Too Much Doom

The Momma Daisy Memorial Chamber of Doom Tobacco Fermenter is fully operational and is fermenting tobacco even as we speak. It might be fermenting it too well.

The fermentation sites I checked told me that I want the tobacco to be kept between 120 and 140. The Chamber of Doom got up to 151 yesterday, a good 50-60 degrees above ambient. Today, it shot up to 144 as soon as the morning sun hit it. Naturally, I swung into action with a high-tech solution.

I installed a Retractable Aperture Guard (RAG).

With half the aperture closed, the temperature inside fell to a frigid 125.

The humidity readings are quite low, despite having a gallon of water sloshing around at the bottom of the can. I have to admit, I don't trust the meter for that. I can't imagine the air inside is dry. It might be out of calibration when the temperature climbs above 120.

While I had the lid off, I rearranged the t-shirt chunks covering the tobacco leaves. They were still moist and the leaves had softened considerably. There was a strong smell of new-mown grass, exactly as the fermentation sites told me there would be. It looks like everything is going according to plan.