Caution: When Using The Noodle Press to Make Plugs

[Timbo]

You've gotten the noodle press bug hard Steve, I had a good case when I bought mine a couple of years ago but haven't made one in a while. I might have to remedy that soon.

 

[RSteve]

You've gotten the noodle press bug hard Steve, I had a good case when I bought mine a couple of years ago but haven't made one in a while. I might have to remedy that soon.

The problem really started when an Ebay seller made me an offer of several at a very low price. Once I had my system down to 4.8 oz tobacco, 8" by 5" parchment liner, silicone discs (cut from a baking sheet) at top and bottom, it was all pretty easy.

 

[Timbo]

Yeah gotta admit I bought three of the buggers myself. Mainly because they're of Chinese make and looked rather flimsy. Still haven't killed one of them yet.

 

[RSteve]

If you can find a cooperative local bakery that's using 24" x 16" parchment and will sell you a few sheets, you can cut nine 8" x 5" liners for the press. A caterer friend gave me several. She recommended Katbite 16x24 inch Heavy Duty Parchment Paper Sheets, but what would I do with 100 sheets?

 

[RSteve]

Yeah gotta admit I bought three of the buggers myself..

3's a start.

 

[RSteve]

I continue to be amazed that I can crank the presses tightly and the next day, there is room for another twist. I'm in the fourth day of a process and still tightening. I wonder if there's a point that the compressed roll cake is too compressed.

I'm in the 6th day of another pressing and the crank is still turning a bit every day. In the John P. Seiler essay, he wrote:
"I found that I got good results if I pressed the tobacco over three days, keeping a constant pressure applied after the initial pressing. You also got a harder pressed cake."
At three days I still could significantly add cranking pressure and compress the rollcake.

 

[RSteve]

Having started out as a rookie noodle presser, I'm now a relatively experienced veteran. Just a couple of major points to make today.
I disagree with the John Seiler essay, pertaining to the duration/length of press, when it's specifically with the noodle press. I think for the "health" of the press, 7 days of gradual tightening will give the press a longer life expectancy. Don't attempt to to press to a rock hard roll cake on the first day. On the first day, tighten the crank until you have firm resistance, but not until you absolutely can't turn it anymore. The next day and successive days, you'll find there's ample turning possible. Again, go until you get a stop, but don't overdo it. I tried to be Superman, cranked one until there was no possible movement and broke the handle

 

[Niblick]

Steve, do you save some of the blend to compare what it tastes like after it has been pressed? Just curious if you have had a blend that does not benefit by pressing for you for some reason or another.

 

[RSteve]

Steve, do you save some of the blend to compare what it tastes like after it has been pressed?

I don't. I've been pressing my blends for as long as I can remember, but never as compressed as I am with the noodle press. When I was using the huge Nemco tuna press, I pressed the tobacco once into a can and sealed it. With the noodle press, increasing the compaction for seven consecutive days, I'm getting a very different final product. I won't really know how different the blends are till spring.

 

[RSteve]

I hate to admit how OCD I am but I bought 10 noodle presses and have been pressing all my blends that I hadn't canned earlier. I go Saturday to Saturday, 3 lbs. out of the presses, 3 lbs. in. If I don't decide to remove the already pressed and canned tobacco to put it through the noodle press treatment, I should be done with the noodle presses in about three weeks, never to use them again. I already have a lifetime supply of tobacco.

 

[RSteve]

Geez, I cannot help my OCD nature! I've been pressing each "batch" for 6 to 7 days, then wrapping tightly in food grade plastic wrap and labeling. I thought, "What if I continue to tighten longer?" Tomorrow I'll remove six tobacco cakes from 11 days of gradual tightening. I'm stopping at #11 because the noodle presses are as tight as they'll allow.
I'll still have some tobacco to press, then I am done. I think.

 

[RSteve]

Home today, runny nose and very sore throat, so it's noodle press day.
4.8 oz per device, 3 lbs placed in presses today, 4 presses with one blend, 6 with another.
Next Tuesday, I expect to remove today's press and begin to press the last blend I'm going to press.
I really like every blend I've made, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be:
Sutliff black latakia............................................40%
Sutliff black unflavored cavendish..................... 12.5%
Sutliff toasted red Virginia cavendish..................12.5%
Sutliff 507-s stoved black Virginia...................... 12.5%
Sutliff TS-24 Turkish ribbon................................ 5%
Sutliff blending smyrna........................................5%
Sutliff blending Izmir............................................5%
Sutliff TS-20 perique ...........................................7.5%

I really like the difference the difference the toasted red Virginia cavendish makes. And it's my last blend to press.

 

[RSteve]

Next Tuesday, I expect to remove today's press and begin to press the last blend I'm going to press.
I really like every blend I've made, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be:
Sutliff black latakia............................................40%
Sutliff black unflavored cavendish..................... 12.5%
Sutliff toasted red Virginia cavendish..................12.5%
Sutliff 507-s stoved black Virginia...................... 12.5%
Sutliff TS-24 Turkish ribbon................................ 5%
Sutliff blending smyrna........................................5%
Sutliff blending Izmir............................................5%
Sutliff TS-20 perique ...........................................7.5%

I really like the difference the difference the toasted red Virginia cavendish makes. And it's my last blend to press.

I did half. I removed 10 compressed rolls from the noodle presses today, wrapped, labeled, and bagged them. Tomorrow, I will fill the noodle presses for the last time. I already have weighed out 4.8 oz of tobacco for each press. And that will be the end of my noodle pressing.

 

[RSteve]

I didn't get to the task until this morning, about a week later than I expected. The noodle presses are filled and cranked. I'll tighten them every day until next Monday, when the last of the roll cakes will be removed, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and labeled, bagged five roll cakes per ziplock, then placed in a large cooler with a large container of humidification beads. I'm done blending. I have enough of my own blends hand pressed and canned or compressed into roll cakes to smoke for more than my lifetime. When I remove the last of the roll cakes, I'll box up all ten of the noodle presses in one box and offer them as a unit free to anyone who'll pay shipping. If no one wants them, they go to Goodwill.
I'm pleased that I'm done.
I have many unopened tins of tobacco that I will never smoke because I prefer what I've blended. They, in time, will be offered for sale in multiples for about half of current retails. All are English blends, no aromatics.