Wagner
Well-Known Member
A forum search uncovered that red tips are the top 2-4 leafs and higher in nicotine. How does the flavor compare to other stalk positions? Stronger....more mild? Comments?
Burley red tips
- Thread starter Wagner
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I haven't tried them myself (yet) but I've heard rave reviews of BigBonner's Burley Red Tips. I'll be putting in an order soon if he still has any. I'm glad you reminded me. 
Seanz
Well-Known Member
Its been my understanding the the higher the position on tyhe plant the stronger the leaf. My Tips are potent little nic bombs that can and sometimes send me on a dizzy spell. Annd it takes a bit off nicotine to send me off Where I have to put what ever i am smoking down and go sit for five
I have made repeat orders of BigBonner's burley red tips. Judging from the leaf size (generally quite large), I would guess that these are roughly the upper third of the plant. BigBonner could say for certain.
I use it as cigar wrapper, cigar binder, cigar filler. As a wrapper, it usually needs edge trimming, since upper burley leaf tends to be a little rough at the outer edge, and it has veins as thick as those of CT Broadleaf. It also makes a nice, pure burley pipe tobacco.
I find it richly flavored, and a medium-to-full nicotine for a cigar. It blends well with CT Broadleaf as binder or wrapper. Once the BB burley has aged for nearly a year, it is smooth and smokable as is. If kilned for a month, it loses a bit of the nicotine, and has a slightly higher pH.
Since I enjoy a rich, burley cigar, I rave about the leaf. The taste and aroma are burley, rather than Caribbean.
Bob
I use it as cigar wrapper, cigar binder, cigar filler. As a wrapper, it usually needs edge trimming, since upper burley leaf tends to be a little rough at the outer edge, and it has veins as thick as those of CT Broadleaf. It also makes a nice, pure burley pipe tobacco.
I find it richly flavored, and a medium-to-full nicotine for a cigar. It blends well with CT Broadleaf as binder or wrapper. Once the BB burley has aged for nearly a year, it is smooth and smokable as is. If kilned for a month, it loses a bit of the nicotine, and has a slightly higher pH.
Since I enjoy a rich, burley cigar, I rave about the leaf. The taste and aroma are burley, rather than Caribbean.
Bob
BigMikeChevy
Well-Known Member
just a little info from the newbe. I got some leaf from Big Bonner found that I really like the burley red tips.tried it by its self in a ciggy and to my suprise it was more than I expected. alot stronger than the commercial cigs that Im used to. so I blend it with bright leaf about 50/50 a very enjoyable smoke. another good addition is the fire cured very smokey by its self but when making a blend it seams to round out the flavor.
jekylnz
Well-Known Member
I agree the fire cure at aboyt5-15% can be a nice addition to your blends
Is red tip strictly a burley thing or does it apply to any stronger upper teir leaves
Is red tip strictly a burley thing or does it apply to any stronger upper teir leaves
Burley is the only variety I've seen the name applied to.
Red tip Burley is the top two to four leaves on the tobacco plant .The red leaves will be a little thicker and shorter than the rest of the leaves on the burley plant .
We sort by leaf color , If there is only one dark leaf , it is put in the red bale if there are two , three or four dark leaves they are put in the red bale .Each plant from the same field and variety can have different numbers of red tip leaves .
I close my barn doors when the tobacco leaves has dried but not completely cured . I also hang my tobacco a little closer on the rails than most farmers do . The reason I do this is to keep the burley from flash curing .Flash curing will cause burley to cure with light yellow leaves or leaves with big yellow portions in the leaf . Closing the doors keeps the tobacco from drying too fast and make the leaves darker in color .
If big tobacco see's the yellow they will cut your prices paid to you .My tobacco always sells good because it is dark .
Ripe tobacco will start browning around the outer edges of the leaf , sometimes causing the raggedy edge and if left to stand long enough it will continue to the stem . In good ripe to over ripe tobacco ,Brown circles from pea size to a half a dollar will appear in the leaf . When cured they will most usually be white circles . Some burley will have frogeye In the leaves . This is normal even though some people think it is chemical related but it is not .
My 2010 red tips are raggedy from them being a little over ripe . For the past few years tobacco laborers have been hard to find around here and 2010 my crop was over ripe leaving a more raggedy leaf than my 2012 crop . Over ripe does not mean the crop went bad it just means it went past its peak time for harvesting the most pounds .
I have smoked bottom leaves , middle leaves and red tips . Red tips does have the most nicotine .Tips will be a little harsher than the rest of the leaves , aging helps a lot . The bottom trashy leaves will be the less stronger and most of the time smoother .
My 2012 red tips are bigger and look better than my 2010 tips, it is just the growing season and harvest time .
We sort by leaf color , If there is only one dark leaf , it is put in the red bale if there are two , three or four dark leaves they are put in the red bale .Each plant from the same field and variety can have different numbers of red tip leaves .
I close my barn doors when the tobacco leaves has dried but not completely cured . I also hang my tobacco a little closer on the rails than most farmers do . The reason I do this is to keep the burley from flash curing .Flash curing will cause burley to cure with light yellow leaves or leaves with big yellow portions in the leaf . Closing the doors keeps the tobacco from drying too fast and make the leaves darker in color .
If big tobacco see's the yellow they will cut your prices paid to you .My tobacco always sells good because it is dark .
Ripe tobacco will start browning around the outer edges of the leaf , sometimes causing the raggedy edge and if left to stand long enough it will continue to the stem . In good ripe to over ripe tobacco ,Brown circles from pea size to a half a dollar will appear in the leaf . When cured they will most usually be white circles . Some burley will have frogeye In the leaves . This is normal even though some people think it is chemical related but it is not .
My 2010 red tips are raggedy from them being a little over ripe . For the past few years tobacco laborers have been hard to find around here and 2010 my crop was over ripe leaving a more raggedy leaf than my 2012 crop . Over ripe does not mean the crop went bad it just means it went past its peak time for harvesting the most pounds .
I have smoked bottom leaves , middle leaves and red tips . Red tips does have the most nicotine .Tips will be a little harsher than the rest of the leaves , aging helps a lot . The bottom trashy leaves will be the less stronger and most of the time smoother .
My 2012 red tips are bigger and look better than my 2010 tips, it is just the growing season and harvest time .
jekylnz
Well-Known Member
BB how bad is gts (green tobacco sicknesses when harvesting Baccer..or can it basically be avoided completely by wearing proper clothing..also do you guy pay much to harvest. ..or do most generally get immigrant workers working cheap illegally (not saying you do)
Wagner
Well-Known Member
If that ain't an answer then I don't know what is!
Tobacco sickness is REAL .The only time it is possible to get it is when you are topping the tobacco or housing it . You can ware protective clothing but you would pass out from heat exhaustion in the field .The best way to avoid the sickness is to not top tobacco early in the morning when leaves heavy dew is in on them .Or handle wet green tobacco . It takes a lot of tobacco handling to make you sick .Been there myself , done that .
Migrant workers ? I will use any legal person on USA soil that I can find . They are not cheap workers either . I pay each person the same no matter where they come from .If a immigrant works for me that's fine . I am not the police to check each person out and I don't discriminate as to where a person comes from .There are good and bad people from all over the world .
I pay top wages . $12 per hour housing .12 cents a stick for cutting .Sodas and snacks furnished . Stripping is minimum wage $7.50 per hour .
Farmers do have labor guidelines by law that we have to follow .
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Seanz
Well-Known Member
I thought our minium wage was bad.
BigMikeChevy
Well-Known Member
Rolled BigBonners redtips in a ciggy check it out smoke has a big kick.
tell you what making minium wage in the US will pay your bills if you live within your means. but the part that is really hard is decisions on what is a necessary and what is candy.
tell you what making minium wage in the US will pay your bills if you live within your means. but the part that is really hard is decisions on what is a necessary and what is candy.
BigMikeChevy
Well-Known Member
wrong photo
there we go
there we go
Seanz
Well-Known Member
Its the same down here man.
BigMikeChevy
Well-Known Member
number 14 is the correct one.
jekylnz
Well-Known Member
Sorry bro I wasnt trying to imply anything. .it may have just sounded wrong..its pretty common for indians to bring all there family here to pick whole paddocks of produce for not much...a suppose they're so used to getting less than not much in india..so they dont mind..like I said ..im not saying you would do that...most ive seen of baccer being harvested in the states the guys doing it look like me ..average European young guys just happy to have a job for a bit of $$..sorry bb if it sounded offensive
No Offense taken
That is the biggest impression that all people think , That immigrants don't get paid much and are cheap laborers or are cheated out of their money .Some news stories even go as far as saying slave labor . That is far from the truth .
I pay them the same as the local men .There is one thing about migrant workers they want cash and they don't get taxes taken out of their pay .
Now by law I am supposed to check social security numbers and take out taxes from each worker .
It is really funny that this subject has come up at the same time I am getting a farm visit fro BIG TOBACCO .
They are to visit my farm Monday or Tuesday . They did not give a definite day or time . They said I would just get a phone call say they are close to my farm .
This is my first time of them sticking their noses into my farming operation . If they PISS me off I will cancel my PM contract and tell them where to go .
Here is the group that is to visit .http://www.pmi.com/eng/media_center/company_statements/documents/PMI_ALP_Progress_Report_2012.pdf
That is the biggest impression that all people think , That immigrants don't get paid much and are cheap laborers or are cheated out of their money .Some news stories even go as far as saying slave labor . That is far from the truth .
I pay them the same as the local men .There is one thing about migrant workers they want cash and they don't get taxes taken out of their pay .
Now by law I am supposed to check social security numbers and take out taxes from each worker .
It is really funny that this subject has come up at the same time I am getting a farm visit fro BIG TOBACCO .
They are to visit my farm Monday or Tuesday . They did not give a definite day or time . They said I would just get a phone call say they are close to my farm .
This is my first time of them sticking their noses into my farming operation . If they PISS me off I will cancel my PM contract and tell them where to go .
Here is the group that is to visit .http://www.pmi.com/eng/media_center/company_statements/documents/PMI_ALP_Progress_Report_2012.pdf
jekylnz
Well-Known Member
Is that right??? Do they come to check out who you employ. .or just check everything in general??
Over here it's not uncommon for market gardeners to do contracts with islanders that come here from Samoa and Tonga etc.they will do a contract with one of them that my Have a tax no# but knowing his whole family. Extended family. Kids the whole lot..come to the paddock to harvest it..set up camp there for the whole week or two while they do it...it's common knowledge ..I suppose no one here cares cause no one else is willing to pick it by hand..hard case aye
DonH
Well-Known Member
I looked at that document and I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Some of those tobacco farms in Africa or Kazakhstan, on the other hand...
It looks like they are going to use the standards that farmers like yourself adhere to anyway to put pressure on the third world tobacco farms. If so, that's a good thing for American farmers. For example they write:
Out of those three places, Malawi, Kazakstan and North Carolina, which places do you think have a problem with child labor and poor working conditions?
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