Fermentation - is that for biotechnology? Fermentation of tobacco at home
Fermentation is a fermentation process that takes placeunder the influence of special substances contained directly in the product of processing. Most often, such biotechnology is used by summer residents when harvesting leaves of garden crops for tea. But many owners of suburban areas also ferment a plant such as tobacco.
Method advantages
Fermentation is a process that makes tobacco suitable for smoking. Following a similar procedure for the leaves of this plant:
improve flavor and color;
the plates are aligned;
increases elasticity.
Also, after fermentation, the water content in the leaves decreases. Moreover, they, of course, become resistant to molding.
Where to begin
Actually, before the fermentation of tobaccomust be sorted. In this case, you must first remove all rotten and withered parts of plants. Then you can also remove the bushes from the topmost leaves. It is from these that the most flavored tobacco is obtained. These leaves are better to ferment separately. In factories such material, for example, is used for the preparation of cigars. At home from the top leaves in the future, you can make the best quality rolls. But, of course, such sorting of tobacco at the initial stage - the procedure is optional.
Home Methodology
Includes the process of tobacco fermentation at home is usually two stages:
plants are dried;
actually, the fermentation itself is carried out.
Each of these steps is performed according to a certain technology, which can not be violated.
Equipment
Fermentation is, in fact, just a processfermentation of concentrated juice of dried and re-moistened leaves. This procedure should be carried out strictly at a certain temperature. That is, to create the most suitable microclimate for fermentation, you usually have to use special equipment.
Some people who grow tobacco fermentit's just in the jars in a pot of water (for 5-7 hours). Of course, you can use this way of processing. However, to get quality tobacco, which in its characteristics is similar to the industrial one, using this technology, unfortunately, will not work. The fact is that the fermentation of leaves of any plant correctly passes only at a temperature of about 50-55 degrees. Water, as is known, boils at 100 aboutFROM.
Therefore, instead of a pan for tobacco fermentationit is better to use the usual chicken incubator. Such devices are good in that inside them with the help of a special regulator it is possible to set any necessary temperature, including 50 aboutS. Chickens owners of suburban areas are usually removed in the spring. Therefore, in the summer or autumn, at the time when the tobacco is processed, the incubator is worthless in any case.
Pre-drying
To prepare the tobacco for fermentation, you will needonly a fairly strong twine. Plant bushes should simply be hung on it in some ventilated room, without drafts. The optimum air temperature in the room chosen for pre-drying the leaves is 25-35 aboutFROM.
Moisturizing the tobacco
Dry the leaves until they change color to brown, they will not crunch and crumble in their hands. Now you can start preparing tobacco for fermentation. For this, bushes:
divided into small batches and abundantly watered, for example, from a watering can;
cover each lot with a rag for about an hour.
Next, the tissue is removed and the readiness is checkedmaterial. To do this, take a handful of leaves and squeeze it in a fist. If the tobacco does not crumble and does not break down - then the moistening procedure was successful. Leaves should not be wet, but softened. When compressed in a fist, moisture should not be released from their lump.
Filling and fermentation in an incubator
If you do not expect to process too mucha large amount of tobacco, dried and moistened leaves should be put in cans with a capacity of 0.5-0.7 liters with screw caps. This will get the best quality final product. For packaging large amounts of tobacco, three-liter cans with capron caps are usually used.
Lay out softened by the action of moistureleaves on washed and dried containers are denser. After the glass container has been filled, it is closed with lids and placed in the incubator for 7-10 days. Fermentation is a procedure that, as already mentioned, should be performed at a temperature of 50-55 aboutC. It is on this parameter and you need to configure the incubator. In a week or one and a half, tobacco will manifest all its smoking qualities.
The final stage
If all fermentation conditions (temperature,ventilation) will be met, the final product will get the most aromatic and quality. The leaves incubated in the incubator are subsequently poured from the cans and dried on plywood. Then they are ground. For this procedure, a frame of a bar is preliminarily manufactured and covered with a metal mesh with a cell of 3 mm.
Dried dried fermented tobaccothrough such a device is very easy. In this process, unnecessary streaks of leaves are also removed during processing. At the final stage, the wiped material is sieved through a colander to remove the dust.
Store crushed fermented tobaccorecommended in paper bags or cans. But you can also make a roll of it yourself. For the manufacture of the latter is to use a special purchase device, which can be ordered through the Internet.
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