deluxestogie's Trash Can Cozy Flue-cure Chamber

[deluxestogie]

Third Run

On my third Cozy Can run, I included Silk Leaf, VA Bright and Little Yellow (a dark air variety)--a total of 52 leaves, with a bit of room to spare. The VA Bright indeed lives up to its name. All of the VA Bright leaf is cured a bright lemon yellow. The Silk Leaf, again, comes out a somewhat brownish yellow. The Little Yellow is a distinctive light brown. I'll see how they smoke after they've rested for a few days to a week.

This run consisted of the following:

• Days 1 through 3: ~95ºF, using 1 seedling mat at a time, alternating power to the two mats about every 8 hours. During the third 8 hours of the third day, both were plugged in, taking the temp to ~104ºF. Lid vented throughout with 1 clothespin.
• Day 4: Seedling mats were removed; first 8 hours at about 125ºF; second 8 hours at about 135ºF; last 8 hours at 145º. Lid vented throughout with 1 clothespin.
• Day 5: first 8 hours at about 150ºF and lid vented with 1 clothespin; for the final 16 hours, the lid was completely closed, the Cozy Can covered with a fleece jacket, and the temp allowed to stabilize at about 165ºF.
• Before removing the leaf, the thermostat was set back to its minimum, a cup of water was added to the hot Crock Pot, the lid was vented with 1 clothespin, and the leaf allowed to loosen up a bit for 3 hours.

I have to say that this Cozy Can approach is really simple to do, once it's built. The key is to keep the temp below 104ºF for the first 3 days. After that, the temp is crudely raised up to 165ºF over the next two days. There is no fan for air movement; only convection from the heat source. I'm sure that there are nuances of temperature control that this can't accomplish, but the end product seems to be credible flue-cured leaf.

Bob

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Bob, You used a total of 52 leaves. Is there room for more or is 52 about the limit ?
Randy B

 

[deluxestogie]

With the size leaf I used in this third run, maybe 10 more leaves could have fit in the can.

Bob

 

[darren1979]

Im building me this bad boy, i havnt got around to building my kiln yet but no need if this will double up as a kiln and a flue.
Bob am i right in thinking once its flue cured its ready for smoking?

Darren

 

[deluxestogie]

...am i right in thinking once its flue cured its ready for smoking?

Within a few days after the leaf comes out of the flue-cure, it's as smooth as butter, and quite smokable. The flue-cured Virginias probably need a bit of air-cured burley and Turkish to have enough strength for a medium-strength cigarette. But straight, it's mild and tasty.

Bob

 

[BarG]

Why am I not surprised you managed to make a cozy can flue cure Bob? Its probably just your nature .

Great job man.

 

[deluxestogie]

Tim,
I've found that new growers are generally intimidated by the thought of constructing a kiln container, and successfully wiring it. My choices of trash cans for a fire-cure chamber, a flue-cure chamber, and a kiln are directed at the basic simplicity that is actually required. I intentionally avoid electronics (even though they are simple to use, once you understand how to set them up), and lean toward a more basic technology for heating, humidification and temperature regulation.

If folks in 1860 could successfully flue-cure tobacco in a log shed, with a wood fire and no thermometer, then anybody can do this. My only regret with the Cozy Can project is that no water heater thermostats go down to 95ºF, hence the additional need and expense for the seedling mats with this setup.

I hope this approach to project development eases the technology barrier for those who would otherwise be hesitant to give it a try. No carpentry or electrical skills required.

Bob

 

[Boboro]

This will be my winter project. Great job.

 

[Chicken]

i may use, your idea, of yellowing,and drying the leaf in my kiln,

since it's obvious, with all this rain, and my mold issues, i had,

i cant allow my second crop to colour cure, in my shed, without inviting more mold,

this was my first and last year, of having mold,

but it has rained everyday, for the past month,,,

we have had massive flooding, and entire roads, just washed away,,,

and many people lost thier homes, a lot were 3 feet under water,

luckily i was spared, but i may be buying a lot of baccy from the WHOLE LEAF STORE, if i cant get this issue reversed,

and bob, your idea may just pull me out of a bind,

 

[wazzappenning]

would it be possible to use an oven temp control instead of the hot water one? should go down to 95? im thinking its less accurate, but with the bbq temp gauge, you should be able to figure out what to set it to.

ok i checked my oven, and even though it doesnt have any markings below 200, it looks like the min temp that the burner turns on would be very close to 100. maybe something like a toaster oven control?

 

[deluxestogie]

Give them a try, and let us know how they work.

Bob

 

[Jack in NB]

would it be possible to use an oven temp control instead of the hot water one? should go down to 95? im thinking its less accurate, but with the bbq temp gauge, you should be able to figure out what to set it to.

ok i checked my oven, and even though it doesnt have any markings below 200, it looks like the min temp that the burner turns on would be very close to 100. maybe something like a toaster oven control?

Wazz -

I'm using an old mechanical (not digital) 240 v electric heat thermostat in mine.

There's a calibration screw that needs tweaking - I set it so midrange was about 125 deg.

Honeywell, White Rodgers and a third make I can't recall at the moment all have that setup. Mounts in a standard outlet box. I split an extension cord, cut the black wire and hooked it to the thermostat, which simply acts as an on-off switch.

It has seen 5 - four-week cycles in the kiln so far, with no ill effects, although the box itself shows some corrosion.

I tried a water heater thermostat at first, but it had a wide spread between off and on - 20 or 25 degrees as I recall, so I replaced it within a week. The el. heat thermostat has a 2 - 3 degree spread.

 

[deluxestogie]

To my knowledge, neither electric heat thermostats nor water heater thermostats have a control range that spans the required 95ºF to 165ºF range for a flue-cure chamber (as opposed to a kiln).

Bob

 

[leverhead]

I've been having really good luck with a Ranco ETC-111000-000 Digital Temperature Controller. At about $50, it's rugged, easy to use, a very wide temperature range and it's given me NO problems. If I could start all over again, I would change almost everything but it.

 

[deluxestogie]

At under $15 for the water heater thermostat, plus ~$25 each for two seedling mats, I think the Ranco wins.

Bob

 

[leverhead]

At under $15 for the water heater thermostat, plus ~$25 each for two seedling mats, I think the Ranco wins.

Bob

It's just a thermostat with a remote (on a six foot wire) temperature sensor, it has a relay switch that will handle quite a bit of power. The heat source would still be a separate item.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

And it's easily mounted so you can take it off and put it right into your kiln when you are not flue curing.

 

[LeftyRighty]

I have a question about the Ranco temp control, and yes, I have one, but haven't got a freezer chest yet to build my kiln/fermentor/flue-cure'r. The instructions state that the temp sensor should be placed 'in good contact with the surface being sensed'. Does the sensor need to be mounted against the container wall, or can it be hung in the kiln, not in contact with anything?

I know, dumb question, but I'm a bit unsure about this, and maybe it don't matter..
Jitterbug..... I've reviewed you installation, and am not sure I understand how you did it.
I hope this isn't 'off-topic'.

 

[johnlee1933]

I have a question about the Ranco temp control, and yes, I have one, but haven't got a freezer chest yet to build my kiln/fermentor/flue-cure'r. The instructions state that the temp sensor should be placed 'in good contact with the surface being sensed'. Does the sensor need to be mounted against the container wall, or can it be hung in the kiln, not in contact with anything?

I hope this isn't 'off-topic'.

Since the "surface" you are trying to measure is air I don't think putting the sensor against a solid surface is required or desirable. From occasional condensation on the walls I am convinced the walls are cooler than the air inside.. I plan to add insulation to try and control the condensation. In my setup the sensor sticks thru a hole in the fridge and is far enough inside (I think) so that thermal conduction from outside is not a factor. Seems to work fine.

John

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I just hang my sensor in the middle of the kiln amongst all the tobacco.

LeftRighty, By reviewing "my installation" do you mean the video I provided a link too?

Randy B