Favorite Nannou cake and why?

[TIM]

Nada's 2009 qiaomu cake, front


back


The portion at the top is loose leaves that I have broken off.

The cake looks yummy.... but a little dry from the pic

[Salsero]

Mmmm, maybe it is a little dry, but it has been stored for a couple months now at 65% to 70% RH. It's rather loosely compressed, that might contribute to the appearance of dryness.

[TIM]

Mmmm, maybe it is a little dry, but it has been stored for a couple months now at 65% to 70% RH. It's rather loosely compressed, that might contribute to the appearance of dryness.

Is really that perfect RH in FL Sal? I thought it might be around 80s.... I am shipping my smoke down to you

[Salsero]

That's in my pumidor which is enclosed by 50% RH in air conditioned house which is enclosed by 80% outdoors.

[odarwin]

hi sal,

have you ever tried to expose your cakes to 80%?
any observations?

thanks!
-darwin

[Salsero]

have you ever tried to expose your cakes to 80%?
any observations?

I ran higher humidity rates for a while, but I got white frost on my shu. It came off easily with a brush, but it still scared me. I think the cakes can't tolerate higher humidity because they are in drawers with little air circulation.

[TIM]

have you ever tried to expose your cakes to 80%?
any observations?

I ran higher humidity rates for a while, but I got white frost on my shu. It came off easily with a brush, but it still scared me. I think the cakes can't tolerate higher humidity because they are in drawers with little air circulation.

Sal-Hope you are not storing the shu with sheung together in your pumidor...
I think for the first 3yrs of a raw, hm around 80% in one season is quite healthy? But for shu, its a whole new path.

Got a new style of tasting notes. Still working on improving it: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rNl5VRNLz_s/S ... -GRADE.jpg

[Salsero]

Hope you are not storing the shu with sheung together in your pumidor...

Shu and sheng are separated ... just like you do with children who fight if they are together.

[odarwin]

hi sal, tim,

i agree on both of you for the shou... i do notice it here too...
shou in high humidity gives them the white stuff very fast...
but so far, since i have placed them in boxes, they (the white stuff) seem be be a thing of the past already... have you also tried putting shou in boxes?

as for sheng... i just notice that when i get 5 days straight of rain, the boxes get a bit damp, and the smell of sheng isn't as pungent and fragrant as lets say when its 65-75% and when the interior walls of the boxes start to get damp too then i start to panic and take out the dehumidifier or turn on the fan. at 80% humidity with the boxes a bit damp, upon close sniffing of the cakes, there is not much fragrance, instead, the smoke, astringency, and sort of bitter smells come out more.

-darwin

[shogun89]

same here, when it rains, I get a more astringent smokey bitter type smell from the cakes.

[TIM]

same here, when it rains, I get a more astringent smokey bitter type smell from the cakes.

I think the temp. where you store the shu is very important. If the HM is around low 80s and the temp. is around 60s, the white dusk usually dont occurs?

The white bloom or plume is accuately a good thing. high quality loose pu cost more if plume are visable

[odarwin]

so what is white boom or plume?

yesterday i got a few 1999 xg tuos in the green circle box... and on the tuo itself i found some spider web like stuff on some parts of the tuo... very little only and just for a very small part. the tuo seems like its loosening up... and slight aged aroma is already present. are those spider web like stuff the ones you are talking about?

-darwin

[brandon]

I think the spider web is a distinct growth and not desirable.
I have had not much fun drinking tuos that look like that.

[TIM]

so what is white boom or plume?

yesterday i got a few 1999 xg tuos in the green circle box... and on the tuo itself i found some spider web like stuff on some parts of the tuo... very little only and just for a very small part. the tuo seems like its loosening up... and slight aged aroma is already present. are those spider web like stuff the ones you are talking about?

-darwin

http://cigarfan.wordpress.com/2008/04/0 ... and-spots/

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rNl5VRNLz_s/R ... h/WNGL.jpg
the classic white needle golden lotus loose pu from the 80s has this as a signature. On the right hand page, The left batch is the original with white mist/plume. The right batch is a lesser choice.

[odarwin]

so what are those spider web like thing?

-darwin