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Riddle me this about the making of a cigars?

jsm11

jsm11

Secret Squirrel
Joined
Aug 9, 2014
Messages
707
Tobacco is aged in humid, warm conditions...
 
How do they keep beetle from eating the leaf while in the aging / making process?
 
Anyone have insight on how this all happens?
 
My guess is they do exist. Could be wrong. My guess they are removed when found while it is a raw product. Once they are rolled, bundled, and/or boxed...they do not see those same conditions. It is a finished product at that point. This is me just throwing wet noodles on the wall. Does anyone have a more educated/scientific answer?
 
Maybe the beetles infest the leaves after they are cured More in the manufacturing process.

Great question. I personally think beetle outbreaks are less common than appears.
 
Excellent read....

So, the tobacco beetle prefers dried tobacco...

And there are a multitude of other pests along the way.

Active Control is the answer...
 
Since the process of aging and fermentation dramatically reduce the nicotine levels, my guess is the beetles prefer the leaves after fermentation and aging due to that basic chemical change.  Else, they'd chow down on them while they were on the plant.
 
BlindedByScience said:
Since the process of aging and fermentation dramatically reduce the nicotine levels, my guess is the beetles prefer the leaves after fermentation and aging due to that basic chemical change.  Else, they'd chow down on them while they were on the plant.
Click to expand...
Makes sense, I know nature has a system of checks and balances and nearly everything has something that eats it... makes sense though...
 
My understanding from that was that there are bugs that eat the plant raw and there are beetles that eat the dried leaves.
 
kona1000 said:
My understanding from that was that there are bugs that eat the plant raw and there are beetles that eat the dried leaves.
Click to expand...
 
x2
 
The only pests I encounter regularly are the horn-worms and cut-worms, and only during the time the plant is in the field.
On the scale that I grow each year (between 30 and 75 plants) I'm able to control them organically, i.e. pick and squish or BT.
During harvest it is essential to closely inspect every priming so that you don't miss one of the little bastards and hang him in the coloring barn to feast, been there and done that.
 
I've never had a single issue with tobacco beetles.  I use traditional curing/fermenting techniques for the most part, but have made accommodations for my climate in the past.  I don't use any intentional freezing or pesticides, though I do have some tobacco hanging in the garage attic that has undergone several freeze/thaw cycles.  I get to smoke some of it this summer as it was a 3 year experiment, well see.
 
ashauler said:
The only pests I encounter regularly are the horn-worms and cut-worms, and only during the time the plant is in the field.
On the scale that I grow each year (between 30 and 75 plants) I'm able to control them organically, i.e. pick and squish or BT.
During harvest it is essential to closely inspect every priming so that you don't miss one of the little bastards and hang him in the coloring barn to feast, been there and done that.
 
I've never had a single issue with tobacco beetles.  I use traditional curing/fermenting techniques for the most part, but have made accommodations for my climate in the past.  I don't use any intentional freezing or pesticides, though I do have some tobacco hanging in the garage attic that has undergone several freeze/thaw cycles.  I get to smoke some of it this summer as it was a 3 year experiment, well see.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing. Love the insight/input.
Btw,does this post mean that jsm11(John) should now be referred to as "the Riddler" going forward?
 
ashauler said:
The only pests I encounter regularly are the horn-worms and cut-worms, and only during the time the plant is in the field.
On the scale that I grow each year (between 30 and 75 plants) I'm able to control them organically, i.e. pick and squish or BT.
During harvest it is essential to closely inspect every priming so that you don't miss one of the little bastards and hang him in the coloring barn to feast, been there and done that.
 
I've never had a single issue with tobacco beetles.  I use traditional curing/fermenting techniques for the most part, but have made accommodations for my climate in the past.  I don't use any intentional freezing or pesticides, though I do have some tobacco hanging in the garage attic that has undergone several freeze/thaw cycles.  I get to smoke some of it this summer as it was a 3 year experiment, well see.
Click to expand...
 
Shoot, I wish I would have joined this site earlier, I lived in Burlington, outside the power plant for 2 years, I'd of loved to see it in operation.
madurotrout said:
 
The only pests I encounter regularly are the horn-worms and cut-worms, and only during the time the plant is in the field.
On the scale that I grow each year (between 30 and 75 plants) I'm able to control them organically, i.e. pick and squish or BT.
During harvest it is essential to closely inspect every priming so that you don't miss one of the little bastards and hang him in the coloring barn to feast, been there and done that.
 
I've never had a single issue with tobacco beetles.  I use traditional curing/fermenting techniques for the most part, but have made accommodations for my climate in the past.  I don't use any intentional freezing or pesticides, though I do have some tobacco hanging in the garage attic that has undergone several freeze/thaw cycles.  I get to smoke some of it this summer as it was a 3 year experiment, well see.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing. Love the insight/input.
Btw,does this post mean that jsm11(John) should now be referred to as "the Riddler" going forward?
 
Click to expand...
 
:laugh:
 
jsm11 said:
Shoot, I wish I would have joined this site earlier, I lived in Burlington, outside the power plant for 2 years, I'd of loved to see it in operation.
Click to expand...
I've got a friend that works at WCNOC. if you find yourself in southwest Michigan in May I could take you on a tour of my plant. We do a friends and family day every year.
 
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