The Blend I Wasn't Going To Assemble

[RSteve]

I told myself that I was done putting blends together, then Haebar posted all his blending tobacco for sale and I couldn't resist just one more blend. I did purchase some other components elsewhere to finish the blend. Tomorrow, most will go in noodle presses.
Leaf only perique 4.5 oz 8.3%
Habano cigar leaf 3 oz 5.5%
Blending Izmir 2 oz 3.8%
Blending Smyrna 2 oz 3.8%
Blending Turkish 2 oz 3.8%
Sutliff 515 RC-1 6.5 oz 12%
P.S. 310 latakia 20.5 oz 38%
KY dark fired 4.5 oz 8.3%
Sutliff black natural 5 oz 9%
Sutliff Green River Black Cavendish 4 oz 7.5%

I can't believe it. It actually adds up to 100%.

 

[DoverPipes]

@RSteve
I guess you and I were thinking the same thing.
I grabbed, at last count, more than twenty pounds of tobacco for blending from Haebar.
It was just too tempting not to grab all that I could!
Now, what the hell am I going to blend????????

 

[RSteve]

Now, what the hell am I going to blend????????

If you are boring as I am, you'll just assemble another Balkan/English blend very close in composition to every other blend you smoke.

 

[Timbo]

That sounds delish Steve, you've got my mouth watering.

 

[Blackhorse]

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[RSteve]

Let us know how it turns out.

48 oz is in noodle presses being progressively compacted until Saturday, when the roll cakes will be removed, wrapped in food grade plastic wrap, labeled, placed in zip locks and put to rest in a cooler until I sample one in about three months. I have hand pressed and canned 5 oz and one oz, I'm smoking now. As you might expect, it's latakia forward, but not overpowering. I think the latakia in this batch has a much less overpowering smokiness and the green river cavendish adds a sweetness. It could be my imagination, but I think the aged Cuban cigar leaf added a unique flavor. I actually wish I'd sacrificed a couple more of the cigars to the blend.

 

[Timbo]

I like an English blend with some cigar in it, it adds a nicely rounded bass note to the smoke.

 

[RSteve]

I spent a couple of hours this morning, tentatively sourcing the components for another, albeit similar blend. Then, thankfully, I reminded myself that I am the poster boy for OCD.
Damn, it was close, though.
I have to keep reminding myself that it won't be too many years that out of necessity, I'll be living in a no smoking condo or apartment.

I like an English blend with some cigar in it, it adds a nicely rounded bass note to the smoke.

Bass note, an absolutely spot on description.

 

[Niblick]

@RSteve
I guess you and I were thinking the same thing.
I grabbed, at last count, more than twenty pounds of tobacco for blending from Haebar.
It was just too tempting not to grab all that I could!
Now, what the hell am I going to blend????????

It doesn't take a crystal ball to see a Noodle Press on the horizon for you

20 pounds times 16 oz = 320 oz
4 oz. in the press for a week should keep you busy for a couple of years.

 

[RSteve]

20 pounds times 16 oz = 320 oz
4 oz. in the press for a week should keep you busy for a couple of years.

320 divided by 4.8 = 67 noodle press roll cakes
10 noodle presses = 7 weeks

 

[RSteve]

This appears to be the cheapest price you'll find on the noodle press.

 

[RSteve]

Once all my blends are pressed and tucked away for storage, I'll be deep sixing all my noodle presses. By May 1, I hope to be done. I'm pressing about 3 lbs. per week. This is more about shrinking storage than changing a flavor profile.

 

[Timbo]

I don't think of it changing the flavour profile so much as more of melding the flavours together better. Much like when you make a curry or stew it can be delicious straight away, but left to brew in the fridge for a few days the flavours have all had a chance to get to know each other and the dish is even better.

 

[RSteve]

I don't think of it changing the flavour profile so much as more of melding the flavours together better.

I do think that after a hard press and some aging, the blend tends to get very smooth to be less latakia dominant.

 

[DoverPipes]

My friend bought a heavy duty, commercial vacuum sealer and he uses it for storing in heavy mylar bags. He was running out of space, due to all the jars, and decided that this was the way to go. We sampled some Georgetown Tobacco Shop's "Councilman" ( Tobacco Reviews | Georgetown Tobacco - Councilman ) that had been vac sealed in mylar for almost a year. The tobacco completely changed! The flavor was amplified and the sweetness was much pronounced. With very heavy English blends, the results are not as dramatic, but are still positive.

 

[RSteve]

We sampled some Georgetown Tobacco Shop's "Councilman" ( Tobacco Reviews | Georgetown Tobacco - Councilman ) that had been vac sealed in mylar for almost a year. The tobacco completely changed! The flavor was amplified and the sweetness was much pronounced. With very heavy English blends, the results are not as dramatic, but are still positive.

I have many cans of my English blends that I hand pressed, and pounded into cans, then resealed. Some are many years old. I am always amazed at how they have changed with compression and aging. The noodle presses are creating a much firmer press and I'll be eager to see how they smoke in a few months.

 

[RSteve]

Noodle press

This item is out of stock.
​

 

[RSteve]

I found another source for $10.00.

 

[tkaraca]

48 oz is in noodle presses being progressively compacted until Saturday, when the roll cakes will be removed, wrapped in food grade plastic wrap, labeled, placed in zip locks and put to rest in a cooler until I sample one in about three months. I have hand pressed and canned 5 oz and one oz, I'm smoking now. As you might expect, it's latakia forward, but not overpowering. I think the latakia in this batch has a much less overpowering smokiness and the green river cavendish adds a sweetness. It could be my imagination, but I think the aged Cuban cigar leaf added a unique flavor. I actually wish I'd sacrificed a couple more of the cigars to the blend.

Must be a hell of a noodle press, 48 oz wow

 

[user 2027]

Must be a hell of a noodle press, 48 oz wow

Going to say, noodle press is great for 50g, 3" PVC for 100g and 3x3 steel tube for 200g. So is this noodle press 9" in diameter?