Accelerated Aging?

[transpose]

About 2 years ago, a Mason jar half full of 2 year-old SG FVF fell off the shelf and shattered on the garage floor. As expected, my heart shattered as well. I salvaged what I could, but there were some pieces with tiny pieces of glass on them so they had to be tossed. Well, I just couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. I thought that someday I’ll warm them to smell them, or even throw them in a campfire to enhance the aroma for a minute...ha. Anyway, the flakes have been setting on a 2x4 in my garage for a full 2 years. The were not in ANY container, just laying on the wood. Well, today I happened to see them and noticed how dark they are! I took some fresh FVF out of a jar for comparison. They are still a bit pliable. I can bend them about 45 deg without them breaking. I figured they’d be a potato chip by now. I guess it is pretty humid here in the Nashville area.
These flakes seemed to age twice as fast as my jarred FVF. For those who have a lot of experience with aging, is this expected? Should I be opening up my cellared jars every now and then?

 

[mso489]

Drying leaf more than you would expect to maintain it in good shape sometimes produces good aging, as I've learned by accidents of neglect. It's not dependable, but the results can be quite good. Of course, if you did this intentionally, it would be eaten by chipmunks or mold spores.

 

[workman]

I believe there is more to "aging" than just change in color. People call it aging, but I think they are referring to a process of fermentation and melding of flavors, that really ought to have its own name. Lets call it schnizovation. Nah, just kidding. Anyway, although your flakes have aged and gone through some kind of process, that may or may not be beneficial, it's a different process from what's going on in a sealed container.

 

[transpose]

I agree with both of you guys. That said, there is some bloom on the glass-sprinkled, garage-aged FVF.

 

[brian64]

Very interesting. Let us know if/when you smoke some of it.

 

[workman]

If more people on the american west coast left their Samuel Gawith flakes out in the open, there probably wouldn't be so many wildfires.

Well, you claim it hasn't dried out, so something is happening with it. It sure would be nice if you got a chance to smoke it.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

From everything I've read, opening your jars now and then would not be a good thing for long term aging of your canned tobacco.
Breaking the jar is another example of a positive for Mylar Bags though.

 

[timt]

I noticed quite a bit of accelerated aging once I hit about 45 or so.

 

[sablebrush52]

Fire it up and let us know how it smokes. A little glass, rodent urine, and motor oil shouldn't faze you. It might even bring about an out of body experience!

 

[sparroa]

You left glass-laden tobacco lying on a wooden surface in your garage for two years and still have plans to smoke it? You are a braver man than me...
Since tobacco aging is basically about controlling decay under specific conditions for optimal results, I don't think your aging method was very effective as it seems you just left the tobacco exposed in an uncontrolled environment for a long period of time. Putting it in another jar and securing it would have probably been a better option if you planned to keep the tobacco after the fall.
As for the aging bit:
There are ways to accelerate the aging of wines, for example, by exposing the liquid to higher temperatures over an extended period of time. Madeira is heated to mimic the effects of a long sea voyage in tropical climates. Maybe exposing tobacco to slightly warmer temperatures could lead to accelerated aging but in your case I can't imagine that the effects of the open air aging would be desirable in any way. I know tobacco crops are aged in barns but that is raw leaf and the volumes are light years apart...
I'm reminded of the George Jones song:
"I've aged 20 twenty years in five..."

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Wait, are you chewing it or smoking it? Why would glass being in the tobacco be bad if youre putting it in your pipe? Tobacco doesn’t burn hot enough to do anything to the glass.

 

[sparroa]

Inhaling fine particles? lol
I would still take a pass.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

You inhale your pipe smoke?

 

[sparroa]

Not directly, but you are dreaming if you think you don't inhale anything from your pipe - intentionally or otherwise.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

Mylar bags, never understood why people use those. For aging it doesn't get better than a glass mason jar. I don't know too many people who've been at this for a long time and have been aging tobacco a long time that prefers Mylar bags over glass jars.
I definitely wouldn't recommend opening up the jars from time to time if you're aging blends. It's better to just load it up, leave some air in there, and let it sit. Don't open it up until you're ready to smoke it.
When it comes to aging I think it's one of those things where good things come to those who wait. If you're anxious to see what it will taste like with 5,10,15yrs age on it then check out PipeStud's page or his table at a pipe show and buy some aged blends from him to have now and see what the flavor profile has evolved to.

 

[sparroa]

Agreed, don't open your jars that are being cellared. From what I have read, it just disturbs the aging process.
Also, aging is not something magical - it is just change over time. There are many blends that are better fresh and sometimes aging can even have unpredictable effects on tobaccos. It's really about personal preference plus a little trial and error.

 

[transpose]

Thanks for the great info guys. I have no intention of smoking this tobacco...never did since the crash. If one of you guys want it for testing or something, I’d gladly send it to you. Note: it doesn’t smell like SG FVF anymore.

 

[slowroll]

Fred Hanna has a great article here https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/comments/4za4mq/notes_from_the_tobacco_bakery_by_fred_hanna/ on the benefits of emulating aging by baking. I've tried it, it works pretty well.

 

[sablebrush52]

Here's Greg's musings on aging tobaccos:
https://www.glpease.com/FAQ.html#AGE
In one of the myriad threads promoting heating tobacco to accelerate the aging process Greg basically stated that it is not a substitute for time.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Mylar bags, never understood why people use those. For aging it doesn't get better than a glass mason jar. I don't know too many people who've been at this for a long time and have been aging tobacco a long time that prefers Mylar bags over glass jars.

There have been at least two people who have posted about successfully storing tobacco 10 years or longer in Mylar bags. It works for long term food storage, I see no reason it won't work for tobacco. I have about 35% of mine now stored in Mylar. Ask me in 10 years, I'll let you know.
If you have one or more sources with long term bad experience with storing tobacco in Mylar bags, please point to that reference. I have a vested interest in reading about that.