Btw i subbed you on youtube, Reply Don't pick the whole plant at once, since they will become ready over a period of weeks. This would be those with the traditional mason jar design. An air-conditioned home would probably be too dry for air-curing tobacco. I have been using this for flavouring, this is a half strength as found the full strength to strong. Yes I agree that there was too much moisture. Anyway that is soo cool. Ive a venture that I am just now running on, and Ive been on the look out for such information. Reply Now, any ideas on how I could take this to the next level & make it into clove cigarettes? remember you are not growing veges, yellow leaves make a more mellow product. Question: Can you soak tobacco in rum and wine? Be sure the leaves are protected from direct sunlight, which may burn them. Would also be interested to read the article you mentioned on distilling but can't find it? Stand the container in a dish so that you can water it without soaking the carpet. For tips on how to separate the tobacco from the stem when the leaves are dry, read on! For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Taking the focus away from tobacco congratulations once more! The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on July 17, 2018: Try misting the dried leaves with a mixture of oil of cloves (from the chemist) and water. Curing cannabis buds Once buds are dry, it's time to cure them. There is great potential for a wonderfully cured crop at the end of the growing season, however this hobby shouldn't be taken as a way to save on your tobacco spending money as there is a lot of time and labor invested with a lot of potential for crop failure due many factors: both while growing then the potential of mold during the curing process! Im growing in mini greenhouses in a south facing window. Let . when curing don't burp the jars that will stop the curing process, you will add new oxygen and revert the anaerobic bacteria that was curing to aerobic and thats starts to feed on chlorophyl . The seedlings are 2.5 inches tall now. , i bought 1 kg virginia tobacco leaves, its sun cured, but its really smells bad !! If youve moistened brittle leaves for storage, be sure to pat them down with a paper towel so there arent any water droplets on them. When the plant is mature, harvest the leaves as normal and check google on making cigars, - I haven't made them but I know that there are some good sites with common sense instructions around. Question: Once the tobacco is cured and cut, how do you store so it doesnt dry out like tobacco you buy? Pick whichever leaves are ready, and cut a slit near the stem end of the centre rib of each leaf. Answer: You can surely use a humidifier and see how it goes. When the plants reach maturity, they'll set flower heads at the top. I would like to make a kiln, and Im thinking about rigging it up with 12v solar so I can justify leaving it on, but in the meantime I wonder whether leaving the jars there as opposed to somewhere else for a year would make a significant difference. In the next batch I think I will see if placing the leaves in a large plastic bag will work better. You could also try spraying with a mister (one of those cheap mist sprayers that you can get from garden supply shops) Just remember that you want the leaves to dry, not go mouldy. I still have the 1 oz of Light Fire Cure in the press. To smoke it! Great sense of humor, and great information - good tips! One dampens and presses the leaves for a few days (in a shallow tray with a board and a weight on top) then rolls up the leaves like a newspaper roll, and slices thin rings off it which are then cut cross-ways for cigarette tobacco. This instructable picks up after you have air cured your green leafy bounty and is one possible way to simulate the needed conditions for fermentation at home. ** This project was created last year (2008 harvest) to provide address a common question in the tobacco growing hobby, discussing the critical points of curing tobacco. Question: I was wondering if I can take some larger leaves from my plants before they turn a paler green as I have planted my plants to close together. Go figure. The results were unbelievable, menthol is one the hardest flavours to crack, no more menthol crysrals and chemistry sets, the e-juice is mostly vegetable glycerine, with no nicotine, and can be added to suit the strength desirable, you can add it to your own liking, strong, medium, weak, doing it this way means the menthol strength hasn't already been decided for you and you don't have to hunt around for a commercial brand to suit your particular tastes. Anyway, just wanted to say your article has been very helpful not to mention giving me a great laugh here and there. Question: Can I make alcohol from tobacco leaves? He can smoke to his lung's are content. If you do have problems, see your local nurseryman or talk to a friend who gardens. Just let the plants grow as shown in my hub, don't fuss over them as they're hardy, just make sure that they have at least a 2 ft spacing from each other or other plants, they'll transplant OK at this size if you have to, but better if you don't as it checks their growth, not a great worry. Thank you for any other informative site. I have been advised that I must ferment to improve the flavour, but more importantly to remove the ammonia which is pretty bad for you. they were small, but still over 6' high. I'm not a smoker any more since the heart problems but i do love the feeling of putting one over the Gvt. I'd suggest that you leave them for the time being but monitor them and if the spots increase noticeably remove the offenders. Also slugs & snails, etc take their share. As they dry they will yellow. There are all sorts of bells and whistles you can add to enhance the end result, but YOU DON'T HAVE TO! It was a good shot at it though! I did see a fermenter made of ply-wood, and i can tell ya, that one would most definitely off gas formaldehyde and other such chemicals found in the adhesives.Q: So you haven't noticed any sort of ammonia smell coming from the tobacco?A: I really haven't! the temp is 60-65oF humidity 60-65% for the cure i wouldn't go down passed 50oF or above 75 the high temp will evaporate trichomes and low temps will make the heads brittle and fall off easily. For some, growing tobacco is an absolute obsessionand its easy to see why! Question: Thank you for the article. Gently shake the sieve. I turned out a first-class flake tobacco from some leaf that I'd left in a box in a corner of my garage for a year and forgotten about. an accidental discovery in my kitchen when a friend came around for a cupper with his new e-ciggy has lead to a major discovery for my tobacco processing methods when i added a few drops of his vape juice to my tobacco. Sit back, drink your moonshine (I'm writing an article on distilling), and watch them grow. Your stuff sounds pretty swish, have fun smoking it. To counteract this situation, I have replace the bulb with a lower wattage, 32 watt and put the light on a timer, set to go on for 30 mins then off for 45. So none of the tobacco was touching the water. Tho it is now. Answer: It should be okay in a large bucket. I would think that using a spray bottle or just wiping the leaves with a sponge-full of the mix would also work OK. The best temperatures for growing tobacco is 68 to 86 F (20 to 30 C). Did you dry indoors? on Introduction. What you do with it then is your own damned business. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Anyhow, I ordered from them and began growing. In terms of my fermentation chamber, there is no problems with overheating or meltingyet! Instead of a timer you could also use an eight dollar dimmer cord found at any hardware store, it will adjust the power and heat output of any bulb. Just to clarify Im not trying to cheat my way out of setting up a kiln. You get the picture. Note: I'll continue this in feet and inches only, for the sake of our American cousins. Wow what a hub I started growing this summer only 3 plants thoe they are 6feet I'd say they now have Pritty pink flowers I harvested around 50 or so leaves hung them on nylon 1 month ago they are turning nice and golden I have them in my garage where I go for a quite smoke and stear at them only but wondering what they are going to be like I'm glad I came across this hub it has put my mind at ease a little and also given me some great ideas, Because of the heart problems i'm moving to Central Hawkes Bay to be with family. Or can I plant them right away in areas with a long growing season? Put a fine sieve in the top of a clean, dry bowl, or on a sheet of paper. Then he fed the leaves through a grinder. Very educational. I live in Kansas and they are growing like crazy. Remember that smoking tobacco probably would not have caught on if it weren't for the process of cramming it into barrels and sending it on a sea voyage in sailing ships - which is how the above process was discovered. If you live elsewhere, check your local legislation to ensure that you're operating within the law. Most strains, though, will be good enough to smoke after two-three weeks, but the longer you leave the buds to cure, the better - four to eight weeks may be the optimal time. Been reading your posts looking to find ways to make what i grow less harsh to smoke. So, fermentation, do it if you want to, you may like the flavour better, you may not, I don't think that it matters a damn' for health and safety. A previous blog post by Chuck discussed the effects of aging tobacco, the impact the curing process has on aging blends, and the chemical changes that occur inside a tinned blend. Some of my friends nuke the leaves and seem happy with the results, the only way to find out which best suits you is to try it yourself. This is a cheap and accessible possibility to achieve the conditions required for fermentation. Put jar in kiln. Compared with correctly grown plants. Tobacco is an age old, yet amazing plant, which has become increasingly popular among hobbyist in recent times! Avoid over-watering. For menthol I just added some mint leaves. 11 years ago I want to try it. This is better for cigars and pipe tobacco. If they taste well enough without them fermenting do I still have to ferment them? The same goes with tobacco: To cure it, first you've gotta pick it. Reckon next year I will have to double my crop, I may be a bit shy this year. During two years in Vanuatu where home-grown tobacco is available in the markets (cured and twisted into braids) I discovered I could make a "brew" just as good as my favourite pipe tobacco "Amphora". It's not exactly very warm here. Ricci Feat Waaka from Tauranga, New Zealand on June 07, 2014: Hi can you please give me some advice on how to grow tobacco under lights,such as how many plants to a 1000 watt or 600 grow light in what size room,am really keen to give it a go. If it looks a bit damp or won't light he sticks it in the warming tray of his oven for a while. You'll know they're ready for use when theyve turned dark brown and the edges of each leaf are curled. Question: Im in the Wairarapa and just got some seedlings from the local garden centre. Regarding smoking the tobacco though, cigarette and pipe tobacco available commercially is a bit "moist" and pliable. Then I put the buds into 1 qt mason jars to cure. Air curing works by hanging the leaves in a dark place for a few weeks. dry in shade, this process avoids crumbling product also. I got leaves as big as my face but im sure they could have been better. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters. Answer: I've never struck that problem, and it hasn't been mentioned before, so it's probably not an issue. Spray water, port, rum, honey dissolved in any of the aforementioned, or pretty well any consumable liquid. Plant them in reasonably rich, well-dug soil (with well-composted vegetable matter if you've got it). Hanging Tobacco Leaves for Drying 1 Dry tobacco in the fall for the best results. Mine is 40ltr any old water boiler come tea earn will do. Use peppermint oil mixed with water to mist your leaves as they are hanging. or should i ferment tobacco leaves for good taste?, thanks a lot. Answer: It shouldn't make any difference. Really its just a foam cooler with a $5 light from Home Depot now Oct. 26, 2011 UPDATE: In the final version of this fermenter, a (I simply used a cooler with no air holes, just one hole punched at the top for the light fixture). Thanks in advance. Curing is basically the drying of tobacco in a moderately controlled environment. Also, is it possible for the plants to grow too fast? Hello to all who read this and also to future me who is trying to figure out what I did that one time. Answer: The leaves normally dry from the bottom of the plant up. Allow 2 meters headroom if you keep them inside and remember to pick out the sideshoots growing in the leaf joins (just like tomatoes do) they can be planted too for a later crop. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Harvesting: Fully grown leaves (and no, It's not me!). You need to leave some free space for airflow, so err on the side of under versus over-filling the jars. 7 years ago Start by putting your dried buds in your chosen curing jars. Set up a dehumidifier if you don't have a dry spot to store the leaves in so they dry faster and don't develop mold. Question: Is a tobacco crop ok around frost? Don't humidify kiln to prevent rusty lids. Here are a couple things to be on the lookout for as your tobacco is curing: The trick for curing is time. The product was a gentler and more aromatic smoke when it landed in Europe than when it left the "New World". As you know i don't smoke anymore, but gotta thank John Keye for the taxes, and the opportunity for extra income ( wink wink ), just follow the advice given here Jen, you cant go wrong, I gathered some seeds from a garden not knowing it was tobacco.They have grown amazingly.Thanks to your practical info I'm setting about drying the leaves .Might find a use for my grandads pipes in a rack yet .Thanks. The tobacco color should also change to a much darker hue of brown. I suggest that you air-dry some leaves and then compare. Answer: The best time is November, give or take, but January's fine for a later crop. i think il try the box with water in and a towel on top after iv dry the tobacco this year.. only using a heat pad. Misting it with Vodka or Rum (or some other alcohol including Port) and letting it dry may help, as well as imparting a nice flavor. Some leaves are 500-600mm in length and still rather green. This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Most of the tobacco that I smoke has been aged 4+ years, but I don't let cannabis sit in a jar beyond six months. Whether its for smoking, for ceremonial use, or for an insect repellent solution, there are many reasons to dry, or air-cure, your own tobacco leaves. Hi EveryoneI have just read the post for about the 6th time and decided to join the group and say HI!!! WISH ME LUCK FOLKS THE GOVT DAMN SURE DOESN'T ASTHEY WATCH THERE TAX DOLLARS EVAPORATE. I'm curious to uncover out what blog system youre employing? This process takes about 3-4 weeks.2) Fermentation: Sweating out ammonia, and a few other complicated chemical processes. I have a bag of locally grown and cured tobacco leaves suitable for smoking in a pipe but would like to make my own tobacco oil for candles and perfume. This article is not about health issues; it's about growing tobacco and curing it. Hopefully I get mature plants later. Question: My tobacco is too strong. From new and estate tobacco pipes to tin pipe tobacco and bulk pipe tobacco, we have everything you need. By using our site, you agree to our. Very refreshing to be able to find the simple info you want without having read heaps of seriously boring rubbish at the same time!! since taking the pics, I have modified and refined the design making it even simplerive plugged the holes, and took out the aluminum foil, and put the second batch of leaves in a large plastic bag with a twist tie on the top to better hold in the moisture. Great victory by the AllBlacks! Remember these are monstrous plants that are supposed to reach 7' tall, if you can provide a minimum 5 gallon pot, lots of full direct sun and water, your plants will flourish! I've gone 2 weeks to 6 months. Subtract the one-time cost of the seed ($2.50 buys about 1,000 seeds at the shop down the road from me) and the price of the couple of cups of seed-raising mix and fertiliser you may have purchased. Answer: From seedling to mature plant (in a temperate climate) in about three months if planted in late Spring - early Summer; longer if planted later. Some are undoubtedly better, but I don't think many would be easier or cheaper than the method I've described, and I know what I've written about works because I've done it. You will need to make a platform inside the boiler to keep the leaves out of the water. The same rules apply: pinch out or otherwise remove them. Remember to save your seed for the next crop. Dedicated home growers use old refrigerators with a heat source. Fermentation is the trickiest part, and is what this instructable is intended to outline. There are other ways to grow tobacco and other ways to cure the stuff. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. i plant them in the ground so i achieve maximum height. If you want cheap alcohol dissolve a kilo of sugar in 4 liters of warm water, dump in some yeast, or a handful of raisins/sultanas, cover the container with a tea-towel or similar to keep out the bugs and wild yeasts( or you'll end up with vinegar), leave it until it stops bubbling (probably 2-3 weeks) and you'll end up with alcohol at about 10%. I planted a few seedlings in February one year as an experiment. You could also string the leaves on a length of wire, or on a cord stretched between two nails use your imagination. on Step 6. A good recommended fill blend for a home grown cigar is 30% Havana leaf and 70% Virginia leaf with a Havana wrapper.-Cheap, light weight foam cooler: if you ever wondered what to do with that leaky foam coolerhere it is!-Corded clamp light reflector light fixture, (avail. How to Tell How Old Cigarettes Are and If Theyre Stale. - "Keep it simple, and if it works don't fix it!" The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on September 09, 2014: kiwi_john aka the old fart on September 09, 2014: well planting season is upon us; i've got a shitload of seeds (no not from the dunny) so fingers toes and eyes all crossed for a bumper crop.I'VE GOT ALL THE GOOD STUFF : SEED GERMINAING MIX.MINI GREENHOUSE.NO EXPENSE SPARED TO SAVE A $. As you said, I leave the "Best/Biggest" plant to flower and take the seeds from it for the next season- tho of course you only need one seed pod to get 1000's of tiny seeds for next year's crop. Well, short of dynamiting them, running them over with a ten-ton digger, searing them with a flamethrower, or soaking the stuff in weed-killer, tobacco pretty much looks after itself. Put it in a pipe and it smoked fine. The biggest difference is that the plastic box did too good of a job sealing in the moisture, and perhaps there was too much to begin with. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Any suggestions? Gonna have a couple of acres there, so can plant heaps, and better growing conditions. A friend hangs his tobacco for about three months, by which time it has both a nice colour and texture. :). Basically you need heat (approx 120 degrees) and humidity of about 75%, if this can be sustained for approx 4-6 weeks, fermentation will be complete. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Paper towels misted and saturated with distilled water is placed on top of the cured tobacco hands with some plastic wrap over it to hold in the moisture, I do a good deal of misting with distilled water about twice a day. Generally, what works on tomatoes should work on tobacco. After drying the leaves then adding flavour such as vodka and then slicing/cutting would I store the tobacco in a air tight container? Question: When growing and curing tobacco at home, do we do a fermentation/sweating process after drying? Answer: You can make alcohol from any vegetable matter. Mr. Sadly Kings no longer sell tobacco seed, however if you're in NZ Wicked Habits do ( expensive ) or Trade Me often does. whether it's fit to drink is another matter! 4 years ago. If it's warmer, that's even better. You may have had difficulty getting seed in the first place. Water them thoroughly and then keep watering to prevent the dirt from drying out. tobacco enthusiast on September 16, 2014: Luther 2 the b8g ribs can be Removed! How soon before I can smoke them? The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on December 23, 2014: Hi John, I hope that all's well with you now. meter for the next hour or so. Question: What do you think of using a humidifier to keep some moisture in the air while curing? Also without an insulator, there would be a lot of heat loss, you would need higher temps than a psudo greenhouse.The cooler method traps in heat, but because the seals are not air tight there seems to be a lot of air exchange going on. Does the Brod and Taylor bread proofing cabinet work good for cureing tobacco? Start the tobacco seedlings no sooner than 4 weeks before the spring night time temps are 50 degrees or so. Answer: Most of my friends who grow tobacco just dry it before smoking it, so no, don't bother. So plenty in hand. I really enjoyed your little tobacco story guideAwesome. Fire curing produces a tobacco low in sugar and high in nicotine. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Fire-cured tobacco is hung in large barns where fires of hardwoods are kept on continuous or intermittent low smoulder and takes between three days and ten weeks, depending on the process and the tobacco. You probably displaced 12 cabbages to grow enough tobacco to keep you in cancer sticks for a year. For three months of winter, we have occasional light frosts, bitterly strong winds, and some hail. I can't be bothered, think up a few for yourself. I started about 400 tobacco seeds, about 85% germination rate. Place the trimmed buds into some type of airtight container. Once sealed, age for about two months at room temperature or slightly above. He then filled about 1/6 of the cylinder with water and propped the leaves up on another piece of aluminium with a small vent hole in it. I never over fill the boiler with water or leaves. Do you have any advice on how to grow these for cigars? Not to mention the moaning at the forever price hikes in Tobacco. Once this is done I remove it from its leaf stems. I had trouble with the whole drying/curing process though. And the other thing is that I 'm in Canada. Answer: It's fine with light frosts. When they're about four inches high, and after the last of the frost, plant them out. , is there a any missing thing about process ? Answer: If it works for you, keep doing it. Death to all bullfrogs, bumptious bureaucrats and politicians!! The Wide mouth 1-gallon glass jar with lid is one of the most popular jars today because it's cheap and effective. Question: Why do my tobacco leaves never turn yellow and ripen? Question: Is fermenting necessary to grow and cure tobacco at home? Best If You Have Several Strains to Cure or Store At Once: Set of Four Wide-Mouth Quart-Size Ball Mason Jars Price: $24.85 Amazon Customer Reviews Tobacco curing is sometimes referred to as color curing because as the tobacco undergoes the process, the color of the leaf will invariably change because its chlorophyll content is being altered, gradually becoming more yellow to brown in color. I also ground some into a powder snuff, I added a cotton ball dipped in scented oil for a week or so to add flavor and scent then removed the cotton ball later. I got tired of fighting past the damn things to get to my garden shed and pulled them out last May, still healthy and hardy, with a root system the size of a football. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. He constantly kept preaching about this. First time grower. There are several websites dealing with curing chambers and the standard home made type is made of foam wall insulation and an oil heater. This is just 3 hands of tobacco and it does have quite the aroma associated with it! Some say that it should be left hanging for two years, though I've found that two or three months is quite enough. Question 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Question: I am a cigar smoker and I often put my stubs in my wife's flower bed. The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on November 12, 2015: I love this website - its so usefull and helpfull. Thank you so much for putting up this site. Question: Dont you have to ferment or sweat the leaves after drying tabacco, to remove excess ammonia? Put tobacco in jar. It's fine to jar bulk tobacco; it will resume fermentation. Some years ago I stumbled upon tobacco seeds (for the first time) in a Richters plant/seed catalogue out of Canada ( I live in the U.S). Thanks for the nice comments. But really, there are no unpleasant smells to be vented. The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on November 07, 2015: Hi quicksand, long time no hear, How's it going? Chopping can be left until after the compression/ageing if preferred. Email Us | (888)366-0345 Account Login Create Account. Some people even use a microwave for a brief zap, but I've never tried it so I can't advise. I suggest that you Google "HubPages" and check them out. JavaScript is disabled. Frankly, if you're regularly ingesting nicotine, traces of ammonia, if they exist, should be the least of your concerns,- and homegrown tobacco is a lot less dangerous than the commercial stuff. If you dry your tobacco in your home, be sure to mind the temperature and humidity to avoid drying the leaves too quickly. Pick up a few small hygrometers made for tobacco humidors. Temps above 122F (50C) inhibit the vegetative growth of mold. I wanted to just bury my nose in the leaves during the raisin stage, but for purposes sterility, i resisted!Q: I wouldn't imagine such a small batch would give off an overwhelming smell of ammonia.A: Very true! The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on March 20, 2014: I wrote a month or what back that I had started harvesting and drying down here in North Canty, and being the impatient bugger that I am, have started smoking it now, and am pleasantly surprised with the result. Put them loosely into the jar, you want some air . The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on October 21, 2015: Hi Guys (and Gals) sorry that I've been AWOL for a while. It seems dry but just doesnt want to stay lit when Ive rolled cigarettes. My tobacco does not smell like tobacco at all. I'll certainly digg it and individually suggest to my friends. Im experiencing some small security troubles with my latest weblog and Id like to locate something more safeguarded. It does thrive in rich, well-draining soils, but it'll make do with what it gets. Does my curing chamber look like it will work? That being said, lets get started! For those of you more comfortable with metrics, 1 ft = 30 cm. On the plus side: Home grown tobacco contains far less chemicals and no additives when compared to the stuff the tobacco industry produces. As for the number of plants to be self-sufficient in Baccy for my pipe? Also, thank you for this article. These plants are less than three months older than seedlings. After drying the leaf, should it be re-hydrated or something. Love it. It should take about 4-8 weeks for the leaves to dry out entirely, but it may take longer depending on the variety of tobacco and your climate. Before starting here's a small note of discretion: Typically tobacco growing hobbyist raise and cure these plants for the pure enjoyment of taking care of this fast growing monster! Sun Curing. Question: Is it possible to grow tobacco plants in a pot rather than a garden? This article could not be written any better! on Step 6, Do you ferment all leaves that you want to use as in the cigar or just the outer leaf of the cigar. If you're not in a rush, take your time and pick the leaves as they come ready. keep swapping around until all golden brown (they will be damp but silky). [4] Flue [ edit] This will always depend on how much you grow and how big your boiler is. Also worked very well last year on fully dried tobacco.

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