Home Stoving Virginas

[Kapnismologist]

Dear All,

Has anyone here tried their hand at 'home stoving' virginias? If so, how do you do it exactly and what would be your best recommendations for method(s) using what is normally found around the house or garage? I am thinking here of stoving some bulk virginia flake which has not shown much in the bowl as it stands. Thanks!

K

 

[Natch]

In the summer, I've thrown a tin or two on the dashboard for a month or more. If they don't explode, they'll sure cook (here in Arkieland, at least!). It's made some Mc Baren Va #1 smokable in rather short order.

Natch

 

[ftrplt]

We had a pretty healthy thread on this subject over on the old Knox site. Generally most folks just let the sun do its thing with the tobacco! I put mine out early in the morning in full sun and just let it "cook." Usually after 7-10 days, I set it inside in the dark for a few days. Seems to work!!! :cheers: ipe: FTRPLT

 

[hazmat]

WHAT YOU NEED: Can of tuna(empty preferred, see below), clamps(c-clamps suggested, use what ya got), 'baccy, stove

Open a can of tuna and empty it. Retain the lid.

Turn the tuna into tuna salad, make a samich. Enjoy.

Whilst eating the samich, clean the hell out of the can and lid. Soap and water work well, but if you want to be extra-sure, run it through the dishwasher or hit it with a light bleach solution.

Line the can with parchment paper; cut a circle each for top and bottom and a strip wide enough to wrap around the interior diameter of the can.

Bottom circle in, inner strip in, then pack the can with the 'baccy of your choice. Put the top circle on, add the lid, then clamp *sorta* tight. You want to compress it, but you don't want to turn it into a 'baccy puck.

Fire up the oven to "warm" or whatever your lowest setting is. Pop "tobacco press" into oven on a piece of foil or baking pan(get your significant other's permission or things could get ugly). You might want to play around with the temps if you do this more than once, but "warm" seems to do alright on my stove. YMMV.

Allow to stove for as long as you think necessary. I've done 8 and 12 hours with MacBaren #1 and it turned out alright. You can control humidity a tad by leaving the door to the oven open for a stretch here and there OR by directly spraying water onto the contraption and closing the door. Just keep an eye on it and you'll be alright.

DISCLAIMER: I've only ever done this 2 times, so I'm no expert. But my kitchen isn't burned down and I smoked all the tobacco I stoved and haven't turned into a newt yet, so it's pretty safe.

 

[puros_bran]

I take a pinch and put it in a large bowl, I take another pinch and put it the bowl packing it a bit, finally I take a last pinch and place it in the bowl and give it a firm push with my thumbs. Now that I have the tobacco ready for stoving I place a mouth piece attached to the bowl to my lips and place fire over the tobacco in the bowl. I then procede to puff until the tobacco is stoved.

Of course I'm being a smart arse but I just don't see why people feel the need to bake,cook,or otherwise mess with the end product. Most blenders put a lot of time into getting their stuff just right.. Then they raise nine levels of hades with the manufactorers to ensure it leaves there as intended. Then we as end users want to doodle with it? I don't get it.

 

[hazmat]

I take a pinch and put it in a large bowl, I take another pinch and put it the bowl packing it a bit, finally I take a last pinch and place it in the bowl and give it a firm push with my thumbs. Now that I have the tobacco ready for stoving I place a mouth piece attached to the bowl to my lips and place fire over the tobacco in the bowl. I then procede to puff until the tobacco is stoved.

Of course I'm being a smart arse but I just don't see why people feel the need to bake,cook,or otherwise mess with the end product. Most blenders put a lot of time into getting their stuff just right.. Then they raise nine levels of hades with the manufactorers to ensure it leaves there as intended. Then we as end users want to doodle with it? I don't get it.

When the end product is something that doesn't appeal to you, yet you have a bunch of it, then it's experimentation time, IMHO. That's why I stoved some of the Mac #1. The rest of it, I put up to age. Otherwise, my mouth caught on fire just thinking about lighting the pipe!

 

[puros_bran]

If my understanding is correct, isn't stoving just a cheat to try to replicate aging? Why not just age it?

 

[Doc Manhattan]

If my understanding is correct, isn't stoving just a cheat to try to replicate aging? Why not just age it?

Sometimes, you just can't wait 2+ years to fully enjoy a matured version of what you have on hand. (I learned that dating in high school.)

 

[puros_bran]

Doc that puts a whole new meaning into 'change of pace blend'

 

[Justpipes]

Why don't you just smoke Walnut? It is perfect right off the retail shelf!

 

[bronxbill]

Never miss a chance do you Mark?

 

[Kapnismologist]

Thanks much for all the advice. I will give the 'clamped tuna can' method a try. By the way, on the issue of why stove in the first place rather than wait, etc. - in this case the issue is what to do with a pound of boring, lackluster VA flake (no name, in bulk from a BM 'tobacco bar' jar) for which it is either this or becoming a rather expensive dressing for the garden next spring. I will be sure to report back on the results of this experiment in due time.

 

[Justpipes]

Never miss a chance do you Mark?

Absolutely not Bill!

They scary thing is, I actually believe it! :lol:

 

[Slow Puffs]

I posed the question in a Knox thread to GLP and he said he'd answer it... heating tins in the sunlight on the car dash... surprisingly it ended up on his Briar and Leaf Chronicles...

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=39#more-39

 

[puros_bran]

Hey JP.....

The folks in Jonesboro actually thought that Kool-aid was good for 'em too.

 

[thomas james]

Fill mason jars with "green" stuff. Let them sit out in the sun a few days/weeks. Fully retains all of the moisture juices etc. My brother cures his peppers by hanging them in a closet that has his water heater in it.

The mason jar thing works even indoors if it is placed on a southern facing window sill; even during the winter time. They can get quite warm. Interesting to observe water forming on the glass then recycling into the tobacco overnight. Advantage over other methods is there is no drying out of the tobacco and no lids popping off. If you want to go scientific; wrap the jars in black construction paper. Even more high tech; wrap the jars in black emery paper, it increases the surface area and traps more sunlight.

I transfer all tobacco to mason jars after opening a tin. The jars are then placed on the end of my desk. During this time of the year they get southern window light all day. Sweetens everything up. I can see water condensing on the insides of the jars during the day and "going" back into the tobacco in late afternoon.

Another method is the "fireplace" method. Open a tub of Walnut and dump the contents into the fireplace. Replace the Walnut with something else.

Also, try the gas pressure method. Send your tins to pb and let him take them on the road with him.

 

[docwatson]

Way too funny. I've tried a couple of those methods also. I really enjoy watching the mold grow on the baccy after the sweating process. :lol!: :lol!: :lol!:

 

[Anonymous]

Try the 220 method...220 degrees for 2 hours and 20 minutes...you can even stove tinned tobaccos right in the original tin as long as there's no plastic or paper inside it...just take off the plastic lid and seal the tin with aluminum foil, several layers to get a good seal and stove away...

 

[Kapnismologist]

I posed the question in a Knox thread to GLP and he said he'd answer it... heating tins in the sunlight on the car dash... surprisingly it ended up on his Briar and Leaf Chronicles...

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=39#more-39

Great. Thanks! And here is his comment on the exact matter which started this thread in the first place:

"This is not to say that heating tobacco is always a bad thing. Home stoving of straight virginias can, for instance, transform a monodimensional tobacco into something much more interesting."

Can't wait to give it a try. We'll see if that boring VA flake I have can be turned around...

 

[JohnnyO]

I posed the question in a Knox thread to GLP and he said he'd answer it... heating tins in the sunlight on the car dash... surprisingly it ended up on his Briar and Leaf Chronicles...

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=39#more-39

good article, I believe home stoving is alright for tobacco that will be smoked quite quickly...my only experience didn't leave me with better tasting tobacco, and as for Greg's article, I wouldn't look to any long term storage of home stoved tobaccos