A Question About Aging

[Sethology]

This thread really is giving me something to ponder on. Last night i transferred much of my inventory to mason jars, assuming they were superior to the tin. My heart weeped a little bit at all of the spectacular tin art in the bin but I thought it was nothing more than a sentimental quibble and that it is worth it to preserve my cellar for hopefully years to come. Truly I am conflicted. If only someone like GL Pease could issue a statement in his blog regarding this topic. Perhaps ill write him.

 

[Sethology]

Jars aren't 100% reliable also. My family relies on jarring about 80% of our foods, and have for decades. I also have several hundred pounds of tobaccos in tins and jars. I have had less tins, square and round, fail me than jars. And, the couple of tins that have failed me, I suspect were opened while on the shelf of the B&M before I bought them.

If you wonder whether a tin is failing you, check by trying to open it, which is my standard practice now before shelving them. If you wonder whether a jar will fail you, remove the ring and hold the jar up by the lid.

There is way less science going on with this whole jar everything notion than with climate change. And, it makes way less sense to me. Trade a fear for something even less reliable? But, this is me. You can all do what you want. But, most of what you pay for with buying tins is the damned tin, ha ha. And, taking a tobacco that costs four times as much because of the tin, then dumping it into a jar like a common cheap bulk blend makes me giggle.

Im not sure all of what youre paying for is the tin. By and large ive experienced a superior product when purchased from a tin. Sure bulk and tin versions of the same tobacco are often similar, but with many brands and blends of tobacco there is no bulk option. Consequently if someone wanted to purchase Plum Pudding or the like and swore by jars over tins they would have little choice but to purchase the tin and empty it into the jar. That being said thinking about this might make me neurotic so i might just roll the dice on the rest of my tins and future tin purchases by not emptying them into mason jars im not sure.

 

[logs]

Transferring everything from tins to jars seems like a purist act. While it's probably the single safest approach for those considering mega-longterm storage (i.e. decades), it's also expensive, a lot of work and just a little too nancy-boy for me. It's only pipe tobacco after all, not the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Yes, GL Pease uses this approach, but pipe tobacco is GL Peases' life's work. Of course he wants to preserve his work like it's a sacred relic. That doesn't mean we smokers have to do it the same way.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It is just what makes you feel the safest... what I am calling “faith.” I’ve had jars of tomato sauce rust out in 18 months. I’ve had green beans never seal. I’ve especially seen tobaccos that never set the lid, more than I care to remember. (I now warm the jars before putting bulk into them).

And, if you aren’t afraid that you’ll be adding a fungus spore from the environment...

But, if you’re experience doesn't make you cringe, and you feel like tins, made put of the same stuff the lids are made of, are less secure than jars, then go with your faith.

 

[Sethology]

Those blending houses certainly arent so sanitary that mold growth is impossible. I mean have you seen the pictures of some blending houses? They are clean but not sterile to the extent that one might think mold to be an impossibility. Frankly i dont think mold is even that much of an issue with tobacco. Or at least ive never had mold growth on mine.

 

[logs]

Frankly i dont think mold is even that much of an issue with tobacco.

Mold is just as real and common as any other problem. If you cellar enough tobacco you'll likely face it at some point.

 

[rmpeeps]

I’ve had good luck with long term jarring, so here’s what I’ve always done.
Granted, this is best when jarring up pounds at a time, but is also simple for smaller volumes.
I prefer using 1/2 pint Kerr/Ball/Mason jars; they are perfect for 2 ounces of ribbon or 100g of Flake.
Twenty years ago I use a fair number of Quart jars, but it’s nicer to not feel like I’m opening & altering 12-16 ounces of leaf.

• Wash the jars and lids well in hot water & Dawn liquid.
• Rinse well using warm Distilled water, then microwave the damp jars for 2.5 minutes. The water will evaporate. Don’t go poking around inside the jars with dishrags or paper towels. Just shake the lids dry.
• While all this is going on I preheat the oven to 450F.
• Fill the microwaved jars fairly tightly with tobacco, leaving about 1/2” headspace.
• Place the jars in the oven for 5-7 minutes, remove and apply the lids & snug the rings down fairly firmly.
• By the time you can prepare labels the lids will pull down as the airspace cools.
• Apply the labels and check the rings again.
• Rack & stack the jars in a relatively stable room environment and just let thesit for 5-20 years.
• Enjoy the whoosh upon opening, knowing a special treat is inside.

 

[sablebrush52]

It is just what makes you feel the safest... what I am calling “faith.” I’ve had jars of tomato sauce rust out in 18 months. I’ve had green beans never seal. I’ve especially seen tobaccos that never set the lid, more than I care to remember. (I now warm the jars before putting bulk into them).

And, if you aren’t afraid that you’ll be adding a fungus spore from the environment...

But, if you’re experience doesn't make you cringe, and you feel like tins, made put of the same stuff the lids are made of, are less secure than jars, then go with your faith.

Mold is always a possibility and I probably benefit from living in a very dry climate So far, I've only had two instances of mold. One was a bag of Virginia blending tobacco that I had bought from an on line seller, that molded in the bag before I had an opportunity to get around to jarring it. The other was a resuscitation attempt that I really botched.
When I jar, everything in the area is cleaned and sanitized as best as I can before I start.
But nothing is 100%, and all any of us are trying to do is improve the odds that we'll get to enjoy our purchases down the road.

 

[rmpeeps]

It is just what makes you feel the safest... what I am calling “faith.” I’ve had jars of tomato sauce rust out in 18 months. I’ve had green beans never seal. I’ve especially seen tobaccos that never set the lid, more than I care to remember. (I now warm the jars before putting bulk into them).

And, if you aren’t afraid that you’ll be adding a fungus spore from the environment...

But, if you’re experience doesn't make you cringe, and you feel like tins, made put of the same stuff the lids are made of, are less secure than jars, then go with your faith.

Your post reminded of a jar of homemade hot sauce a lady gave me years back.
I asked her why the lid was upside-down under the ring?
She said, “Because that sh!t ate the rubber seal!!”

 

[tfdickson]

My oldest jars were packed and sealed by me in 2003 and I haven’t had a failure yet. I have never done anything but open the jar, wave it around to get the stale air smell out, stuff, and screw it down tight.

Recently I jarred up about 7lb of HH Pure VA from their 100g tins for reasons mentioned here regarding rectangle tins and I’m glad I did. The oldest tins were from 2015 and were already showing signs of potential compromise. I’m leaving all my round tins as they are because the risk/reward of jarring them isn‘t compelling from my experience and everything I’ve read.

I do agree that the tall narrow 2oz early GLP tins are junk, the failure rate for mine has been about 20% for anything beyond 10 years and I’ve been buying them since 2000. I have less than two dozen left and I’m not bothering with jarring them.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Mold is always a possibility

I rejarred some of the half pound tins of Haddos and it molded. And, a bag of Blackpool that molded. I have jarred a bunch of bulks.

I don’t blame anyone for doing what they think is safest. It’s a huge investment, monetarily and quality of future life. I just post my thinking on all of this, to give the reader further thinking.

Jars are neccesary for bulk. And, necessary for these questionable tins. But, in general, if we are talking 18 tins of Plum Pudding and 22 2oz tins of Haunted Bookshop.... is it necessary? Of course I am not going to criticize someone for what they do. I just want to add a little perspective.

 

[mikestanley]

There used to be a B&M in suburban Cleveland. I found out, after several bone dry tins , that the owner would open each tin to inspect the contents!

Mike S.

 

[ram74]

I've put all my tins in sealed, mylar bags. Best of all worlds. Jars are great, but come with some overhead: they break if dropped, and they take up quite a bit of space.

This is what I am doing. Sealing all tins in mylar.

 

[Bowie]

Fill the microwaved jars fairly tightly with tobacco, leaving about 1/2” headspace.

This comment gets to a question I have about jarring bulk blends. I follow the 4:1 rule, e.g., 8 oz (1/2 pint) fluid jars for 2 oz tobacco, etc. Some of bulk I get may have a bit more than I buy (maybe 2.1 oz), and I'm really packing it tight in the jar with almost no head space left. Is this a bad idea? Should I split some out and leave more headspace and more O2?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

This comment gets to a question I have about jarring bulk blends. I follow the 4:1 rule, e.g., 8 oz (1/2 pint) fluid jars for 2 oz tobacco, etc. Some of bulk I get may have a bit more than I buy (maybe 2.1 oz), and I'm really packing it tight in the jar with almost no head space left. Is this a bad idea? Should I split some out and leave more headspace and more O2?

I pack bulk in about as tight as I can get it. Doesn't mean I'm right, just offering my opinion.

 

[rmpeeps]

This comment gets to a question I have about jarring bulk blends. I follow the 4:1 rule, e.g., 8 oz (1/2 pint) fluid jars for 2 oz tobacco, etc. Some of bulk I get may have a bit more than I buy (maybe 2.1 oz), and I'm really packing it tight in the jar with almost no head space left. Is this a bad idea? Should I split some out and leave more headspace and more O2?

Whether it be 2oz, or leaving 1/2” headspace, ...those are just approximations. Blends weigh differently per volume.
I merely fill to what I’m comfortable with, and mark the weight on the label. It’s not like it’s anybody else cares about my jars.

 

[Bowie]

Whether it be 2oz, or leaving 1/2” headspace, ...those are just approximations. Blends weigh differently per volume.
I merely fill to what I’m comfortable with, and mark the weight on the label. It’s not like it’s anybody else cares about my jars.

Thanks. I'm probably overthinking it. I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing.

I pack bulk in about as tight as I can get it. Doesn't mean I'm right, just offering my opinion.

Well at least there's two of us of the same opinion.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Thanks. I'm probably overthinking it. I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing.


Well at least there's two of us of the same opinion.

Great minds .............

 

[sablebrush52]

I rejarred some of the half pound tins of Haddos and it molded.

That's unfortunate! None of the pounds of Haddo's that I jarred has molded. The tins, which dated from 2011 and 2013 were showing signs of corrosion beginning at the solder join.

 

[sablebrush52]

I pack bulk in about as tight as I can get it. Doesn't mean I'm right, just offering my opinion.

That's how I do it. Ratio is about 1:2 for ribbon cut - 2oz tobacco in a 4oz jar, 4oz tobacco in an 8oz jar. That's pretty close to as tight as it was in the tin, leaving between 1/4 and 1/2" air at the top.

Flakes are a different issue. I don't pack them so tight that I can't remove one when I want it.