Aging: 2oz Tins or 8oz Tins?

jmatt · Mar 21, 2016

One can buy a typical GL Pease 8 oz tin for the same price as three 2 oz tins. Clearly, the better "value" is the 8 oz tin. But I usually only want to open 2 oz at a time, and I think aging is better if you never pop the seal. What do people think? Is it worth being able to open 3 different tins at completely different times (like one tin now, a tin in a couple years and a tin in 5 years?) Or just open in 8 ounce increments over time?
To me the McClelland 100g tins are "just right" in the mix between size and value. 8oz seems too big, but then again, it's like 2 free ounces.
What do you do?

derfargin · Mar 21, 2016

Depends on how concerned you are on the money you spend on a product you intend to set fire to anyway. In my mind buying bulk is always best. If I find a blend that doesn't come in bulk but larger tins, I'll most always go for the qty to extend the money paid. There's always the option of mason jars storage when I open the larger tins. I've done that thus far with Gaslight, and Triple Play, as well as Mississippi Mud and Five O'Clock Shadow.

cosmicfolklore · Mar 21, 2016

I've re-jarred quite a few GLP 8oz cans to make it smaller quantities at a time. But, only the ones with less than a few years. If a large tin comes with 5+ Years, I'll keep those in tact. Maybe when I pop those, I'll share with you guys. But, I try to buy the 2oz tins of the GLP when the extra few bucks isn't an issue. Some months are better than others these days.

tarheel1 · Mar 22, 2016

I prefer aging in smaller portions s like 2oz or 50g if available. I just don't go through a tin fast enough.

cortezattic · Mar 22, 2016

Buying 8oz. of tobacco will necessitate buying at least 3 half pint Mason jars to store it, at about a buck apiece.

So, the quantity purchase is still a good buy; and, the jars, of course, are re-usable.

orobusto · Mar 22, 2016

I've been buying more 8oz tins because I figure by the time I open them, I'll be retired, my son will be grown and I'll have time to enjoy 3-4 bowls a day rather than the 3-4 a week I get to now.

dread · Mar 22, 2016

I buy the 8 ounce jars when available. I figure when I pop them I'll jar them up.

mso489 · Mar 22, 2016

It really depends on how much you smoke. If you are a six or eight bowls a day smoker, the eight ounce tin is the ticket. If you are a one or two bowl a day person, the smaller tin will probably do the trick. If you transfer the contents into a good canning jar right away, it probably doesn't matter much -- if you are a very moderate smoker but enjoy smoking a lot of a particular blend. With a little care, tobacco keeps surprisingly well.

cosmicfolklore · Mar 22, 2016

With a little care, tobacco keeps surprisingly well.

That should come with a *depends... After a blend has reached a certain age, when it is at, IMO, perfect sweetness, flavors, and delicate dead black in color, the blend seems to collapse very quickly once the jar or tin is open. I've had 20 year on Virginia flakes turn to dust in less than a week after being opened, but kept in a closed jar. I think that once fresh oxygen hits these aged flakes, they go downhill fast. But, with only five or so years, yeh, you're right it's not as fragile.

username · Mar 22, 2016

I just break down into pint jars. In my neck of the woods jars are about 8 to 10 dollars for a case of 12.

mso489 · Mar 22, 2016

Cosmic, thank you for the info on long-aged blends. I don't intend to age anything beyond a few years, but this is fair warning if I do. Some of my tins are getting a little long in the tooth, as it were.

deathmetal · Mar 22, 2016

But I usually only want to open 2 oz at a time, and I think aging is better if you never pop the seal.

I think many are in this boat, which is why 2oz and 50g tins are so popular.

cortezattic · Mar 22, 2016

Something G.L. Pease once said keeps resonating with me: cellared tobacco will continue to improve with age; but, the single most noticeable improvement comes at about the 6 month mark. The suggestion being that further improvement is scarcely detectable, and probably not worth depriving oneself in anticipation of a miraculous change.
The only exception I have ever found to this is PS/LNF, which has been noticeably improving for me these past 5 years.

deathmetal · Mar 22, 2016

Like any tobacco even lasts that long around here... heh.

okiescout · Mar 22, 2016

"If I find a blend that doesn't come in bulk but larger tins, I'll most always go for the qty to extend the money paid. There's always the option of mason jars storage when I open the larger tins"
+1 derfargin.
You can also age it in mylar foiled food grade zip lock bags. They come in every size from 1/2 once up, are cheap, heat sealable with an iron and store tobacco great.

deathmetal · Mar 22, 2016

I wonder if tobacco is like trepanation: once you expose the brain to air, it is never the same.

jefff · Mar 22, 2016

I prefer small tins and even then I jar it relatively quickly. There is a lot of voodoo about aging tobacco and I try and believe most of it... :D

deathmetal · Mar 22, 2016

...because it's more fun if you assume it's true.
I seem to have become rather relaxed about things: I keep the 50g tins around, but jar everything else, and smoke it before I have to worry about whether I'm aging it too much.

judcole · Mar 23, 2016

I really prefer the 50 gram/2 ounce tins,myself.

jkrug · Mar 23, 2016

I like to buy the bigger cans, bags or bulk for the savings and then I split it into 2 ounce portions in jars for storage/aging. That way I can open 2 ounces at a time without interrupting the aging of the other jars. : puffy

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Aging: 2oz Tins or 8oz Tins?

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