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trouttimes

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
6,130
24,836
Lake Martin, AL
I have several blends I mix from components I get either online or at my local shop. I have worked on these blends for years to get them to just where I want them and l like them. Some are pressed and heated, some are not but they are mine. Smoke what you like.
 

Tommy Boy

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 28, 2020
810
1,236
Michigan
I would definitely be intrested in more suff on growing, processing, casings and mixing tobaccos. I got some seeds from a fellow member this year and the plants are making progress. I think it was to late by the time i got them started but peaked my interest in the subject for sure. I would like to try it again next year and feel a bit more prepared and have some more basic knowledge.
 
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jomil

Lurker
Aug 9, 2020
14
200
I would definitely be intrested in more suff on growing, processing, casings and mixing tobaccos. I got some seeds from a fellow member this year and the plants are making progress. I think it was to late by the time i got them started but peaked my interest in the subject for sure. I would like to try it again next year and feel a bit more prepared and have some more basic knowledge.
First year for me I have 25 plants of various varieties and they are doing fantastic. Now I'm just dealing with the air drying which hazards.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,211
60,635
What I do is more mixing than blending -- no oven, no press, no aging. It's fun and often rewarding to create something you can't buy. So much is in proportion. So many blends have Latakia and Perique, I usually don't add those. I think cigar leaf, unflavored black Cavendish, a single leaf sturdy burley, Turkish, and single leaf Virginia give interesting accents in a mix. Probably there are other good ones. Certainly the Semois burley variant, if you like it. Often I'll get more with a pinch of this and that rather than doing equal parts. It's surprising how different a pinch of a condiment can make a mix.
 

jomil

Lurker
Aug 9, 2020
14
200
What I do is more mixing than blending -- no oven, no press, no aging. It's fun and often rewarding to create something you can't buy. So much is in proportion. So many blends have Latakia and Perique, I usually don't add those. I think cigar leaf, unflavored black Cavendish, a single leaf sturdy burley, Turkish, and single leaf Virginia give interesting accents in a mix. Probably there are other good ones. Certainly the Semois burley variant, if you like it. Often I'll get more with a pinch of this and that rather than doing equal parts. It's surprising how different a pinch of a condiment can make a mix.
Yes .. especially if the base tobacco(s) is already a favorite. I blend quite often using the aroma of the new mixture as an initial guide to the direction I want to go ... adding small amounts smelling the aroma adjustment compared to the original. Then maybe one more tobacco if something else seems to be needed. I will then jar it to let it all merge a couple days and check for appealing aroma .. Then another sniff test following drying however long it takes to about 12% moisture. Then a test pipe full. Some failures and some successes. Some guys in the club prefer my failures.. Go figure??
 

jomil

Lurker
Aug 9, 2020
14
200
I’m thinking about getting a noodle press and creating my own “pucks.” For those of you that have them, how many ounces do you put in it at a time? Also, how long do you press it for? Thanks!
1.6 ounces pressed for 1 week. I keep it at 120 deg F the entire week in an old small dorm fridge with a small light bulb in a glass dish. Increase pressure a twist or two during the week for tighter pick. This is worth the trouble. Good luck
 
Jul 26, 2021
2,416
9,807
Metro-Detroit
1.6 ounces pressed for 1 week. I keep it at 120 deg F the entire week in an old small dorm fridge with a small light bulb in a glass dish. Increase pressure a twist or two during the week for tighter pick. This is worth the trouble. Good luck
What is the higher than room temperature for?

I'm going to try my luck at making cakes and "plugs" with a noodle press (once I get the time). For the initial heat and steam, I intended to microwave the tobacco for about 20 seconds.

The constant, higher temperature seems like it would add to the "marrying" process. Unfortunately, I'm no longer near the university (where dorm fridges and microwaves are rampant at semesters end).
 

Scottmi

Lifer
Oct 15, 2022
3,955
57,844
Orcas, WA
1.6 ounces pressed for 1 week. I keep it at 120 deg F the entire week in an old small dorm fridge with a small light bulb in a glass dish. Increase pressure a twist or two during the week for tighter pick. This is worth the trouble. Good luck
Would love to see some photos of your setup and press. also, how much is the volume reduced? before and after pics of your puck? (or twist?). :)
 
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