Charcoal drying

Driving up to the smoking shed it sure looks like it's on fire.  It's not, just drying Broadleaf. The same charcoal used in your outside grill at your home is used to dry tobacco.

Smoke bellows out the Eves of the shed.

This shed is in Enfield CT.

 Empty Charcoal bags

The Charcoal is place in a pan lit then the smoke begins a few minutes later the smoke stops the coals glow red.  Once an hour the coals must be turned with a big metal fork. In 4 hours more coals are added. After 8 hours there is lots of ash in the coal pan's. The pans are picked up turned upside down so the ashes are shaken into a wheelbarrow. Then the hot coals go back in the coal pan.

Charcoal curing is 100 percent hands on. When using the coals farmers cant stop until the tobacco is dry. When tobacco is damp you add heat then stop the heat before tobacco is dry.  Rot begins.  This means you just screwed up your crop.  During the cigar boom of the late 90's into 2000's when every one and there brother was growing. Some Broadleaf never made it to market because new growers didn't under stand curing. There are no rookies growing ct broadleaf in 2013.  These farmers are hard core.  There some of the best of the best in the world.  Because these growers know how not to loose a crop to disease,dealing with bad weather in the field. How to take care of the crop in the sheds until the broadleaf is packaged!