when, to start loading the kiln, with hands,

[Chicken]

ive got many leaves that are done colour curing, allthough the mid-rib, isnt totally dried yet,

these leaves im thinking of handing up, and loading the kiln,

at what stage do you usally hand the leaves up, and start the kilning process,???

 

[DrBob]

I cure as needed. The longer your tobacco can hang the better. A curing chamber is just a method of speeding up the aging process. When I first started growing tobacco I was in a hurry to get the tobacco into a smokable state so I started curing as soon as the leaves were color cured, usually a month after harvest. Curing at 120 degrees and 75% humidity for 28 days mellowed it out pretty good.
Now I have lots of tobacco hanging, some 2010 crop and all of the 2011 crop is still hanging in the barn. I have found that the year old tobacco only needs a week to mellow it out.

 

[Boboro]

I use the kiln to dry the midrib with no water in it.

 

[Chicken]

well. i was forced to load the kiln earlier, than i wanted due to the rain for 50+ days straight,


and i thought my kiln was too big, but looks like it held my first pickings very well,

i have all of it in there,

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By chickenhawk434 at 2012-08-05
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By chickenhawk434 at 2012-08-05
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By chickenhawk434 at 2012-08-05
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By chickenhawk434 at 2012-08-05
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By chickenhawk434 at 2012-08-05


let the slow cooking begin,

 

[Tom_in_TN]

50+ days of rain? You might need an ark before needing another baccy shed, just sayin'. With all the rain you've been getting it seems you are doing the right thing to get your leaf kilned as soon as possible, or as Boboro pointed out, it can be used to dry leaf down. That would keep any chance of mold at bay.

 

[Chicken]

i'll crap you not, ive been keeping track...

everyday,, after tropical storm beryyl, we have had showers, sometimes heavy, sometimes not,

BUT EVERY DAY we have had rain//

heres my pile of mush, i had to pull. allthough i didnt loose many leaves to mildew, if left unchecked, i'd have lost all of it

>

By chickenhawk434 at 2012-08-05