That will be an interesting experiment. Please keep us updated and include plenty of photos. We like our pictures!
Sun curing Virginia gold
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That will be an interesting experiment. Please keep us updated and include plenty of photos. We like our pictures!
Interesting. If it can hold those temps on the chart I don’t see why it can’t work. Kilning is done with cured leaf and must maintain humidity and heat for a month, requiring a humidity source and good insulation. Flue Curing is done with fresh yellowed leaf and you will be removing humidity most of the time for 3-4 days as long as you do the yellowing in your greenhouse or garage. Just offhand I think as long as that tent can maintain those temps you will be good to go. From the chart, top temp is 165 degrees. Anxious to hear from those that have flue cured, as I have only used mine for kilning.
You have. Repeatedly. Check the manufacturer's temperature limits for the container's material. Check the ability of the heat source to immediately raise the temperature to that required for the entire chamber. Check the insulation.
Plan B: read how to make a suitable flue-curing chamber.
Bob
So probably no humidifier eh? Ya I’m thinking this might be the bulk flue build in progress I’ll take pictures of everything this year and post from seed sprout to end and I’d love to hear what everyone’s feedback is throughout the entire process as I’m doing it it’s already helped me so much posting on here. You ALL ROCK!!! Many blessings for sharing your wisdom and knowledge 
You did all the heavy lifting brother.So probably no humidifier eh? Ya I’m thinking this might be the bulk flue build in progress I’ll take pictures of everything this year and post from seed sprout to end and I’d love to hear what everyone’s feedback is throughout the entire process as I’m doing it it’s already helped me so much posting on here. You ALL ROCK!!! Many blessings for sharing your wisdom and knowledge
ChinaVoodoo
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Theoretically, you can flue cure in anything. A tent, a barrel, a bathroom, pharaoh's tomb... but it's a question of safety and energy efficiency. Due to insulation, a set up like Bob's can flue cure with a crock pot. My shed was heated by light bulbs. Industrially, fuels are used, but still with well insulated structures with very efficient heat exchangers.
Yes, you could use a tent or a barrel, but the amount of energy you would have to $$$ would be very wasteful because of the poor insulation value of both and the poor heat exchange efficiency with a barrel which would act like a radiator all on its own.
In my opinion, unless you want to break the bank heating, you need something which is insulated.
As for ventilation,
During the drying stage of flue curing in my shed which was 4'x8'x8', adequate ventilation of primings from 80 plants was achieved with a small fan attached to a 1"diameter pipe, with another 1" pipe with no fan as intake.
Yes, you could use a tent or a barrel, but the amount of energy you would have to $$$ would be very wasteful because of the poor insulation value of both and the poor heat exchange efficiency with a barrel which would act like a radiator all on its own.
In my opinion, unless you want to break the bank heating, you need something which is insulated.
As for ventilation,
During the drying stage of flue curing in my shed which was 4'x8'x8', adequate ventilation of primings from 80 plants was achieved with a small fan attached to a 1"diameter pipe, with another 1" pipe with no fan as intake.
If I pick the leaves as they yellow throughout the season do you think I’ll have enough leaves to fill a 5x5 space in flue chamber each time I pick leaves considering the number of plants? Also is that necessary to fill it for humidity reasons? I can’t hang all the plants in my garage unless I use trellises and hang plants from either side but that’s a lot of weight to put on my ceiling. So can’t I just yellow the leaf in piles in cool temps then hang them in the flue chamber?
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
While the plants are growing, you will wait until signs of ripening, which begins at the lower leaves. You will pick say 3 or 4 leaves from each plant, and hang them and they will yellow at about the same rate because they are from the same part of the plant... Once they are pretty much all yellow, you will advance to the next stage of flue curing.
4 leaves per plant x 700 plants = 2800 leaves. At 15 leaves per foot, which is probably about the max, that's 186feet of leaves. This is around 558 cubic feet of leaves. A 5x5x5 box is only 125 cubic feet. So, no. It needs to be 4 times bigger.
The process is the same whether you're picking off of plants or out of a pile. The only reason to pile them is if it's dropped below 30°F and you harvested your entire crop.
4 leaves per plant x 700 plants = 2800 leaves. At 15 leaves per foot, which is probably about the max, that's 186feet of leaves. This is around 558 cubic feet of leaves. A 5x5x5 box is only 125 cubic feet. So, no. It needs to be 4 times bigger.
The process is the same whether you're picking off of plants or out of a pile. The only reason to pile them is if it's dropped below 30°F and you harvested your entire crop.
I have an unsolicited suggestion. Plant only ~160 plants this year. That's a bunch of tobacco. Learn the process, work out the kinks, and actually enjoy it. Be successful. 700 plants seems overly ambitious for a very first grow. My gut tells me that if you go with the 700 plants that you've planned, you may have a truly miserable summer. With some experience behind you, you can then gauge how large a crop you want to plant next year. (My first grow was 16 plants. That was fun and challenging and a wonderful learning year.)
Bob
Bob
Ya I intend to let them yellow on the plant and pick them as they mature but I’m in Oregon so I’ll need to chop the plants at some point I was thinking i could sun cure the leaves that turn yellow on the live plant and when I gotta chop down the bulk left over flue cure that but if it only takes three to four days to finish If im harvesting the leaves as they yellow in theory I should be able to process a lot in the flue chamber I got a tent that’s 4 feet deep 9 feet long and 7 feet tall well insulated for what it is I can modify it to store more heat but it seems to be able to get up to 200F with a radiant heater on its highest setting so if only 165 is necessary at a three to four day period I think I can possibly make it work. However I’m still unclear as to what humidity levels are necessary if any at all? My previous crops I air cured and had to pile them because they stayed green. I think it’s because I planted indoor then transplant outdoor later but I dunno. This year I started the seed outside in the greenhouse in a tray so I think the transplants I did will mature faster or I hope atleast. The only plants I’ve gotten to start yellowing on the plant were my indoor grown ones
I’ve grown two years so far this will be my third but I also need tobacco stock for fermenting for home made potassium fertilizer. Also dear will stay out of my garden which is a plus I’m just doing this for fun but also seeking advice so I do it decent for a first time bulk with what I have I’m on 5 acres so it’s not like I don’t got the space I’m just uneducated in the subject education in progress lol I gotta just do it to learn it kinda how I am
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ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Here. Study this. It has humidity numbers on it.
No, really. Listen to Bob. Cut it down to a fewer number of plants. I know exactly what I'm doing and 700 plants would be a job from hell.
You are too green. When you ripen and begin to yellow, then I will give you more advice.
If you choose to really delve into everything we have shared with you, and all the threads on curing tobacco and others grow logs and builds in the forum and continue with 700 plants, I wish you all the luck in the world.
No, really. Listen to Bob. Cut it down to a fewer number of plants. I know exactly what I'm doing and 700 plants would be a job from hell.
You are too green. When you ripen and begin to yellow, then I will give you more advice.
If you choose to really delve into everything we have shared with you, and all the threads on curing tobacco and others grow logs and builds in the forum and continue with 700 plants, I wish you all the luck in the world.
I way over packed the mother tray never again cus I feel bad they won’t get planted but these are what’s currently goin on in the greenhouse these I’ll get into there own pots and gift some to friends then in the ground they go but thought y’all might wanna see em
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They are looking nice. That is a lot of plants! I don’t envy your back after setting all those in the patch. Best of luck.
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