Tracking blends/construction progression

[Mathaious12]

For those of you who track your blends and progress, what does your tracking system look like?

I would like to start tracking progress, instead of trying to rely on my memory. So far all I have in my spreadsheet is attempt number, blend, grading (for now just construction), and a place for notes. What am I missing, that I may find valuable in the future?

Matt

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

For those of you who track your blends and progress, what does your tracking system look like?

I would like to start tracking progress, instead of trying to rely on my memory. So far all I have in my spreadsheet is attempt number, blend, grading (for now just construction), and a place for notes. What am I missing, that I may find valuable in the future?

Matt

I just put the ingredients and whether it was very good, good, ok, or not good, as well as too strong, or not strong enough. I smoke enough that I have a general idea what each tobacco will taste like, and how strong it will be if it's not too far in one direction, and that memory will only improve over time.

 

[tullius]

What am I missing, that I may find valuable in the future?

The date.

 

[burge]

I just use the leaf method. So many leaves per blend

 

[Mathaious12]

I just use the leaf method. So many leaves per blend

Do you track the characteristics of each leaf or go from memory?

The date.

That is not something I would have thought of, I was thinking maybe how long they aged, but I like that better.

I smoke enough that I have a general idea what each tobacco will taste like, and how strong it will be if it's not too far in one direction, and that memory will only improve over time.

New life goals.

 

[deluxestogie]

Even minimal experience with cigar leaf varieties will demonstrate that it comes in a huge span of sizes, even for the same variety and priming.

Bob

 

[burge]

Do you track the characteristics of each leaf or go from memory?



That is not something I would have thought of, I was thinking maybe how long they aged, but I like that better.



New life goals.

I just track it from memory. I don't think its that hard to do. With the latest lemon I have been smoking it straight up.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Looking in and seeing that

@Mathaious12 is talking about cigars.
@burge is talking about cigarettes.

Am I right?

 

[Mathaious12]

Looking in and seeing that

@Mathaious12 is talking about cigars.
@burge is talking about cigarettes.

Am I right?

Yes, I am talking about cigars.

 

[burge]

Either way it would be the same in making blends as that would go with pipe tobacco etc. Its a process. I would in a case of a cigar would med the flavours . In a case of cigars I would put the filler in a ziplock bag moisten and leave it for a week or more. I would still remember the amount I would use.

 

[tullius]

I would still remember the amount I would use

Not 4 months and 140 cigar blends later or 6 years and 100 pipe blends later. extremely rare someone's memory is that good, and that's only part of why we write things down.

My tracking system for cigars:

roll/attempt #​

date​

filler components & proportions​

binder​

wrapper​

bunch method​

how rolled (hand roll/paper mold/proper mold)​

notes​

The third most important thing I record is the date, which is second on my list. That should say something.

 

[deluxestogie]

In a case of cigars I would put the filler in a ziplock bag moisten and leave it for a week or more.

You would end up with a bag of moldy garbage. I don't mean to be unkind, but I usually try things, before I recommend them.

Bob

 

[burge]

i do that with my tobacco here. When I was buying 5 lb bags and when I first started buying leaf. Now I just leave the pound in the vapour proof bags.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

While in some regards, cigarette tobacco and cigar tobacco knowledge overlaps, cigarette blending and cigar blending are so vastly different, that I would like nobody to comment on cigarette blending anymore in this thread.

 

[Jim D]

For those of you who track your blends and progress, what does your tracking system look like?

I would like to start tracking progress, instead of trying to rely on my memory. So far all I have in my spreadsheet is attempt number, blend, grading (for now just construction), and a place for notes. What am I missing, that I may find valuable in the future?

Matt

I use an old fashioned note pad, flagging the blends I enjoy. Sometimes I put notes on the back as to what I liked about it....

 

[CobGuy]

I just make sure there is plenty of Ligero and it all works out well.

~Darin