Cosmic Crop 2018

[cosmicfolklore]

Loadclear, that Anova Sous Vide cooker looks a little pricey. I am using two 15$ crockpots as the heat and humidity now. So far they are keeping it steadily between 125 and 135F and 75-79% humidity, which is within specs. I have the remote weather sensor, which just keeps me informed that all is staying steady. I just have to add more water every 12 hours. If I didn't have the sensor at this point, I would still be pretty confident that the climate is within specs inside the kiln.
But, I wish I had one of those bluetooth cookers. Looks very cool.
Timt, go to it. But, you will need something a little more controlled than a pole barn, unless you want to grow burleys.

 

[timt]

Yeah, I'm thinking a little corner of it for a kiln - at least until it takes off into a full blown obsession, followed by tremendous success and orders to fill... shit, I better get out there. ::

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Mmmmm, well, you aren't allowed to sell it. You can only grow it for personal use. So, that might affect how you feel about growing it. But, I enjoy just knowing that I did something myself from scratch.

 

[timt]

Mmmmm, well, you aren't allowed to sell it.

Yeah well, that may be the case now but when all the tobacco laws relax here soon, that won't be a problem. :puffpipe:
Seriously though, what you're doing would require me getting off my ass. I don't even want to jump on the riding mower anymore.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I need to make a trip to Birmingham again soon. Hope you're putting together a batch for me. :D

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Of course, Hoosier. This will be ready in a year or two, but past year’s should be about ready to shred soon.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Who knows, I might have a nice Cuban cigar or two as trade bait.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

That sounds great!!

 

[chilllucky]

That flue curing barn makes me very happy.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Thanks, Chilllucky,

When you get ready to build one, just let me know if you need help. I didn't invent anything when making this. I just followed some guidelines from others that had posted on youtube and some homegrowers forums. The main thing is temperature and humidity, and crock pots seem to work best for both. The variables seem to be the length of time you leave it in the kiln and you can crank the temperature, as you can go up higher in your temperature and length to get a redder cure.

 

[briarbuck]

Very cool sir, well done.

 

[jamban]

;{D

 

[chilllucky]

Cosmic: Thanks! I certainly will ask you about what you do and don't like about that 'barn' when it's my turn to build one.
Do you have any plans to do fire curing? Dark burleys or latakia-izing any orientals?
We're talking about a stacked-rack smoker on our land. Dehydrate and smoke-cure stuff. I see no reason not to try to smoke some tobacco leaves. I mean, that old apple tree has to come down anyway, why not put the dried fruitwoods to good use?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I have a smoke box that I will attach to this kiln, so that I can use it as a smokehouse or for fire curing. I don't have any burleys that I want to do this with, this year. I have fire cured Virginias in the past, using barrels. But, I don't intend to try to make a latakia. I am not the biggest latakia fan, so...

 

[ericthered]

Thanks for this grow log, Cosmic! I have recently spent many hours reading up at the growers forum, so it's neat seeing the topic cross-over a bit over here. I recently built a house on 10 acres in Southeast VA so I am hoping to grow a few plants next year and see what happens. The hornworms ravaged the tomatoes that we were able to plant this year, so I'm going to have to be extra vigilant about those! I'll have to revisit this thread from a different computer this evening; the firewall I'm behind is preventing me from seeing any of your pics.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Four pounds of the first flue cured batch, all golden yellow. The picture doesn't do it justice. But, here I am sorting them after steaming them, getting them ready to ferment. I estimate that there is four pounds still in the kiln, and maybe four more pounds still growing.

I will most likely lose some in fermenting, as it is ideal conditions for molding, and I just gave up on using mold inhibitors, keeping it all organic instead. But, fermenting, socializing, it goes by different trade names, but essentially it is the same process to make cigar leaf as it is to make Virginias into reds.
Now,I just wait. Once the next two loads are finished in the kiln with their flue curing, I will start fermenting them in the same kiln. I just have to wash out the flue curing kiln, and put a few racks in there to hold the leaf in piles. They will run at a higher temperature but the same humidity for about six weeks. So, I should have all of the reds finished by the end of December. Of course I will set out some of the most lemony golden leaves to use separately.
I will post pictures of the kiln set up for fermenting when the times comes.

 

[jamban]

All the best with fermentation!
I know this will sound strange, but we discovered this by accident...
When making a new batch of sauerkraut 2-3 years ago, we needed a weight. We had recently gone around the hills collecting some quartz crystals and there was a cluster that looked like it might just be the right fit. We used this and we didn't have any mold to scoop out and it fermented very well. Since then, every other batch was made using this quartz crystal cluster and we never had any mold grow on the surface of the sauerkraut again.
We gave my father a much smaller cluster, which he then used to experiment with his tea brewing. Once, he left the quartz in his tea pot with spent leaves. It went for 2 whole weeks without molding! And this in a humid tropical country, where the spent leaves grow mold within 3-5 days. This experiment was unfortunately cut short when his wife threw out the tea leaves along with the quartz.
We have been using the quartz we collected for a variety of things to keep them from molding, and so far it has a 100% success rate.
If you have access to some crystals (the ones we used were raw from the land, not super shiny), you could experiment and see if you also have positive results.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ohhh yeh, I'll load the kiln up with quartz and give it a try. Maybe it is a chakra thing. ::

 

[crashthegrey]

As I mentioned elsewhere, I finally have seeds and some starter plants which are unlikely to survive until planting time next year, but I am having fun dreaming about the possibilities and all of your work seems so much more relevant now.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The seeds will still be good by this February. The starter plants, not so much.

I hope to see more people growing their own soon. If for no other reason but the feeling being able to enjoy something you made yourself. Plus, it does teach you so much more about this simple leaf that we all enjoy oh so very much.