buck
Well-Known Member
Not yet. I will try it though and let you know.
Virginia curing advice
- Thread starter buck
- Start date
Not yet. I will try it though and let you know.
buck
Well-Known Member
I took a quick peak, I know, no peaking but I had to see. I followed this process and reached step 4 but my leaf turned dark :-(
Too much humidity I'm guessing. I'll keep going and take pics when I'm done.
Too much humidity I'm guessing. I'll keep going and take pics when I'm done.
- Yellow at 93-100ºF, venting to minimize internal condensation
- first peek after 72 hours
- when mostly yellowed, begin temp ramp at 12 hour intervals (no more peeking!)
- 120ºF (vent partially closed)
- 130ºF (vent mostly closed)
- 140ºF
- 150ºF (vent fully closed)
- 165ºF (hold for 24 hours)
- allow to cool
- bring back into case
- photograph your bright-cured tobacc0
What was the priming level of the leaf?
Bob
Mine from 3 years ago (on the bottom) and WLT flue-cured on the top edge:
Bob
Mine from 3 years ago (on the bottom) and WLT flue-cured on the top edge:
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Not asking for any trade secrets, but does WLT add any sort of spray or casing prior to flue curing? Just wondering if that may explain the slight color difference.What was the priming level of the leaf?
Bob
Mine from 3 years ago (on the bottom) and WLT flue-cured on the top edge:
buck
Well-Known Member
What was the priming level of the leaf?
Bob
Mine from 3 years ago (on the bottom) and WLT flue-cured on the top edge:
I primed it at this point
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Different varieties of Virginia tobacco cure out to different shades. My flue-cured was VA Bright Leaf variety. I'm certain that no sprays or casings are added to the WLT flue-cured. It's purchased at tobacco auctions is 700+ pound bales, and each bale is produced and flue-cured by one tobacco farmer (and the variety of his or her choosing). Several bales means one or more different tobacco farmers. Just like apples, there is a ton of variation among varieties, orchards and crop years.
Your broad priming level corresponds to my lugs, leaf and maybe mid-leaf. In my own experience, about 3 primed leaves per plant in a single curing batch produce a similar color. More leaves primed per plant in a single batch makes it trickier to get the yellowing phase consistent. A pinch too much yellowing for a particular leaf leads to darker leaf at the end. Opening the chamber beyond the yellowing phase risks a poorer outcome.
Bob
Fall, 2019 flue-cured tobacco auction.
Your broad priming level corresponds to my lugs, leaf and maybe mid-leaf. In my own experience, about 3 primed leaves per plant in a single curing batch produce a similar color. More leaves primed per plant in a single batch makes it trickier to get the yellowing phase consistent. A pinch too much yellowing for a particular leaf leads to darker leaf at the end. Opening the chamber beyond the yellowing phase risks a poorer outcome.
Bob
Fall, 2019 flue-cured tobacco auction.
buck
Well-Known Member
I guess then I just ride it out and see what it smokes like when done .. I don't mind the dark color as long as it can produce a reasonably good experience.
I just realized as well that I may have messed it up , I have two crock pots in my kiln and had the one with water in it on instead of the one without.
This was by error, plugged in the wrong crockpot ...
I just realized as well that I may have messed it up , I have two crock pots in my kiln and had the one with water in it on instead of the one without.
This was by error, plugged in the wrong crockpot ...
buck
Well-Known Member
buck
Well-Known Member
Just checked the humidity and is down to 20%, this is the end of stage 4 and since I have have no stems just leave I can skip the stem drying stage so I think am done.
buck
Well-Known Member
This was my from my second batch but the picture isn't the best, they are a deepr yellow and richer brown in color.
Rolled one up and it was surprisingly good, lite, smooth and sweet, not bad at all.
I then rolled one from my first batch, the one that got really dark during the yellowing stage.
It was strong, flavorful and had some sweetness not as much as the first but the flavor was richer and more intense.
Not as smooth , the retro burnt the hair off my nostrils but intensified the flavor, very nice.
I'll mix both together and should get a nice balance of strength and flavor plus that sweetness.
Burley leaf going in kiln next.
Rolled one up and it was surprisingly good, lite, smooth and sweet, not bad at all.
I then rolled one from my first batch, the one that got really dark during the yellowing stage.
It was strong, flavorful and had some sweetness not as much as the first but the flavor was richer and more intense.
Not as smooth , the retro burnt the hair off my nostrils but intensified the flavor, very nice.
I'll mix both together and should get a nice balance of strength and flavor plus that sweetness.
Burley leaf going in kiln next.
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buck
Well-Known Member
Getting over the tongue bite from my previous sampling session .... I mixed them up and rolled one , not bad but not as good as I expected.
Maybe too much of the strong leaf and I probably used another leaf, not all leaves will be consistent in flavor or strength which is too bad.
I'm not a cigarette smoker so this tobacco will go to some friends.
Maybe too much of the strong leaf and I probably used another leaf, not all leaves will be consistent in flavor or strength which is too bad.
I'm not a cigarette smoker so this tobacco will go to some friends.
buck
Well-Known Member
I'm not typically a cigarette smoker so I don't smoke much Burley or Virginia tobacco so I haven't been smoking this for a while.
After letting it rest a few months I decided to try some again a Burley/Virginia mix and rolled one up.
Taste was good, aroma great but salty , very salty .. as I would draw and sometimes get small specs of tobacco in my mouth it was as if I sprinkled some salt in there.
The Burley is also very hard to keep lit , needs to be mixed with something else.
I tasted a piece of each tobacco and both are salty so it's not a Burely specific thing.
Can anything be done about the saltiness during/after curing or at grow time for my next grow ?
After letting it rest a few months I decided to try some again a Burley/Virginia mix and rolled one up.
Taste was good, aroma great but salty , very salty .. as I would draw and sometimes get small specs of tobacco in my mouth it was as if I sprinkled some salt in there.
The Burley is also very hard to keep lit , needs to be mixed with something else.
I tasted a piece of each tobacco and both are salty so it's not a Burely specific thing.
Can anything be done about the saltiness during/after curing or at grow time for my next grow ?
Were both varieties home grown?
What fertilizer were you using, how much, and at what stage did you stop fertilizing prior to harvest?
What fertilizer were you using, how much, and at what stage did you stop fertilizing prior to harvest?
buck
Well-Known Member
Both home grown. This was last year and I don't remember the details of my fertilizer routine.
I'm bad at recording this stuff. So this would be mostly related to soil and fertilizer plus timing?
I‘m taking at a stab at a guess in regards to the salty taste. The poor burn can be from fertilizing too late or using chlorinated water. I use half the recommended granulated garden fertilizer based on a soil test and then the other half a couple weeks later. After that I’m just the grounds keeper and bug killer.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I always thought certain cigars were salty. I accepted that it was just a thing.
