FALaholic
Well-Known Member
Wanted to ask the hive. Would one consider keeping tobacco in a kiln after it has fermented, rather than use a humidor?
Kiln vs Humidor
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Are you talking about long term storage of a lot of tobacco? I use the vapor proof bags that Don ships his whole leaf in. You can buy the bags from Don: http://wholeleaftobaccollc.com/forum/showthread.php?418-Vapor-Proof-Bags. I use the 5 lb. bags to store bulk tobacco in, and the 9x22 to store the tobacco that I'm currently using to shred. I'll move it from the 5 lb. bags to the 9x22 and work out of the 9x22, misting it every so often to keep it in case.
FALaholic
Well-Known Member
Yes, long term storage of a lot of tobacco.
DGBAMA
Well-Known Member
An unused kiln could definitely be used as a humidor. The idea of a humidor is to control the air/humidity within. Kiln does the same thing but at higher temps. Adjustments to the kiln could easily be made for it to maintain a good storage temp. n
DonH
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't store tobacco long term in a humidor. Too much risk of mold at that humidity (70%). I think it's best to store it in low case in vapor proof bags or just in cardboard boxes at ambient humidity, depending on where you live. Then humidify when you are ready to shred or roll.
I do like to put cigarettes in my small humidor if I've made more than a day's worth, especially in the winter.
I do like to put cigarettes in my small humidor if I've made more than a day's worth, especially in the winter.
Good advice. I couldn't agree more. I purposely let my cigars dry out and put them in the humidor a only few days before I want to smoke them.
John
In the cigar world, 70% RH is considered perfect for long-term storage of cigars. That's probably correct, based on other research.
An RH of 65% or less is probably safe for all materials.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1056928/pdf/applmicro00290-0019.pdf
Bob
An RH of 65% or less is probably safe for all materials.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1056928/pdf/applmicro00290-0019.pdf
Bob
I think that most cigar smokers, are keeping-aging their cigars in humidors (about 70% RH). The cigars are not suppose to dry out, even for long term storage (years)
FALaholic
Well-Known Member
So 70% RH. What about temp, 120oF ?
If you store your tobacco in the house in vapor proof bags, there is no need to artificially change humidity or temperature. Ambient is fine. It will probably slowly dry, just mist it with water to bring it up in case before you shred it. Mine shreds best at about a low medium case.
DonH
Well-Known Member
You don't want to store it at 120F and 70% humidity because from what I've read you don't want to over-kiln tobacco. It will taste better after 4-6 weeks and can decline in quality after that at some point. Sort of like over aging wine. Plus why waste energy and money maintaining 120 degrees?
Another disadvantage of storage in a heated kiln is that as soon as you remove tobacco from it, the warm leaf immediately evaporates a lot of its moisture, and needs to be re-humidified to handle.
The primary reason that cigars are stored in a humidor, rather than allowed to coast with the ambient conditions is that cigars absorb moisture starting from the open foot, working its way to the closed head. As the cigar dries, the wrapper dries first. The wrapper tends to split, usually at the foot.
This is not an issue with whole leaf tobacco. Depending on your ambient conditions, a cardboard box might be ideal. In my conditions, the tobacco would completely dry as soon as the heat comes on in the fall, and stay bone dry until spring--not ideal for aging. A plastic bin might work very well, starting with tobacco in fairly low case. Might not.
Incidentally, I have two kilns: one is small (the Cozy Can) and the other is smaller. Once the flue-curing season is done (I have about a week to go now), both kilns are busy kilning leaf non-stop for the rest of the year, and kiln space is at a premium.
A great advantage of flue-curing for me is that every leaf flue-cured is a leaf that does not require curing space in my shed.
Bob
The primary reason that cigars are stored in a humidor, rather than allowed to coast with the ambient conditions is that cigars absorb moisture starting from the open foot, working its way to the closed head. As the cigar dries, the wrapper dries first. The wrapper tends to split, usually at the foot.
This is not an issue with whole leaf tobacco. Depending on your ambient conditions, a cardboard box might be ideal. In my conditions, the tobacco would completely dry as soon as the heat comes on in the fall, and stay bone dry until spring--not ideal for aging. A plastic bin might work very well, starting with tobacco in fairly low case. Might not.
Incidentally, I have two kilns: one is small (the Cozy Can) and the other is smaller. Once the flue-curing season is done (I have about a week to go now), both kilns are busy kilning leaf non-stop for the rest of the year, and kiln space is at a premium.
A great advantage of flue-curing for me is that every leaf flue-cured is a leaf that does not require curing space in my shed.
Bob
squeezyjohn
Well-Known Member
My plan for all my homegrown tobacco that will ultimately be used as chew or snus is to colour cure - then make twists from it ... I have developed a way of getting a very long twist rope from tobacco leaves with the midrib removed that can be easily stored to age. the twists can then either be used as they are, sliced for smoking in a pipe or brought in to low case and pulverised to use as tobacco flour to make snus from.
I know this doesn't naturally apply to people smoking their baccy in cigarettes - but it does pack up nice and neat for storage!
I know this doesn't naturally apply to people smoking their baccy in cigarettes - but it does pack up nice and neat for storage!
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