TEK - how to properly grow, dry & ferment tobacco (need help!)

[0utrider]

Hi

swim is growing tobacco and now he wonders how he can properly dry/ferment it in order to get real and good tobacco.. any other ideas ideas?

old hippie 56 helped me finding this tek which i will post here but the curing / drying process seems a little unclear.. however, maybe its of use for others as well

http://www.victoryseeds.com/tobacco/...ltivation.html

Pictorial of a Growing Cycle It starts with seeds. Seeds are sprinkled onto the surface of a sterile seed starting mix and watered in. Tiny seedlings emerge in about 10 days. Early July. This is actually about where the plants should be in early June. Early August. Again, about a month behind the optimum stage. Flower heads are bagged for seed production. They are covered before the flowers open in order to maintain purity of the variety. For production of leaf, however, the plants are topped and later suckered as required. Early September. Note the plants are beginning to ripen (yellow). This is intended and desired for proper curing. There are some "dark leaf" varieties that cure from green to brown but TN86 cures from green to yellow to brown. Cut, wilted, and ready to stick. That is, using a tobacco spear on the end of a "tobacco stick" that has been driven into the ground, the stalks are pierces and threaded onto the stick. The sticks are then gathered and moved to the tobacco barns. For personal use scales of growing, tying twine onto the stalk works just fine. Here is a stick ready for the barn. Other areas out of inclement weather and direct sunlight will work fine as well. For example, the raters of a carport or garage. Air curing in the barn. The warm days and cool nights of early fall are perfect conditions for curing tobacco leaf. At one week, yellow colors begin to change to varying shades of brown. At eight weeks the air curing process is nearly complete. Tobacco Spear (aka Spud)
Courtesy David Pendergrass

After the tobacco has cured for a period from several months to several years, it is then fermented and processed in many different ways. Most of these methods are proprietary and highly guarded secrets of the cigar masters. These processes are the reason why various tobacco products have such distinct aromas and flavors.

These are an example of amateur, homegrown and home rolled cigars. They represent a first, second, and third attempt after doing nothing more than researching and reading how it is done. Some of the informative informational links are found by clicking here. The antique mold below was used to put the finish form on the bundle. These were created using long leaf fillers - not shredded and pressed like machine manufactured (cheap) products.

Opposite Edge View

Edge View

Inside View
Finished Robusto Shaped Cigars
Size: 50 ring X 5 inches

[Beeker]

I'd point to this thread just 5 down but it seems some people are just obsessed with plants you can smoke - which is cool! I wish you luck!

... but I can't help you. I would assume with all the people in the world who smoke that there has to be a dedicated Tobacco cultivation / curing forum out there somewhere.

[0utrider]

well there might be but swim is not really a smoker he just does it cuz he wants to understand how its been done.
whats the differents between half fermented/yellow-brownish and fully fermented/brown tobacco?
he thinks even if the tobacco will be too harsh to smoke (or even if not) he will water cure it in order to get a very mild tobacco thats - health wise - better than any commercial tobacco, even though prolly worse tasting. he doesnt care since he just needs it for mixing with cannabis