I'm pretty sure? maybe, the aroma might be a little different? I do like added texture though.
you've got some straight lines for sure.
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How to Make Cigars
- Thread starter blisscigarco
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you've got some straight lines for sure.
... but you do use both sides of the wrapper leaf... one side rolls to the right, the other side rolls to the left...
Lay the leaf veins up tip toward you. Remove the stem. There you have two wrappers. The one on the right, you roll your bunch with the foot toward the outer edge -- that is, foot right. The one on the left, foot left.
... what am I missing here?
All part of the learning process brother! What's most important is that you're keeping it up and continuing to practice. The more you practice the more things start to "click"
For left and right halves os a leaf.
There must be a purpose to this. I haven't seen anyone do this in person and didn't know about it until you posted it. Willy lightly spritzes the leaf usually the day before, removes the midrib, then keeps the halves flat inside a damp towel. Time to do some experimentsLooks like the rollers at Martinez use the "RaodWarior" method of scroll-rolling wrapper leaf:
What is "scroll-rolling wrapper leaf"?Looks like the rollers at Martinez use the "RaodWarior" method of scroll-rolling wrapper leaf:
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Maybe it's a Dominican thing.
Have you ever seen those sort of pommel horse things that the child laborers are prepping wrapper on in those old-time photos? That system is imparting a similar stretch away from the middle in both directions to the points, I think, while also bending down and away. Maybe it helps break down some fibers in the structure so the leaf can start to lie flat.
The problem for we small-timers is that we're not prepping 80 wrappers at a time, so the radius of our rolls is really small and tight, whereas these big batches give it a more rounded stretch.
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As seen in the photo and described by RaodWarior, rolling them up from end to end like a Tora scroll.
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Funny thing: this description of Tabanero's 48-hour wrapper prep process is exactly how I ended up doing it through trial and error over a year and a half and ~2000 sticks. Except my closet isn't sealed.
WE WET THE WRAPPER AND HANG IT INSIDE OF A SEALED CLOSET FOR 24 HOURS TO REST IN ORDER FOR THE VEINS TO GET THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF HUMIDITY AND FOR THE VEINS TO OPEN UP. OFTEN SMALL FACTORIES MAKE THE MISTAKE OF USING THE WRAPPER TOO SOON AFTER HANGING. THIS CAUSES ISSUES RELATED TO FLAVOR AND CONSTRUCTION. WE COVER THE TOBACCO WITH A PLASTIC BAG TO CONTAIN THE HUMIDITY AT APPROPRIATE LEVELS. THE NEXT DAY THE WRAPPER IS FLATTENED. THE TOBACCO IS RETURNED TO THE CLOSET AND HUNG FOR ANOTHER 24 HOURS. AFTER 48 HOURS THE WRAPPER IS THEN STRIPPED AND BUNCHED INTO 40-50 LEAVES AND THEN GIVEN TO ROLLERS.
WE WET THE WRAPPER AND HANG IT INSIDE OF A SEALED CLOSET FOR 24 HOURS TO REST IN ORDER FOR THE VEINS TO GET THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF HUMIDITY AND FOR THE VEINS TO OPEN UP. OFTEN SMALL FACTORIES MAKE THE MISTAKE OF USING THE WRAPPER TOO SOON AFTER HANGING. THIS CAUSES ISSUES RELATED TO FLAVOR AND CONSTRUCTION. WE COVER THE TOBACCO WITH A PLASTIC BAG TO CONTAIN THE HUMIDITY AT APPROPRIATE LEVELS. THE NEXT DAY THE WRAPPER IS FLATTENED. THE TOBACCO IS RETURNED TO THE CLOSET AND HUNG FOR ANOTHER 24 HOURS. AFTER 48 HOURS THE WRAPPER IS THEN STRIPPED AND BUNCHED INTO 40-50 LEAVES AND THEN GIVEN TO ROLLERS.
Do you think that hanging is important? What's gravity do? Why not just bag them?
Here recently, I'll:
1st day: spritz a half dozen leaves, set them in a ZipLock for a day,
2nd day: de-vein them, stretch out the crunkles best I can, re-spritz them, fold them once, and back in the ZL
3rd day: stretch them out once or twice, back in the ZL
4th day: ready to use
Not religious about it. Most of the work is trying to stretch out the creases. Wish to hell I knew how to make them flatter.
Here recently, I'll:
1st day: spritz a half dozen leaves, set them in a ZipLock for a day,
2nd day: de-vein them, stretch out the crunkles best I can, re-spritz them, fold them once, and back in the ZL
3rd day: stretch them out once or twice, back in the ZL
4th day: ready to use
Not religious about it. Most of the work is trying to stretch out the creases. Wish to hell I knew how to make them flatter.
I'd guess that hanging them allows for aeration on all sides somewhat equal.
To get them flat as possible... (super flat)
If you'll use a non-porous surface (either stainless steel or polished granite) when you wet the leaf (as shown in the video) it will adhere itself to the surface. This allows you to gently stretch the leaf in all directions. The leaf will be as flat as is humanly possible.
I use a modified version of this method by wetting the underside (he does the finished side in the video) of the leaf and sticking it down with the good side UP. Once stretched out I cut the wrapper shape. Then pull the leaf off the board, wipe off any moisture off the surface and lay the leaf, ready to roll, with the good side facing down. I pat off any moisture from the now up-facing, underside of the leaf with a paper towel. I don't like it overly wet. The leaf is perfectly flat and ready to roll.
Check it out...