The Knucklehead way to Grow a Blog

[Knucklehead]

I was also using hangers this year and I though it was my idea, but probably people using it from earlier. My first flue cured Virginia was on the hangers. It's nice to see sun after a while.

Great minds think alike. Did you flue cure your Virginias or sun cure? I'm enjoying this sunshine while it's here. The temperatures are starting to fall. I've been working on getting my food plots ready for deer season. Venison burgers, tenderloin and biscuit, deer chili,....

 

[AmaxB]

I don't know much about curing this way, so I can't say to much (likely a good thing). I am finding it very interesting, your leaf looks great, and love the hanger Idea...

 

[chillardbee]

I didn't do any sun cured this year but last year I did both sun air cured. I only had Del gold on the last year too and that might of made the difference and explain why I didn't get the taste I was looking for. Comparatively, I like the taste of the air cured more this year but I've also blended it and processed it differently than last year. I had more leaf cure brighter air cured under my porch roof then I did sun cured last year. I also had leaf cure to a reddish colour when it was sun cured, more from where the leaves were touching. Thus far I have to say the air cured for my full flavoured baccy is my preference.

 

[workhorse_01]

I'm only sun curing my Bafra.

 

[Knucklehead]

Harvest time is the best time.

 

[springheal]

Harvest time is the best time.

Too true my friend.

The way things are going for me, I will be harvesting a little earlier than expected. Three days of very strong winds (some leaf stripped away), now good rain which is needed after all the drying wind. But growing progress is going very well.

 

[Knucklehead]

Too true my friend.

The way things are going for me, I will be harvesting a little earlier than expected. Three days of very strong winds (some leaf stripped away), now good rain which is needed after all the drying wind. But growing progress is going very well.

I'm glad to hear they're recovering nicely. Good luck on your season, I'll be following along.

 

[Knucklehead]

Updates. I've harvested the last of my TN90 Burley. I would have liked to let it go a little longer, but the temps are dropping rapidly. Oct. 31 my average frost dates data shows a 20% chance of a 32F frost. I'm already running the shop heater at night. I'm bunching my tobacco to cure due to dropping average humidity.



Cigar varieties. All my cigar varieties are going from green straight to brown and most end up with a greenish gray back. I'm hoping that aging will remedy this.



Everything is harvested except the rest of my flue cure varieties. I'm yellowing them in the shop and then moving them outside for sun curing. So far so good.





Drying seed in the sun.



My grow out patch.



Side View.

 

[springheal]

You've certainly got the right idea bunching due to the humidity dropping. I'm sure many have made the mistake of not allowing for the humidity.


To think of it, you've had a hellish of a growing season but come out fine in the end as I'm sure I will in the end.

Wish I had some spare wire coat hangers! It's a great idea.

Gee you're going to have a huge stock pile of seed matey.

 

[Knucklehead]

Gee you're going to have a huge stock pile of seed matey.

I hope to share a few with some Islanders. You guys seem to be a little short variety wise.

Have any of you guys talked to Webby, Kaneo or Colin lately? It's getting about time for them to surface for our winter entertainment.

 

[Knucklehead]

Hey guys, how critical is it to get the seed bags in before frost?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I don't know because I've always brought in my seed before a frost. I would venture a guess that if your seed head was fairly mature you'd probably be ok.

 

[Knucklehead]

I don't know because I've always brought in my seed before a frost. I would venture a guess that if your seed head was fairly mature you'd probably be ok.

Thanks Seed Man Ran! Some are more mature than others, and I'd like to give them as much time as possible. If necessary, I'll stalk harvest and hang.

 

[Knucklehead]

This is a picture of the first priming of some of my Flue Cure varieties that were sun cured. I have them in the basement to finish up the stem drying. The Flue Cure classification is awfully confusing since they can successfully be air cured, flue cured, fire cured or sun cured.



A shot of some Burley I'm stem drying in the basement to make way for a fresh priming in the shop. Once fully dry, I'll move the bags outside at night to bring them into case so I can store them in Don's vapor proof bags. I'm finding all kinds of uses for used seed bags this year.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I'll bet your wife just loves having tobacco bags all over the house. I would wait several months before putting your tobacco into vapor proof bags. I think your tobacco needs to age for a few months and part of that aging process is allowing your tobacco to "breathe"

 

[AmaxB]

Hey Knucks that all looks real good
Nice Job curing it

 

[Knucklehead]

Hey Knucks that all looks real good View attachment 8151
Nice Job curing it

Thanks Brent. The sun curing is going pretty well. It takes a run or two to really get a feel for regulating the weather to achieve the proper temperature and humidity. Heat ramping is accomplished from morning to 2 pm.

 

[Boboro]

Yall getting a frost knuck? Yhe bag shoud keep froust off. But if you got a bunch of brown pods just get rid of the green ones.

 

[DGBAMA]

Looks good buddy. I have started bringing seed heads in when a few of the pods are brown and all the flowers are gone. stalk cutting with just afew top leaves and hanging them.I

 

[jekylnz]

Looks tasty knucks..well done on the colour hold.sun cure..I think thats the way to go when you haven't got a flash flue to do it in..you've cracked it