Answer: You can make alcohol from any vegetable matter. Thoughts ? I'm attempting to grow 3 varieties of tobacco: a Tennessee dark air cure, a Samsun Turkish and Perique. Since yous have given me some ideas i will give you a fact. 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. Simply hang in a sheltered area and let nature take its course. Fermentation also stabilizes the leaf so that it doesn't decompose further in storage. Cut a thin slit through the center of the stem on each leaf using a utility knife. Does the Brod and Taylor bread proofing cabinet work good for cureing tobacco? There are other ways to grow tobacco and other ways to cure the stuff. (Haha.. The plants grew taller than corn stalks, with leaves as broad as my chest. I did miss a stage in my above aromatic observationsbetween the wet grass and raisin stage there was a strong cereal smell..like toasted corn flakes, which probably lasted for the entire 2nd week. Haven't noticed. 7 years ago at home depot, clamp assembly is not needed)-30W light bulb (heat source)-Aluminum foil-Clean paper towels-Plastic bag-Sterilized spray bottle (use bleach solution to clean, rinse and dry thoroughly)-Distilled water. I better still be alive for the first finished product lol. on Introduction. I simply chopped it (2mm) and mixed in some pure vanilla essence (or chopped vanilla beans) and a little citrus zest then compressed it into a jar. I have grown some and do not want to ferment it. The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on September 21, 2014: Here's some info that i copied and pasted from this hub a couple of years ago. I joined the hub just to thank you.). Otherwise, do as a lot of people I know do - buy a cheap lighter and put up with lighting up often, its a lot less costly than getting store-bought tobacco! Our temps range between 70 and 100 degrees in the summer. The best time of year to dry outdoors is during the harvest season, end of Summer, before the first frost, humidity is typically perfect in most areas of the USA. 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 A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Note: I'll continue this in feet and inches only, for the sake of our American cousins. I'll go into why transferring to a jar might be ideal in the next section. That's late summer here in the Southern Hemisphere. and is it any good? Your blog by far has the most simplistic and helpful information on growing tobacco. For three months of winter, we have occasional light frosts, bitterly strong winds, and some hail. This is the kind of info ive been searching for. And it sounds like you will be able to modify your system for next year!Just one note! Do you have any advice on how to grow these for cigars? Fire curing produces a tobacco low in sugar and high in nicotine. Taking the focus away from tobacco congratulations once more! I just save some seed year by year. Adrian Rankin-Maclean on August 10, 2020: Very informative article I tried many years ago to grow tobacco, plants grew fine but mucked up the curing process, I want to flavour the stuff for pipe smoking, I have a very large jar of glycerine in the garage could I use that with port and brandy, spray the leaf, let dry, then press and mature but for how long - best guess for a guide pls, also I want to give some hand rolling tobacco to my colleagues at Christmas, I'm harvesting and curing now,(August) once dried I'm putting it in a plastic air tight box, will that be long enough time for it to mellow/mature. I don't really monitor the humidity too much, I just give it 15-20 distilled water misting on and between the hands about 2-3 times a day, just to keep the leaves semi-moist. The Wide mouth 1-gallon glass jar with lid is one of the most popular jars today because it's cheap and effective. My tobacco does not smell like tobacco at all. After they've gotten established, you can water less often. Buuut, it is still good to note the same surgeon general warning that "smoking is bad for your health", etc. Tho it is now. I'm sure they will be benefited from this web site. 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. Also, I know they like sun but as were in the wrong season Ive put them in large pots in the greenhouse. I then dip the jar, short of the lid, back into the boiling water using the tongs. The end result looked like nice moist almost store bought tobacco. Within two to three months of picking a healthy green leaf, it would dry to a complete dark brown, and if even touched it would crumble into a million shards. Some leaves are 500-600mm in length and still rather green. . There are several websites dealing with curing chambers and the standard home made type is made of foam wall insulation and an oil heater. Hi we live in sunny Bay of Plenty and want to give it a go. My pleasure.. (still looking forward to your distillation blog ;). Death to all bullfrogs, bumptious bureaucrats and politicians!! 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? As each plant grows, you'll see small tobacco plants (suckers or basal shoots) starting to grow as side-shoots from the main stalk at the base of the leaves, the same as with tomatoes and that other stuff some people smoke. Put tobacco in jar. Btw i subbed you on youtube, Reply If the leaves get too brittle, you can moisten them with water from a spray bottle. March-June,get started TODAY! 50% of these commercial growers cure for between 7 and 14 days. The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on January 21, 2016: Hi Hops, beer and 'baccy go together mate, have a top New Year too. Spent a few days in the horsepiddle with heart failure due to pneumonia; so am only growing for entertainment now as i had to stop smoking but it's still a way to pass the time. Answer: I'm sorry but I can't really help you as there are too many unknowns. I would think that using a spray bottle or just wiping the leaves with a sponge-full of the mix would also work OK. I used the barest pinch of seeds sprinkled into a six-pot seed tray and got over 100 plants! Re-pot them a couple of times, use you hot-house when they get bigger and you can grow them there or transplant in spring. 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. Curing cannabis buds Once buds are dry, it's time to cure them. Did this ever work to produce good cigars surf monkey ? I am currently smoking the 2018 crop which was over 5.5Kg. Then proceed in one of the following ways: Further up the page, I suggested that you let one plant flower for seed. Start by putting your dried buds in your chosen curing jars. When they're about four inches high, and after the last of the frost, plant them out. The essential pieces for fermentation is 120 degree heat and humidity. Question: I have been hanging first tobacco leaves for two weeks in the green house and they going brown already. Answer: The bottom leaves are possibly ready to harvest, I can't accurately assess why some of your leaves have white spots as it's a problem that I haven't encountered so far. To cure my tobacco i air dry it in my shed. The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on March 06, 2015: I chucked some seeds in the fridge last year; planted them in portable greenhouse in september and have a bumper crop drying in my garage now. I suggest that you let only one of your plants go to flower for seeds for next season's crop. Thanks again for this information. Thanks in advance. Then I put the buds into 1 qt mason jars to cure. You'll have lots of them. Tinned tobacco will too, but not to the extent that it would in the tin. When you cure tobacco leaves, you're breaking down ammonia in the plant matter. Put it in a pipe and it smoked fine. We have seeds. Also provided is an example of how one may be able to affordably recreate the conditions needed for tobacco fermentation. Put jar in kiln. Store the seeds safely. 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. Question: How long would tobacco take to grow in a tropical climate like Australia? I planted a few seedlings in February one year as an experiment. Answer: I don't know, it's been many years since I was in Australia, but I would guess a tobacco plant would take around three months or less to grow there. Mastering this art enables you to produce high-quality, potent flowers that leave all your senses tingling with every whiff or toke. on Step 5, when air curing has happened with my plants there are vast diffrents in colour between the diffrent leafs some are dark brown - light brown but some are a very dark green.. they are cured they just seem to hold there colour..? The bought stuff has additives to keep it going, such as saltpeter (potassium nitrate, the main ingredient of gunpowder). Use peppermint oil mixed with water to mist your leaves as they are hanging. this pic is just a couple of late bloomers that iv put in a pot outside if you notice on the dried leaf there is type of mould when cured outside have you had this proble befor or has this happened because its still attached to the plant?has not been a good year for growing this year but the other plants were about 5ft with broard leafs what was left after the slugs, Reply I really enjoyed your little tobacco story guideAwesome. 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. I just wondered whether the hot water cupboard would be a better spot as opposed to fairly consistent room temp in a living space. Cheers. In this fermenter, these conditions are achieved by a light bulb heat source, directed by a reflector dish towards the pile of air cured tobacco under it. I started about 400 tobacco seeds, about 85% germination rate. Whoo-hoo! or should i ferment tobacco leaves for good taste?, thanks a lot. **Tobacco sowing season is NOW! Thank you for posting this. I assume that you're in the northern hemisphere, which means that you are in late Autumn, so I suggest that you pick the leaves and hang them to dry. What you describe looks like a quick way to cure, nothing wrong with that. This is predominately a writers/informational blog, but can be quite social in its comments, as you may have noted above. Answer: The leaves normally dry from the bottom of the plant up. Cold and frost will affect your crop yield. Having got that off my chairy little hest, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. 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 $. If it's too rainy or it gets too much water, the tobacco gets weak and thin. The best way to do this is pictured on step 1, hang leaves to dry and let nature take its course: Gather your harvested green leaves, use a zip tie at the stems and bundle into 1-4 leaf bunches, (be sure to allow air between the leaves, if the leaves stick together, they will mold). remember you are not growing veges, yellow leaves make a more mellow product. The Old Firm (author) from Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand on May 16, 2014: Hi there Rob n Rose, sorry for the tardy reply. Put a fine sieve in the top of a clean, dry bowl, or on a sheet of paper. The shortest cure was 5 days and the longest cure was an initial 3 weeks followed by 6 - 8 more weeks in jars. If you want to cure and smoke it, put in at least a dozen plants if possible. During the fermentation, there are several aromatic stages: .I'd suggest that you just hang the leaves to dry without assistance in a shady airy spot and see how they go. Pots in the greenhouse should be fine, tobacco's very hardy. See what your first try is like, you can always tart it up as you go along. Here are a couple things to be on the lookout for as your tobacco is curing: The trick for curing is time. Generally, what works on tomatoes should work on tobacco. A factory barn with hundreds of thousands of hands fermenting, wellthat would be a whole different level of aroma.Q: Surf Monkey Coconut, your insurance agent called me looking for you. Answer: Tobacco doesn't naturally burn well. When the plants reach maturity, they'll set flower heads at the top. After fermentation (kilning), tobacco aroma and taste may change significantly over a few days, with noticeable change becoming more subtle after that. the pic was just of some plants that had mold growth on them. I am going to scour around and see if I can find some seeds. Any suggestions? If you over-do it and it gets too brittle a fine mist from a cheap hothouse mister should fix things. Also slugs & snails, etc take their share. I then start fermentation I do this in a burco boiler. -Air cured Tobacco leaves, Seeds with growing instructions are available here : Havana tobacco seeds are good for making cigars, particularity cigar wrappers because of the broad leaves, flavor and smooth appearances once cured. 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. Question: When growing and curing tobacco at home, do we do a fermentation/sweating process after drying? You are using an out of date browser. -Week 1-2 smells like wet grass. Last Updated: January 20, 2021 How does humidity affect the rate of fermenting? What you will need:-Air cured Tobacco leaves, Seeds with growing instructions are available here : Is there a trick to keeping tobacco alight? Question: Is fermenting necessary to grow and cure tobacco at home? Good job documenting your work! The process can take up to 8 weeks, and the longer you wait, the better it may taste. They should still be pliable, not brittle. Anyway, just wanted to say your article has been very helpful not to mention giving me a great laugh here and there. 1 & a half tablespoons liqueur or spirit syrup (Bin Inn). This process is all done quickly. Reply If your bud is over dried, adding moisture isn't going to help the cure. An air-conditioned home would probably be too dry for air-curing tobacco. Cold and frost will affect your crop yield. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 141,782 times. Aging ? (I could spare the bullfrogs.). Thanks for the nice comments. Do you've any recommendations? This process takes about 3-4 weeks.2) Fermentation: Sweating out ammonia, and a few other complicated chemical processes. Sun Curing. Can we buy seeds direct from you? You do need LARGE pots, it grows a huge root ball. If you live in a place that's warm enough to grow cabbage, tobacco will thrive. bumptious bureaucrats and politicians are revolting species, but i believe there's a special spot reserved in hell for those that don white coats and the mantle of 'oficial'. Answer: Until the leaves are dry and brown/yellow, after hanging, several weeks or in an oven at low heat an hour or so. Have fun, good luck, and thanks for dropping in. 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. It depends on what you want the tobacco for. That being said, lets get started! 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. He left the element on about 150 C for a few days. Question: How long are you supposed to cure tobacco for? 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