I have recently moved my tobacco from the bags to glass jars, now i am noticing moisture on the inside of the glass, is that normal or should i be concerned on this?
Tobacco in glass jars question
- Thread starter voodookobra
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Interesting. Is a picture possible? Unless you have a very moist blend or you leave it in direct sunlight I cannot see how this happens.
I jarred a bag of Stonehaven about a month ago and saw the same thing a day or two later. It went away, so I'm assuming it was transient temp/RH conditions.
How long has the moisture been there? If it seems to be stable I'd leave the jar open for a while to dry it a bit; I'd be a little concerned about mold if it was that wet.
How long has the moisture been there? If it seems to be stable I'd leave the jar open for a while to dry it a bit; I'd be a little concerned about mold if it was that wet.
The only thing that would come to mind would be a temperature change or it was some moist tobacco.I have been avid on jarring all my tobaccos and haven't experienced this problem.However i know of someone who dried out his baccys a little before jarring them and its fine till today.Its been stored about a year now.
The only time I have ever observed condensation on the inside of a glass jar was after baking a couple ounces
of Virginia flake. After the sealed jar cooled down to room temperature the condensation disappeared.
The method, BTW, was to replace the Mason jar's rubberized lid with aluminum foil and bake @ 120° for 6 hrs.
It didn't improve the flake enough to justify all the futzing around, but it was fun as a one time thing.
of Virginia flake. After the sealed jar cooled down to room temperature the condensation disappeared.
The method, BTW, was to replace the Mason jar's rubberized lid with aluminum foil and bake @ 120° for 6 hrs.
It didn't improve the flake enough to justify all the futzing around, but it was fun as a one time thing.
I jar all of my tambo with one of those useful pink clay stone things. Never really had an issue with precipitation.
@Woodsroad: Mold is probably on my mind (there's an open door for someone...) since I'm coming from the cigar world where it can be a problem. Is pipe tobacco treated in some way to retard mold, or is it simply different moisture content, etc. such that it's not a concern?
There have been pictures posted on here of molded tobaccos. It is possible, but it depends on the blend and blender. the more natural the tobaccos with less preservatives, the greater the chance of mold. However, just being moist isn't necessarily an indicator of potential for mold. A steamy jar of Carter Hall or 1Q is probably not going to mold in a thousand years with how that stuff is processed, but a steamy jar of something like GLP's... well any GLP blend... is probably going to have greater potential for mold.
I've observed the condensation thing every now and then. It usually goes away after a while and doesn't seem to be too much of a problem.
As for mould, I've only ever had that happen once, with a jar of Three Nuns. I have no idea how it happened, as i had it sealed up in the same kind of Mason jar I use for all my tobaccos, and stored in the same cupboard. My Three Nuns was also noticeably drier than most other blends out of the tin, so it was very unexpected.
Overall, i don't think the introduction of moisture puts tobacco too much in danger of mould. Within reason, of course. After all, safe and common methods of re-hydration include spraying the stuff with water or putting a damp piece of sponge into the jar/tin/pouch.
As for mould, I've only ever had that happen once, with a jar of Three Nuns. I have no idea how it happened, as i had it sealed up in the same kind of Mason jar I use for all my tobaccos, and stored in the same cupboard. My Three Nuns was also noticeably drier than most other blends out of the tin, so it was very unexpected.
Overall, i don't think the introduction of moisture puts tobacco too much in danger of mould. Within reason, of course. After all, safe and common methods of re-hydration include spraying the stuff with water or putting a damp piece of sponge into the jar/tin/pouch.
Pipe tobacco should be in the neighborhood of 12% water, by weight. 12% at 70 degrees F corresponds to about 60% relative humidity. If you jarred your tobacco and the air in the jar was 60% Relative Humidity at 70 degrees, you should not get condensation unless the temperature drops to around 55 deg F. If your heat is off, and it was a chilly morning, it might be expected. If you are seeing condensation and the tobacco is at 70 degrees, then it is probably too moist and you should let it dry out.
I've been jarring for some years and have never had this happen. I would think that temperature change is the culprit, along with overly moist tobacco. Somehow water as a gas was converted to a solid, attendant upon a drop in temperature. Can't see why this would happen in a temperature-controlled environment.
"a steamy jar of something like GLP's... well any GLP blend... is probably going to have greater potential for mold."
The only time I've ever had a tobacco mold -- in 35 years -- was with a tin of GLPease's Bohemian Scandal. It didn't mold in the tin; the mold appeared after I opened the tin and moved the contents to a jar for smoking.
Bob
The only time I've ever had a tobacco mold -- in 35 years -- was with a tin of GLPease's Bohemian Scandal. It didn't mold in the tin; the mold appeared after I opened the tin and moved the contents to a jar for smoking.
Bob
Virtually all pipe tobacco made in America has had some kind of antifungal added to inhibit mold growth. The products used are all approved for that purpose, and can be something as simple as vinegar.
Russ
Russ
I would like to know how full the jar is and what tobacco blend is in this jar? I have not had the problem. Keep it out of direct sunlight. Your problem is not a good one!
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Everyone has made good points. A more natural blend you may have an issue but thats highly unlikely..
If you are canning it for the purpose of keeping it for a long time then moisture levels in the jar will stay the same and you will see the water content if temps change, nothing to worry about. Now if you are just using it to hold the baccy and in and out of it a great deal then id suggest the same as others here have, let it dry out some while you are smoking and when you are done then re-lid it and the issue should go away. There is a column on this site about how a tobaccos moisture for aging isnt the best for smoking so some drying out will be needed if you are not planning on storing it for sometime. I think either Mr.Russ or Mr.Please wrote the column.
If you are canning it for the purpose of keeping it for a long time then moisture levels in the jar will stay the same and you will see the water content if temps change, nothing to worry about. Now if you are just using it to hold the baccy and in and out of it a great deal then id suggest the same as others here have, let it dry out some while you are smoking and when you are done then re-lid it and the issue should go away. There is a column on this site about how a tobaccos moisture for aging isnt the best for smoking so some drying out will be needed if you are not planning on storing it for sometime. I think either Mr.Russ or Mr.Please wrote the column.
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