Cigars: Processing Tobacco

Why Do Things to Tobacco?

Even after being picked and dried, tobacco is not stable enough to keep for a long time. The next step is to let it ferment. Fermentation is a complicated process, but to make a long story short, we can say that it is a change in the chemical components that happens when oxygen reacts with them.

Fermenting and Getting Old

Fermentation is a natural process in which the chemical parts change in a way that keeps the raw material stable. The process is rather deep and quite fast. When the tobacco has been fermented well, it can be kept for years without getting damaged.

Aging is a slow natural evolution , during which time the tobacco is going to improve its characteristics and to lose its "green" taste. Once the tobacco is mixed into a cigar, it should be aged again so that the different parts of the blend work well together.

Why Ferment Tobacco?

Beyond stabilization and storage capability, fermentation makes the tobacco lose its raw and green taste that nobody would really like.

Who can make tobacco ripen?

If you like gardening, it's easy to grow a few tobacco plants in your backyard. But if you want to process it for smoking, you'll have to ferment it. If you don't, you might not like the taste. To properly ferment your tobacco, you either need a lot of it (hundreds of pounds) to make a big batch for natural processing, or you need expensive equipment for artificial fermentation. We think you should grow petunias, which are pretty tobacco plants with a lot of colorful flowers, and buy cigars to smoke.

How to Let Tobacco Grow?

To process a natural fermentation, tobacco is piled up. The fermentation can start in the middle of the pile because it is heavy and has a natural amount of water. The weather gets warmer. When the right temperature is reached, the pile is broken apart and put back together with the tobacco from the outside going to the inside and vice versa. And this can be done as many times as needed until the whole pile is fermented well. Some heavy tobaccos can need up to six turnings. It takes months for them to turn out right.

Fermenting and Going Bad

When you read that tobacco is fermented, don't be afraid! The tobacco will not go bad! Just stable enough to smoke without making you sick. The original taste is greatly improved by fermentation.

Fermentation, and How Good It Is

Each type of tobacco has its own way of fermenting. The texture of the material and how the tobacco is used afterward are the main things that define the process. The way that light wrappers and strong fillers are fermented is different.

Temperature and Fermentation

Threshed tobacco leaves put in a pile are going to start fermenting, giving out heat. The key to success is being able to control the temperature inside the pile. If the temperature gets too high, the tobacco will be cooked and lose its quality. The best temperature for each type is different. When that point is reached, the pile must be opened to stop heating and a new pile is made with tobacco that has cooled down. The tobaccos on the outside go on the inside, and vice versa. As an example, air-cured dark tobacco can handle temperatures up to about 130oF. And 140oF can be the start of trouble.