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Cigars/Fermentation & Aging

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Expert: - 5/8/2011


Question
When tobacco leafs are fermented is there an optimum place, humidity, or temperature to do this at? I know that the internal temperature must be monitored close. Also when aging the tobacco in the "hogshead" where should that be done at home, what temperatures, humidity?

Answer
Hi Vince,

Once harvested, the tobacco leaves must be hung (usually in pairs) and air-cured for 50 days (25 days for shade-grown tobacco) in an enclosed room (usually a barn) with a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit.  After this, the tobacco needs to be stacked in large trapezoidal-shaped mounds and fermented in an dark, enclosed shed or barn.  Like a garden compost, the internal temperature of the tobacco mound will naturally increase from compression so monitor it closely.  Do not let the temperature exceed 150 degrees Fahrenheit.  If the temperature gets too hot, rotate the tobacco by placing the top and outside layers of tobacco on the bottom and the bottom layers on top.  Next, collect and thoroughly moisten all the leaves with distilled water to make them pliable and strip the center veins before Stage 2 re-fermenting.  If you choose to do a Stage 3 fermentation, rotate the tobacco first.

For aging, pack the fermented tobacco into tight, square bales (in Cuba, the sun-grown tobacco is wrapped in "hessian bales" and the shade-grown tobacco is wrapped in Yagua-fiber bales) and aged in warehouses.  Aging is done at normal temperature and humidity so you can do it in your garage or shed.

When the tobacco is finally ready for production, be sure to thoroughly re-moisten them with distilled water to make them pliable for rolling.

I hope this helps!  

Regards,
James

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James Yee

Expertise

My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".

Experience

I currently have 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.

Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)


Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto

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