WillQuantrill
Well-Known Member
Nice even color and good sized. Winning.
ProZachJ's 2024 Grow Log
- Thread starter ProZachJ
- Start date
Trying my own little experimental spin on the carrotte. Took some P1 Perique, got it in fairly high case, removed the midribs, rolled it into a psudeo-cigar, vacuum sealed it, and wrapped it up tight with tape.
For the last few days temperatures in the hothouse have reached the mid 120s. I've noticed that some of the leaf that has been in there for a few weeks has begun to have a distinct ammonia (ok, just say cat piss) smell. Is this a good sign that my puedo-kiln is doing something?
Texas Cuban has gone well, Texan, on me.
I all but decided to abandon the variety due to its fierce independence having flowered early, inconsistently, having been the only variety showing any sign of disease (albeit only one plant), and it having such wide range of height at maturity.
Today I decided to sample one of the P2 leaves even though it has been hanging for only a few weeks...
Darnit if it isn't pretty good. No noticable bite, fairly mild flavor with distinct note of chocolate. Only the smallest amount of rawness in the middle of the bowl. I guess I will have try some blending with it and ponder its continued cultivation over quite a few evening pipes.
I all but decided to abandon the variety due to its fierce independence having flowered early, inconsistently, having been the only variety showing any sign of disease (albeit only one plant), and it having such wide range of height at maturity.
Today I decided to sample one of the P2 leaves even though it has been hanging for only a few weeks...
Darnit if it isn't pretty good. No noticable bite, fairly mild flavor with distinct note of chocolate. Only the smallest amount of rawness in the middle of the bowl. I guess I will have try some blending with it and ponder its continued cultivation over quite a few evening pipes.
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PressuredLeaf
Well-Known Member
For cigar leaves, ammonia evolution has always been a good thing during fermentation (for me). Once ammonia production goes down, the resulting leaf always has more subjective “cigar” like qualities.
Ammonia evolution is a sign that proteins in the leaf are breaking down. This is good because burning protein tastes bad and doesn’t combust well.
Without being too crude, I would draw a distinction between the aromas of ammonia vs. "cat piss". As @PressuredLeaf explained, all tobacco emits ammonia (NH₃) during its curing as well as during later fermentation. "Cat piss" aroma, to my nose, is exclusive to both growing and curing N. rustica.
Bob
Bob
PressuredLeaf
Well-Known Member
ProZachJ, I’d be very interested to hear you subjective opinion on what the ammonia emitting leaf smells like in a few months. Last time I grew cigar tobacco, some released ammonia while others did not. After Kilning/fermenting for a month or two the ammonia leaf smelled “cigarey”. On the other hand, the non ammonia leaf smelled more similar to my pipe tobacco varieties. Sort of sweet and baked goods like in aroma. While not a bad thing, it wasn’t what I was after in a cigar.
I’m interested to see how yours turns out in a few months, especially since you’ve done a great job growing and priming it.
I’m interested to see how yours turns out in a few months, especially since you’ve done a great job growing and priming it.
WillQuantrill
Well-Known Member
I came to the same conclusion with Texas Cuban. Just kind of a PITA. Seemed to attract bugs and sucker like crazy. Smokable product was pretty good but not a huge producer. This only being my third year I'm still narrowing down the varieties that produce well in my environment.
I'll keep ya updated, right now definitely no cigar aroma. The ammonia smell has died down significantly today.
Tonight's blend is called "Cant hardly wait", it was equal parts (by eye) WLT Lemon Virginia, PZJ Texas Cuban, and PZJ Perique.
A bit hard to get going at first, definitely my two varieties don't have enough alkalinity to balance out the lemon fully, but flavor wise, by mid bowl, it's a would do again.
A bit hard to get going at first, definitely my two varieties don't have enough alkalinity to balance out the lemon fully, but flavor wise, by mid bowl, it's a would do again.
The can't hardly wait theme continues. I decided to unwrap the first carrotte of sun dried Perique mud lugs that I wrapped up less than two months ago. I was shocked and delighted by what I found. Pretty good color and the smell was strongly of plums/dates. I just had to mix up a quick VaPer with some WLT Ripe Virginia...standby for results
As feared upon starting this project I'm really struggling to keep mold free. Even in the hothouse, where I'm keeping the humidity in a lower range (40-80) by running the heater at night and temperature is reaching 123-125 for several hours each day.
It's mostly problematic on rainy days where the temp doesn't spike and stay high. I'm seeing some molding around a few leaf margins and along some ribs, mostly leaves on the ends of the stringer, nothing that is threatening to destroy my crop but definitely I will have to do some trimming and discarding as I take the leaf down for storage.
If I put any already cured and partially dried leaf in the CoolHouse it starts to develop signs of mold within 24 hours. The same applies if I leave it hanging on my porch after color curing is complete.
Luckily, I have a new building scheduled to arrive on my property next week and I can build out a fully controlled curing chamber in part of it. Probably won't be operational for this year's crop but it should give me a better place for curing or long term hanging next year.
It's mostly problematic on rainy days where the temp doesn't spike and stay high. I'm seeing some molding around a few leaf margins and along some ribs, mostly leaves on the ends of the stringer, nothing that is threatening to destroy my crop but definitely I will have to do some trimming and discarding as I take the leaf down for storage.
If I put any already cured and partially dried leaf in the CoolHouse it starts to develop signs of mold within 24 hours. The same applies if I leave it hanging on my porch after color curing is complete.
Luckily, I have a new building scheduled to arrive on my property next week and I can build out a fully controlled curing chamber in part of it. Probably won't be operational for this year's crop but it should give me a better place for curing or long term hanging next year.
Spreading your leaves further apart and increasing air circulation will help. When rain is coming close the vents to trap the lower humidity inside and keep out the high humidity. My humidity swings up and down night to day, rain to dry. Opening and closing doors helps. If humidity is high, spread the leaves further apart and turn on a fan. If humidity is low, bunch your leaves together so they share that humidity and the leaves will dry out more slowly and turn off the fan. If humidity goes up at night, close the door and vents each afternoon/evening while the humidity inside is still good. Watch the difference between inside and outside. Try to trap in the good humidity. Watch your forecast and your gauges.
PressuredLeaf
Well-Known Member
Another option is to dry the leaf to a safer level then transfer it to large vapor proof bags. You can maintain the humidity easier in a bag than in a large room. You could even add some of the two humidity control packets to your bags. I don’t really have mold issues in the dessert, but I believe a number of members have successfully cured and stored finished tobacco in vapor proof bags (like the ones WLT supplies tobacco in).
I'm doing this as I get time to clean and sort the stringers once they've fully dried in the hothouse.
This is almost more worry than the growing part! Having fun learning.
Happy Father's Day all!
I got to try some of my Southern Beauty P1 today. Very mild. Definitely a bit less sweet than flue cured lemon from WLT, but it rhymes. I think SB is going to make a great VaPer ingredient which luckily for me I appear to be stuck on at the moment.
I got to try some of my Southern Beauty P1 today. Very mild. Definitely a bit less sweet than flue cured lemon from WLT, but it rhymes. I think SB is going to make a great VaPer ingredient which luckily for me I appear to be stuck on at the moment.
The bulk of my spring 2024 grow is now hanging in the hothouse, minus the three P1 stringers that I already bagged or put into carotte.
The hothouse approach seems to be doing amazing with daytime temps spending 2-4 hours per day above 123 degrees, average (day and night) temp for all of June was 101 with a peak of 127. Humidity is ranging between 45-70. I should get at least two maybe three more months of these temps. The plan is to let most of this sit out the summer before another round of sampling and processing.
Walking by the hothouse now gives an incredible aroma.
The hothouse approach seems to be doing amazing with daytime temps spending 2-4 hours per day above 123 degrees, average (day and night) temp for all of June was 101 with a peak of 127. Humidity is ranging between 45-70. I should get at least two maybe three more months of these temps. The plan is to let most of this sit out the summer before another round of sampling and processing.
Walking by the hothouse now gives an incredible aroma.
