Making of BurPer Kake & Home made tobacco press

**********************
Thanks for all the comments and emails on the press i use in this video. That press was only ever used for 2 batches of that tobacco, i have since built several improvements on this one. This cigar box and g clamp press was made using things i had kicking around in my garage, i am not one for making things usually so dont have a huge array of tools or materials lying around. But where their is a will, their is a way!
**********************

A quick video to show how i make the BurPer Kake and instruction on doing it your self.

The press is a Cuban SBN Cigar box (Partagas Serie D no4), 2 bits of Pine and 2 G-Clamps. Would be much better with 3 larger clamps though! I apply some distilled water to a rag and on to the cedar. Cedar is porous and it soaks in quickly. Do this a few times and that way it wont absorb much of the moisture from the tobacco it self. To help keep the moisture in x i use Baking Paper (non stick) to line the box with enough to fold over and cover the top. Dont worry about any creases they will get flattened!

Put your tobacco in, it will compress about 5 times the height of loose leaf. I tend to apply a little distilled water (sticks the Kake together) using an atomiser, never use Spring or Tap water, only distilled water. I have used deionized to re hydrate bone dry tobacco before and ended up with a fury mess, wasnt that wet either!

Make sure you get an even distribution, the corners always needs more in them! When its all in, put the lid (which needs cutting to fit inside) over the tobacco with the paper folded and apply some pressure. If you using bigger clamps you may be able to get the wood on easier than i do. Apply as much forces as you can, mine inst overly powerful as the pine gives way eventually.

It would be better with a few plates of steel as they wont buckle and take a lot more pressure!

After just a week the Kake should be solid enough to pick up, i go for 2 weeks as it really gives the tobaccos a chance to meld. If you have the time you could go for longer, if leaving it for long you want a humid environment, 60% is fine the tobacco wont turn to mould or dry out. Cigars need to be 65-75%, pipe tobacco is better a touch drier. You can use a spirit or natural extracts in alcohol (higher the ABV the better) to add a little extra flavour to your Kake. I am doing a Rum Kake in the future and that will (obviously) done with a aged rum and the box pre loaded with some rum too.

I have not shown the blend being mixed or even the tobaccos that go into it, something's have to be kept secret!

http://www.gqtobaccos.com/pipe-tobacc...

You can use anything as your press, like i show in the video the basic 25g one is no the best!

***********************************************************
www.GQTobaccos.com
***********************************************************