adamziegler
Well-Known Member
Greetings Folks,
In the late 2000s, I grew a dozen different varieties of tobacco in my garden. I don't even remember all of them, but it was a mix of pipe, cigar, and smokeless tobacco varieties from seedman and an old site coffin nails. The information about processing tobacco at that time is nothing like what I have been reading on this forum for the past several months. I greatly appreciate what you all have contributed and shared here, and I have been lurking and making snuff and snus based on advice I keep reading here.
Back in that grow 10+ years ago, I harvested individual leaves at a time and piled them up wrapped in towels to help them change from green to brown. Daily I would air out the stack and check for mold or insects. Little by little they would build in ammonia and brown beautifully. Once those leaves were all brown, I hung the leaves in a makeshift kiln that included a pond ultrasonic mister to keep humidity high, and oil filled space heater controlled with a water heater thermostat. I have no recollection of the temperature, but I do remember reading some papers on enzymatic activity in tobacco leaf. My garage smelled amazing after a couple of week of cure. Even non-smokers who came to visit appreciated the amazing fruit and tobacco aromas lofting from my garage.
I made a bit of pipe tobacco, rolled some cigars, and made some nasal snuff.
Every few years a grow a couple plants, but never put the effort in like that first time.
I have a few Virginia / oriental mutts growing in the garden this year that I plan to blend into snuff, snus, and pipe. Do I need to stack into towels and color cure before I put into the kiln, or can I put green leaf into a kiln with proper environment and achieve both color and cure?
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
In the late 2000s, I grew a dozen different varieties of tobacco in my garden. I don't even remember all of them, but it was a mix of pipe, cigar, and smokeless tobacco varieties from seedman and an old site coffin nails. The information about processing tobacco at that time is nothing like what I have been reading on this forum for the past several months. I greatly appreciate what you all have contributed and shared here, and I have been lurking and making snuff and snus based on advice I keep reading here.
Back in that grow 10+ years ago, I harvested individual leaves at a time and piled them up wrapped in towels to help them change from green to brown. Daily I would air out the stack and check for mold or insects. Little by little they would build in ammonia and brown beautifully. Once those leaves were all brown, I hung the leaves in a makeshift kiln that included a pond ultrasonic mister to keep humidity high, and oil filled space heater controlled with a water heater thermostat. I have no recollection of the temperature, but I do remember reading some papers on enzymatic activity in tobacco leaf. My garage smelled amazing after a couple of week of cure. Even non-smokers who came to visit appreciated the amazing fruit and tobacco aromas lofting from my garage.
I made a bit of pipe tobacco, rolled some cigars, and made some nasal snuff.
Every few years a grow a couple plants, but never put the effort in like that first time.
I have a few Virginia / oriental mutts growing in the garden this year that I plan to blend into snuff, snus, and pipe. Do I need to stack into towels and color cure before I put into the kiln, or can I put green leaf into a kiln with proper environment and achieve both color and cure?
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
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