4 Oz Mason Jar
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I guess I've never really understood this logic. One of the best ways to age tobacco is in its originally sealed tin and the tobacco is really really mushed in those. Why do people balk at compressing it in jars? There's still plenty of air in there.
I do sometimes compress it in there, just seems like sometimes it is too compressed and I feel like I am damaging the tobacco. Now I did go and check out my jars (8oz and 16oz), and I'll say that 2oz of flake should easily fit in a 4 oz jar, and 2 oz of fine shag or ribbon can fit but maybe I would think that I am forcing too much in there. I also looked at 4oz of blending latakia that fills a 16 oz jar when the jar is tapped and the tobacco is settled. That stuff I would not want to compress because I think that the tobacco would start to break up and crumble very easily, despite the moisture level being ok. I looked at my small tin of black house in an 8 oz jar, and I don't think that I could fit another tin in there, but maybe I am wrong. Now I also have 5lbs of PS-87, and I managed to pack all of that into four half-gallon ball jars, so that stuff is crammed in there pretty tightly.
My intentions for the 4oz jars, which seemed close to the OPs, are to smoke these 4 oz'ers down rather than keep them in long-term storage. Only difference being that I was thinking that I should to buy a jar per half-tin so that the second half of the tin would not be exposed to repeated openings as I smoke the first half. Then I would open the second jar once the first one is finished.
Seems like sound reasoning if you have the jar space (and jars). Especially if you take a while to get through a tin.
Stopped by the store today and got some jars, including some 4 oz 'ers since I have some tobacco on the way. These things are so small! I still have not used them, but I had a pound of Red Cake and a pound of Larry's Blend arrive today, and since I plan on storing those for a while, I put them in 8 oz jars. I had about 14.5 oz of each after sifting out the fines, and was able to get 14.5 oz across three 16oz jars, pretty well compressed with just enough room for the whole compressed slug to barely slap against the lid if you "pack" bottom the jar after the lid is on. You can check my math, but that's ~ .3oz of tobacco per 1 oz of volume, juust a little under 1.5oz weight per 4oz of volume, so ok that's a smaller tin of ribbon or blended ribbon within 4 oz of volume, with a little packing room to spare probably. I also had 2oz of blending latakia show up, and that filled an 8oz jar to overflowing, and I had to press it down a little more than I wanted to, and I don't even think smashing it down would get all of that into a 4 oz 'er. So I guess it really depends a little bit on what type of tobacco you have, and how firmly you are willing to pack in in there, as to whether or not a tin will fit in the 4 oz 'er. I think that this 4oz size is going to be pretty versatile though.
One thing that I have noticed with canning jars, lids and bands in general, is that you want to watch the prices when you buy. You should always be able to get these things cheaply, but some places will charge twice as much as the next guy for the glass or the accessories at least. I usually go to the local smaller hardware store and do ok there.
One thing that I have noticed with canning jars, lids and bands in general, is that you want to watch the prices when you buy. You should always be able to get these things cheaply, but some places will charge twice as much as the next guy for the glass or the accessories at least. I usually go to the local smaller hardware store and do ok there.
My experience (rule-of-thumb): 1/4 of the jar's volume, contingent on the cut & dryness of the tobacco
Half-pint (8 oz volume) = 2 oz tobacco
Pint (16 oz volume) = 4 oz tobacco
Quart (32 oz volume) = 8 oz tobacco
Wide mouth jars are easier to pack & remove tobacco.
Canning funnels make filling any sized jar easier & less messy.
Half-pint (8 oz volume) = 2 oz tobacco
Pint (16 oz volume) = 4 oz tobacco
Quart (32 oz volume) = 8 oz tobacco
Wide mouth jars are easier to pack & remove tobacco.
Canning funnels make filling any sized jar easier & less messy.
I never would have believed this - BUT
A 50G / 1.75 OZ tin will fit perfectly into a 4 oz mason jar. A tin is compressed, the contents will fit with light compression. An espresso tamper is ideal. I would guess that the tobacco is not compressed any more than it was in the tin. It went in with very little effort, tamping lightly in a few layers. Hummm, a 3 layer pack with a light tamp... seems familiar somehow
pipesomokingtom and phil67 are free to say 'I told you so!"
A 50G / 1.75 OZ tin will fit perfectly into a 4 oz mason jar. A tin is compressed, the contents will fit with light compression. An espresso tamper is ideal. I would guess that the tobacco is not compressed any more than it was in the tin. It went in with very little effort, tamping lightly in a few layers. Hummm, a 3 layer pack with a light tamp... seems familiar somehow
pipesomokingtom and phil67 are free to say 'I told you so!"
That's the exact method I've been using. No sense in changing it up now and adding another size to the mix. From time to time I'll stuff 4 oz in an 8 oz jar, it's a tight fit but it works.
I would never :lol:
I will concede that the 1/4 of weight per ounce is better in a lot of ways, though. I just have a lot of blends and appreciate the space the jelly jars save.
Transferred some 1.5oz blends from 8oz to 4oz jars, mostly ribbon with some bigger pieces. The tobacco was also at a good moisture level, so it seemed to pack in without breaking up.
I did learn that the regular-lidded jars don't stack as well as the 8oz+ wide-mouths do. I bought the diamond-sided 4oz ones though, perhaps the smooth-sided ones stack better if the bottom is slightly different. They (Ball or Kerr) do not seem to make a 4oz wide-mouth. I like them though, should prove to be useful.
I did learn that the regular-lidded jars don't stack as well as the 8oz+ wide-mouths do. I bought the diamond-sided 4oz ones though, perhaps the smooth-sided ones stack better if the bottom is slightly different. They (Ball or Kerr) do not seem to make a 4oz wide-mouth. I like them though, should prove to be useful.
I can put 2 oz of tobacco in 4 oz jar.
I have to pack it in tight, but it fits.
I put flake tobacco in the 8 oz jars, no bending required.
I like 4 oz jars better than 8 oz ones because my tobacco ages longer.
when I finally open a jar the aging process stops.
that means the tobacco in the second 4 oz jar keeps percolating until you're ready to open it; a process that stops if that tobacco was in an 8 oz jar.
I have to pack it in tight, but it fits.
I put flake tobacco in the 8 oz jars, no bending required.
I like 4 oz jars better than 8 oz ones because my tobacco ages longer.
when I finally open a jar the aging process stops.
that means the tobacco in the second 4 oz jar keeps percolating until you're ready to open it; a process that stops if that tobacco was in an 8 oz jar.
Storing and or aging tobacco in 8 oz ball jars is good. I find that opening and closing the 8 oz too often will make the last of the tobacco in the jar dry out. I think I will put the tobacco that I will be using two or three times a week in a 4 oz jars. Probably a little more of a pita... but might be well worth it. I had a few 8 oz jars with about 1" of tobacco left in them that dried out.
You must live in a very dry climate!
I keep some of my ready tobaccos in bail top jars. Just went to see how many ounces and find it's a half liter! Make in Italy, FIDO is the name. Purloined from wife's stocks of jars.
I keep some of my ready tobaccos in bail top jars. Just went to see how many ounces and find it's a half liter! Make in Italy, FIDO is the name. Purloined from wife's stocks of jars.
I only buy now the wide mouth 8oz half pint jars. I do have some of the 4oz 1/4 pint jars but they are just too small.
I have no problem with drying out of tobacco from 8oz half pint jars. I have a several of the 16oz pint jars but I very rarely use them except with large amounts of bulk tobacco and even then I take some out and put it in an 8oz jar to smoke out of.
I have no problem with drying out of tobacco from 8oz half pint jars. I have a several of the 16oz pint jars but I very rarely use them except with large amounts of bulk tobacco and even then I take some out and put it in an 8oz jar to smoke out of.
I'm too lazy to wash them...and they seem clean from the store. With the screw top mason jars, I just fill and twist on the lid. I never bothered with putting them in water and boiling to get the cap top to suck down for a better seal...but maybe I should? The last twist lid jar I had over-twisted and stripped the thread (not with a ton of pressure either), so since then I get the bail top jars (with the hinges and latches that clamp). As far as stuffing in the tobacco, I push the tobacco down with my fingers while filling. Some of these other methods may work better, but so far this seems to work well enough for me.
No one understands fermentation well enough to prescribe how its aerobic and anaerobic phases benefit tobacco or in what in what proportions. The model for aging is not a jar but the tin, as that is how most aged tobacco reaches us. Whatever air was in that tin was exhausted a long time ago, and the tobacco has been aging anaerobically for most of it. In either mode tobacco ages just fine, and if a blind taste test were set up to judge which method had been used to age it is very doubtful that such distinction could be made.
Thus methods to judge cramming and/or airspace are not to purpose.
Thus methods to judge cramming and/or airspace are not to purpose.
I have some of each sized jar. I generally pack my jars pretty tight. I know that the fermentation will stop once the jar is opened and that is an argument against 32 ounce jars... but when you are jarring up 20lb it just makes it easier to get 'r done. Those jars aren't likely to be cracked open for a good 15 years at the rate I smoke. That will be plenty enough age for the whole thing.
Interesting thread.
I have handled a LOT of canning jars, having grown up in a family who 'put up' food in jars and done so myself. I have NEVER seen a jar lid with stripped threads. Very odd.
I use wide mouth jars when I can, but I do have some pint jars with normal lids. They are OK, but a little more difficult to fill. The jar filling funnel, as used in food prep, makes it easier though. My favorite for price and usefulness is the 4 ounce, wide mouth jar. I do have some 'special' 8 ounce ones though. They are square, wide mouth. They look good and stack well too.
Here are the 8 ounce jars, the 'special' one on top.
I have handled a LOT of canning jars, having grown up in a family who 'put up' food in jars and done so myself. I have NEVER seen a jar lid with stripped threads. Very odd.
I use wide mouth jars when I can, but I do have some pint jars with normal lids. They are OK, but a little more difficult to fill. The jar filling funnel, as used in food prep, makes it easier though. My favorite for price and usefulness is the 4 ounce, wide mouth jar. I do have some 'special' 8 ounce ones though. They are square, wide mouth. They look good and stack well too.
Here are the 8 ounce jars, the 'special' one on top.
"I like 4 oz jars better than 8 oz ones because my tobacco ages longer.
when I finally open a jar the aging process stops.
that means the tobacco in the second 4 oz jar keeps percolating until you're ready to open it; a process that stops if that tobacco was in an 8 oz jar."
Exactly..............CURL........
when I finally open a jar the aging process stops.
that means the tobacco in the second 4 oz jar keeps percolating until you're ready to open it; a process that stops if that tobacco was in an 8 oz jar."
Exactly..............CURL........
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