practice run on kiln fermenting Canadian Virginia whole leaf tobacco

[SmokeStack]

I think the best thing to do is to try a small scale experiment. My kiln will be emptied this Wednesday (the Canadian Virginia after 4 weeks). When my kiln is free, I will place a half pound of fresh whole leaf Canadian Virginia in a plastic bag and give it a go. I will use the same plastic bag in which the whole leaf was originally delivered to me - it is thick and seems durable. I will watch for any odors of plasticizers and I will periodically vent the bags to release the gaseous by-products of the fermentation process (such as ammonia). I intend to keep the tobacco in the kiln for 4 weeks at 125 F. I will keep you guys updated.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions,
Marco

 

[SmokeStack]

Jitterbugdude said

Believe it or not I think small amounts of tobacco are healthy for you...

I believe you are referring to what is called hormesis. (Hormesis = when exposure to a small amounts of toxins are actually beneficial). I gave a talk about hormesis using alcohol as an example. A daily intake of one or two alcoholic drinks has been shown to be beneficial to one's health - to the heart in particular. The FDA has stated, however, that it is OK if you are already drinking small amounts of alcohol per day, but they discourage people from starting to drink alcohol for its benefits. Also, low exposure to certain types of radiation has also shown to be beneficial in preventing certain forms of cancer. Exposure to low doses of radiation stimulates the body's defense system by activating DNA repair mechanisms, but I would not recommend standing in front of an X-ray machine daily in an effort to prevent cancer. I remember hearing that many decades ago doctors would prescribe smoking 2 cigarettes a day to relieve stress and anxiety. Although nowadays no doctor would suggest any form or quantity of smoking tobacco. The evidence is clearly lacking. The central problem arises when 2 cigarettes a day turns into 2 packs a day. I have always believed in moderation, but in reality I smoke much more.

take care and stay healthy,

Marco

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I wasn't referring to hormesis. There are certain aspects of tobacco that are healthy and we know the mechanism for it. For instance, Alzheimer's Disease (AD) for as complicated as it is we know a few things about it and it's relationship to tobacco. Part of the issues that occur with the disease is the brain gets an excessive build up of a substance called Beta Amyloid. This substance is believed to contribute to the neurofibulary tangles that are another hallmark of the disease. Nicotine and Norticotine greatly reduce these. Another aspect of AD is the loss of the Acetylcholine receptors in the brain. Nicotine increase these receptors. There is so much that we do not know about tobacco and it annoys me that society has automatically labeled it a poison. It is probably like most things, there are good things about it and there are bad things about it.

 

[SmokeStack]

Thank you for the clarification Jitterbugdude. I guess I jumped the gun with the hormesis. My brother is a physician and gave me samples of CiGRX (anatabine - a component of tobacco) for smoking cessation, but he claims that it can be used for many other purposes - Alzheimer's being one of them. I agree with you that there is much we don't know about tobacco. There is a great stigma associated with tobacco smoking nowadays. I just hope that it does not interfere with the progress being made.

 

[DrBob]

Daniel
upon re-reading what you said about curing in poly bags you may have a valid point. It would defininately work for some chambers that are not as tight as mine is. If they work for you it is a good thing.

 

[SmokeStack]

I recently pulled a second batch of Canadian Virginia out of the kiln and let it rest for a month or so. I smoked it today (as a cigarette) and it tasted sour. I had it in the kiln for 4 weeks at about 125 F in a plastic vapor proof bag. At the end of 4 weeks it had a strange, unpleasant smell coming out of the bag, so thinking that the smell was from the fermentation process, I left it in the kiln for another 2.5 weeks at around 130 F. The Canadian Virginia that I used was very sweet to start with, but now there is no sweetness at all - but the harshness is gone. I am wondering if the sour taste is from the sugars fermenting or oxidizing to acids? or if it requires more time in the kiln? Is it possible to salvage the tobacco or should I discard it. I am having a hell of a time with kiln fermenting - even though it seems like such an easy process. I believe the tobacco is flue cured so maybe kiln fermenting was not necessary - but it did take the harshness from the smoke. I guess I could try it in the pipe since a lot of Virginia pipe mixtures are sour.

 

[deluxestogie]

If your "Virginia" is already flue-cured, then the only thing a kiln can do is cause it to deteriorate. Try some leaf that has been only air-cured.

Bob

 

[BarG]

It seems a few people have found there happy spots in regards to homegrown tobacco. Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence. Hell yes when it comes to cigar wrappers. And filler too I hope to find out.

 

[Chicken]

running a kiln, is a touch and go system

my kiln is huge, and im hoping to not turn it on until i have it loaded tight,

i'll be using 2 heat lamps, one space heater, and 2 crock-pots,
i may eliminate certain items, if it get's too hot, or too moist,

but im hopefully going to have a digital thermostat hooked to it all to regulate the appliances,

 

[Daniel]

Re reading this thread , and Dr. Bob's last comment. I thought I would ad. If your kiln leaks, at all even a tiny hole. it will be impossible to maintain humidity. Dr. Bod's comment about the kiln not being air tight as his is is point on. My kiln is not and there are simply to many leaks for me to close all of them up. I also fully agree an air tight kiln would be preferable to plastic bags. Either way the tobacco is being sealed in with all the fumes etc. It is just an open space lets you move those fumes around more evenly. Vent them off when you open the kiln etc. Air tight is a bit of work to achieve but can be done.