Cigar Molds Thread

[keithjjones]

I'm not sure how much pesticide would be on the leaf after processing and fermenting. My speculation... not much. But a good rinse won't hurt the leaf, either.

I tried rinsing and then rolling when the filler was extremely pliable. I've let them dry for about a week after rolling. They definitely have a different smell to them after this process. I also didn't have to squish then into the mold as hard. I'm curious how different they might taste. I kinda liked working with extremely pliable leaf.

 

[Dominican56]

I tried rinsing and then rolling when the filler was extremely pliable. I've let them dry for about a week after rolling. They definitely have a different smell to them after this process. I also didn't have to squish then into the mold as hard. I'm curious how different they might taste. I kinda liked working with extremely pliable leaf.

Good question about taste. I like the filler to be just short of being crispy, the binder to be just a little more cased than that and the wrapper fairly pliable. I used to have the innards cased nicely until I discovered that simply delays drying.

 

[keithjjones]

Good question about taste. I like the filler to be just short of being crispy, the binder to be just a little more cased than that and the wrapper fairly pliable. I used to have the innards cased nicely until I discovered that simply delays drying.

I've rolled more than I can consume. A delay of drying won't hurt me lol. My home office where I store my leaves is extremely dry. I have to add humidity to everything before I can touch it or it falls apart. This washing process seems to do that really well, plus clean it off. If my test tastes ok, of course. I've been trying to figure out if the lack of humidity will damage the leaves long term. I can't find a straight answer online. I'm not sure how lo and wlt store the leaves. My wlt leaves usually arrive extremely dry while lo is moist because they spray them before shipment. The temperature always stays below 70 in my office, too. I don't have room to put pounds of leaves in a humidor.

 

[Dominican56]

Actually I have a theory that a cigar with higher moisture content for an extended of period of time will be a better cigar in the long run. I believe moisture is the only way diffusion will happen from leaf to leaf. Very much like how soup and other foods taste better the next day. So if a cigar has higher initial moisture content and allowed to dehydrate slower then it seems to me that you'll get a better blending of flavors.
I'm sure there is fermentation going on at some level and I don't want that in a finished cigar, however, I'd hope not much. Ammonia is one of many gasses produced as a result of tobacco fermentation
and I sure don't want that.
I don't know what moisture level it takes to cause fermentation, other than to say I've cased leaf (probably more than I should have) from both suppliers which caused the leaf to smell of ammonia. Different leaf had different levels of smell. I've also noticed tightly packed leaf when cased higher than they should have been got warm.

Like I always say, if it works for you, keep doing it.

 

[Dominican56]

I've got some flo-jo I might try that with.

 

[Jim D]

Believe me, you can sling them just like that and it helps shake everything off and doesn't hurt the leaf at all. Watch the water spraying off the tips.

IF you soak the leaves for more than a few minutes the leaf will absorb the water, get soft and mushy and become much more delicate. Working quickly is the key to keeping just the surface of the leaf rinsed off. Wash a 'hand' of tobacco at a time just as he demonstrates. Fast and easy.

I tried this on my most recent batch. I think I should've let the leaves dry further before bunching them.
After the 5 second swish, the leaves were laid on a paper towel on the counter and stacked. I should've found a way to lay them in a single layer.
The bunching was easy but I can't draw through them. I'm hoping a week in the dry box (opening the lid often) resolves that.
There was much more dirt on the leaves I thought were clean than I expected. I figured I'd see a bunch on the Mata Fina rinse. The rest was surprising.
My next session I'll have to better plan the drying. Maybe do the rinse, lay them out single layer, grab a book and a big stogie and read for an hour or two. I let them sit for 2 hours last time but they were stacked.

 

[Dominican56]

I'm going to try that with one pack of my flo-jo. It's crispy dry. Came that way.

 

[blisscigarco]

I tried this on my most recent batch. I think I should've let the leaves dry further before bunching them.
After the 5 second swish, the leaves were laid on a paper towel on the counter and stacked. I should've found a way to lay them in a single layer.
The bunching was easy but I can't draw through them. I'm hoping a week in the dry box (opening the lid often) resolves that.
There was much more dirt on the leaves I thought were clean than I expected. I figured I'd see a bunch on the Mata Fina rinse. The rest was surprising.
My next session I'll have to better plan the drying. Maybe do the rinse, lay them out single layer, grab a book and a big stogie and read for an hour or two. I let them sit for 2 hours last time but they were stacked.

Hang them on a vertical board, called a casing board. Affix the tips to the top somehow and let then drain down toward the stem. When they are basically dry, wrap them in a bag of some variety and leave them be for a few days.

 

[Jim D]

Hang them on a vertical board, called a casing board. Affix the tips to the top somehow and let then drain down toward the stem. When they are basically dry, wrap them in a bag of some variety and leave them be for a few days.

Is this something I should've been doing all along?
Thanks for the advice. I will give this a try. Sunday will be my next night off. If I do this early Sunday night, I should be able to bag them Monday morning, leave them in the bags while working the next 4 or 5 nights, then roll em up.
Is 4 or 5 days too long in the bags?

 

[Hopduro]

Is this something I should've been doing all along?
Thanks for the advice. I will give this a try. Sunday will be my next night off. If I do this early Sunday night, I should be able to bag them Monday morning, leave them in the bags while working the next 4 or 5 nights, then roll em up.
Is 4 or 5 days too long in the bags?

Meh, I'm gonna smoke the dirt, adds character and body

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

[Gdaddy]

Is this something I should've been doing all along?
Thanks for the advice. I will give this a try. Sunday will be my next night off. If I do this early Sunday night, I should be able to bag them Monday morning, leave them in the bags while working the next 4 or 5 nights, then roll em up.
Is 4 or 5 days too long in the bags?

Don't let them sit long if they're damp. Mold will set in pretty quick.

Since there are a lot of leaves to wash and dry, I wanted an easy system to dry a pound at a time. A roll of plastic fence from Home Depot and 4 poles to attach it to and made what looks like a long mesh hammock. I set it up in the back yard and it drys the washed leaves very quickly especially on a sunny day. From wash to dry a pound takes a little over an hour. Cost was $13 40" wide x 25' long. (plus poles)

 

[Marc L]

 

[Marc L]

@BrewinHooligan did you score this?

 

[BrewinHooligan]

@BrewinHooligan did you score this?

I did not. We're dealing with a serious mold issue at the house we are renting. Currently living in a hotel and will be moving into a new place so spending has been cut off. The good news, I just acquired a like new 12 slot 54rg mold and will be building a press like Willy's at the new place when we get moved. Glad I store all my rolling equipment in the garage away from where the mold is.

 

[Marc L]

Sorry to hear that for sure. those are great molds yeah? still a couple left. I do wonder why he sold them.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

They are incredible molds. Never seen 12slots before but I'm not complaining. It looks like it was only used a few times. Maybe a business venture that didn't take off

 

[ras_oscar]

I just had my first mold delivered. Its plastic, 5.5" x 56 rg, 10 spaces. It was the closest to a Robusto that LO has in stock. I looked it up on a cigar size table. I believe its a robusto grande. Casing some leaf now. It's a bit bigger RG than I was looking for, but just by coincidence, the sticks I had free rolled previously juuust barely are too big to fit. They have been dry boxed for a few weeks, so I'm sure if they were still flexy they would fit fine. Guess it was meant to be. Gonna roll a half box tomorrow.

 

[Dominican56]

They are incredible molds. Never seen 12slots before but I'm not complaining. It looks like it was only used a few times. Maybe a business venture that didn't take off

That would be my guess. Or whoever was using them decided to drop the larger rg sticks. They are injection molded but I forget who made them.
They have a patent (I believe) on the outside locking channels at least on the one mold.

 

[ras_oscar]

WLT and LO have a smattering of parejo cigar molds. Is there a source that can provide a complete selection of all vitolas? Obviously they aren't making molds, they are purchasing from someone else.

 

[Dominican56]

WLT and LO have a smattering of parejo cigar molds. Is there a source that can provide a complete selection of all vitolas? Obviously they aren't making molds, they are purchasing from someone else.

If you want a nice mold, KeithJones can make one for you. When my wife lifts the spending cap I'm getting one.
She and I had a bet. (Why I even bet, I have no idea) The bet was, if I had under 500 cigars I can spend money the first of the year. If more than 500, no spending on cigar stuff until March.
Really, it's not a problem. I think I have enough leaf of various kinds to last. Since spraying the Nic ligero with mojo made it usable I'm set.