preparing to make a Va flake

[Smokin Harley]

Got out my Virginia Gold leaf from 2015 years crop. I haven't opened the bags in almost a year when I sorted the leaf after kilning and I put it away. I have to say its aged very well as far as I can tell. One bag (last priming) had a very pleasant sweet aroma . The bag of leaf I had labeled as binder for whatever reason I thought I was going to make this a cigar ...had/has a bit of an alcohol aroma . Anyone else come upon this? I'm wondering if this is the sugars within the leaf are actually fermenting. I've heard of ammonia smell but not alcohol. I closed the remainder back up and sealed it so it can further ferment. With another year or two of age I'm hoping it will be really smooth .
Anyway - I have stripped it of its main rib and have made up some honey water (1 cup of hot bottled water ,1 tsp raw local honey) I even added 3 drops of Watkins Pure Vanilla extract. The aroma of this isn't much more than plain water. I'm spraying the stripped leaf and now waiting for that to absorb a little.
Earlier I built a flake/plug pressing box. I had a piece of clear poplar left over from the rolling table project so I cut that up and assembled the pieces so the box ends up being about 7 long , 5 wide and 3 1/2 inches tall. I made an inside fitting lid which is just slightly smaller than the inside of the box. It will act as the pressing plate. On top of that I secured a piece of 2x3 to act as a grab handle when I go to remove the lid to get to the flake plug and also aid in height for the clamp.
I've lined the box with a piece of parchment paper rather than waxed paper because in my mind wax might get into the tobacco and gunk up the pipe. So ,i na few minutes I'll drain the leaf and give it a hand squish to get the excess honey water off and fill the box , pressing it afterwards and let it dry . I'll come back and report once I feel its dry enough to take apart.

 

[Smokin Harley]

 

[Smokin Harley]

Interesting and frustrating why it shows the box upright then an attachment upside down of the same pic. I suppose its for those who live south of the equator...

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Equal rights for polar extremes dude. I mean, I can't even, it's the current year.

Looks nice btw, did you blend at all or are you running straight bright leaf?

 

[riverstone]

Harley
The bottom photo looks OK to me but the top one is upside down!
I made a similar press box for my shredding. It is simple to get the blocks out if you make both the top and bottom removeable. I use cling film to stop the baccy sticking.

 

[CobGuy]

Nice!

I've been pressing flakes / plugs for a little while now and have found that honey seems to burn a bit hot.
Most Va's won't really need extra sugars added, IMHO.
To get more sweetness, you could Stove / Cavendish half and then press them together ... just an idea.
Have fun, good luck and let us know how it turns out!

 

[Smokin Harley]

Harley
The bottom photo looks OK to me but the top one is upside down!
I made a similar press box for my shredding. It is simple to get the blocks out if you make both the top and bottom removeable. I use cling film to stop the baccy sticking.

I thought about plastic wrap...its thin, clear and tends to blend in with tobacco once compressed .At least with parchment paper ,I can see it and pull it out if it happens to tear out pieces . If I need to I can always back the crews out to extract the flake plug.

 

[Smokin Harley]

Nice!

I've been pressing flakes / plugs for a little while now and have found that honey seems to burn a bit hot.
Most Va's won't really need extra sugars added, IMHO.
To get more sweetness, you could Stove / Cavendish half and then press them together ... just an idea.
Have fun, good luck and let us know how it turns out!

I just needed a little more moisture in the tobacco .Honey is naturally mold resistant .I read about how honey water was used back in the early days of putting tobacco up in hogsheads before going asea. There really isn't much honey in this . But I get what you mean. Might try another plug without just to see .

 

[Smokin Harley]

Equal rights for polar extremes dude. I mean, I can't even, it's the current year.

Looks nice btw, did you blend at all or are you running straight bright leaf?

Its just 2015 crop air cured Va Gold ,straight .Its been kilned though . but from two or more primings.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I bet it comes out nice, how long will you let it press before packing a bowl?

 

[Smokin Harley]

not sure. I read that it should be no less than 3 days in the press...Might go a week . Not sure. I have a lot of other things I need to get done around here before pups come in a couple weeks. Might pull it Monday and cut off a slice so it can dry then pack one up. I'll report.

 

[Smokin Harley]

Today is day 3 of the Va Flake pressing. I'm going to open it up , slice off a piece ,and dry it out a bit . That will determine if I put it back in the press for more time or just call it good and move along to another batch .

 

[Smokin Harley]

Hopefully you can see how my first attempt at a Virginia flake came out. The brick as it were is barely 1/4 inch thick and still quite flexible. The leaf definitely turned darker than I expected. Smells good . I will throw in a new batch this time with unflavored leaf,just some moisture so it sticks together. New tobacco plug chopper should arrive Friday. Maybe just in time to try it on these.

 

[Smokin Harley]

ok, instead of a "new" batch going in the press I took the jarred leaf which was the Va (no flavoring added)Mystery leaf (nothing added) out of the jars that have been in the kiln for a few days. I opened the jars and wow, what an aroma. At first it was a bit um, nasty and alcohol smelling then once I started stripping the midrib my hands became a blackish stained and then the cocoa'ey smell hit my nose. This smells absolutely amazing. I piggy backed it in the press with parchment paper separating them and now have it under pressure again. I probably could have just put them together as a blend but I think there might be a very subtle difference in leaf varieties and I'll blend it back together later if they are in fact ,different. I'll set it aside a few days and see what a little rest under pressure does. I had to add a bit of distilled water to the other jars of kilned leaf, the leaf that was at the heated sand level had gotten dry enough inside the jars that they turned black and a bit hard and hard to remove from the jars,but yet doesn't smell burnt. I'm hoping this is due to the sugars in the leaf caramelizing.
The Va flake cake I pulled out went in the kiln on the top shelf for a bit to dry out. In a couple hours I'll check on it and hopefully slice off a pipe full to test. So far this seems to be working. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Smokin Harley]

So here's the VA flake once cut and rubbed out a little. Gravity loaded about a 1/2 bowl of dad's old Dr Grabow Grand Duke . Took a few lights but it produces a nice smoke. Had a little throat tingle but then again I haven't had so much as a cigar since thanksgiving. I will put the thin brick away to dry and age more. I'll try a few micro topping attempts on this little container. I'm thinking of a few drops of the English toffee and let it sit a day or so then try that. Not bad .

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I think us non regular smokers can have off days. Some blends taste awesome most of the time, then other times just be off.

 

[SmokinSasquatch]

Here's a flake after 2 weeks in the press, equal parts red, bright and lemon FCV.

 

[Brown Thumb]

That's some Nice Looking Wall Art.

 

[greenmonster714]

I'm with BrownThumb. That looks awesome. You got any pics of the press you use?

 

[SmokinSasquatch]

I can whistle one up real quick. Sized the tube to make a flake that will fit comfortably in a mason jar for long term storage/aging, whenever I find that perfect recipe