What to do with Aromatics that have lost flavor

jjm1 · Feb 2, 2015

I am a newbie that goofed up with storing tobacco... About 3 months ago I bought a lot of bulk tobacco, maybe 8-12 different ones averaging about 8 ounces each.I kept most of it in their original plastic bags, and then put these in a larger 'air tight seal' plastic container. At some point I read about storing tobacco in jars so moved some of the stuff (taken out of the bags) into some empty spaghetti sauce jars and set those aside. On average I have only smoked a few bowls a week from tobacco that has been kept in plastic container. The last 3 smokes, two different Cornell Diehl's and 1Q, have lost their flavor. They still taste like tobacco, but the Berry Good is missing it's Berries (on a side note the Cornell stuff still tastes like better tobacco).
So to get to the point I am wondering if this stuff can be redeemed. I am living in Asia right now and having stuff shipped here is not cheap; hoping that this stuff does not end up in the trash. In the future I should jar stuff pretty quickly. Mason jars have been mentioned often on this board but those are not here, so hoping others will seal well enough. Or, maybe tins should be bought instead. Any other thoughts? Thanks in advance. Really enjoy lurking here.

mcitinner1 · Feb 2, 2015

Losing the flavor you mention isn't a big deal. Smoke what you have. It will help you learn to like a plainer blend and may burn better/cooler.

jjm1 · Feb 2, 2015

oK. Redid the math, and had less than what I thought. Good lesson learned though.

papipeguy · Feb 2, 2015

Another thing to consider is getting jars with lids that seal. You can pick them up in any supermarket. Those will keep your tobaccos fresher longer.

griffonwing · Feb 2, 2015

I will assume the jar has a one-piece metal lid, such as most pickle jars.
I think back to putting some Tostito's Salsa con Queso cheese dip jar in the fridge, and coming back to it a couple months later, after it being pushed in the back of the fridge. The contents covered in mold. This is because it doesn't seal up airtight, no matter how tightly it's screwed back on, once the seal is popped.
I'm certain that its the same with the Spaghetti sauce jar. The canning process makes is what makes the seal.
Your best bet is to get some canning jars, with 2-piece lids; a flat piece with a rubber lip and a screw top. These will seal up airtight without requiring the heat canning process. Asia may not have the Mason brand jars, but there are several asian manufacturers of canning jars. There should be some in your area. You might try searching online or talking to a local grocers.

smeigs · Feb 2, 2015

all aromatics are pretty tasteless to me honestly. Other than a nice room note, I don't really find them to have much of a taste. I would just blend it in with some burley or a lighter VA.

mso489 · Feb 2, 2015

I agree that the tobacco is probably still fine, and the loss of flavoring is as much a good thing as not. Smoking

aromatics that had lost their vanilla, whiskey, or whatever flavor steered me toward non-aromatics and a new

world of enjoyment. More important, I would suggest that new pipe smokers not buy in 8 ounce quantities. There

are so many blends to try, and so much experience to gain, I'd keep the quantities ordered at one or two ounces,

and only go to four if you find something you think is terrific. I think 8 ounces or a pound are for experienced

smokers who have hit a plateau and may not have time to explore new blends right now.

menuhin · Feb 3, 2015

If it were me ...

I would give it away to beginner pipe smoker friends or try some DIY aromatic flavoring experiments

Or best yet, propose to exchange in bulk with them for their newly acquired English blends that they think "it is not their thing"

mephistopheles · Feb 3, 2015

I've been in that exact same situation but with a few 2 oz baggies. It's a bummer, but you'll learn from it.
If you can't find Ball Canning Jars, then look for Bormiolli Rocco Fido jars. They work really well and can be ordered directly from the company.
Here is an Amazon link to help provide a picture and details of the jars:

http://www.amazon.com/Bormioli-Rocco-Fido-Clear-4-Ounce/dp/B0001BMYGQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1423025375&sr=8-2&keywords=bormioli+rocco+fido+jars
The best thing you can do with aromatics that have lost their casing/flavor is just to smoke what you have. Just take it as training stock. You could even try mixing them together in small quantities as an experiment.

condorlover1 · Feb 4, 2015

Alternately you could add them to your compost heap!

brudnod · Feb 4, 2015

Don't listen to these aromatic bashers. Some of us REALLY DO like aros and enjoy the subtlety of the smoke. An aro that has lost it's flavor has been inappropriately stored. Two ways to get around this: store larger quantities in mason jars (plenty of threads on this forum to get you up to speed on that) and smaller quantities in mylar zip up bags (you can get these online at Iwan Ries and other stores). Once the flavor is gone you cannot retrieve it; enjoy it as is or get some more tobacco. I have actually used some tobacco that was poorly stored as mulch and it smelled quite nice when it came to watering time...

griffonwing · Feb 4, 2015

Many times, tobacco that has dried, still has aromatic aroma. If its too dry and tasteless, you can always put a couple ounces in thin gauze and hang it from your rearview mirror. It will fill your car with the wonderful aromatic you love.

cosmicfolklore · Feb 4, 2015

If an aromatic completely loses its flavor, doesn't it become real tobacco?

griffonwing · Feb 4, 2015

If an aromatic completely loses its flavor, doesn't it become real tobacco?

HAHA :

:

brass · Feb 4, 2015

junkyarddawg, you are way more disciplined than I. I have a dozen open tins but have transferred the tobacco to bail lid jars. But only one is an aromatic.
I think if I smoked mostly aros, I would have to follow your suggestion. VaPers, VaBurs, burleys, English/balka, lakelands - all keep better than aros. I guess technically Lakelands are super-aros?

mso489 · Feb 4, 2015

Hope I didn't come across as an aromatic basher by suggesting that sometimes loss of the flavoring element

isn't always a bad thing. It isn't. But though I smoke mostly non-aromatics, I enjoy aros as a change of pace,

especially when they are tobacco-forward and based on quality tobacco. I do bear in mind that aromatics are

the majority of the pipe tobacco market, so the amazing variety of non-aromatic blends is dependent on the

aromatic market to sustain it. Just check out the online retailers and hard-copy catalogs. More aromatic than

non is sold, and keeps the pipe tobacco blenders in business. Right now I'm enjoying an XL bowl of Newminster

Very Cherry #3 (courtesy of a Forums member) in a Johs bent apple. I think this pipe must be a Group 6. Nice

even burn on this leaf, no goop.

iamn8 · Feb 4, 2015

Aroma-Therapy

cobguy · Feb 4, 2015

I skimmed this pretty quickly and don't think I saw a recommendation to rehydrate.
How about dumping them together in a bowl and adding just enough whiskey / rum to dampen the tobacco.
Then, put it in a jar for a few weeks and see how it smokes.

jjm1 · Feb 4, 2015

Ok, I have collected a lot of advice out of this. The overall consensus seems to be to try and get better storing jars followed by some ribbing about enjoying tobacco, real tobacco.
I am in China, and hardware stores and the like are non-existent, at least where I am at. I have ordered some jars online that tout being something like air tight though not sure yet how that will turn out. Its interesting, in the US we tend to not trust Chinese products but here the stuff is often worse, particularly online.
So, will start over and try to blend in some new stuff with the old and store it better. Until then will be smoking some of the better left. Thanks again for the feedback.
Oh, someone mentioned something about 're hydrating'. Is that an option for regaining some of the topping?

jjm1 · Feb 4, 2015

Ok, I have collected a lot of advice out of this. The overall consensus seems to be to try and get better storing jars followed by some ribbing about enjoying tobacco, real tobacco.
I am in China, and hardware stores and the like are non-existent, at least where I am at. I have ordered some jars online that tout being something like air tight though not sure yet how that will turn out. Its interesting, in the US we tend to not trust Chinese products but here the stuff is often worse, particularly online.
So, will start over and try to blend in some new stuff with the old and store it better. Until then will be smoking some of the better left. Thanks again for the feedback.
Oh, someone mentioned something about 're hydrating'. Is that an option for regaining some of the topping?

What to do with Aromatics that have lost flavor

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