I Guess it's My Turn for a Grow Thread

[pantsBoots]

My first few years after discovering the FTT forum, I went all in. I had built two curing rooms at two different residences. The second was 4'x7'x8' on the inside, with 7.5" thk insulation, temperature and humidity controlled, vented, etc. I could heat it up to 170°F easily with 900W of lightbulb heat, so it was an efficient flue curing chamber. The ceiling joists were designed to hold a quartered moose, and I could dry age meat at proper temperature and humidity as well.

But then I moved to a condo for a year. I picked leaves at a friend's and successfully cured them on my balcony in the sun. I moved again, (to a house) and don't have the money to really do anything special, and have since learned a couple things:

1. I like sun cured VA more than flue cured. Sun curing is infinitely cheaper, less technical, and way more zen.

2. Avoiding green air cured leaf is as simple as not picking too early, and piling it in a box until it turns yellow, then hanging out up wherever. No need for a humidity controlled room.

In summary, air curing: pick late, wait for yellowing, hang in shade.
Sun curing: pick late, wait for yellowing, hang in sun.

Thank you for sharing this. I need to eventually make my way over to the FTT forum. Seems a good resource.

Curing is my next hurdle. I chose a dark air-cured for this year, but will be exploring building a small a flue-curing chamber for next year, and possibly a small dark-firing structure if I can get some barn wood on the cheaps.

This year, I'm going to air cure in a few locations around my house to see which does the best. Then, barring a small experiment in casing and pressing for pipe use, and a little shredding for the wife's cigarettes, most of the leaf is going to snuff.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Thank you for sharing this. I need to eventually make my way over to the FTT forum. Seems a good resource.

Curing is my next hurdle. I chose a dark air-cured for this year, but will be exploring building a small a flue-curing chamber for next year, and possibly a small dark-firing structure if I can get some barn wood on the cheaps.

This year, I'm going to air cure in a few locations around my house to see which does the best. Then, barring a small experiment in casing and pressing for pipe use, and a little shredding for the wife's cigarettes, most of the leaf is going to snuff.

I wonder how much firewood it takes to get a good smoky cure on some DFK.

 

[rajangan]

I wonder how much firewood it takes to get a good smoky cure on some DFK.

I fire cured for the first time last year. What I did was certainly not the right way to do it, but it worked out well. I built a box about 2'x2'x4' with a wood frame and cement board walls. I had a fan on a temperature controller. I tried a few settings with different batches. For my bright variety I went 135°F, and for an unknown variety I went 110°. Beside the box I built a brick fire box with a steel lid. The fan pulled air from the fire into the box through a dirt tunnel underneath and shut off when reaching the desired temperature. It kept the fire going and the temperature up. I also put an aluminum roaster pan of water in the bottom.

This year I'll be doing it with an actual fire cured strain, Greenwood.

I used a small pile of white cedar prunings to start the fire and went through 3/4 of a bag of compressed pine for about 2lbs of cured tobacco which took 4 batches. It really didn't take much.

 

[rajangan]

Here are some photos of different methods I've used over the years that all worked out.

On the first page of this thread I posted photos of condominium balcony sun curing.

Here's a photo of pergola sun curing.


Here's a photo of late fall sun curing. It actually worked out really well. After it got too cold, I brought them inside where it was warmer.


Here's a photo of a mini greenhouse sun cure before I wrapped it in plastic.


Here's a couple photos of rajangan curing.

 

[pantsBoots]

I wonder how much firewood it takes to get a good smoky cure on some DFK.

I believe it is a frequent dump n spread of sawdust and small chips. I need to ask a few questions next time I'm in Robertson County, TN, but I'm going to experiment next year. I have questions about which species are used.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I believe it is a frequent dump n spread of sawdust and small chips. I need to ask a few questions next time I'm in Robertson County, TN, but I'm going to experiment next year. I have questions about which species are used.

I found this, with good info on curing beginning on page 54. I’ve always heard hickory and/or oak for the wood.

 

[pantsBoots]

I found this, with good info on curing beginning on page 54. I’ve always heard hickory and/or oak for the wood.

Wish I could get some mastic tree limbs.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Wish I could get some mastic tree limbs.

Yeah, some homemade Latakia would be awesome. I’ve wondered if a combination of cedar, rosemary, and oak would produce something decent.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Yeah, some homemade Latakia would be awesome. I’ve wondered if a combination of cedar, rosemary, and oak would produce something decent.

The forum member docpierce did this a year or two back.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

The forum member docpierce did this a year or two back.

Really? Did he say if it was anything remotely close to the real deal?

 

[Ahi Ka]

Really? Did he say if it was anything remotely close to the real deal?

I think it was a real success actually. He made some cakes. The thread should still be on the forum, or over at FTT somewhere. I know he has been growing and toasting semois in a traditional method this last season. In terms of the Latakia, it would have been a labour of love no doubt keeping those fires going for 6 weeks

 

[rajangan]

It sounds to me like the rosemary would be the key. Oak would make bbq sauce flavored, and my cedar/pine is closer to Lapsang souchong.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

It sounds to me like the rosemary would be the key. Oak would make bbq sauce flavored, and my cedar/pine is closer to Lapsang souchong.

Yeah, I think oak was used in the old Syrian version, which is why I mentioned it. I’ve never tasted the Syrian version though, so I could be way off. I don’t really taste oak smoke in the Cypriot variety if it’s there.

 

[pantsBoots]

Had 11 that appeared to be ready for harvest, so cut them, wilted them in the sun, and hung them up to air cure. There are 4 more pushing seed for next year, and 5 more that I'm letting go. I might let one or two freeze to make a traditional German snuff.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

Picked today


burley


Bright VA


Smyrna

 

[chopper]

View attachment 72384
Thought it was burley but smells like Virginia. Grew it for interests sake but I’m not really a gardener. Will be sending the dried leaf back to the guy that sent me the seed. I’m in love with the tinned stuff.

Apologies if it's already been asked; did you age the leaf for one year before smoking?

I'm a novice grower and have around 4-5lbs of Burley from two seasons.
Fresh leaf is as rough as guts.
The difference a year makes is huge. Much smoother and better flavour.
Also, I'd expect that many, if not most Burley leaf, would taste way better with a little Virginia mixed in.

Many of the experienced guys at the FairTrade growers forum say how they much prefer their homegrown blends than commercial.

There's a lot to learn. Growing is the easy part.
There's the drying, curing, casings of course but I suspect that the real art is in the blending.
The more varieties from which to choose the better.

The really experienced growers not only have several leaf types to experiment with but they also make their own Perique, Cavendish and Black Cavendish.

 

[chopper]

My first few years after discovering the FTT forum, I went all in. I had built two curing rooms at two different residences. The second was 4'x7'x8' on the inside, with 7.5" thk insulation, temperature and humidity controlled, vented, etc. I could heat it up to 170°F easily with 900W of lightbulb heat, so it was an efficient flue curing chamber. The ceiling joists were designed to hold a quartered moose, and I could dry age meat at proper temperature and humidity as well.

But then I moved to a condo for a year. I picked leaves at a friend's and successfully cured them on my balcony in the sun. I moved again, (to a house) and don't have the money to really do anything special, and have since learned a couple things:

1. I like sun cured VA more than flue cured. Sun curing is infinitely cheaper, less technical, and way more zen.

2. Avoiding green air cured leaf is as simple as not picking too early, and piling it in a box until it turns yellow, then hanging out up wherever. No need for a humidity controlled room.

In summary, air curing: pick late, wait for yellowing, hang in shade.
Sun curing: pick late, wait for yellowing, hang in sun.

Ah, is that the trick? Thank you.
Last year over 1/4 of my crop dried green. [Yep, my fault]

Would not have thought of putting the leaf in a box [to fully ripen] due to an unnecessary fear of mould. [Since the leaves are hung and dried bound together, that in itself should have alleviated that concern]

 

[rajangan]

Ah, is that the trick? Thank you.
Last year over 1/4 of my crop dried green. [Yep, my fault]

Would not have thought of putting the leaf in a box [to fully ripen] due to an unnecessary fear of mould. [Since the leaves are hung and dried bound together, that in itself should have alleviated that concern]

Leaf which is still alive will not mold. You're only keeping it in the box for yellowing, not drying. One thing to watch for is rot caused by damaged parts of leaf. Just go through the pile every other day, rotate, and hang up the ones that are yellowing real good.

 

[smallwanderings]

Some Canik which I've grown in a small community garden plot this year. These photos are the fourth batch of leaves I've primed. I am air curing them in my bedroom - not ideal, but my only option this time around. This is my first time growing tobacco.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

First of the air cured burley. Imma do some mild fermentation in boxes