The Milder Side of NET's
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Mostly ones that I saw that you did that sounded good: Sutliff Christmas Spice, Scotty's Honey and Chocolate, Cornell and Diehl Autumn Evening, Peter Stokkebye 84 Turkish, Sutliff Creamy Butterscotch, and Sutliff Strawberry Delight. I halfway expect the strawberry one to be pretty muted, but it sounded good, and if nothing else, it's a cheap experiment. There were some others I will probably try in the future, but to start off with I figured I'd stick with the ones that I'd read about here that stood out to me.
I always recommend a thirteen week (three months) soak because it's what I've learned from this sub-forum. However long you allow the maceration, Filtration is the Key to successful extracts. I believe @Bronze and I discussed this earlier in this thread, but I use and AreoPress and lab filters to get the results I am looking for.
I used a 5 micron aquarium sock as my second stage filter. All my filtering is gravity-fed. Honestly I wonder how well that sock filters.
The only reason I am suspicious is because I had no top notes appear in my final extraction. That is my only basis for questioning the sock. I readily admit, that is a very weak basis. It was more likely that I filtered the extract down to 2 micron and the top notes I was seeking were larger than 2 micron.
Curious, can you describe the "residue" you have accumulating on your 2 micron filters? I had quite a bit on mine, not to mention it took many hours to filter and I had replace them a few times (suggesting it clogged quickly).
First I use a 6" funnel I purchased and a two quart pitcher. A standard coffee filter fits nicely in the top section of the funnel.
For Cold Maceration with PG, I allowed about 45 minutes to an hour for gravity filtering.
For PGA/VG Heat Extracts, I very gently squeeze the coffee filter to expedite the process before the PGA evaporated.
After each extract, I disassemble the funnel (two parts), rinse well with hot water, and wipe clean and dry with paper towels.
For Cold Maceration in PG, the extract goes directly into an Aeropress set up with a standard AeroPress filter, when I gently and slowly push the extract through the filter into a Kerr's Wide Mouth jar I 'acquired' from Mamaw's kitchen.
Then I disassemble the Aeropress, rinse each piece well and dry with paper towels. Then I set up the Aeropress with a 2 micron lab filter, and slowly and carefully ease the extract through, making sure I am pushing it through the filter and not around it.
Everything gets rinsed and wiped clean every step of the way. I might lose 20ml or so, but the remaining Extracts are clean.
For PGA/ VG extracts, once they are filtered first in the funnel/ pitcher, they go back to the mason jars and placed into the chest freezer for a week (while I am working). The following weekend, I remove each jar, one at a time, to filter in the Aeropress. First with the standard AeroPress filter, then with the 2 micron lab filter.
I haven't tried freeze filtering the Cold Macerated PG Extracts yet, but I know from the PGA/VG Extracts that @Str8vision method does seem to clog up coffee filters as you go along.
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Using the methods described in my previous post, I am actually filtering in steps - by the time I get to the 2 micron filters I have already removed the tobacco, and much of the sediments the tobacco leaves behind.
The lab filter paper is the last step. Much of the 'gunk' is gone by then.
Bronze, I also wanted to ask, how did it work out using your French press? I know you have to take it slow and make sure the gunk doesn't go around the filter. I was just curious though because I do have a French press. I was figuring on trying it with that rather than buying an Aeropress right off the bat.
I had a pretty fair amount of residue remaining on my 2 micron filter. As I mentioned, it didn't take long to clog that 2 micron. I'm wondering if all those morsels left on that 2 micron filter were my top notes. And if they were, does this apply to all top notes, or just some of them depending on what the top note is? Your Decatur Cherry had a cherry flavor to it so it didn't seem to bother that too much. I wish I had kept a 5 micron sample of my chocolate extract to see if there were top notes in that. Didn't think to do it.
I had no trouble with it CJ. It worked fine. There is nothing fancy about my French press. It was bought at a thrift shop for $5. It does fine for getting the major crud out. I wouldn't worry much about being perfect with it. Once you put it thru the coffee filter(s) you will be where you need to be.
Cool. I spent much more on mine a ways back, but it was my primary means of making coffee for a few years. The only thing wrong with it is I'm missing the knob at the top of the plunger. For some reason this shiny chrome little ball enticed my son when he was much younger. He unscrewed it and ran off with it. Where it went, no one knows. He also had a habit way back of taking the little balls out of the mouse for the computer and making them disappear...
The more you filter, the more you lose. But insufficient filtering results in e-liquids that wreck your coils after just a few puffs. The sediments you are trying to take out burn onto the wick/coils. The flavor/ gunk trade off is the boon of doing your own extractions.
After reading @Bronze experience, and reading several reviews at pipesandcigar.com and tobaccoreviews.com, I have added Sutliff Chocolate Mousse to my Winter 2022 Wish List (at P&C). I intend to try the same tobacco in PGA/VG Heat Extraction, jus to see if I can capture some of the top note flavors Bronze missed out on.
After reading @Bronze experience, and reading several reviews at pipesandcigar.com and tobaccoreviews.com, I have added Sutliff Chocolate Mousse to my Winter 2022 Wish List (at P&C). I intend to try the same tobacco in PGA/VG Heat Extraction, jus to see if I can capture some of the top note flavors Bronze missed out on.
My favorite filtering assistant from the 60's, the "Busy Liz", works with lab filters and with coffee filters
I thought about trying to make another chocolate (one of the ones I already tried) and changing up a little how I processed it. Perhaps extend the maceration time from 10 weeks to 12 or 14 and revising my 5 micron and 2 micron filtering.
Aromatic tobacco isn't really required if you want a "flavored" NET. You can add one or more concentrated flavorings and make a "hybrid NET". Hybrids have a more stable shelf life than NETs made from aromatic tobacco. Sutliff's "Molto Dolce" makes a very tasty NET but the flavor isn't stable over time. My favorite hybrid NET is VCT (Vanilla Caramel Tobacco). There are several great chocolate flavorings available but the two I like are Inawera chocolate (tastes like a tootsie roll) mixed with TFA Double chocolate clear (tastes like chocolate frosting). I don't like either by themselves but mixed together they suit me.
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