steaming

High out put Broadleaf steamer.  Nick named Big Blue This morning the owners Steve and Owen Started big Blue at 4am blew steam for 3 Hours. Tobacco conditions were good they called in the staff and 2hrs later the broadleaf was taken down and placed piles 

This steamer burns 30 gallons of fuel an hour.  WOW  gets thirsty using 300 gallons of water

in one hour !!!

 Steam Bellows out the eves of the shed

Steaming a shed to take down tobacco is an Art. 

 This man uses welding gloves to handle the steam hoses moving  left to right up and down half the shed. As the sun starts to rise the east side of the shed needs 60 percent of the steam because the sun dry's the tobacco with the morning sun light.

Lath by lath men handle the leaves with care placing into a pile. Steam is two thing's in the shed Wet and Hot.  There is a balance of steaming to make the leaf pliable and not wet moist not Wet !!! Crops have been ruined during the 2000's tobacco boom.When taken down too wet tobacco Rots and the crop isn't marketable. So the grower Loose Big Money!!!  All is good here at Jarmoc's  the staff is happy the crop is fa nominal. The shed is completed by 9 am on a Saturday morning. Most people are still sleeping and these 14 men just took down 5 acres of tobacco. Simply Amazing !!!