Turning Connecticut Broadleaf to chew

[Rock Knocker]

I am a first time grower and things went well this summer, I've got some great looking Connecticut broadleaf getting ready for harvest. I want to turn it into chew, I have already picked some yellowing leaves from the bottom and messed around with hanging them in different spots, kind of just watching and learning what this stuff does.

What should be my first step? Well, harvest obviously, should I let them start to yellow on the plant then harvest whole and cure, or start harvesting now for some type of fermentation. The leaves are huge, green, sticky, and starting to develope more character to the leaf (not as flat and smooth) right now.

 

[Gabeb123]

I would wait untill the whole plant starts to mature and harvest the whole plant. Since it's for chew it shouldn't be a big deal if some of the leaf gets a little holey.

It will be interesting to hear how the chew turns out since CT broadleaf is traditionally for cigars. My favorite cigars usually use it as the wrapper so I could see it being yummy.

Have you thought about trying to fire cure some of it?

 

[Rock Knocker]

I have thought about fire curing. I heat everything with wood anyways, I was wondering if I could divert some of the chimney into a small chamber, but maybe chimney smoke is not what I'm looking for... ether way I've got enough space and raw material to complete most backwoods projects, time is what I'm missing, I'm working a couple jobs and trying to keep my large first time veggie gardening alive in this drought, and can everything for winter.

 

[billy]

have you tried the different kinds before? before any of my first plants were ready i ordered air cure and fire cure and personally i find fire cured just feels like you Lick'd the black goop inside your chimney and it overwhelms taste and smell senses. its not like any chew ive ever seen. but were kinda on the same path. heres my broadleafs i just harvested after the admin said they look ready

but after that youd color cure and ferment or age. im learning beside you so im not in the best position for teaching those. but original question depends on what chew means to you. for me easiest way i found to get something "chewable" is to take air cure and follow snus methods on here like under forums / smokeless tobacco / squeezyjohn's snus recipe near the top. if you mean chew like redman ive never tried making anything like that yet

 

[Rock Knocker]

Well, I'm about to start the process. I'm ordering some glycerin now and looking into how to do the sodium carbonate thing. I'm also looking for flavor options, I'm not an anise/licorice fan. I was planning on the pressure cooker method, I've got a bunch of half pint jars. I'm still looking for any pointers or tricks, flavoring also, I was thinking molasses or maple syrup, maybe brandy cooked down or brandy syrup...

 

[Rock Knocker]

Maybe I'm not understanding the licorice root powder. Is it for flavor or sweetener?

 

[billy]

so far from using my plants as chew. after they are cured and kiln'd. i found the fastest way is to put the leaves back in the kiln with no humidity source so they get real crunchy. then i crunch them up in a carboard box. then blend, i just pick out large stem pieces while loading it, feel like thats faster than de-steming everything at the beginning. after that screen to a uniform size and to remove stem pieces. i use a wire mesh food strainer which gives fine cut size. or you could have a larger size screen

sodium carbonate is just baked baking soda if you dont wanna buy anything special. i bake on glass something like 400f 30min. i think it can react with some metals or maybe thats only if its wet, but i do it on glass to be safe.

im assuming you've read the making process already so i wont give redundant info. but i havent played with flavors as im scared ill end up with jars i dont wanna use. so for me its just basic tobacco, water, salt, sodium carbonate, glycerine.

 

[wruk53]

Maybe I'm not understanding the licorice root powder. Is it for flavor or sweetener?

I use the mulethi powder (Licorice root) in my Snus, it provides sweetness only. It does not taste like licorice candy.

 

[Rock Knocker]

Great, I've got some glycerin and licorice root powder on the way and I will cook up some sodium carbonate.

Billy, it's good to hear about the drying and smashing method that is currently my best option, after seeing how much grinding others were doing with multiple machine I thought I might be in trouble. Some of my tobacco is sitting in front of my mersalicely dry wood heat exhaust and its crumbling dry already.

I nearly ordered a tobacco shredder but the smallest I could find was 0.8mm cut. For that size I could moisten the tobacco and roll some real fat and sloppy cigars and then slice it thin as possible with a razor sharp chef's knife, that's the method I used for some i rolled into cigarettes and it worked great.

Maybe I will try both, smash and powder dry tobacco and roll and slice thin.

 

[billy]

might even be a combo of both that works if you want something that pinches well. blended/screened tobacco for bulk and shredded mixed in to give it sorta tensile strength. thats something i havent tried yet as im mostly happy with fine cut size. and note tobacco particles look and feel much smaller when dry. my stuff dry in a bowl seems like powder until wet then it feels like Copenhagen fine cut in texture

 

[Rock Knocker]

Good idea with the mixture. And I was curious about the end size of particles. I was more curious if I was to roll big cigars to slice, would I get a finer end cut by slicing moist tobacco or slicing dry cigars, I figured it would swell with moisture. I will crush and smash dry and roll and slice wet.

 

[Knucklehead]

Great, I've got some glycerin and licorice root powder on the way and I will cook up some sodium carbonate.

Billy, it's good to hear about the drying and smashing method that is currently my best option, after seeing how much grinding others were doing with multiple machine I thought I might be in trouble. Some of my tobacco is sitting in front of my mersalicely dry wood heat exhaust and its crumbling dry already.

I nearly ordered a tobacco shredder but the smallest I could find was 0.8mm cut. For that size I could moisten the tobacco and roll some real fat and sloppy cigars and then slice it thin as possible with a razor sharp chef's knife, that's the method I used for some i rolled into cigarettes and it worked great.

Maybe I will try both, smash and powder dry tobacco and roll and slice thin.

Another option for the cigarettes is Skychaser‘s 1/4” flakes. I haven’t tried that, but would give it a go if I didn’t already have a shredder. He provides further info if you scroll down.

Polish G120, other shredders and gadgets

I have had my Powermatic since 2015. Can't get it to stay continuously on but it still shreds. I am not mechanically inclined so do not wat to take it apart could simply be something in the contact switch so in 4 years may have gone through 10 pounds a year. In order to get to work I have to...

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[Rock Knocker]

The dry and smash through a steel screen worked great, I didnt even bother with going for a longer cut. I cooked up a small batch, almost 2 Copenhagen tins, but my licorice root and glycerin were slow to ship and still havent arrived.

For the tiny batch I poured a little baking soda on the bottom of a hot dry cast iron pan and cooked it for a while, sorry no measurements, I cook like grandma. Then I tossed in the tobacco while misting with water heavily to prevent burning, then I added a bit of canning salt and blackstrap molasses.

It was just about the nicotine strength of store bough cope but i think i went light with alkalizer, the texture was much more mushy but it was a bit of a nice change though a little messy and it certainly decides when it's getting spit out. I saved everything that wouldnt go through the strainer, i have a good sized stone mortar and pestal I was going to run the stems through a d hope for a little more body to the chew.

Overall I'm happy, the tobacco was a bit dirty, the chew is a bit dirty I dont mind a whole lot.