I recently read Rattray’s Booklet on Tobacco Blending by Charles Rattray. If you aren’t familiar with this booklet, it is essentially an advertisement catalog with some comments and opinions on his process. Anyways, while reading the foreword, I came across a quote that I found interesting: “Blending is the successful operation of two factors: pressure and heat by panning”.
After reading this I decided it was time to give stoving another go.
My process:
I made up two blends, a VA/PER and the a light English based loosely off of Bob’s blend, Smyrna Bright.
I tested each after initially mixing up the tobaccos to ensure that I had balanced the PH and that they had the range of flavors I wanted. Following this I pressed the blends for roughly 48 hours. When I began pressing they were in medium-high case, but after two days in the press they had dried significantly.
I then rehydrated the light English blend and carefully rubbed the flake out.
Now, these two blends are “stoving” in the vent in my dining room. This vent is roughly 10ft away from the furnace and gets up to 127 degrees. I am having to let them air out every day or so do to moisture from condensation. I plan to leave them there for 1 month, after which I will test and see what has changed.
After reading this I decided it was time to give stoving another go.
My process:
I made up two blends, a VA/PER and the a light English based loosely off of Bob’s blend, Smyrna Bright.
I tested each after initially mixing up the tobaccos to ensure that I had balanced the PH and that they had the range of flavors I wanted. Following this I pressed the blends for roughly 48 hours. When I began pressing they were in medium-high case, but after two days in the press they had dried significantly.
I then rehydrated the light English blend and carefully rubbed the flake out.
Now, these two blends are “stoving” in the vent in my dining room. This vent is roughly 10ft away from the furnace and gets up to 127 degrees. I am having to let them air out every day or so do to moisture from condensation. I plan to leave them there for 1 month, after which I will test and see what has changed.
