Using an Aga as a kiln?!

[Faltown]

Hi all, been trying to get my head around UK energy prices and kilning my tobacco.

I've got some dark air cured, some yellow twist bud, nostrano del brenta and Havana 142. The building of a kiln is possible, but electric prices here are too much for me to run a crock pot for 6 weeks.

Could I roll my leaves up into jar's, and leave them in my friends Aga instead?!

Cheers!

 

[Old Gasman]

I guess you could but how would you keep the humidity and temperature stable?

 

[Faltown]

I think temperature would be consistent. They've got a six oven one, oil fired and so it's a big hunk of metal that's constantly on, so stable temperature, so main problem is humidity.

Do air tight oven proof containers exist, so if I got the leaf into medium case it's own moisture would go towards fermentation?!

 

[Knucklehead]

Hi all, been trying to get my head around UK energy prices and kilning my tobacco.

I've got some dark air cured, some yellow twist bud, nostrano del brenta and Havana 142. The building of a kiln is possible, but electric prices here are too much for me to run a crock pot for 6 weeks.

Could I roll my leaves up into jar's, and leave them in my friends Aga instead?!

Cheers!

What about a light bulb like this kiln?

China Voodoo's Invertebrate Kiln

I'm using a temperature controller. Temperature is produced by two 40W incandescent bulbs which hang inside an aluminum tube, with forced air provided full time by a 110V fan purchased at princess auto. The tube is bent so it blows air from the bottom to the top. Tobacco is in...

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[adamziegler]

I am currently using a 125W heat lamp as my heat source in an insulated foam cabinet. That box is in my 68-70F basement. To keep the kiln at temps around 125F the light is running ~40-45% of the time. (Light on to bring up heat is slightly shorter than light off to allow heat to dissipate).

If my math is correct:
24 hrs x 7 days x 8 weeks = 1,344 total hours of kiln time
1,344 x ~45% = 600 hrs that the light is on and running.
600 hrs * 125W / 1000 = 75 kWh
If your energy cost is $0.50 / kWh, a kiln like mine would cost you ~$38 to run for 8 weeks. (It is closer to $8-9 for me here in the US.)

It will cost me more as the winter hits and my basement drops in the mid 50sF. It would cost me less if I would just move it out to my garage that has been in the 80's the past few weeks!

 

[Faltown]

So with my procrastination, I didn't just do the math's, and when 30 grams of tobacco now cost £26 here, actually pretty cheap to run a kiln!

Thanks for that, Will report back!

 

[deluxestogie]

The most cost-effective investment in a kiln is the insulation. It's a one time cost that will determine the continuing electricity cost.

Bob

 

[Faltown]

The most cost-effective investment in a kiln is the insulation. It's a one time cost that will determine the continuing electricity cost.

Bob

When people talk about foam board, is that what we call celotex over here?! Foil backed pir insulation board?

 

[Knucklehead]

When people talk about foam board, is that what we call celotex over here?! Foil backed pir insulation board?

Celotex went out of business and contained asbestos. I used 2" rigid foam board made by owens corning.

FOAMULAR® 250 XPS Foam Board Insulation | Owens Corning Insulation

Foam board insulation can be used in a variety of home & building applications. Get the details needed to use FOAMULAR® NGX® 250 XPS for your next project.

www.owenscorning.com

edit: try to find the manufacturers website of the product you are using and check the max rated temperature. Also run the kiln empty for awhile to off gas any smells.

 

[Huffen'Snuff]

I was considering using a 2×4 or a 4×4 grow tent for use as a kiln. They are used for indoor hydroponic horticulture. I would love the ability of being able to take them down and possibly using it for a mushroom fruiting chamber, or possibly a hydroponic tent.

 

[adamziegler]

I was considering using a 2×4 or a 4×4 grow tent for use as a kiln. They are used for indoor hydroponic horticulture. I would love the ability of being able to take them down and possibly using it for a mushroom fruiting chamber, or possibly a hydroponic tent.

Not much insulation, but it will get up to temperature.

 

[Skafidr]

I was considering using a 2×4 or a 4×4 grow tent for use as a kiln.

If you need a kiln, would it make more sense to design something that will be used as a kiln first (that will withstand the heat and be energy efficient), and that could also be used as a grow tent?

I suppose the upfront costs are not the same, but maybe money saved in energy costs is non negligible?

 

[Huffen'Snuff]

I'm just way short on space, and need something modular, maybe I should just use foam boards to construct it? I don't know that's going to leak moisture tho. I still have the steel skeleton from an old 4×4 hydro tent. But I guess simply taping the seams of the foam board would be quite stable and moisture proof. Plus I could slice the tape when I need to stack it out.

I don't really know but, I need a kiln, a barn, and maybe a tractor in a, hold on,,,,,,,,, in a10×11 is 110 sq. foot apartment, with a communal half bath. Maybe I should move into the air stream and set the kiln up in here. I have to mow a huge ass yard that's one thing

 

[Knucklehead]

I'm just way short on space, and need something modular, maybe I should just use foam boards to construct it? I don't know that's going to leak moisture tho. I still have the steel skeleton from an old 4×4 hydro tent. But I guess simply taping the seams of the foam board would be quite stable and moisture proof. Plus I could slice the tape when I need to stack it out.

I don't really know but, I need a kiln, a barn, and maybe a tractor in a, hold on,,,,,,,,, in a10×11 is 110 sq. foot apartment, with a communal half bath. Maybe I should move into the air stream and set the kiln up in here. I have to mow a huge ass yard that's one thing

@ChinaVoodoo built a kiln out of foam board - no frame.

China Voodoo's Invertebrate Kiln

I'm using a temperature controller. Temperature is produced by two 40W incandescent bulbs which hang inside an aluminum tube, with forced air provided full time by a 110V fan purchased at princess auto. The tube is bent so it blows air from the bottom to the top. Tobacco is in...

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[Skafidr]

I wonder if @ChinaVoodoo's version could be tweaked a bit to make it more "dismantlable" by using "temporary caulk" like Zip? Also, instead of putting the caulk directly on the side, I wonder if it would be a good idea to put permanent very sticky tape (I'm thinking about something like Tuck tape) on the sides of the foam first, so that it gives a smooth surface that would make it "easy" to remove the caulk from when one is done with the kiln?

Although only using tape to hold and seal everything seems equivalent to using caulk, but I haven't done many projects like those, so this opinion is to be take with a grain of salt. (The downsides I see with using tape is that 1) you need to use tape that is heat and moisture resistant, 2) can it damage the foam when you remove it, and 3) can you even remove it? If not, you'll eventually be stuck with layers of tape, which may not necessarily be a bad thing.)

I suppose I'm daydreaming a bit here, I don't have the means to build this kind of thing nowadays so I'm projecting my ideas on other people

 

[deluxestogie]

"Tyvek®" tape is ideal. It is not made of Tyvek, which is a waterproof, paper-like, house construction wrap, but is designed for taping the sheets of Tyvek.

Bob

 

[Skafidr]

Yep, "Tuck" is probably "more Canadian" and less popular in the US and likely equivalent to "Tyvek" tape; their tapes are used to tape sheating and building wraps.

Although some insulation sheets have one side that is layered with reflecting aluminium (vapour proof, useful if one needs to make a grow tent and have nice light reflection (???)), so one could wonder if aluminium tape (the kind one uses to tape kitchen range hood ducts) would do the job. It reflects light, it sustains heat. But does it resist to moisture? And I suppose it's less flexible than Tyvek tape and would tear much more easily, so one would need to have their whole thing built and solid before this tape is applied.

 

[adamziegler]

I'm just way short on space, and need something modular, maybe I should just use foam boards to construct it? I don't know that's going to leak moisture tho.

I used 2-3 deck screws per edge to hold my foam kiln together. a bit of duct tape on the outside of the kiln helps keep moisture in. It is modular in the sense that when I am done with it this season, I will remove / cut the tape, and remove the screws to store it flat in the back of the garage.