Starting a Tobacco Cellar

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ebernabe

Lurker
Nov 1, 2013
12
0
Troy, Missouri
I hope to in the near future finish my basement. Any suggestions on building a room for storing pipe tobacco would be appreciated.
Such as wall material, humidity, light etc.
Thanks and all suggestions and/or opinions greatly appreciated
Edit: Corrected capitalization in title per Rule #9. L.

 

escioe

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 31, 2013
702
4
No light.

Normal humidity.

Walls to protect from thieves.
It's not complicated. Lots of us use boxes in closets.

 

northernneil

Lifer
Jun 1, 2013
1,390
1
I keep my stash under the stairs.
Some things to keep in mind, the room needs to be dark, and not have drastic temperature changes. Humidity is not important, but when it comes to pipe tobacco, dry is better. I think you want to aim for 40% or lower. Higher than that and you will risk rust forming on lids.
As pipe tobacco will be kept in sealed containers (or should be at least), the room in which it is stored doen not need to be specifically maintained like a cigar would require. Again, constant temperature and no natural light are your most important aspects.

 

numbersix

Lifer
Jul 27, 2012
5,449
53
Congrats on making a tobacco cellar. I would suggest plenty of adequate shelving. Keep it out of direct sunlight and your tobacco well sealed in mason jars. Humidity should be kept to a minimum.

 

redbeard

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 2, 2013
841
4
Didn't see this tip offered, not sure f it really even matters but I keep my tobacco away from a heat baring wall. What I mean by that is a wall that gets warm from either the sun, water lines and what not.

 

vigil

Might Stick Around
Nov 12, 2013
99
0
Under the stairs really is a good way to utilize some normally unused space. It's pretty easy really. Don't make it harder than it is.
Then again, I'm doing this...
wb305-stairs03.jpg

Under Stair Storage

 

cmdrmcbragg

Lifer
Jul 29, 2013
1,739
3
vigil, that'll be a nifty idea to make a reality. Very practical.
I keep my cellar in my basement hallway cabinet. I don't cellar up like everyone else, waiting on Judgment Day so I can have hundreds of pounds as the anti-smoking T-1000s roam the streets taxing smokers. I cellar an ounce of each blend I have (except OTCs) in the 4 oz Mason jelly jars. At the end of 2013 I have just over 2 lbs of tobacco all together in my cabinet.

 

planetary

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 4, 2012
165
4
SF Bay Area
Congratulations indeed! Wise move.
Mason jars are not required if you have good tins. I consider "good tins" to be the food-grade models used by McClelland or GLP. Less good are the older, more rust-prone cylindrical C&D/GLP tins. Also less good -- for loss of seal risk -- are the squat rounds as used by Dunhill and others, or the square tins as used by Esoterica, F&T, or Solani.
I still prefer to keep tobacco tinned wherever possible, to keep the aging process going uninterrupted. I would just override that concern when there is risk of tin attrition.
I would advise keeping the tobacco indoors (which is likely to see a 20F temperature swing during the year, or during any given day, compared to the garage which is likely to see MUCH more than that), if you have an extra closet (or two!). Tobacco is much more forgiving than fine wine, but you probably want to keep the temperature swings to a minimum -- particularly with tobacco containers which rely on vacuum sealing, e.g. some mason jars, or those EU tins mentioned above.

 

yazamitaz

Lifer
Mar 1, 2013
1,757
1
First off, welcome aboard ebernabe. I hope you are getting a lot of good info from the forums.
I have only been smoking a pipe (for real) since March 2013 but have been able to amass about 20 tins and have almost 2 dozen 8oz Ball jars for my bulk. I keep my tobacco in an entertainment center-like cabinet. I have two shelves of space about 10 in high each. I keep our thermostat at 68-70F in the winter and about 65 in the warmer months, so the temp is pretty consistent. The door is shut so light can only get in when I open it, and even then the cabinet does not receive direct light. In my short time of storage I have yet to have anything go bad.
Good luck with your cellar.
Dan

 

pipeherman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 13, 2013
228
2
Very interesting and informative comments guys. Never had any idea about the simplicity of storing tobacco. Looks like I might just order my tobacco in bulk :puffy:

 

cmdrmcbragg

Lifer
Jul 29, 2013
1,739
3
You're safest buying a set of jars for all your cellaring needs when it comes to bulk. Smaller Tupperware storage boxes for tins, and inventory control.

 
Dec 24, 2012
7,195
456
The best way to start a tobacco cellar is to visit Harris's house late at night with a screwdriver and a crowbar. PM me and I will give you the address.
Oh, and you don't have to worry about him putting up a fight - he has a bad back and is fighting a kidney stone the size of a watermelon. He will probably be groggy from the painkillers when you enter - just rattle your keys and tell him you are The Ghost of Rad Davis.

 

numbersix

Lifer
Jul 27, 2012
5,449
53
Oh, and you don't have to worry about him putting up a fight - he has a bad back and is fighting a kidney stone the size of a watermelon. He will probably be groggy from the painkillers when you enter - just rattle your keys and tell him you are The Ghost of Rad Davis
:rofl:

 

piperl12

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 7, 2012
970
4
Peck you are one of the main attractions around here! I keep coming back to see what you are going to say next!

 
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