Homemade twist

Recreating on old thread from long ago on a forum far away...

http://i.imgur.com/yNjzlvn.jpg?1

I picked up some Samuel Gawith Brown #4 a couple months ago & really liked it, for both smoking and the occasional chew. It's a twist made from VA and Burley cigar leaf. So I read up a bit on the concept, watched a youtube video, and said hey, I can do that...

I started out by hydrating a few whole leaves, one big one of CT Broadleaf, a couple of Burley, and one Fire Cured Dark Air, plus some cigar rolling scraps - the larger pieces from my scrap bag. I hydrated them all to a low case, just enough to make them flexible.

Here are the whole leaves:

http://i.imgur.com/5PA8JFg.jpg

And the cigar scraps:

http://i.imgur.com/0QOOAyC.jpg

Stacking them up - from the bottom, it's CT, then layers of burley and dark fire:

http://i.imgur.com/O1AlrCb.jpg

Cigar scraps piled on top:

http://i.imgur.com/bIecteA.jpg

Rolled together - looks like a big, badly-rolled cigar:

http://i.imgur.com/5RsL0po.jpg

Twisting:

http://i.imgur.com/tUsYp6I.jpg

More twisting:

http://i.imgur.com/lqq9sdm.jpg

I kept twisting until it was pretty solid and it coiled up on itself, at which point I held it together with cable ties to keep it from unraveling:

http://i.imgur.com/1GcBT6d.jpg

& then I hung it up to dry overnight on my punching bag hook:

http://i.imgur.com/dOYKBKK.jpg

It's a bit shaggier than the one in the video, and not quite as picturesque as the commercial stool samples, I mean ropes. Next time, if there is a next time, I'll get the leaves a bit damper, and will use a binder leaf for the outer layer rather than a wrapper leaf. I think the CT leaf was a bit too delicate for these stresses.

Preliminary results: Total weight ~4oz. I tried smoking some this evening and the flavor was okay but not as good as the SG #4 . I didn't add any flavoring to this batch as I was more interested in the process, plus I wanted to establish an unflavored baseline. It didn't burn all that well, had to keep relighting - needs to dry out some more. It was pretty spicy upon first lighting it, but mellowed out as it got hotter. The flavor was definitely better when it was at a good burn.

The whole process was pretty quick. Once the leaves were moistened, it took less time to make the rope than it did to upload pictures and write about it :)

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Epilogue: It's been a few months since I made that twist. In that time the flavors have come together nicely. It's still a bit strong, both flavor-wise and with vitamin N, but much more mellow than when it was fresh. It also makes excellent chew!

I think you ought to saturate it with dark rum then let it dry in the forecastle for a fortnight or twain.

I have a bunch of Virginia I grew a couple years ago hanging around. I was thinking about twisting some and pressing the rest. All I need is a little more motivation like this thread.

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Originally Posted by OnePyroTec

I have a bunch of Virginia I grew a couple years ago hanging around. I was thinking about twisting some and pressing the rest. All I need is a little more motivation like this thread.

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Do it, Wayne, do it! Then post the results. And send me a sample :)

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Originally Posted by Emperor Zurg

I think you ought to saturate it with dark rum then let it dry in the forecastle for a fortnight or twain.

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LOL!
I made a VA-based twist a few weeks ago. Flavor isn't that great - could have used some rum :) Makes pretty good chew, though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bruck

Do it, Wayne, do it! Then post the results. And send me a sample :)

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I made a little twist the other day. I didn't twist near as much as you did tho. Then I took some of the nicer leaves and wrapped it like a cigar. Pics this weekend when I have better lighting.

BTW, how long you figure it should hang/rest before cutting?

Very cool! I would have used 25lb plates,but that's just me.;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OnePyroTec

I made a little twist the other day. I didn't twist near as much as you did tho. Then I took some of the nicer leaves and wrapped it like a cigar. Pics this weekend when I have better lighting.

BTW, how long you figure it should hang/rest before cutting?

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If you're in an arid region, as it would appear, I wouldn't let it hang too long as it will just dry out. I recommend putting it in a sealed jar for a couple weeks, then gradually letting it air-dry till it gets to the right moisture level. If you let it sit too long moist it will grow mold. What I do to air dry my flakes and twists is to alternate days or half-days with the jar lid on and off. Re when to cut - doesn't seem to make much difference. Obviously it will dry quicker after slicing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Browns7213

Very cool! I would have used 25lb plates,but that's just me.;)

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Show off , hahaha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bruck

If you're in an arid region, as it would appear, I wouldn't let it hang too long as it will just dry out. I recommend putting it in a sealed jar for a couple weeks, then gradually letting it air-dry till it gets to the right moisture level. If you let it sit too long moist it will grow mold. What I do to air dry my flakes and twists is to alternate days or half-days with the jar lid on and off. Re when to cut - doesn't seem to make much difference. Obviously it will dry quicker after slicing.

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I have been alternating between hanging and a humidor I brought out of retirement for keeping some leaves in. I learned the hard way in my early rolling years about too moist of leaves and mold.:o

Thought I'd wake up this thread with an update.
Tried to make another twist last nite. Didn't work. The wrapper leaves were a little too weak and holey. So now it's in the press on its way to become flake, which I'll probably use for chaw. Contents:

Dark Air, Burley, KY VA Bright, cigar scrap, cigar scrap cavendish, imzur, VA red, prilep, MD 609. A lot of that stuff was part of a tobacco bomb from @Tobias Lutz , tnx vm Tobias, I'll send you some if it tastes halfway decent. Moisturized w/ DW up to this point.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bruck

Thought I'd wake up this thread with an update.
Tried to make another twist last nite. Didn't work. The wrapper leaves were a little too weak and holey. So now it's in the press on its way to become flake, which I'll probably use for chaw. Contents:

Dark Air, Burley, KY VA Bright, cigar scrap, cigar scrap cavendish, imzur, VA red, prilep, MD 609. A lot of that stuff was part of a tobacco bomb from @Tobias Lutz , tnx vm Tobias, I'll send you some if it tastes halfway decent. Moisturized w/ DW up to this point.

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Interestin keep postin up so I can see what youre doin I might just try this..

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Originally Posted by Lynn

Interestin keep postin up so I can see what youre doin I might just try this..

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Will do. I need to make another twist soon. The last batch succumbed to mold as I got careless w/ moisture and temperature mgmt. This is a problem for homebrewers - w/o using preservatives, one has to be careful not to let the blends stay too moist for too long and/or (in my case) let them sit in a hot vehicle.

Cool. It made me wonder if anyone has ever tried cigar wrap tobacco from Wisconsin? I know they grow it in the southern part of the state for just that; cigar wraps.

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Originally Posted by kimmyalan

Cool. It made me wonder if anyone has ever tried cigar wrap tobacco from Wisconsin? I know they grow it in the southern part of the state for just that; cigar wraps.

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Interesting, can't say I've heard of that. Most of my whole leaves are from KY or various places south of the border.