My first tobacco: a Grow log. @ramentamer

[deluxestogie]

Just use a lexan jar from Walmart, and a clamp (as shown in the Perique threads linked in the Index of Key Forum Threads). Pressure-process 1 or 2 dozen leaves per batch. Find out what you get. You can use this technique on any variety of tobacco, and get wonderful Perique for pipe blending. No need to go off the deep end on your first trial.

Bob

 

[loui loui]

I don't know if they are fit for your purpose but IKEA has good jars for a good price, at least where I am, the IKEA jars are called Korken, it means the cork.
Previously I used italian jars of the same model.
I don't know what the jars are called but typically they can stand a fair amount of pressure.
I pressure cooked the italian jars and I did freeze them without a problem, this kind of jar is excellent.
I think it is worth a try to experiment with this type of jar because this type of jar is ingenious.
I use them to bake snus in.

 

[deluxestogie]

When tightening a clamp that applies pressure inside the jar, it is fairly easy to crack it.

If it is glass that cracks, then you throw away the contents. If it is a plastic, then you can salvage the contents, and try again.

Bob

 

[loui loui]

I have no idea how much pressure is needed to make perique but maybe an air tight container can compensate a bit for a higher pressure?
What do you think about this jar, also from IKEA, it is called Krösamos/Kroesamos?
Maybe one can push the cork in and that it will apply enough pressure?

 

[deluxestogie]

I have no idea how much pressure is needed to make perique

In St. James Parish, about 35 psi (~241 kilopascals). Practically, a pressure above about 10 psi (~69 kilopascals) will be adequate. [The purpose of the pressure is to disrupt the cell walls of the leaf laminar cells, and squeeze out the intracellular juice.] A bathroom scale can be placed into the clamp, between the clamp base and the Perique jar, to measure the weight being applied. The weight is then divided by the surface area of the opening of the jar (e.g. pounds divided by square inches).

Bob

 

[ramentamer]

We've got a ton of mason jars of various sizes at my house. We ferment a lot of stuff. Kimchi, sauerkraut, hot sauce, pickles, etc. I just don't really want to fill a ton of them up with tobacco, but that seems like what it is, this year. I figure that some trigger clamps and some wood should do, nicely. And, since trigger clamps tend to be not particularly rugged, it should lower my chances of exploding jars. Though, that still will be a concern.

I just had a thought about using a cider press and I have to go look into that, now.

 

[ramentamer]

I've been reading through your decade old Perique thread, Bob, and I just got to the part where someone used a caulk gun as a tobacco press. Genius.

 

[deluxestogie]

Don't overlook the need to maintain a water seal above the pressed tobacco during the anaerobic fermentation process.

Bob

 

[ramentamer]

Don't overlook the need to maintain a water seal above the pressed tobacco during the anaerobic fermentation process.

Bob

Definitely. As with fermenting all things.

Also, I just got to a part in your thread where you give me exactly what I was looking for. How many leafs = plants = volume = weight. You even go on, there, to say how long you reckon it'll last. Perfect post, that one. I can assume, now, that roughly 7-8 plants will fill a quart/liter. That's similar to my thoughts as I'd been progressing through that thread, but I really like have a decent estimate. So, were I to go the route of using a barrel, I can find one of those novelty whiskey barrels that are 1 - 1.5L and waste however much Evan Williams it takes to soak that oak. And that it will last me 1-2 years. Which is perfect.

Also, at that estimate, if I were going to try filling a decent sized barrel that I actually would use for aging my home stilled hooch, I would need no less than 100 plants. Which I don't really have the room for. And that's only a 3 gallon barrel. So, I reckon I'll just put that idea on hold for...ever.

 

[deluxestogie]

The referenced post:

Really Easy Perique Press

Thanks for the suggestion. hard to see through it the product lists no dimensions Bob

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[ramentamer]

The referenced post:

Really Easy Perique Press

Thanks for the suggestion. hard to see through it the product lists no dimensions Bob

fairtradetobacco.com

Aye, that's it.
That entire thread should be required reading for anyone who types out the word "perique." Pretty much all of my questions answered and then expanded upon throughout the topic.

I think I'll be using your perique snake method, only releasing pressure from time to time to soak up the juice, before tightening back down. The 3+ month process will give me enough time to get the Samsun and the Tennessee Red to kiln up properly. Though, I need to build a kiln. My initial idea was to pack the moist tobacco into tightly lidded mason jars and chuck them into my dehydrator for a month or so. With the lids keeping the moisture in. But, I saw China Voodoo's topic about his invertebrate kiln and I might just build one of those. It seems easy enough and effective.

 

[deluxestogie]

That entire thread should be required reading

I encourage each newly "introduced" member to scan through the topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads. But over the years, with the accumulation of new and better "key" threads, the list has become daunting. I believe that the Index, initiated by @Knucklehead in the early years of the forum, is a more efficient approach to locating specific information, when compared to just browsing randomly through the forum.

Bob

 

[skychaser]

That entire thread should be required reading for anyone who types out the word "perique." Pretty much all of my questions answered and then expanded upon throughout the topic.

lol I think that applies to several things. Like curing and drying, starting seeds. watering and fertilizing, etc. Its all in here somewhere. Maybe Bob (the computer wizard) can set up a key word redirect to those topics.

Edit: And thank you Mr. Wizard for all your help these past few weeks. My website is starting to look pretty good again. Not done yet, but it's getting there.

 

[ramentamer]

So, my new batch of sprouts are coming along pretty nicely. I think it's almost time to start trimming out some of the extras.



And, in addition to those little guys, the few plants that grew out of the Jiffy pods are still alive and growing.



So, with those all going, I should have a decent crop of tobacco this year.
But, that didn't stop me from ordering more. While I was wandering around the key threads, I found folks talking about Yellow Twist Bud. I'm told that it doesn't really require aging and also makes for a great cigarette tobacco. Since I smoke cigarettes more often than I smoke my pipe, I decided that I should buy some. I know it's kinda late to be starting that, but it can't be helped. I'll just have to hope for a long summer.

My main issue will be the space required to grow all of this. I think that if I cut my Tennessee and Samsun down to 5 plants of each and then go for 10 plants of the Yellow Twist, then that should be fine.

My estimate for how it will work out, measured in plants, is:
- Pipe tobacco -
5 Tennessee Red : 2.5 Samsun : 5 Perique
- Cigarette Tobacco -
10 Yellow Twist Bud : 2.5 Samsun : 5 Perique.

That's an awful lot of perique, I think, now that I typed it out. But, of course, not all plants are going to survive the whole growing/curing/fermenting process and also just because I have a thing, doesn't mean that I have to use the thing. I can always blend in less and save the rest for future use.

Next year, if I can build a functional flue, I'd like to learn to flue cure some Virginia tobacco and mix it in with the Yellow and the Perique, but I've already counted enough chickens in this post and that's way too far off to be thinking about, just yet.

 

[Old Gasman]

I don't know if they are fit for your purpose but IKEA has good jars for a good price, at least where I am, the IKEA jars are called Korken, it means the cork.
Previously I used italian jars of the same model.
I don't know what the jars are called but typically they can stand a fair amount of pressure.
I pressure cooked the italian jars and I did freeze them without a problem, this kind of jar is excellent.
I think it is worth a try to experiment with this type of jar because this type of jar is ingenious.
I use them to bake snus in.
View attachment 45084

For what it's worth round these parts they're known as "Kilner Jars"

 

[ramentamer]

So, my plants are at a variety of sizes and a variety of health. I burned a few leaves trying to harden them off and I neglected water on occasion. But, they're all still alive. The one Turkish that originally grew out of the Jiffy pellet is thriving in these neglectful and abusive conditions, though. He looks great.

Anyways, last frost should have passed now, so I'm going to fill some grow bags and transplant all my little plants into those and put them outside.

 

[ramentamer]

Some leaves are chewed off of my Perique plants. Could be rats, rabbits or raccoons. Possibly one of my dogs, too, but the dogs aren't looking sick, so it might not have been them.

I took pictures, but I'm too sleepy to post them, right now.

 

[ramentamer]

 

[MadFarmer]

Some leaves are chewed off of my Perique plants. Could be rats, rabbits or raccoons.

The first few sets of leaves end up in the mud every time, so you're fine. Until it gets over 12" + you're actually growing stems, the stronger the better.

 

[deluxestogie]

The second image looks like grasshopper damage.

Bob