The Home Blending/Flake Making Thread

[Bruck]

My God, man! That sounds like back in the day when we would get one of everything off the bottom shelf of the liquor store and pour it together in a bathtub with Hawaiian Punch...ah to be young and stupid again.

Actually there's some rhyme and reason for that mess - VA is a good foundation, but a blend of different VAs is better than just one by itself. Cavendish and Orientals are good for balancing out the sharpness of the VA (burley is good for this too, but I didn't use any in this blend). I don't know orientals that well yet so I just used a little of each. And Latakia for flavor, perique for vitamin N and flavor. So that one sort of makes sense.

The flake I'm about to put in the press is a real "jungle juice" batch. I literally went thru my tobacco cabinet and pulled out all the jars that had an inch or less in them (I was running out of jars), and mixed them together. Your 2014 holiday blend is part of this indecorous monstrosity. Then I added various leaves for substance, balance, and flavor till it smelled about right. We'll see how that turns out

[Bruck]

So where do you guys get your leaf?

Wholeleaftobacco dot com
leafonly dot com
thetobaccobutcher dot com

The tobacco butcher is a grower in KY - good prices, limited selection
The other two are pretty similar in terms of price and selection, but they carry different stuff, so I shop at both.
There are a number of other places to buy whole leaf but the ones I've found are all way more expensive than the 3 above.

[JustTroItIn]

@Tobias Lutz , wasn't it you that also started a rope tobacco experiment? Is it still hanging in the garage?

[Tobias Lutz]

@Tobias Lutz , wasn't it you that also started a rope tobacco experiment? Is it still hanging in the garage?

It is in the basement....and I still have the pictures on photobucket to redo the FAQ when I unwrap it!

[Bruck]

It is in the basement....and I still have the pictures on photobucket to redo the FAQ when I unwrap it!

IIRC, you said it should be ready to unwrap around Easter time...

[Tobias Lutz]

IIRC, you said it should be ready to unwrap around Easter time...

indeed. Ash Wednesday is next week, so roughly 6 weeks from now.

[mooster]

I can send you some samples to play around with it you like. I've got plenty to share.

Thanks for the offer, but I really don't need to add any more hobby stuff to this apartment!

[Haebar]

What kind of press do you use to make your flakes? Would you mind posting a pic or two? I'd like to try that.

[Bruck]

What kind of press do you use to make your flakes? Would you mind posting a pic or two? I'd like to try that.

Was that question directed to me, @Tobias Lutz , or someone else? Tobias uses a low pressure method (weight); I use a hydraulic press.

[Haebar]

Was that question directed to me, @Tobias Lutz , or someone else? Tobias uses a low pressure method (weight); I use a hydraulic press.

It was directed at either one of you. I remember someone on here or on the old Puff site who built a press using a hydraulic jack; was that you @Bruck ?