does anyone build small fires in their curing barn?

[Smokin Harley]

Ok, so Ive been running this over in my head for the last few days since our humidity has been high and I've already lost a few handfuls of leaf (mainly Olor - mold on the midrib ,the leaf in general turns to compost hanging on the wire,just disintegrates) .
In traditional tobacco plantations ,in their curing barns the work hands build small fires in them at night to do a couple things. Keep temperatures up and I'm sure as well to control humidity and ward off the threat of mold. After all leaf is money to them. I'm wondering if a small kind of smoky fire imparts a flavor to the leaf or even does something chemically within the leaf ,not saying to fire cure or flue cure what would normally be an air cure leaf at all, but in keeping up some sort of tradition in the process.
Anyone even have the time to try it?

 

[deluxestogie]

...in their curing barns the work hands build small fires in them at night...

Although serious fire-curing is more aggressive than what you're describing, it is nonetheless fire-curing. This fire-curing "slightly" is what imparts a distinctive flavor to the cigar tobacco in Te Amo Mexican cigars. So, yes. It does affect the final leaf. And not it a good way.

If you need to raise the temp and lower the humidity (~20ºF increase will drop the RH by about half), either use an electric heat source (e.g. an oil-filled electric radiator), or vent the fumes of any fire to the outside.

The "tradition" that you seem to be referring to is from the first half of the 19th century, in very rural America. Poor farmers had no other choice.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

If you did not want any smokiness at all, you could also have a stove outside the barn and install one of these heat exchangers on top. You could construct a duct from it so when the fan kicks in, it blows hot air into the barn.

(The heat exchanger is laying on its side on top of the stove in this photo.)

 

[Knucklehead]

A shop fan will help air movement and help prevent mold spores up to a certain point. Does your humidity lower during the day or is it high night and day due to rain?
Air movement and heat will be your friends if your humidity is consistently high night and day. If your humidity is low during the day you can open your shed during the day while humidity is low, then close the doors at night to trap that low humidity inside at night.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I used a propane "turkey" stove once. Drove the humidity right out within 10-20 minutes in a 16x20 barn. I've also used fans too but by far the turkey cooker worked best. I only used it once though and that was due to 3 or 4 days of solid rain which caused extremely humid conditions in my barn.

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/bac...ogleShopping&gclid=CLj6sq2IyM4CFZKHaQod9u4KVA

 

[Smokin Harley]

I haven't done anything yet. but I do try to open the doors during the day ...like today my wifes day off ,she'll be home so I'll open them up while I finish up my sidejob. The barn is also at the farthest point in the back yard and I wasn't thinking about putting a fan out there....Maybe I could get a small box fan and run an extension cord out there though.

 

[Smokin Harley]

actually the other reason I was writing about it is because we all seem to have a kiln or curing barn and we report the flavor of our leaf just isnt the same as what Don sells. I thought maybe the fire heating in a curing barn could be the missing factor.

 

[Brown Thumb]

A fan will help a lot. Get one of those 3ft. In Dia. Ones from tractor supply.
They work super duper, low and high speed also.

 

[Brown Thumb]

actually the other reason I was writing about it is because we all seem to have a kiln or curing barn and we report the flavor of our leaf just isnt the same as what Don sells. I thought maybe the fire heating in a curing barn could be the missing factor.

Lots of factors there.

 

[Chicken]

i was watching .. i think it was on the discovery channel. that in africa they used small open fires in thier barns, the show was about people bringing technology to the people and making a system to where it would require less wood,

also a few years back that show aired '' tobaccoo wars '' a farmer there used fires built under his curing leaf,,, i think the smoke would add a special flavour to the bacca.

ive used a oil radiator and it worked fine last year

..

 

[Gavroche]

The light fire cured VA 309 of WLT has this taste of smoke that reminds a treatment(processing) by the fire(light)

your opinion?...

 

[deluxestogie]

http://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article44402640.html

Bob

 

[Gavroche]

Thank you, the control of temperature and the hygrometry have to be of the simplest to manage . It is the art ... of the real art ...

 

[Chicken]

im sure you could easilly catch your barn on fire by doing that,,

 

[Gavroche]

im sure you could easilly catch your barn on fire by doing that,,

Oh yes, I am afraid of it .But a smoking room for meats and fishes could work?...


oh oui, j'en ai peur .mais un fumoir à viandes et poissons pourrait fonctionner ?...

 

[Tutu]

Both Mata Fina farmers in Bahia en Besuki farmers in Jember build small fires in their barn for humidity, temperature and air circulation control. It definitely adds that firy smell to the tobacco although I think it wears of after months of fermentation

 

[Brown Thumb]

Oh yes, I am afraid of it .But a smoking room for meats and fishes could work?...


oh oui, j'en ai peur .mais un fumoir à viandes et poissons pourrait fonctionner ?...

Salmon, Baccy
Pork, Baccy
You got something there.

 

[ProfessorPangloss]

Lots of factors there.

Indeed. I know that here seems to be ideal for air-curing whole stalks. I just stripped last year's perique, and for me, the leaf still on stalks was nealy perfect. The earlier primings are not as good - lots of drying green. I attribute much of this to insufficient humidity during cure - even in a forgiving climate, which I caused by priming. If I'd have stalk harvested, I'd have had plenty of moisture and more consistent results.

The point of saying this is that there are a million variables, and even in a "perfect" place it's possible to affect the outcome wildly. Farmers around here have basically figured out that in *this* climate, with a certain kind of barn and very specific practices, it's possible to consistently make good burley - but we hobbyists are all trying a dozen varieties in small quantities, often in jerry-rigged settings, trying to adjust to small scale. There's an amazing degree of success on this website and some serious intellectual capital, but in the end it seems to me that like wine and all good food, the terroir, tools, facilities and farmer all contribute to a wildly varied product. And I'm glad for that, because there's never a dull day gardening.

 

[deluxestogie]

Both Mata Fina farmers in Bahia en Besuki farmers in Jember build small fires in their barn for humidity, temperature and air circulation control. It definitely adds that firy smell to the tobacco although I think it wears of after months of fermentation

I never knew that about Mata Fina. This morning, as I smoked a cigar of all Mata Fina filler from WLT, I noticed the subtle smokiness. My own Bahia leaf never seemed quite the same as Bahia leaf grown in Mata Fina. I guess that's why. It would be a challenge to duplicate the local firewood used, a factor that is essential in duplicating the effect of fire-curing.

Bob

 

[Tutu]

There are large Eucalyptus plantations in Bahia and they use it both for constructing curing barns, as well as constructing the small fires in their barns. No idea if there's any Eucalyptus to be found in Virginia. Good luck!