Photo the yellow begins
.

.

 

[DGBAMA]

Nice.

 

[workhorse_01]

I bet it's starting to smell sweet in there! Nice job!

 

[AmaxB]

Flue Curing Data Log
Yellowing Phase

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Date[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Time[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Heat Box[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Temp[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Top Temp.[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Bottom Temp [/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]RH Sensor[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Wet/ Dry [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Bulb RH[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Tobacco Temp[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Comments[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]8/10/13 [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]10:30 PM[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]91.4 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]95 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]102 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]93.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]89.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]93 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shut Griddle off[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Started Cure 2:00 PM[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]8/11/13 [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]6:32 AM[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]95 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]95 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]97 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]90.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]W-82 F[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]D-86 F 89%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]91 F[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]8/11/13[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]2:00 PM[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]96.8 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]96.8 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]101 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]91.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Door Not[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Opened[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]93.1 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Running 24 hours[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]08/11/13 07:50 PM[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]96.8 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]96.8 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]101 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]91.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]W-90 F[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]D-92 F [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]92 %[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]93.4 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Yellowing has started[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]at 29 hours 50 minutes[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]8/12/13[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]6:15 AM[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]98.6 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]96.8 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]100 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]91.00%[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]W-90 F[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]D-92 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]92.7 F[/FONT]	[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]At 40 Hrs. Running well,[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Am increasing interior general temps to [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]100-103 F [/FONT]

 

[AmaxB]

Something is not right, the tobacco is Yellowing but the time it is taking is way off. If the leaf were not bulked but just hanging I would be well into drying it.
Currently I am 67 hours most of this time temperatures have been mid 90s F I believe with bulk I should have been 100 - 105 F from the start I'll finish this load
but next load will run hotter.
.
--

 

[AmaxB]

Maybe it needed to be riper...

 

[DonH]

I think yellowing just takes longer than all the documentation says. I did mine for 72 hours and I should have gone longer. And my leaves were ripe.

 

[holyRYO]

Is the traditional VA Bright fairing better? Maybe the nontraditional flue cured leaf takes longer? The dense packing may slow the works?

 

[leverhead]

Mine took longer to yellow.

 

[DGBAMA]

Looking good. I would believe sheer leaf weight vs. amount of ventilation to remove moisture from the leaf could account for the extended time. As long as progress is good I would say be patient with the amount of time.

 

[AmaxB]

I think yellowing just takes longer than all the documentation says. I did mine for 72 hours and I should have gone longer. And my leaves were ripe.

Is the traditional VA Bright fairing better? Maybe the nontraditional flue cured leaf takes longer? The dense packing may slow the works?

Mine took longer to yellow.

Looking good. I would believe sheer leaf weight vs. amount of ventilation to remove moisture from the leaf could account for the extended time. As long as progress is good I would say be patient with the amount of time.

I agree with all...
Been doing some researching in reference to racks there is not much to be found in the way of actual curing cycles when using them. Most information says the same things and is in relation to hung tobacco, while boxed or racked bulk curing appears to be the same or close in cycles. 1 PDF did indicate a yellowing cycle can take 70 -70 plus hrs. My concern is of coarse time but more, possible damage due to a prolonged cycle.
This is all new and ground breaking for me so I will need to go through trail by fire.

 

[DGBAMA]

I am right with you. Only thing I know by observation is that my stick of silver river that are yellowing nicely is substantially lighter in weight than it was two days ago when hung. Hence the idea that a lot of moisture needs to evaporate to get yellowing.

 

[AmaxB]

I am right with you. Only thing I know by observation is that my stick of silver river that are yellowing nicely is substantially lighter in weight than it was two days ago when hung. Hence the idea that a lot of moisture needs to evaporate to get yellowing.

Yep just dropped RH setting

 

[AmaxB]

Dropped RH to 88% so it has been bouncing 88.4% and 87.7% temp is at 100.4 F or 38C for the last 4 and a half or 5 hours. I can see a big difference. I think tomorrow morning I can start wilting, it is good because I have tobacco I need to get in there when this bunch comes out.