Fermentation is a fermentation process that occurs.under the action of special substances contained directly in the product itself. Most often, this 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 allows you to make tobacco suitable for smoking. After carrying out a similar procedure in the leaves of this plant:
aroma and coloring are improved;
plates are aligned;
increases elasticity.
Also, after fermentation, the water content in the leaves decreases. At the same time, they, of course, become resistant to mold.
Where to begin
Actually, just before the fermentation, tobaccomust be sorted. In this case, it is necessary first of all to remove all the rotted and dried parts of the plants. Then you can also remove the uppermost leaves from the bushes. It is from them that the most aromatic tobacco is produced. It is better to ferment such leaflets separately. In factories, a similar material, for example, is used to make cigars. At home, from the top leaves in the future it will be possible to make the highest quality roll-ups. But, of course, a similar sorting of tobacco at the initial stage is an optional procedure.
Home Technique
The home-made tobacco fermentation process usually involves two steps:
the plants are dried;
actually, fermentation itself is performed.
Each of these steps is carried out according to a certain technology, which cannot be broken.
Equipment
Fermentation is essentially a process.fermentation 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, one usually has to use special equipment.
Some people who grow tobacco fermentits just in cans in a pot of water (for 5-7 hours). Of course, you can use this method of processing. However, to get high-quality tobacco, in its characteristics similar to industrial, with the use of this technology, unfortunately, will not work. The fact is that the fermentation of the leaves of any plant correctly takes place only at a temperature of about 50-55 degrees. Water, as you know, boils at 100 aboutFROM.
Therefore, instead of pots for the fermentation of tobaccoit is better to use the usual chicken incubator. Such devices are good because you can set any necessary temperature inside them using a special regulator, including 50 aboutS. Chickens are the owners of suburban areas are usually removed in the spring. And therefore, in the summer or autumn, at the time when the tobacco is processed, the incubator is idle anyway.
Pre-drying
To prepare tobacco for fermentation, you will needjust strong enough twine. The bushes of the plant should be simply hung on it in some ventilated room, without drafts. The optimum temperature of the air in the room selected for pre-drying the leaves is 25-35 aboutFROM.
Humidification tobacco
Dry the leaves until they change color to brown, crunch and crumble in the hands. Now you can begin to prepare the tobacco for fermentation. For this bushes:
divided into small batches and plentifully watered with water, for example, from a watering can;
Cover each batch with a rag for about an hour.
Next, the fabric is removed and checked for readiness.material. To do this, take a handful of leaves and squeeze it in a fist. If the tobacco does not crumble and does not break, then the moisturizing procedure was successful. The leaves should not be wet, but softened. When squeezed in a fist of their lump should not stand out moisture.
Incubator Packing and Fermentation
If it is supposed to process not tooA large amount of tobacco, dried and moistened leaves should be folded in 0.5-0.7 liter cans with screw caps. This will provide the highest quality end product. For packing a large amount of tobacco is usually used three-liter jars with nylon covers.
Decompose softened under the action of moistureleaves on washed and dried containers worth more tightly. After the glass container is filled, it is closed with lids and placed in an incubator for 7-10 days. Fermentation is a procedure that, as already mentioned, should be carried out at a temperature of 50-55 aboutC. It is on this parameter that the incubator needs to be set up. After a week and a half, all his smoking qualities will appear in tobacco.
The final stage
If all fermentation conditions (temperature,ventilation) will be observed, the final product will get the most fragrant and quality. The leaves kept in the incubator are subsequently poured from the cans and dried on plywood. Then they are crushed. For this procedure, a frame is prefabricated from a bar and covered with a metal grid with a 3 mm cell.
Dried fermented tobacco is wipedthrough such a device is very easy. At the same time, during processing, unnecessary leaf streaks are also removed. At the final stage, the rubbed material is additionally sifted through a colander to remove dust.
Хранить измельченный ферментированный табак recommended in paper bags or cans. But you can also immediately make a roll-out of it. For the manufacture of the latter is to use a special purchasing device, which can be ordered via the Internet.
