Sealed tin or jar? Why?

bassbug · Feb 13, 2017

I just received two tins of Mac Baren Original Choice that I ordered. I opened one tin, had a smoke and put the rest of it in a jar. My question is, what to do with the second tin as this is actually the first time I've ever had more than one tin of any given blend in my possession.
Do I keep the tin sealed till Im ready for it? Should I jar it right away? Why?
Mac Baren says this is a mixture of virginia, burley and cavendish. Will this stuff benefit from any sort of aging, either in the tin or in jars?

oldgeezersmoker · Feb 13, 2017

Can't hurt to just leave it in the tin. Opinions differ as to this issue, but tins stored at room temperature in a reasonably dry environment will maintain their integrity for decades. Exception may need to be made for some square and rectangular tins, which will pop if you look at them harshly. Back in the old days, just the car ride home from the local B&M would cause a tin of Bengal Slices to pop.

toobfreak · Feb 13, 2017

If it is the regular round tin of Mac Barens, I would just leave it in the tin as long as you want until you open it. Then unless you plan on smoking it within a few weeks, jar it.

downinit · Feb 13, 2017

All tinned tobacco is good being kept in the tin as long as the seal is unbroken. Virginia blends (VaPers, etc) in vacuum sealed tins though are best taken out of the tin (from what I've heard) if you want to age/ferment them since there is virtually no air in these tins.

downinit · Feb 13, 2017

Some links on aging tobaccos:

An Introduction to Cellaring Pipe Tobacco

Cellaring Tobacco: The Dos And Don’ts

oldgeezersmoker · Feb 13, 2017

@downinit, don't believe everything you hear or read. Virginia's and VaPers do wonderfully left in the tin. If others think otherwise,no harm to me, but if your taste changes or you need to raise some cash, will you get more for a 10 year old sealed 1.75 ounce tin or 1.75 ounces left for ten years in a mason jar?

sablebrush52 · Feb 13, 2017

Tins are good for aging for years and years, but the type of tin can make a difference. Round tins tend to hold their seal better over time than the flat rectangular or square tins. But tins slowly leak, even when new, and eventually lose their seal and the contents dry out. How long that will take is kind of a crap shoot after 8-10 years. Some tins have held up for a couple of decades, others crap out after 5-6 years. I wonder if the older tins were better made than the current ones.

toobfreak · Feb 13, 2017

There is plenty of air in a sealed tin. If there was a true vacuum in there, the tin would crush and crumple.

jpmcwjr · Feb 13, 2017

If you have a valuable tin, and/or plan to keep it a long time, placing it in a mylar bag with a tight seal might be worth the trouble.

bassbug · Feb 13, 2017

I appreciate all the answers, especially because the second tin is going to be spending some time sealed up

the Original Choice is one of three blends that I've found I like to smoke regularly. I have 4 ounces of each of the other two, and now 7 ounces of the Mac Baren OC. Given that I smoke an average of one bowl a day, it's going to take some time to get to that second tin. Not really long enough to taste any aging effects though.

toobfreak · Feb 13, 2017

In the Spring when I feel like doing it, I'm going to access all my stored tins and give them all a wrap of vinyl electrical tape. That should easily at least quadruple their life expectancy. Any air trying to seep in will only draw the seal on the tape even tighter.

calabashed · Feb 14, 2017

^
I just did this with all my tins, using Scotch 3M aluminum foil tape. Tedious to cut and peel all the strips I needed, but it should hold up better and be a better gas and moisture barrier than anything else I've heard used (vinyl, duct tape, parafilm, saran wrap, etc).

toobfreak · Feb 14, 2017

calabashed---- a very good moniker, for the very best, most overlooked and perhaps maligned type pipe out there! : puffy

:
Long live the gourd.

mawnansmiff · Feb 17, 2017

"I'm going to access all my stored tins and give them all a wrap of vinyl electrical tape. That should easily at least quadruple their life expectancy."
Toobfreak, I assume you are only taping over the joint? If so, what about the dreaded pinhole forming on the (invisible) inside of the tin?
I have opened 'fresh' tins of tobacco with very evident signs of rust forming on the inside...usually the corners. This left me wondering how the tin would have maintained its partial vacuum had I put it away for long term storage.
Just a thought : puffy

:
Regards,
Jay.

calabashed · Feb 17, 2017

Thanks Toobfreak, long live the gourd!

Sealed tin or jar? Why?

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