A man who smokes his own hand-made tobacco knows for sure that he smokes. If there is a land plot available, then why not save on buying cigarettes and grow raw materials for them yourself. A significant role after collection is given to proper processing, which includes drying, fermentation and grinding of tobacco leaves. We learn how to dry and ferment tobacco leaves, what are the ways to grind it, how to cut it at home.

Why grind tobacco

Small particles have a large area for contact with fire, so shredded tobacco burns better, which allows it to be used economically. In this form, he goes to the manufacture of cigarette rolls, for stuffing pipes, refueling hookahs, creating tobacco mixtures. Now there is a special paper for such products for the independent manufacture of cigarettes or cigarettes.

Did you know? The Indians of South and Central America began to smoke tobacco more than 1000 years ago BC. e. Now the most heavy smokers live in Asian countries - China, Yemen, Cambodia.

How to prepare tobacco for slicing

Before cutting or grinding tobacco, it must be processed - dried and fermented.

Post-harvest drying

There are several ways to dry tobacco leaves:

1. Aerial. Such drying is most often used at home. The collected raw materials are knitted in bunches and dried on the street under a canopy or in a ventilated room. At the same time, buckets of water are placed next to the beams to increase air humidity. Usually the raw material dries in about a month. The process is sometimes accelerated by fans and heaters.
2. For a couple. In a confined space, a stream of hot air, steam or smoke is passed through the feed. In this case, the concentration of resins and nicotine decreases in the sheets.
3. Fire Raw materials are treated with smoke from smoldering coals. Smoke density for different types of tobacco may vary.
4. In the sun. Bundles of tobacco leaves are hung out in a sunny place. This method is often complemented by steam treatment.

Fermentation

After drying, tobacco leaves are fermented to improve their taste, reduce the amount of nicotine and resins. In addition, after such processing, the raw material acquires a more pleasant smell. Fermentation is a biochemical process that occurs in raw materials under the influence of evaporation from leaves and temperature outside of oxygen. At its core, it is fermentation. Such processes in raw materials occur at a humidity of 50% and a temperature in the range + 50 ... + 60ºC.

Important! The release of a pleasant honey smell during fermentation indicates that the process is proceeding successfully. Leaves should become golden brown.

At home, fermentation is most often carried out as follows:

1. In a natural way. You just need to remove the dried tobacco leaves for storage in a dry and warm room without access to light. In a year they can be used.
2. In the oven. It is necessary to spray dried raw materials with water from the spray gun so that the sheet plate bends, but does not break. Each leaf is cleaned from the central vein. Then the leaves are tightly placed in a three-liter jar, closed with an iron lid and put in the oven with a temperature of + 50ºC. This process takes several days.

The necessary temperatures for fermentation can be achieved on a Russian stove, near a battery, in a slow cooker (if it has the appropriate mode), on an iron roof under the sun or in a car standing in a hot place. The fermentation time in the oven or slow cooker can take 5-7 days. In the sun, due to the lack of heating at night, fermentation takes longer and usually takes at least 10 days.

If condensation jars form on the walls, the raw materials must be removed from them and dried well. Before fermentation, tobacco leaves are separated from the stems. Some of them are crushed and used to make shag. "Noble" tobacco for smoking is made without stems and with the removal of the vein. Sometimes, at low yields, tobacco is dried in the sun, and a stronger raw material is obtained, in which crushed stems and veins are added to reduce the strength. So get cheaper tobacco by increasing the volume.

Methods of grinding tobacco at home

After the above processing, the tobacco leaves become brittle and begin to crumble easily. It is possible to grind tobacco manually, or it is possible by means of special devices.

Manual cutting tobacco

If there is no grinder available, then the tobacco sheets can be cut with a knife. To do this, you need a sharp knife and a cutting board. It is advisable not to use them for other purposes. Cutting can be done from sides parallel to each other, and then change them by unfolding the leaves with the other side. Strips of tobacco should not be long, as this will adversely affect the quality characteristics of the product. They are preferably about 3 mm wide.Leaves are cut into small noodles, which then again need to be finely chopped. Before grinding tobacco, make sure that it is sufficiently dry. If the tobacco leaves are cut with a certain crunch, then it is properly dried and prepared for use. If there is no sound, then the product is too waterlogged and must be dried.

Did you know? Many cigarette manufacturers fill them with dust, processed stems and even paper. Impregnation is done with a chemical flavoring analogue of tobacco. The cost of such cigarettes is very low and much lower than the price the buyer will pay for them.

Tobacco cutting machine

There are special machines for grinding - grinders. These devices are used to grind tobacco.

Basic rules for choosing a machine

When choosing a machine for cutting tobacco, you can get confused, because there are a wide variety of them with a very different design. They differ in material of manufacture, number of parts and type of blade. The price of the machine for grinding depends on the number of parts, material and manufacturing complexity.

Products made from different materials have their own characteristics:

1. Metal. They will last quite a long period. They are often used in hookah clubs.
2. Acrylic.Good for individual use at home. They are easy to maintain and do not absorb much odor.
3. Wooden. Eco-friendly and traditional devices.

On sale you can find such models:

1. Two-component (storage container and blade).
2. Four-componentcontaining container, blade, mesh, container.
3. Five-component. Contain a container, a blade, a mesh for filtering small particles, a storage container.

By the type of blades used, these devices are divided into:

• carnations - chopped no matter;
• diamond-shaped - provide excellent cutting;
• pyramidal - they grind no matter, but give the airiness to tobacco.

Electrical appliances work on the principle of a coffee grinder. They provide good chopping and quick work. When choosing electric machines for grinding, you need to pay attention to the shape of the knives and the reliability, power of the motor. In order for the device to process tobacco efficiently, you need to choose good blades, best of all - diamond-shaped.

Features of use

The grinder has the appearance of a box consisting of 2 parts that have sharp blades. Such a box is filled with raw materials and they begin to twist its parts around in different directions. The blades inside such a device during movement crush tobacco to the required size. Certain specimens have a grid for the distribution of large and small fractions.To grind large volumes of tobacco, choose an electric or metal grinder. For home use, a plastic grinder is enough.

Did you know? The first European to get acquainted with tobacco was Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the American continent. In 1492, the natives gave him a bunch of dried tobacco leaves, but he did not understand how to use it, and threw the gift overboard.

How to make a do-it-yourself grinder

Grinders for use at home can be made independently.

Metal

A metal grinder can be made from a workpiece using a lathe.

However, not everyone has such a machine, so you can simply pick up the following components:

• a box of metal in the form of a washer;
• grater for vegetables;
• scissors for cutting metal;
• pliers.

Preparation method:

1. Cut out circles using scissors a little larger in size than a metal box.
2. On the edge of each such circle, you need to make small notches.
3. Bend the incisions with a pair of pliers so that a side forms.
4. Place each part in parts of the box. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the part is located with the sharp part out.

Wood

A wood grinder will need metal parts to grind leaves.

For its manufacture, the following materials and devices will be needed:

• wood blank;
• small nails;
• sharp knife;
• chisel;
• file;
• hammer.

Preparation method:

1. With a knife and a chisel, make a small box from a wooden blank.
2. In two opposite parts (top and bottom), drive round circular cloves of small sizes, in which hats are cut or stitched. Carnations are arranged so that rotating in a circle, they do not block each other.

Improvised grinder

Grinder can be made from many suitable improvised materials. For example, for this purpose, you can take a container for soap bubbles or a plastic container for film.

So, you will need the following:

• capacity for soap bubbles (or from a film);
• 2 cylindrical wooden blocks;
• small nails;
• hammer;
• file;
• drill.

Preparation method:

1. Cut the round container into two parts.
2. To adjust the wooden block in diameter for each part of the cut tank. Such bars can be separated by a saw from a rake handle or shovel.
3. In the part of the container with the lid, make several holes for pouring out the crushed raw materials.
4. Carefully drive cloves without caps into wooden blocks.
5. From the large nail, center the axis for easy rotation.

When the lid is opened, the crushed raw material is freely poured out of such a device. Some use a wooden box or nesting doll to make a homemade device for grinding. As a grinder, you can also use a mill to grind spices and grind it with prepared tobacco leaves over a newspaper or paper. A chopping mechanism is already there. Just instead of spices, they put tobacco there.

Important! Unfortunately, home-made grinders do not have sharp blades, so it will not work to grind the quality of the tobacco.

It is possible to grind tobacco raw materials quickly on an electric coffee grinder. She can grind and stalks, but some complain of chopping too large. To grind tobacco, it’s good to buy a grinder or make it yourself. However, for large volumes and frequent use, it is better to purchase an electrical device or metal product.

Video: how to choose a grinder