Hi, all!
I'm new to BOTL, but happy to find a group of folks that enjoy a good stick as much as myself.
I just got into rolling my own cigars and wanted to show you guys what I've been up to and invite your thoughts. I know the final product looks like dog rockets, but they are my very first and I hope to improve with time.
Here are two kits I purchased from Whole Leaf Tobacco (not nearly enough glue was included)
Cutting board that I fashioned out of a piece of wild cherry that I felled.
Poor-man's cigar mold that I made out of a rough-cut piece of silver maple.
Honduras Cuban-seed wrapper all spread out, and my American "chaveta" (wife was none too happy). Cigar at the bottom is fresh out of the mold, only the binder on it.
My first two cigars! Labels are to tell me what's in the blend so that I can remember after I age them for a while.
I've got a long way to go, but I had a blast doing this!
I was hoping that some of you may be more experienced in rolling your own cigars and might be able to shed some light on the preparation of your tobacco before rolling. I have a few questions that I'll launch out there:
1. How long to you typically let your tobacco rest after fermentation? (I'm also fermenting my own fresh tobacco)
2. What conditions do you find are best? (i.e. does it have to be a certain RH for proper aging to occur or can I just throw the freshly fermented leaves in a dry box for a while?)
3. I got some tobacco from WholeLeaf that smells horribly of ammonia and I'm pretty sure that's what made my experimental cigarello taste like a cigarette. Is there any remedy for this or is this tobacco trash?
Thanks, guys!
I'm new to BOTL, but happy to find a group of folks that enjoy a good stick as much as myself.
I just got into rolling my own cigars and wanted to show you guys what I've been up to and invite your thoughts. I know the final product looks like dog rockets, but they are my very first and I hope to improve with time.
Here are two kits I purchased from Whole Leaf Tobacco (not nearly enough glue was included)
Cutting board that I fashioned out of a piece of wild cherry that I felled.
Poor-man's cigar mold that I made out of a rough-cut piece of silver maple.
Honduras Cuban-seed wrapper all spread out, and my American "chaveta" (wife was none too happy). Cigar at the bottom is fresh out of the mold, only the binder on it.
My first two cigars! Labels are to tell me what's in the blend so that I can remember after I age them for a while.
I've got a long way to go, but I had a blast doing this!
I was hoping that some of you may be more experienced in rolling your own cigars and might be able to shed some light on the preparation of your tobacco before rolling. I have a few questions that I'll launch out there:
1. How long to you typically let your tobacco rest after fermentation? (I'm also fermenting my own fresh tobacco)
2. What conditions do you find are best? (i.e. does it have to be a certain RH for proper aging to occur or can I just throw the freshly fermented leaves in a dry box for a while?)
3. I got some tobacco from WholeLeaf that smells horribly of ammonia and I'm pretty sure that's what made my experimental cigarello taste like a cigarette. Is there any remedy for this or is this tobacco trash?
Thanks, guys!
