Does anyone have any info on the "Wellman's Process" from Granger?

[melvinsunsmokedcastello]

I was just responding in another thread about codger burleys and how Granger was my second favorite. This reminded me that I've never been able to find out any history of what this process is? I'm growing tobacco this year and the old time curing methods interest me.
Anybody have any info?

 

[jitterbugdude]

Where are you growing? If you are in the Northern Hemisphere you should probably be done growing, done curing and now smoking. I have not heard of the Wellman Process. Something else for me to look up now. I suspect though that it is probably nothing really at all. A lot of tobacco companies invent phrases or names to make their tobacco seem special. Lucky Strike in particular comes to mind. One of their slogan's was "It's toasted". What they failed to tell the consumer was that all cigarette tobacco was toasted, not just theirs

 

[huntertrw]

melvinsunsmokedcastello:
Actually it is "Wellman's Method" according to the verbiage on an antique Granger can in my collection. As I understand it referred to a means of controlled fermentation.

 

[huntertrw]

melvinsunsmokedcastello:
Here is some additional information:
Of fermentation the "Tobacco Dictionary" states, "All tobacco must be fermented or the taste is bitter and unpalatable and the aroma biting and pungent. The process removes the chemical constituents that produce these bad effects and permits the development of compounds producing a desirable taste and aroma."
The "Wellman" of Wellman's Method may refer to Mr. J.N. Wellman who was an officer in the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, the manufacturer of Granger, and who may have originally hailed from Missouri.

 

[huntertrw]

melvinsunsmokedcastello:
Here's one final bit of information:
J.N. Wellman appears to have been a principal of the Wellman-Dwirf Tobacco Company (possibly of St. Louis, Missouri) which was subsequently acquired by Liggett & Meyers Tobacco Company.

 

[jitterbugdude]

huntertrw, How did you draw the conclusion that the Wellman Process referred to fermentation? Curious to know!

Since Granger says it (their process) produces a slow burning smoke I would suspect that it is more of a chemical additive process. There is the slim possibility too that the process might actually involve fertilization back at the farm. Adding extra chloride to the soil (as in Potassium chloride) will make the leaf burn so slow that it will not stay lit. Maybe they figured out the optimal amount to add to slow down the burn but not enough for it to go out.
BTW there is do difference in the burn rate of a fermented leaf as compared to a non fermented leaf.

 

[huntertrw]

jitterbugdude:
I recall reading a few years ago a post by someone (possibly pipestud?) on another forum postulating that this was their guess as to the definition of Wellman's Method. It made sense to me, for as I understand it all tobacco is fermented or "sweated" as a means of curing.
The aforementioned "Tobacco Dictionary" defines "sweating" as, "The process of fermenting tobacco. This may be done by natural means; i.e., by allowing packed tobacco to ferment under controlled conditions. It may also be done by artificial means; i.e., increasing the temperature and humidity in the storage rooms in order to shorten the length of time required to ferment the tobacco."
If J.N. Wellman is, indeed, the Wellman of "Wellman's Method," then given the time when he was involved (as I understand it the Wellman-Dwirf Tobacco Company dated to the 1920s, and he was an officer at Liggett & Meyers in the 1950s) in the industry it most probably originally included only fertilization. Today, however, my guess would be that it may also include the use of other chemical additives.

 

[jitterbugdude]

Hey huntertrw, Just to clear a few things up
Sweating is the process of keeping baled tobacco in barns and letting the slightly elevated ambient temps age the tobacco. This is typically done in the spring and is often known as the May sweats or June sweats. The temps never get much more than than in to the '90's. Sweating is a mild form of fermentation.
Fermentation is the process of subjecting tobacco to higher than ambient conditions as well as a particular humidity level. It is sometimes referred to as a "forced sweat or forced fementaion" The temps are usually in the neighborhood of 120f although each proccesor has his own "secret" temp and timeframe. The fermentation usually lasts about 3 weeks or so.
Burley is sweated

Virginia is flue cured (does not go through a sweat or fermentation)

Cigar leaf is fermented.

 

[huntertrw]

jitterbugdude:
Thank-you for the clarification.

 

[beefeater33]

I'm growing tobacco this year and the old time curing methods interest me

About 30 years ago I worked with an old guy, he was about 65 years old, I was in my early 20's. I chewed tobacco back then, and he told me about how his grandad cured tobacco. He claimed that his grandad would bore holes in sugar maple trees on their farm and pack the tobacco in them. Then he would drive a wooden plug into the hole, packing the tobacco very tight. He said he would leave the plugs in the trees for a year. The maple sap would slowly transform the tobacco into some "good stuff". I don't recall what time of year he did this, and I believe he chewed the tobacco, but I know back then, they chewed and smoked the same plugs. I do recall him saying that he would accompany his gramp out in the woods as a young boy, and his grampa would walk up to a tree, pull the wood plug out and dig the plug out with his pocketknife. He said when he was young he thought that was one of the coolest things. I wish I had asked him more details back then. His farm was in central Ohio.
Sorry, this has nothing to do with the Wellman's process, but the OP just jogged my memory of this.

 

[misterlowercase]

He claimed that his grandad would bore holes in sugar maple trees on their farm and pack the tobacco in them. Then he would drive a wooden plug into the hole, packing the tobacco very tight. He said he would leave the plugs in the trees for a year. The maple sap would slowly transform the tobacco into some "good stuff". I don't recall what time of year he did this, and I believe he chewed the tobacco, but I know back then, they chewed and smoked the same plugs.

Beefeater, thanks for sharing that, it's intensely interesting and I bet the baccy did come out good! It speaks volumes about how normal people can figure stuff out for themselves, like how the indians invented the process for perique --- sometimes the good 'ol down home way of doing things is much better than the industrialized large scale processing methods.
As for Wellman, and his process,

I would tend to agree with Jitterbugdude,

" I suspect though that it is probably nothing really at all. A lot of tobacco companies invent phrases or names to make their tobacco seem special. Lucky Strike in particular comes to mind. One of their slogan's was "It's toasted". What they failed to tell the consumer was that all cigarette tobacco was toasted, not just theirs..."

Advertising of that era is notorious for making unsubstantiated claims.
Old ad copy for Granger says "Wellman's old secret" was discovered in 1870, and that it had been revived for Granger in 1921.
I could find no patents for any special process by Liggett & Myers, but I didn't exactly go in depth, you may just find the secret by intense searching, but it'd take time and a dedicated effort.
One theory I found was this, which is possible, and similar to the perique process, but it'd be very time consuming and labor intensive, and I doubt a large manufacturer would want to spend all the extra time doing it...

"...takes the curing burley tobacco and squeezes it in a press to extract any liquid. The liquid is then reapplied to the tobacco."

Here's a good gallery of the old L&M factory,

http://durhamcountylibrary.org/exhibits/tobacco/preptob.html

...not really many solid clues, but cool to see.
::

 

[mso489]

A really interesting thread to me since my dad smoked Granger from teenage to age 65. I grew up smelling it,

and I still like a bowl myself and maintain a can of it. I have no information on Wellman's Process. If it relates

to the fertilization of the tobacco plants, I find the diction/vocabulary strange. I think of processing tobacco as

happening after the leaf is harvested, but language is often stretched to a purpose. I think the benefit of printing

it on the packaging for about ninety years now is totally dependent on it being secret. I doubt, whatever Wellman's

Process is, it is all that unique or unusual by now, with all of the blending techniques and processes in use.

The can says: "Granger pipe tobacco owes its extra fragrance and mildness to good old burley tobacco and

"Wellman's Process" -- an old time tobacco secret. The rough cut burns more slowly and completely so you

can get what every pipe smoker wants -- a cooler smoke in a drier pipe." These days, of course, Granger is

manufactured by Pinkerton Tobacco Company of Owensboro, Kentucky. I think if the process were revealed,

we might all just shrug, but as long as it is a secret, it holds a certain magic, like many secrets.

 

[melvinsunsmokedcastello]

USDA Zone 10a. If we don't get a frost I shall get a crop! I'm only putting about 10 plants in. 6 VA 4 Burley. If I lose 'em I do...I'll be putting in probably 40 plants in March..that will be the main crop. I have grown in the past with good results.
As for Wellman method thanks for the good leads..marketing hype or actual process I would love to get to the bottom of it. The sugar maple idea was a good one and I'm sure that produced a good smoke. Wonder how much he lost to mold..
My tobacco will be air cured as I'm in no hurry and don't feel like building a kiln to rush it. Nor is it possible for me to fire cure. My garage will keep it in perfect case and I shouldn't have any issues with mold. My last grow was hung on my lanai and it cured up perfectly with no green spots or mold..
Feel free to add any other old time curing/processing info or links to the thread and if I can reasonably duplicate them I will. I'll spread some samples around when it's ready --- This will be at least a year unless you wish to brave the young smoke...

 

[melvinsunsmokedcastello]

I think if the process were revealed,

we might all just shrug, but as long as it is a secret, it holds a certain magic, like many secrets.

Indeed we might mso. Wellman may just have left his shed door open an extra week during curing or picked his plants a day early..

 

[huntertrw]

"...unless you wish to brave the young smoke."
My guess is that if you "brave the young smoke," then you will experience Sickman's Process. Further, the tobacco won't be the only thing which is green!

 

[melvinsunsmokedcastello]

...takes the curing burley tobacco and squeezes it in a press to extract any liquid. The liquid is then reapplied to the tobacco.--------
I'd be willing to try this. I was planning on making some kind of press to make cakes anyway...

 

[melvinsunsmokedcastello]

""brave the young smoke," then you will experience Sickman's Process."
Also known as the HotBiteyAcridmen's process