KoceFF first grow blog 2021

[koceff]

What happens if I put not completely dried leaf in the kiln? Green stem and such.

 

[Knucklehead]

What happens if I put not completely dried leaf in the kiln? Green stem and such.

If the lamina is brown and cured except that the stem is moist and green, you can raise the temp with low humidity to dry the stem and help prevent mold if your humidity where you were air curing is too high or to speed up the process to make more curing room.

If the leaf is still mostly yellow and needs further browning, you can duplicate air curing temp and humidity inside the box to finish curing the leaf, then lower the humidity to finish drying the stem.

If your leaf is still green, you can box cure the leaf in a cardboard box until it is yellow, move the yellow leaf to your curing chamber to finish curing at air cure temp and humidity, then lower the humidity to dry the stem. You could start with green leaf but you will need to vent the curing chamber so all the moisture coming off the leaf has a place to go.

If your air curing area has humidity that is too high or too low, or temps too low, you can use the curing chamber to air cure at air curing temps. It takes the guess work out of your environment.

After that, you are ready to kiln at kiln temps for aging.

 

[koceff]

Merry Christmas to me.
Adding these to the ones a have saved from this years grow.

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Uh oh. Better be careful! Someone might accuse you of growing some cigars or something! Gotta love a plethora of possibilities!

 

[koceff]

So I plan to kiln the leaves in open plastic bags in a chest freezer. The heat source are 3 x 90w light bulbs. I did a test run while still empty and it got to around 140f. so maybe I'll take one light bulb off. Still deciding what will be the humidity source.
After the kilning is done, how do i store the leaves?

 

[koceff]

Wet blanket under the plastic bags. That is what i use for humidity but, I can't get it to rise above 30%.. Should i simply spray the leaves inside the bags?

 

[Alpine]

That (I mean, spray the leaves with distilled water) would be the simplest way to bring the leaves in correct case. Once the right humidity in the leaf is reached, it is simpler to maintain it. If you start with bone dry tobacco, it will take at least 24 hours to rehydrate it IN A WELL SEALED KILN. And, your humidity source will need to be re-filled frequently in the first two days. Once the kiln is settled (for temp and rH) you can establish a routine: in my very dry environment I need to fill the crockpot every other day, for example. I do not kiln leaves in plastic bags or containers though.

pier

 

[koceff]

Thinking about next year.
Would it be possible to kiln the leaves in plastic bags out in the sun, or in the shadow, depends on the temperature. We have around 100f in August and July and above 80f all September.
Spray them, close them and check them daily with thermometer and hygrometer.

 

[koceff]

Last day of the year,. It wasn't that bad considering... Daughters first birthday, Grew tobacco for the first time, bought my first car (still i rather walk then drive)
In two weeks a certain book from a member called @deluxestogie should be arriving so that is a good start of the next year.
I wish everyone here and all your loved ones good luck,good health, good finances and good leaf in 2022.
CHEERS!

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Same to you and God bless!