Storage of leaf

[Bruce T.]

I another post StogieJim was asking about how to store leaf between rolling sessions. For those of us living in cold climates where our houses are heated in the winter, the RH in the house is usually around 30%. It can be difficult to keep full leaves even close to a proper RH for rolling. Since it is often weeks between my rolling sessions this is the method I use.
I strip out any veins and cut all my leaves in half. I lay them out into stacks so that they can be separated after they dry and become brittle. If they are not carefully laid out then they can't be separated. I then get a cardboard box large enough for the leaves to lay flat and I store them and let them dry out. I have some leaf that has been in storage for a few years, since I got away from rolling for a while and just recently started again (photos soon).
When it is time to use them I gently take what I need the night before and spray them with distilled water. I then carefully place them in a clean plastic garbage bag to sit overnight to rehydrate. The next day they are ready to go. I may need to give another spritz to the wrapper or binder when I start my rolling. If the leaves are a bit too damp then I lay them out and the dry air in my house will dry them up in about an hour.
My only concern with this system is that I know if a cigar is left to completely dry out then it cannot be brought back to its original glory. I wonder if that is true with the leaf. I have never noticed a problem but then again, my cigars may be much better if I didn't let me leaf dry out.
Opinions welcome.

 

[webmost]

I another post StogieJim was asking about how to store leaf between rolling sessions. For those of us living in cold climates where our houses are heated in the winter, the RH in the house is usually around 30%. It can be difficult to keep full leaves even close to a proper RH for rolling. Since it is often weeks between my rolling sessions this is the method I use.
I strip out any veins and cut all my leaves in half. I lay them out into stacks so that they can be separated after they dry and become brittle. If they are not carefully laid out then they can't be separated. I then get a cardboard box large enough for the leaves to lay flat and I store them and let them dry out. I have some leaf that has been in storage for a few years, since I got away from rolling for a while and just recently started again (photos soon).
When it is time to use them I gently take what I need the night before and spray them with distilled water. I then carefully place them in a clean plastic garbage bag to sit overnight to rehydrate. The next day they are ready to go. I may need to give another spritz to the wrapper or binder when I start my rolling. If the leaves are a bit too damp then I lay them out and the dry air in my house will dry them up in about an hour.
My only concern with this system is that I know if a cigar is left to completely dry out then it cannot be brought back to its original glory. I wonder if that is true with the leaf. I have never noticed a problem but then again, my cigars may be much better if I didn't let me leaf dry out.
Opinions welcome.

Winter is here; it's true. Even Dull-Aware, swamp in summer, gets dry when the oil furnace fires up. Solution seems simple. I scored me one of these ultra sonic humidifiers, like so:

Put it in my office, where all the leaf lives and all the gars are stashed. When temps are in the twenties outside, I have to fill this thing once in the morning and again at night. Keeps the room around 50rh. The office is upstairs and the door is open, so the damper air falls down stairs and helps soften air all over, so there's less of a winter itch. Used to have one of those big Sears humidifiers, but you have to replace the wick/filter every year cause it gets ugly. And one filter costs as much as this ultrasonic. Plus it's quieter.

 

[Jim D]

Winter is here; it's true. Even Dull-Aware, swamp in summer, gets dry when the oil furnace fires up. Solution seems simple. I scored me one of these ultra sonic humidifiers, like so:

Put it in my office, where all the leaf lives and all the gars are stashed. When temps are in the twenties outside, I have to fill this thing once in the morning and again at night. Keeps the room around 50rh. The office is upstairs and the door is open, so the damper air falls down stairs and helps soften air all over, so there's less of a winter itch. Used to have one of those big Sears humidifiers, but you have to replace the wick/filter every year cause it gets ugly. And one filter costs as much as this ultrasonic. Plus it's quieter.

Where did you score this @webmost ?

 

[webmost]

Where did you score this @webmost ?

Amazon, I think. On sale at the time.

 

[webmost]

Here's another idea: I have several dry bags mwhich I use when motorcycle camping. Made by SealLine. They have roll-top closures that make them watertight. One of them is a 35 liter "boundary pack", so-called because you can roll up your gear in there and pack it round the Boundary Waters in a canoe, and never worry. Backpack straps and all. Damn thing's so water proof it will float down the river until you can chase it down where it caught on a snag. No worries if you overturn. Here's a pic:

So, you guys know how that LO leaf comes in permeable bags... Inside that pack as you see there presently, it holds two pounds of LO Honduran seco, likewise two of LO Hond viso, and a big batch of Larry the Tobacco Butcher's Kentucky Sumatra. Stuffed them all in there months ago and set the dry bag with the rest of my stash. Took some out just now to roll a sperimental stick. Keeps just fine.

As proof how totally impermeable this bag is, I invite you to smell the inside of it. It still contains the trapped aroma of dirty T-shirts from my trip to the Boundary Waters a year and a half ago. Not a bouquet that you get with every batch of tobacco.

Just a thot. If you happen to be a camper, you might well have some of these roll top bags on hand.

 

[Bruce T.]

That Sea Line bag is very cool. It seems that barrel aging tobacco is getting popular so I'm guessing that the old t-shirt aroma in your bag is along the same idea.

When I've considered trying to store leaf for extended periods in an air tight container I worry about mold. What if the leaf is too wet when it goes into storage? I guess I could put in a pound of kitty litter, which is what I use in my humidor.

 

[webmost]

That Sea Line bag is very cool. It seems that barrel aging tobacco is getting popular so I'm guessing that the old t-shirt aroma in your bag is along the same idea.

When I've considered trying to store leaf for extended periods in an air tight container I worry about mold. What if the leaf is too wet when it goes into storage? I guess I could put in a pound of kitty litter, which is what I use in my humidor.

Kinda like that old joke about the man who told the doctor "It hurts when I do this" and Doc replies "Don't do that."