Question about aging and color of the leaf

[matheuse]

Hello, there. I'm opening this thread because I hit a brick and don't know what to do, so I'm in desperate need for advice. Sorry for being a newbie question.

I first decided to make my own blend of pipe tobacco due to budget issues. I can buy Virginia and Burley fairly cheap where I live, in addition to other types of tobacco. I tried WLT but the shipping costs plus the uncertainty with customs makes it an non-option for me atm.

I was very excited about the Burley (which I thought it didn't require aging, little did I know) and thinking what to do about the Virginia, because I don't have space to hang it to let it age. As I found out reading lots of threads veraciously in the last couple of days, kilning is the way to go, but that's not an option for me either.

So, my first question is, is there any other form to age it properly? If I smoke it right way it would be too bad? If I shred it and let it sit in mason jars it would age alright? Btw, the tobacco is cured but not aged (the leafs are from this season).

The other doubt I stumbled across but couldn't find an answer is, the colour of the leaf is related to its quality? Like, the same producer has some Virginia leafs that are more darker, others more bright, but they were all submited to the same processes, so I'm in doubt about that too.

Thanks a lot for every insight. I've just started and still have lots of ways to go. Your help is tremendous.

 

[Kerley0319]

As far as I know - and I'm a newbie as well so dont take this to the bank ; but if its cured you can smoke it. Aging only improves the characteristics of certain tobacco's.

 

[Jb00]

If it’s cured, it should be fine. Not all tobacco is aged for a long period of time. I age mine in mason jars with a boveda pack and I open them briefly once every so often.
The colors are related to the amount of time the leaves are subjected to the flue curing process of Virginia. There are several such as bright, lemon red and so on.

The lighter the Virginia is sweeter and more acidic, which could cause some bad tongue bite in addition to burning hot.

just my two cents.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Hi, welcome.

1. You don't have to hang tobacco to age it. If the moisture level is not too high or too low, you can store it any way. It could be bagged, put in totes, jars, stacked in a humidor, boxed, or baled.

2. In the key forum threads section, you will find information on building a kiln. If you store the tobacco 120-130°F and high humidity, for a month, you will greatly advance the age.

3. Flue cured tobacco can be different colours for a variety of reasons: tobacco variety, curing temperature and humidity, the weather on harvest day, stalk position, fertilizer levels, age, how hygroscopic it is, whether there was some form of fermentation, whether it's been under pressure, to name some factors. To say it's because of quality is simplistic and reductive. Define quality.

 

[matheuse]

Thank you for the replies.

@Kerley0319 Well, if that's the case, then I'm all set! Thanks for the input.

@Jb00 That's great. Even virginias can be smoked right away after cured? I read somewhere here that they need at least a year or two if naturally maturing. I'll be aging them in mason jars then. Thanks for the advices!

@ChinaVoodoo Nice, moisture is crazy high here (I live next to a river, in a rural zone) but if mold is the problem I can handle it. I did read the threads about kiln but that's more of an intermediare-advanced setup, plus I'm short of money. Maybe in another time. Well, I'm not sure if it was flue cured, one producer said it was cured in a bulk barn with forced-air and the other (they're from different but bordering states) in a "traditional way", in a wood barn. You already answered one of my question, but I figured I worded it badly. My question is more as if different in colours implies difference in sugar content, nicotine, etc. Not necessarily quality. @Jb00 kindly answered me that. Btw, thanks for the input.

 

[deluxestogie]

If the yellow leaf smells like common cigarette tobacco, then it has likely been flue-cured, and can be used immediately.

Bob