Cosmic Crop 2018

[rajangan]

Great post Cosmic. I agree with pretty much everything. I would like to add that the reason why flue cured tobacco is sweet is because the heat denatures amylase. Brewers will know that amylase breaks starch into sugar, but they might not know that in tobacco, the amylase and other enzymes continue to break down that sugar into Co2 and water (which evaporates). With air cured tobacco, that action continues until all the sugar is depleted, but with flue cured, the enzymes have been destroyed, preventing the sugar from disappearing.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Thank You very much Cosmic, some decades ago and especially after and pre WW2 period Nicotina Rusticum was widely planted and grown in Russia &Ukraine,it was named as Makhorka* was sold commercially and went also into soldiers ration under the brand name Maxopka Nr 1 (mostly like cube cut) even today on very rare occasion I was seeing it being sold there in carton cubes.

Should It happens I get my hands on it later,then I may wanna send you a pack for sampling.)

 

[rajangan]

I'm planning to grow rustica for the first time this year. An American variety called Isleta Pueblo.
You can get a number of different Mahorka variety seeds from this guy in Ukraine.

https://tobacco.professorhome.ru/rustika-catalog

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Dear Mr Rajangan,Thanks for the Information,

What type of Burley Leaf would be advisable to plant if one wants his final product to be a medium to strong burley?

 

[smittyd]

This is a great thread ... we should all start growing our own . Some day that might be our only choice!

 

[rajangan]

Paulie, I can't answer that. Cosmic probably can though. You see, the last couple years I've been giving all the burley seedlings to my friend to plant, but every year he screws the pooch and doesn't cure them, ending up with nothing. I've done Harrow Velvet, but that's pretty mild. I'll be growing, probably three different burleys (myself) this year. I need them to balance my blends.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Paulie, that is like asking me which latakia blend to smoke. I just don't do much with burleys, but I did grow Dark Virginia (cultivated in Africa and further East), and it is a healthy fast producer of beautiful big full leaves, you can cure it any way you want, and get a good strong to moderate smoke. It might also mix well with the rustica that you were talking about.

 

[crashthegrey]

I really need to see how growing in upstate NY will go.

 

[rajangan]

Crash, you're just across the border from Canada's prime tobacco growing region. You should do good there.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

If tomatoes will grow there, tobacco will grow. It’s not too late. Start them within the next few weeks, and you’ll be fine.

 

[crashthegrey]

Thanks Rajangan and Cosmic. So I can grow outside and not have to bring in or have shelter?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Check out this and the 2015 threads. Start the microscopic seeds in a bowl with starter soil bought from anywhere. Then moisten the soil, put seeds on top, and cover with plastic wrap. Place a light bulb on top. When the seeds get second leaves move them to 2” starter cups with more starter. I use tweezers gently to move them. Then leave in window or under lightbulb till ready to transplant outside.

 

[shanegreen]

Great stuff! I am going to have to bookmark this thread. I have so much to look into as I plan on growing my own in a month or so. I have a nice, flat spot on the mountain that the former homeowners had a pool. I also hope to be rolling my own cigars as well.

 

[rajangan]

Crash, almost everyone starts seedlings in pots. They should be between 70 and 80 degrees, so you probably need to do it with grow lights. I will do so myself in the next week or two, then in April move them to a greenhouse, then in the last week of May or first week of June plant them in the ground where they will live the rest of their lives. People further south can start them earlier than you or I because they can plant them outside earlier. Ground temperature should be around 60 or more when planting outside. I live in Edmonton, by the way.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Thank You Cosmic for bringing that Dark Virginia variety to my knowledge.

 

[crashthegrey]

Great, thanks all.

 

[jaytex1969]

Most thought they were tough enough to get along without gloves. In about an hours time they were off to the edge of the field puking up their breakfast. Amazing how much nicotine can be absorbed through the hands

So I can grow a plant and just fondle the leaves?
No need for pipes, cleaners, tampers, and I can do it anywhere, indoors or out?
Score!!! :clap:
Edit: Kind of makes the patch look silly. Nature already provided one.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I picked up a small shredder from Amazon for $30, and started sampling some of the tobacco my wife found in a cooler in the shed. It handles small batches ok, but it would take me a week to shred more than 10 pounds. This will be ok, for tasting batches, but I may stick to twisting them or invest in a commercial shredder.

This batch is rather tasty, still "new" tasting, without any casings, fermentation, nor anaerobic aging. I'm not sure if I can kiln ferment tobacco once it has set up for a couple of years or not. I'm not even sure what year this batch was from, either 2016 or last year's crop. I don't remember putting any in a cooler, ha ha. But, it's obviously Virginia, by the taste of it, about 5lbs.

I've moved the current Ukrainian Virginia Gold to small post, and just wanted to show you how tiny the seedlings are, and how I will keep them till I am ready to move them to the greenhouse, and then to the ground. Eventually, my shed floor will be covered in seedlings. I still have some licorice-y tasting Japan 8 seeds, Cherry Red seeds, and some semois seeds on the way. The goat and rabbit manure is aged and ready to mix with the leaf mulch, and spread into the raised beds. Although, I am tempted to not use the cropland, and just decorate around the house with all of the different varieties, ha ha. The Japan 8 grows as a long leafed shrub, which might look great around the orchard. But, if the weather is good, irrigation runs smoothly, I may just be set for life with tobacco. If I plant enough to make 100 pounds, Mrs. Cosmic has warned me that we cannot build onto the house any more. But, we have one of the kids moving out in a year, so... another bedroom for tobacco, ha ha.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Full Spectrum LED are in the two side lights, and the one in the middle is a ring LED with controls to switch from red to blue spectrum. I am no grow light expert. These merely amend to the natural light that is coming from the French doors behind me. This is why I put them in clear plastic, to allow as much light as possible. But, as soon as we have no more threats of 30F nights, I will put them in the greenhouse for the weeks up until I can put them in the ground. The greenhouse is just mainly passive heat, so I don't trust it on the closest nights... at least until I can install some form of heat. I just started building the greenhouse last summer, so it is all slowly coming together.
As an experiment, I tried using vinegar, white, apple, and balsamic on some small samples of Virginia. I had read where Greg Pease said that vinegar was absolutely not used on tobacco, but I had leaf to play with, and I am curious. Upon spraying it, it does NOT smell like ketchup, more like cat piss. So, I will let it meld for a bit to see what comes of it. But, I swear that tobacco has a natural acidic fermented smell similar to ketchup naturally just after fermenting, but I am still not sure how McClellands locks this in like they do. Back to the drawing board.

 

[jitterbugdude]

But, I swear that tobacco has a natural acidic fermented smell similar to ketchup naturally just after fermenting, but I am still not sure how McClellands locks this in like they do. Back to the drawing board.

When I Cavendish Brightleaf tobacco and then add a little Perique and place in a jar (for storage) it smells exactly like a McClelland blend. I know how to make the McCatchup smell, just not the chemistry behind it.