What Ways are Good to Hang Tobacco fo Air Drying

[ScottRW]

I guess the title says it all. What ways have you found good to hang tobacco for air drying in a shed?

 

[2Baccy]

Galvanized electric fence wire poked through the leaf stem works pretty good. Then tie that to whatever you have,in my case I tied to fencing staples in my shed. Seems pretty commonly used around here. Someone else might pop in with the proper gauge for the wire all I know is it’s about 1/16 of an inch diameter.

 

[Darkthirty]

I'm short of space and business keeps me swamped at harvest time. I color cure with 30X30" cardboard boxes, DON'T Pick leaves cold, hottest part of the day is best. check em every day or 2 or they'll rot. Last year I used paperclips unfolded into an S shape and hung on mechanics wire. Easy to move that way, but takes a lot of time to hook the leaves. This year I'm still short on space and time, So I'm using mechanics wire cut to a sharp point with diagonal cutters, and stringing them by piercing the stems alternately round side / flat side. I get about 55 leaves to a 12' run. Problem is you can't move them out of case.

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum, ScottRW. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forum.

The best method(s) for curing your tobacco will depend on your climate, and the weather conditions during harvest and the following 6 or so weeks. In most areas, it is always best to harvest during the cooler parts of the day, to avoid wilting the leaf in the direct sun.

The leaf needs to remain alive at least until it has fully yellowed. After that, it can dry and die as it turns brown. Ideal curing conditions are hot and humid, until yellowed, followed by hot and somewhat drier during the subsequent weeks. Most areas of the world can successfully grow tobacco, but the curing conditions are more of a challenge in cooler and more arid locations.

When priming individual leaves, I use 17 gauge aluminum electric fence wire (available at farm supply stores for about $25 for a 1/4 mile spool) for stringing the leaf, then hang the wires on 1/8" braided nylon rope that is strung beneath the rafters in my shed. For tobacco plants that mature their leaves mostly all at the same time, I cut the entire stalk, drive a roofing nail diagonally into the side of the stalk base, then hang the entire stalk from those same ropes. Stalk-harvested tobacco is less prone to flash-drying green.

Be sure to read the new growers' FAQ (link at the top of the page), and check out the Index of Key Forum Threads: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/key-threads-in-the-ftt-forum.3868/

So the answer to your question depends on your environment, and the locations that are available to you for the curing process.

Good luck with your growing.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I live in the city and fence wire isn't something I see on the shelf. I use MIG welding wire which is available at the home depot, and I believe costs less than fence wire. Couldn't have been more than ten bucks for a lifetime supply. I also do the paperclip thing, except I have staples in dowels that they hook into, rather than hanging on a line.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

I guess the title says it all. What ways have you found good to hang tobacco for air drying in a shed?

I use the traditional method. Using a packing needle, I sew the leaves to a 4 foot lath, and hang them in a shed formerly used to cure tobacco. I pierce the leaf midrib with the needle and use strong string. About 50 leaves to a lath. Loop the string over the lath every 6 leaves or so.

 

[jonny]

i use #12 galvanized wire "we always have it around the farm" bent into a hook to fit over a 2x4.



Thin skewer the tobacco leaving space in between.


Leave 4"+- at the end and bend down.

Use a PVC pipe to hang in the rafters.


it has worked for me so far.

 

[skychaser]

I use a hook like that made out of 8 - 9 gauge wire to hang whole plants. But it's shorter and cut at an angle to make a point to stab through the stalk. They work great and will hang from a rafter, wire, rope or just about anything. You can easily move plants around and tighten things up after they wilt down to save space. The time spent making them is well worth it.

For leaf, I use tie wire cut to 54", and put 60-70 leafs on a string. Then I loop it around into a circle and twist the ends together, and bend the end into a coat hanger shaped hook. So it's like a garland with a hanger. A second 6" wire is placed in the middle of the string and twisted on and bent into a second hanging hook. This is so the string can be flipped over top to bottom from time to time during curing and drying to keep the leaf from sticking together. They can also be hung horizontally between 24" spaced rafters or on wires using both hooks to allow more air flow. This works really well for me in my dry climate and bunching them up this tightly keeps them from drying to fast.

 

[deluxestogie]

8 gauge wire! That's hefty stuff.

I really enjoy seeing the details of all these methods of hanging leaf. I've pored over all the illustrations in the 19th century tobacco books for past ideas. Some are truly clever, while some were designed specifically to be peculiar enough to patent and sell.

Bob

 

[skychaser]

It is pretty heavy. Has to be so it won't bend when stabbing through the stalk. It's about the same size as an 8 penny nail. The rafter hanging end makes a good handle for stabbing too.

 

[satisfied smoker]

We cut our leaves first in the main stem.
Then we hang them on to a electric wire, every specie has it own color.
We have 14 differend colors, every wire is 8 inch long
We bend that wire into a hook, slide it into the leave, and hang them first in the woodshed and then inside.
The "hanging" system is also the same in the woodshed.
That black flat wire, is not working to my satisfaction, for next year i will buy round cord, its easier to slide the hooks.
Best regards

 

[CobGuy]

Nice system ... I like the color coding.

~Darin

 

[satisfied smoker]

Thanks Darin
We tried first with colored tirips, tape, labels, was to much of a fuzz.
And sometimes you would lose track of some leaves.
Best

 

[Charly]

One hook for each of your leaves ! that's a lot of work !

 

[satisfied smoker]

Its some work yes, but there are three leaves at one hook.
We think that this is the best way, the leaves can yellow up and dry nice, without any mold.
When dry, we can move them closer to each other, to hang more, works for us.

 

[jimbob]

I live in the city and fence wire isn't something I see on the shelf. I use MIG welding wire which is available at the home depot, and I believe costs less than fence wire. Couldn't have been more than ten bucks for a lifetime supply. I also do the paperclip thing, except I have staples in dowels that they hook into, rather than hanging on a line.

I used .6mm MIG wire and found it tended to rust through very quickly resulting with picking leaves up on a daily basis so if you do use this try .8 or 1mm wire

 

[dubhelix]

This rig works ok. Usually.

Leaves are strung back to front on 4’ pieces of 14 gauge galvanized wire, which are in turn hung on tightly stretched wire. There are fenceposts pounded into the dirt floor to prevent sagging. I have a “ridgeline” wire so I can cover the leaf to retain humidity if necessary. I have a bigger tarp I use sometimes.

The whole thing is in a shed, but the shed is pretty open on one side.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

6" concrete/rebar grid bent in half. Big rocks to prevent movement. Leaves supported by sticks. You can move it indoors or outdoors. You can pack it away when done.

 

[Oldfella]

Hi guys, This how I hang my leaves. It makes it real easy to handle them, you can bring them to the shed if the weather turns bad.


The hangers used to dry socks and ladies things. I use round 22 peg holders and you can get oblong ones that I use in my kiln.

 

[satisfied smoker]

nice