This is why you are my mentor! Things I'm not smart enough to think of on my own, lol.
Adventures in home rolling
- Thread starter BrewinHooligan
- Start date
Thanks brother! Most of the smaller ones don't get a cap at all, others I have the wrapper a little longer than needed so I twist it like a fantail or like DE finishes Papas Fritas. Since I'm using long filler it's really no different than cutting the tip of a regular capped cigar without having to cut it. I'm practicing with capping the sticks and it's definitely an area I need some improvement on.
Nice job! Very interesting thread. I had no idea you could get started home rolling for such a low initial investment. Good luck with locking that technique down. Same to @luckysaturn13. I hope to see some samplers in FS section in the future!
So cool, Jonathan.
Doing some searching around on the home growing/rolling forum fairtradetobacco.com I found some people using pvc pipe cut in half with hose clamps for molds. I may have to give this a try as it is ridiculously cheap. I will definitely post an update if I do.
Figured I would share pics of a few more sticks I have rolled over the past few days playing around with different wrapper and binder combinations but keeping the filler blend the same. Thanks again for all of the encouragement guys. I've had a blast rolling them and am anxious to see how they smoke and change with some age.
Figured I would share pics of a few more sticks I have rolled over the past few days playing around with different wrapper and binder combinations but keeping the filler blend the same. Thanks again for all of the encouragement guys. I've had a blast rolling them and am anxious to see how they smoke and change with some age.
luckysaturn13
Smoke it if ya got it!
Thoes are looking really good! im going to try to check my bits out tonight for ya!
Good points to remember. I don't see myself leaving sticks in a mold for more than 30-45 minutes personally. Hell, 15 minutes wrapped tightly in newspaper makes a world of difference. Next rolling session I will post some before and after pics to show how well it works.
I love mesquite in my smoker, not sure how I would like the flavor in my cigars though... Really not too sure how long the pros leave their sticks in the molds but I don't think it is for more than 1 day but I could be very wrong.
No one really has a set time for how long they leave it in the mold. Some leave them there for 15 minutes and some do it overnight. I usually do 30 mins, rotate, then leave until whenever I'm ready to wrap. With a mold you have to rotate the sticks to get rid of the press marks.
Heard from a brother at Fairtradetobacco.com that the fruit pectin I've been using as cigar glue can sour. He suggested xanthan gum which I found at Walmart for $.50/packet so I will start using that. Also took the Dremel to my pizza cutter to sharpen it tonight for easier cutting through the leaves veins. Haven't had time to roll the past few days but I will get to it either Sunday or beginning of the week. It's time to put in another order for leaves as I'm almost out of ligero and wanting to get some Nicaraguan filler and binder. Damn my addictive personality!!
To be honest the country of origin on the leaves I've purchased so far isn't listed except for the PA Oscuro. I love Nicaraguan cigars so my next order will most likely be Nic seco and ligero if in stock at wholeleaftobacco.com. I have to see what they have for binder as well. I need to start smoking the ones I've rolled so far too to see how they are now that they are drying out to ideal levels. I will be placing a few of the first ones I rolled in a ziploc bag with my hygrometer to check the humidity probably tomorrow to see where they are at, my coolerdor was reading at 66% tonight when I peeked in on them and I still haven't added any humidification since I originally seasoned the boxes in there.
Guessing that was one of Gdaddy's posts he hates pectin lol. The fillers you've been using so far are Dominican. FWIW all my blends using strictly Nicaraguan Habano were really woody and earthy. Nothing very good IMO. However it works well with other leaf. According to Caldwell this is the filler blend for their Eastern Standard line. You'll have to switch the primings you use for whats available but it should still make a nice smoke. Haven't gotten around to trying it myself yet but I'll be rolling some to try it out at some point...
Caldwell Eastern Standard -
Dominican Corojo ligero - 30%
Dominican Criollo 98 viso - 30%
Nic Habano seco - 40%
Caldwell Eastern Standard -
Dominican Corojo ligero - 30%
Dominican Criollo 98 viso - 30%
Nic Habano seco - 40%
That actually came from ArizonaDave. Turns out he lives really close to me and I wound up calling him and talking his ear off the other day. He was super helpful and is trying to get me to start growing some of my own leaves, particularly the Little Dutch varietal. Thank you for the info on the leaves I have and whats in the Eastern Standard! It's funny, I have corojo and criollo already but my corojo is seco and my criollo is ligero. That blend does look and sound very tasty though and I appreciate the info regarding the Nic blends you have played with, that does not sound like it's in my wheelhouse at all...
