Casings

[Akoni808]

Aloha,

I was looking at making some casings at home, and curious if anyone had any good recipes. I’m looking for a cocoa casing recipe for burley, a vanilla casing recipe, and possibly licorice (I’m thinking Irish flake-like).

 

[Akoni808]

Also on a side note: does anyone know which kind of vinegar is used for vinegar casings (white or apple cider)?

 

[Ahi Ka]

Also on a side note: does anyone know which kind of vinegar is used for vinegar casings (white or apple cider)?

I use cider, but that’s personal preference and what i have on hand.

Here’s a good place to start

Ernie Q on casing, pressing, and blending

(moderator note: copied from the home tobacco press thread.) Okie dokie. I’ve left the ‘that there terbaccy Elves in charge of guarding your orders at the shop and have a bit more time to talk about pressing etc. First things first...and I CANNOT stress this enough. Every tobacco you buy...

pipesmokersdens.com

Also for burley. Before casing it, make sure you try natural cavendish processing, pressing, toasting etc. There is so much flavour hiding the leaf that you may find your approach to casing changes (whether that is quantity or inherent flavour you wish to compliment).

 

[pipingfool]

I have occasionally used a casing made of aged rum, honey and cocoa powder.

But I have never added enough to impart a strong aromatic flavor or aroma. Just enough to retain some moisture and smooth any edges that might be present in the blend.

I’ve been told by people who’ve tried the blend I make that it works and marries the flavors nicely. So there’s that.

The blend is a Va/Per with small amounts of DFK and unsweetened black cavendish.

 

[Akoni808]

I use cider, but that’s personal preference and what i have on hand.

Here’s a good place to start

Ernie Q on casing, pressing, and blending

(moderator note: copied from the home tobacco press thread.) Okie dokie. I’ve left the ‘that there terbaccy Elves in charge of guarding your orders at the shop and have a bit more time to talk about pressing etc. First things first...and I CANNOT stress this enough. Every tobacco you buy...

pipesmokersdens.com

Also for burley. Before casing it, make sure you try natural cavendish processing, pressing, toasting etc. There is so much flavour hiding the leaf that you may find your approach to casing changes (whether that is quantity or inherent flavour you wish to compliment).

Thank you. This is a very helpful start. Also, looks like I have taste buds of a dumpster rat.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Thank you. This is a very helpful start. Also, looks like I have taste buds of a dumpster rat.

He lives on the mainland. We both have the taste buds of ship rats.

 

[briarfoxx]

Also, looks like I have taste buds of a dumpster rat.

Where do you get your raw leaf from?

 

[Akoni808]

Where do you get your raw leaf from?

Mainly from Whole Leaf Tobacco. I’ve also gotten smaller samples from Leaf Only. Leaf Only seems have a bigger selection for pipe tobaccos. I’ve been really impressed with the packaging, condition, and quality of leaves from Whole Leaf Tobacco, though.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I have occasionally used a casing made of aged rum, honey and cocoa powder.

But I have never added enough to impart a strong aromatic flavor or aroma. Just enough to retain some moisture and smooth any edges that might be present in the blend.

I’ve been told by people who’ve tried the blend I make that it works and marries the flavors nicely. So there’s that.

The blend is a Va/Per with small amounts of DFK and unsweetened black cavendish.

I can vouch for this - it's good.

 

[pipingfool]

I’ll go back through my notes and find the recipe and post it.

 

[Akoni808]

I’ll go back through my notes and find the recipe and post it.

Thanks!

 

[briarfoxx]

Mainly from Whole Leaf Tobacco. I’ve also gotten smaller samples from Leaf Only. Leaf Only seems have a bigger selection for pipe tobaccos. I’ve been really impressed with the packaging, condition, and quality of leaves from Whole Leaf Tobacco, though.

Nice, thank you! I haven’t tried whole leaf yet—I just have some blending tobacco from Sutliff and C&D.

 

[Akoni808]

Nice, thank you! I haven’t tried whole leaf yet—I just have some blending tobacco from Sutliff and C&D.

Whole leaf is very fun to deal with and surprisingly easy. I stumbled upon it by necessity (Hawaii shipping ban), but I wish I had earlier.

 

[proteus]

As far as leaf suppliers go, I personally use leafonly.com because I'm local to there store and avoid shipping charges.

I don't always case but when I do I use 1 tbsp raw honey from local beekeeper in a gallon jug distilled water. The vanilla I have used is my own extract taking Madagascar Grade B beans and either vodka or cask proof bourbon from my local distillery Litchfield Distillery. For chocolate I buy nibs off Amazon and then make a thin sprayable mix with boiling hot water like a ganache. Coffee flavor easy just spray espresso over the leaves. Licorice I use Herb Pharm Licorice Extract. 1 oz to a gallon jug distilled water. You can adjust ratios to taste.

I have not used vinegar in my casings. But I have smelt vinegar in the blends I buy at WCC when I first get them in but after sitting a while the vinegar smell disappears. I have never understood the use of vinegar and have tasted my blends with and without and no difference to me.

Pressing is key for me. I press everything.

These casings I use maybe 1% of the time. I make mainly VA, VaPer, Orientals, VaOr. Rarely make burley or aromatics.

 

[proteus]

As far as leaf suppliers go, I personally use leafonly.com because I'm local to there store and avoid shipping charges.

I don't always case but when I do I use 1 tbsp raw honey from local beekeeper in a gallon jug distilled water. The vanilla I have used is my own extract taking Madagascar Grade B beans and either vodka or cask proof bourbon from my local distillery Litchfield Distillery. For chocolate I buy nibs off Amazon and then make a thin sprayable mix with boiling hot water like a ganache. Coffee flavor easy just spray espresso over the leaves. Licorice I use Herb Pharm Licorice Extract. 1 oz to a gallon jug distilled water. You can adjust ratios to taste.

I have not used vinegar in my casings. But I have smelt vinegar in the blends I buy at WCC when I first get them in but after sitting a while the vinegar smell disappears. I have never understood the use of vinegar and have tasted my blends with and without and no difference to me.

Pressing is key for me. I press everything.

These casings I use maybe 1% of the time. I make mainly VA, VaPer, Orientals, VaOr. Rarely make burley or aromatics.

The ratio of whole Grade B Madagascar vanilla beans is 200g beans to 1500ml vodka, bourbon, tequila anything like that. That blend will perfectly fit into 1750ml bottle. Shake every day for a week then every week for a month then once a month for a year. You can spray it straight or dilute further.

 

[proteus]

As far as leaf suppliers go, I personally use leafonly.com because I'm local to there store and avoid shipping charges.

I don't always case but when I do I use 1 tbsp raw honey from local beekeeper in a gallon jug distilled water. The vanilla I have used is my own extract taking Madagascar Grade B beans and either vodka or cask proof bourbon from my local distillery Litchfield Distillery. For chocolate I buy nibs off Amazon and then make a thin sprayable mix with boiling hot water like a ganache. Coffee flavor easy just spray espresso over the leaves. Licorice I use Herb Pharm Licorice Extract. 1 oz to a gallon jug distilled water. You can adjust ratios to taste.

I have not used vinegar in my casings. But I have smelt vinegar in the blends I buy at WCC when I first get them in but after sitting a while the vinegar smell disappears. I have never understood the use of vinegar and have tasted my blends with and without and no difference to me.

Pressing is key for me. I press everything.

These casings I use maybe 1% of the time. I make mainly VA, VaPer, Orientals, VaOr. Rarely make burley or aromatics.

One more thing about the honey. I've used Avocado and Buckwheat honey as well which I get in Mystic CT from Sticky Situations. They both are a very dark pungent honey with molasses and grass like flavor.

 

[briarfoxx]

I have not used vinegar in my casings. But I have smelt vinegar in the blends I buy at WCC when I first get them in but after sitting a while the vinegar smell disappears. I have never understood the use of vinegar and have tasted my blends with and without and no difference to me.

As a disclaimer, I'll say that I have never processed raw tobacco before nor made my own casing, but I have researched it in preparation to do so. That said, based on my research, my understanding of the use of the vinegar is as an acid to aid in the chemical reaction necessary to invert the sugar used in the casing from sucrose to glucose + fructose, which creates "invert sugar."

This invert sugar apparently bonds better to the tobacco (it does not crystallize) and is also highly fermentable, which I assume aids in the aging process. Invert sugar is also more hygroscopic, so it would naturally help retain moisture better in the cased tobacco (in baking this keeps your baked goods more moist).

It's talked about in this video on casing tobacco (though he admits he doesn't fully understand the science behind it):

In researching invert sugar, I found a recipe on a distillery blog that claims invert sugar is "highly fermentable" (they use citric acid or cream of tartar as their acid instead of vinegar): How To Make Invert Sugar (Distiller's Guide) - https://diydistilling.com/how-to-make-invert-sugar/

Having said all of that, you mention that you use honey as your sweetener, which I believe is basically already made of invert sugar, so I would imagine you already receive these benefits.

 

[briarfoxx]

Whole leaf is very fun to deal with and surprisingly easy. I stumbled upon it by necessity (Hawaii shipping ban), but I wish I had earlier.

Thanks for the push! Do you have a good resource(s) you recommend for directions on de-stemming, shredding, and whatever other processes are needed to prepare it for smoking?

 

[briarfoxx]

Edit: Sorry, I'm removing this post because I just remembered the same Ernie Q post was posted above.

 

[proteus]

As a disclaimer, I'll say that I have never processed raw tobacco before nor made my own casing, but I have researched it in preparation to do so. That said, based on my research, my understanding of the use of the vinegar is as an acid to aid in the chemical reaction necessary to invert the sugar used in the casing from sucrose to glucose + fructose, which creates "invert sugar."

This invert sugar apparently bonds better to the tobacco (it does not crystallize) and is also highly fermentable, which I assume aids in the aging process. Invert sugar is also more hygroscopic, so it would naturally help retain moisture better in the cased tobacco (in baking this keeps your baked goods more moist).

It's talked about in this video on casing tobacco (though he admits he doesn't fully understand the science behind it):

In researching invert sugar, I found a recipe on a distillery blog that claims invert sugar is "highly fermentable" (they use citric acid or cream of tartar as their acid instead of vinegar): How To Make Invert Sugar (Distiller's Guide) - https://diydistilling.com/how-to-make-invert-sugar/

Having said all of that, you mention that you use honey as your sweetener, which I believe is basically already made of invert sugar, so I would imagine you already receive these benefits.

Wow! thanks for the intel on that. I had no idea. I just learned from making tomato sauce with several native Italians that honey can help with overly acidic tomatoes from the garden. Figured the same might work in my blends.