First Attempt at Growing and Processing

[jitterbugdude]

Jitterbug opined:
"If the Virginias were kilned instead of flue cured you lost all the naturals sugars."
I'm assuming this has to do with the treatment temperature. Could you elaborate?

Virginias have a lot of natural sugars in them. If you let them cure naturally like Burley, the enzymes/microbes will digest the sugars. You will end up with a bland tasting leaf. If you take Virginia leaf (as it goes from green to yellow) and heat it to above 135F degrees the enzymes/microbes will be destroyed thus preserving the sugar in the leaf.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Now I'm starting to realise to have a good enjoyable strong and smooth tobacco,there is plenty of meticulous work,one wrong move committed in either processing or curing can result the whole harvest' went down the drain.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

one wrong move committed in either processing or curing can result the whole harvest' went down the drain.

That's not exactly true. My first harvest left a lot to be desired by itself, but I mixed it with some other stuff to make it more palatable. The next year I got a little closer, and on the third year I was getting some very interesting Virginia Twists. Now, I have a pretty good grasp on what I am doing, making expectations and preparations start meeting in the middle.