Late season curing suggestions?

[DGBAMA]

I am using my "lugs" as a timer this year...... No priming allowed until the bottom couple leaves have "field cured" brown on the stalk. When I take my first priming, any lugs not excessively damaged are thrown in a bucket for use later.

 

[DGBAMA]

Late season curing, heat can be your friend. As Bob said, even 20 deg above ambient can reduce humidity a lot.

My problem here in al is the opposite. Our humidity vanishes late fall and leaf wants to dry too fast (green). I have to supplement a lot of moisture to not dry green late in the year.

 

[mrthing2000]

Ah, that makes it much clearer. I was pulling the mudlogs, not suckers. I'll leave them on from now on.

 

[mrthing2000]

Thanks--this humidity explanation is spot-on perfect.

Most people are saying average humidity around 70%. What is ideal temp?

 

[deluxestogie]

What is ideal temp?

That's an interesting question. With an unheated shed, I have the ventilation fan set to turn on above 75ºF. My hope is to avoid 100-ish temps. Shed temps in the mid 80s are common during August, which is the period during which I seem to get the best color cures.

Judging from the effective yellowing temps used for flue-curing, I would guess that with my average humidity in SW Virginia, temps between 80 and 100ºF maximize the natural color-curing process. This assumes a relative humidity that is not horribly low. Boboro is getting excellent color-cures with shed temps heated above 100ºF (in Mississippi).

What temp and humidity range you aim for will depend on where you are, and what factors are within your control. For example, in my shed, I can control only the ventilation, but not directly control the temp or humidity.

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

I find 95-100 gives great results for the yellowing phase. 70 or above is adequate, cooler takes longer. Long curing times increase risk of mold. The upper limit for yellowing is 115-120, at this point, the leaf is killed and so the green color is locked in, just like a leaf that completely dries before yellowing. Once the yellowing phase done, you can dry the leaf as fast as it wants.

 

[mrthing2000]

Excellent. Glad I can manipulate the heat for the relative humidity, instead of trying to bring it down--bring the heat up. I should have no trouble keeping it warmer as the days get cool here but the humidity spikes with rainfall.

Airflow will be the only questionmark now. I'm guessing a mild breeze and not stagnation or a full force fan on it.

Thanks--this is great info.

Anyone ever build a flue? Or is that just too much work?

 

[deluxestogie]

For a shed, a flue-fire is just a metal stove with a stove pipe to escort the smoke outside. The shed has to be well sealed to do flue-curing.

Boboro has set up a flue-stove in his shed. Flue-curing chambers, which a number of members have constructed, are much easier to control, though the capacity is lower.

Bob

 

[ProfessorPangloss]

Excellent. Glad I can manipulate the heat for the relative humidity, instead of trying to bring it down--bring the heat up. I should have no trouble keeping it warmer as the days get cool here but the humidity spikes with rainfall.

Airflow will be the only questionmark now. I'm guessing a mild breeze and not stagnation or a full force fan on it.

Thanks--this is great info.

Anyone ever build a flue? Or is that just too much work?

There are several threads detailing different builds. BrownThumb's is probably the exemplar, but you can go smaller.

 

[Chicken]

I use a 70's era small metal camper.for my flue chamber.