I like how easy it is to fold and stuff flake, and how the draw is good, and it burns nice and easy.
Is it possible to make flakes out of regular ribbon cut at home?
Is it possible to make flakes out of regular ribbon cut at home?
Is It Possible To Make Flake At Home
- Thread starter ziv
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Yes, but a pressed ribbon will not make a flake, it will make a crumble cake. To make flakes, you need to start with whole leaf. I think threshed leaf will work, too if the pieces aren't too small. Somewhere in the vicinity of 300 PSI is required, well within the capabilities of even a small shop press.
I keep saying that I'm going to give it a try, but never find the time....
I keep saying that I'm going to give it a try, but never find the time....
Okay, I don't think I'm ready to mess with whole leaf yet.
Is there a tutorial on how to make a crumble cake?
There's a forum member who had good luck pressing blends with a pasta press. If you put that into a search engine I'm sure you can read a lot about it.
Not a real plug, like woodsroad says. Those pucks he made with Picayune sure looked tasty, though.
Not a real plug, like woodsroad says. Those pucks he made with Picayune sure looked tasty, though.
Crumble cake, is just pressing ribbon into a shape. Lots of methods work, pvc pipe and a c clamp, even ziplock and chuck it in the vice will 'squash' it together, but if you want to compress it enough to cut flakes you might need more pressure.
I built a simple plug maker using a veneer clamp like this:
And I make small plugs, I get enough pressure to cut a nice flake. And yes, I use whole leaf for that.
I built a simple plug maker using a veneer clamp like this:
And I make small plugs, I get enough pressure to cut a nice flake. And yes, I use whole leaf for that.
Here, I'll give you a tutorial right now:
Take your tobacco.
Squish it.
That's pretty much it.
If you read my old post on packing tobacco into jars, that's one way. People also use PVC pipe as a mold and pipe clamps or big C-Clamps to squish it. If you really want the plug to hold together well, you can add some Gum Arabic dissolved in water to the mix.
Take your tobacco.
Squish it.
That's pretty much it.
If you read my old post on packing tobacco into jars, that's one way. People also use PVC pipe as a mold and pipe clamps or big C-Clamps to squish it. If you really want the plug to hold together well, you can add some Gum Arabic dissolved in water to the mix.
Any of those options work. And grow your own!!!!!
I’ve used the Amazon Chinese noodle press (link below) to make crumble cakes.
It’s pretty easy. Just cut two pieces of parchment paper or foil to size to put over the die end (obviously, use the one with smallest holes) to cover the holes, and also on the press end (the latter is probably not even necessary). Use 2-4 ounces of ribbon, and crank it down as tight as you can. Let it sit several days to a few weeks, cranking it down if possible every couple of days. My experience has been that, after the initial pressing, I’ve been able to crank it down incrementally 2 or 3 more times, but not more than that. If your ambient humidity is low, maybe put the whole press in a large ziplock. When you want to take out the cake (which should be quite firm), just unscrew the die end and crank the cake out the now open end with the press screw. A 2-4 oz cake sits perfectly inside a 4oz mason jar.
Noodle press
Are you the guy making all the TikToks of a press crushing various things? If so, well done. HypnoticOnly $15,000. I have one, and it goes up to 55 tons. It'll turn your ribbon into a nice hockey puck.
Pro-tip from an amateur: microwave your ribbon tobacco for 10-15-20 seconds before loading in to the noodle press. It helps prime the moisture in the leaf and will lead to a tighter, more dense puck in the end. You will need a sharp knife or maybe even a plug cutter to cut your smoking flakes off of the puck due to how well heating it before pressing works.
I sous-vidé in a food saver bag at just shy of a boil for about an hour.
@ziv:
My noodle press w/pics
@ziv
Looks like my link didn’t work, try this (about mid-page):
Looks like my link didn’t work, try this (about mid-page):
Irish Flake Match from Bulks! :: Home Blending
Irish flake would be a great blend to “match” with whole leaf.
pipesmagazine.com
I’ve pressed whole leaf in a noodle press. I also heated it in the microwave before putting it in the press. I made two ounce pucks. I pressed them for a week, tightening the press every day. I sliced the flakes as soon as I got them out of the press as they were a little softer then. I also put a plastic circle and a circle of parchment paper at each end of the press to reduce leaking and make removal easier. I’ve made some nice flakes.