Long term storage question

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JJ_JJ_JJ_JJ

Can't Leave
Sep 13, 2022
370
1,354
Good Afternoon Everyone,

Quick question, I'm starting my first long term storage jars and was wondering should I fill the masons to the very top, leave a little room for air, or it doesn't matter either way.

Thanks
 
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Reactions: Samuel Perez
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,597
66
Sarasota, FL
I'd leave a little room and not pack it too tight. Not because I think it makes any difference in the aging but it makes it a lot easier to take out when you get ready to smoke it. I'd also use mylar bags instead of jars. Lighter and takes up less space, easier to transport if you ever move.
 

bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
8,932
37,913
RTP, NC. USA
I only open one tin at a time, and rarely have more than 10 jars going at once. They are all the blends I'm smoking currently. Others will remain in tins until needed. Bulk is different story. Ordered some bulk once. Separate into two jars. I think it was 6 oz in one jar and 2 oz in other. Finished smoking 2 oz jar and started on 6 oz. They were rather compacted. But didn't have an issue smoking it.
 

hyperstar

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 10, 2022
226
568
Formosa, Taiwan
I pack my tobaccos with aluminum foil vacuum bags.

They are cheap, light and saving many spaces.

Easy to carry if I am going out for a trip.

Also, it can easily pack the tobacco and share it with my friends.
 

Scottmi

Lifer
Oct 15, 2022
3,063
40,851
Orcas, WA
Ordered some bulk in 1lb factory packed/sealed plastic bags. is it ok to store in them as is or better to move into glass mason jars? Specifically have aging in mind ~5 years (which of course becomes longer before you know it...) Welcome more opinions on air or not in the jars.. my instinct (wholly ignorant) is to pack it in as tight and full as possible with the least air I can reasonably manage.
 
Sep 18, 2015
3,253
41,957
I don’t worry about the volume, I put two ounces in a half pint jar. With flakes this leaves a fair amount of air space, with shag or ribbon I end up literally packing it in and there is virtually no air left, the half pints are all I use.
 
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Buffalo

Can't Leave
Oct 8, 2022
301
913
Central Nebraska
My system for aging is mylar bags. The main blend I age is Luxury Bullseye Flake. I've found that just a few years on these coins is heavenly! I prefer to purchase LBF in the 1.5 pound boxes, I actually just put the whole box, into a mylar bag, push as much air out as I can and seal them. I date them with both a sharpie and a printed label, then into a plastic tote that resides on top of my pipe shelves.

I tend to only store away bulk blends in mylar. For tins, I wrap around the outside of the joint between the lid and the tin body with a product called Parafilm. It is a wax based sealing tape used in laboratories. Even those pesky square tins retain a good seal 5 years on with a strip of parafilm around them. Those tins get labeled as well, both with a sharpie and a printed label on the back. I've got another tote that I store those in.
 
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nolan613

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 21, 2019
151
189
78
Augusta, GA
My experience over the decades has been that half full, completely full and firmly packed all behave the same over the years. The only absolute is to be sure that the rim is completely clean before sealing the lid. Store in a dark location that does not experience wide temperature swings and you are good to go.
 
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Andre_T

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 17, 2018
643
2,159
47
Long Island, New York
Unpopular opinion. I keep them in the tins. I have them in storage bins which are numbered and corresponding to my spreadsheet so I know what's in them. I also have multiple desiccant packs in the bins to help combat moisture to prevent rust. I will make it easier for my wife to sell to Pipestud when I get hit by a bus or however I go.
 
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butsiethesungo

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 3, 2016
103
71
44
Broussard, LA
Good Afternoon Everyone,

Quick question, I'm starting my first long term storage jars and was wondering should I fill the masons to the very top, leave a little room for air, or it doesn't matter either way.

Thanks
I think you will get a mixture of opinions here, so you will have to decide what’s best for your situation. Personally, I’ve always packed tight and left a small bit of room for air (I use to can figs and other fruits, so that was just my technique). I don’t think its right or wrong to leave space (or not).
 

captpat

Lifer
Dec 16, 2014
2,265
12,139
North Carolina
I use mason jars or mylar bags to repackage bulk tobacco, tinned tobacco stays in their tins til opened for consumption. I try to repackage bulk blends into ~2 oz containers (I find after about 2 oz I'm ready for a change) mylar bags have become preferred as they are lighter and take less space. I don't worry about how much air there is in either container, I can't tell the difference in the end product. YMMV.
 
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