Tobacco Press

[Northern Light Up]

I am planning a tobacco press project.
I've read a ton on the internet. As usual, there is a million different methods. I hear about tobacco being pressed for a month under tremendous pressure, in a hydraulic press. And then I read if you press it too long, it forms an uncuttable solid block.

I am going to build a wooden box to press the baccy. Inside diameter will be 3" x 5".

How much pressure should be applied per square inch? I've read 50 psi is ideal. 15 square inches x 50 is 750 pounds. Sound reasonable?

How long should the press be applied?

How wet should the baccy be? What case?

Once pressed, do you dry the plug out?

Does the baccy ferment while pressed? Should you use aged or kilned tobacco, or is the press a type of fermenting?

If I can get a finished product worth mentioning, I will post instructions once I have a working process.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

MacBaren uses 443psi in their process. I've never measured mine but it is nowhere near that.
I usually press for a few days
The moisture level of your tobacco can only be determined by you- trial and error.
Once I take my plug out it is not so wet as to be needing any drying time
I only used kilned tobacco. I do not think un-aged tobacco would taste very good.

I made a screw press that fits in my kiln so I can press at elevated temp and humidity levels.

 

[deluxestogie]

What sort of finished product are you hoping for?

Bob

 

[Northern Light Up]

Not quite sure how to answer that.
I see nice lookin blocks that look like candy. Just want a smooth smokable pipe baccy. Doesn't have to be too exotic, but it could be.

I've got lots of Havana, Calm Brun, and Canadian Virginia.

I'd love to be able to visit friends and pull out some special smoke for everyone to dig into. That's about it. Just likin' the learning process right now.

 

[DGBAMA]

I am not a pipe smoker, so take this with a grain of salt..... Consider making blocks of each single variety, plus making some into Cavendish and perique, then blending to taste. Would create a lot of blending possibilities, without the worry of committing a good amount of baccy to a blend that you don't like.

 

[DonH]

I am not a pipe smoker, so take this with a grain of salt..... Consider making blocks of each single variety, plus making some into Cavendish and perique, then blending to taste. Would create a lot of blending possibilities, without the worry of committing a good amount of baccy to a blend that you don't like.

But there's a reason to blend before pressing. It mixes the flavors of the different varieties together nicely. It looks cool, too, when you slice flakes and you see dark stripes for Latakia and light stripes for Virginia... Hmm, time to start making pipe tobacco again.

 

[Northern Light Up]

I had a thought. I could purchase some latakia to add to my mixtures. What kind of percentage would I need to add some spice?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I had a thought. I could purchase some latakia to add to my mixtures. What kind of percentage would I need to add some spice?

Ask a hundred people and you'll get a hundred and one different answers. Me personally, I like about 40% Latakia in my blend. Some may consider this a lot. Start out by blending small 50 gram batches and smoke them. Once you find a blend you like you can make your plug.

 

[Jack in NB]

Hello North -

My brick press is about the same size as yours. Holds 30 big leaves, 100 or so small ones. I use 5 C clamps, gives me an estimated 50 - 75 psi pressure. Overnight, or a full day gives good results. After removal, I stack the bricks between boards (with poly plastic separators) and clamp again until I get around to shredding.

Shredding at about .050 works great for my pipe.

I think the tobacco cures further as it remains in the moist bricks - possibly a start on the perique process?

Some pix and more info in the gallery on the HTGT forum here:


http://www.howtogrowtobacco.com/forum/cpg14x/index.php?cat=10155