The Haroo ln
Haroon
As long as the humidity is up it should be fine. I tried something similar last year with ziploc bags. I'd just air them out every 2-3 days
Tobacco cultivation in Ukraine - 2025: @Sergey Ukraine
- Thread starter Sergey Ukraine
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As long as the humidity is up it should be fine. I tried something similar last year with ziploc bags. I'd just air them out every 2-3 days
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
I keep them closed because it's easier for me to control the humidity in a sealed container. I open them once a day, pour the tobacco into a container, air it out for a couple of minutes, moisten it if necessary, and put it back in the jar and the chamber. The only inconvenience is that you have to open the jar immediately after taking it out of the chamber, and if it starts to cool down, it will be difficult to open.
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
Tonight it was +2°C. There was frost on the grass in the morning. Yesterday I set up the frame indoors and covered it with plastic wrap. There is a 750-watt heater inside. I left a gap at the bottom and top for natural air convection. The air parameters are shown in the photo.
That looks like you whipped the temperature problem. Nice work.
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
The process is progressing slowly. The humidity is falling, and the temperature is gradually rising. Some tobacco leaves have started to dry out. Weather forecasters promise two more weeks without frost, and I hope they are right this time. There are more than a dozen strings of leaves and 65 bushes hanging outside, and they will also need to be dried in this “greenhouse.”
At what stage or color are the leaves under the curtains? Are any of those leaves in the photos the same ones under the curtain? Does your humidity rise or fall with night time? I try to watch the leaves over three day blocks of time and average the humidity as it rises and falls over that period. Sometimes I have to bunch leaves closer together or spread them further apart, turn the fan off and on, open and close a door or window to trap humidity or allow it to escape. Sometimes I have to wet the floor or suspend a towel from a bucket and allow the water from the towel raise humidity. How far apart are your leaves from one another?
The leaves in the photos are coloring very nicely. Are the leaves under the curtains coloring as well?
The leaves in the photos are coloring very nicely. Are the leaves under the curtains coloring as well?
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
This year, I grew Bolivian Criollo Black. Yuri “Polygon55” states on his website that with proper fermentation, this variety turns black. I was treated to Bolivian Criollo Black, which was black, but they didn't tell me how they did it. Perhaps some of you have been able to turn it black?
Kilning makes my leaves darker and it seems as though higher humidity while kilning can darken the leaves even further. The part of some leaves that make contact with the inside walls of the box are almost always much darker than those away from the walls due to the condensation on the walls. Keep the temps above 50.5 C to avoid mold.
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
The leaves are in the same condition as in the second photo, where there are threads of tobacco against a background of wood. The distance between the leaves is on average 3-5 cm. The humidity remains virtually unchanged, decreasing evenly over time. The greenhouse is located in a closed shed. There are almost no fluctuations in air parameters. Only when the entrance doors are opened can the temperature drop by 1-2 degrees.
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
High humidity makes the leaves darker; I noticed this last year. But they turn dark brown, and these are black, like strong, strong coffee.
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
Several photos of leaves that are currently hanging in the “greenhouse”. I took photos with my phone, the flash changes color... Some photos were taken without flash.
From 2013.
The adjective, "black", in the name of the tobacco variety is hyperbole. The tobacco does not turn black, any more than other varieties of "dark" tobacco. I have managed to turn it very dark, though not black, by cooking it into Cavendish.
Bob
I though you were color curing green leaf. You're good. No problem. Humidity is fine.
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
No, the leaves turned yellow outside, under the canopy, and started to dry, but the weather turned bad, so I decided to finish drying them in the “greenhouse.”
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
I have 65 tobacco stalks, which I hung in the shed where the “greenhouse” is located, as it is warmer there, although the humidity is lower than outside. What should I do with them?
1. Pick off the yellowed leaves and hang them on a string.
2. Pick off the leaves that are completely dry.
3. Leave them until all the leaves are completely dry and then pick off all the leaves.
I haven't dried leaves on the stems before, so I'm not sure... Here's a photo of the stems in case the translator gets it wrong.
1. Pick off the yellowed leaves and hang them on a string.
2. Pick off the leaves that are completely dry.
3. Leave them until all the leaves are completely dry and then pick off all the leaves.
I haven't dried leaves on the stems before, so I'm not sure... Here's a photo of the stems in case the translator gets it wrong.
If their location is not a risk for wind blowing away the fully-cured leaves, then I would suggest waiting a month or three, then strip all the leaves at one time.
Bob
Bob
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
There is no wind there; they are hanging in a closed room. I hope the mice don't smoke and won't try the tobacco stems for taste.
What variety are they, and how do you plan to use them?
Sergey Ukraine
Well-Known Member
Burley Bursanica, Burley Panama, Fogeu Dark/Air cured (but I think this is most likely a cigar variety), Stag Horn, and Bolivian Criollo Black. I only smoke cigarettes, so only for cigarette blends. The first three varieties of seeds are from Germany; this is the first year they have been planted.
Stalk curing all of those varieties should work just fine.
For the burley and dark varieties, stalk curing is normal.
I am always fighting mold because of my
Curing space, so I pick the leaves off the stalk as they dry (your plan #2).
It never causes me any problems.
For the burley and dark varieties, stalk curing is normal.
I am always fighting mold because of my
Curing space, so I pick the leaves off the stalk as they dry (your plan #2).
It never causes me any problems.
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