Aging in jars that aren't mason

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fulgentius

Lurker
Dec 30, 2013
4
0
Hello,
All the discussions I've seen about storing and aging tobacco talk about either keeping it in a tin or using mason jars, which have a very tight seal.
I have a couple of large glass jars that I would like to use for storing and possibly for aging. They have a plastic ring around the tops so they should be more or less airtight, but certainly not as tight as a mason jar.
Is it ok to store my tobacco for long periods of time in such a jar? How about aging as such?
(By storing, I mean keeping it in there while I am actively smoking it, for maybe a year. By aging I mean putting it away somewhere and forgetting about it for a few years.)
Here are some pics of the jar:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cWmryTHVK8ApyAMQ9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZZm88qHiJnsXLpRW8
Thanks!

 

zitotczito

Lifer
Aug 12, 2014
1,128
175
Looking at the jar you show it appears to be quite large. If you were storing it I would think you would have a problem with keeping that much tobacco at the proper moisture content. As far as aging in that jar, are you sure it is fully sealed and no air can get in. I have not had great luck with jars that have that kind of seal.
I use mason jars, they are cheap and do a great job.

 

mikefu

Lifer
Mar 28, 2018
1,976
10,506
Green Bay
For storage, it’ll probably work. You can always transfer to a mason jar if you find it is drying out as you smoke it. I wouldn’t use anything that isn’t completely sealed and designed to seal completely for cellaring. Terrible thing to come back to a jar expecting aged goodness and finding dried out disappointment.

 

mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,289
23,318
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
They remind me of the jars that we packaged cookies in once upon a time. The seal on them wasn't the best. I would recommend some mason jars. They are cheap enough. I've had some bad luck with the 'flip top' style jars as well.

 

fulgentius

Lurker
Dec 30, 2013
4
0
Thanks! This is about what I expected. I will go ahead and order some mason jars so that I can cellar part of the bulk blends I recently bought.
I kinda went nuts and ordered a pound of Mac Baren Acadian Perique. I figure I like it enough that I can get through half a pound before it gets dry as a bone, but the other half should probably be aged. ;)
I've also heard of people opening cellared tins/jars and finding mold. I suppose sterilizing the jars before adding the tobacco would help take care of that.

 

ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
11,378
70,055
60
Vegas Baby!!!
I've also heard of people opening cellared tins/jars and finding mold. I suppose sterilizing the jars before adding the tobacco would help take care of that
I have around 100 pounds jarred. I've NEVER sterilized my jars. I've never had a problem.
Good luck.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,066
Carmel Valley, CA
Nice looking containers, but not for l/t cellaring. May be "more better" to have a lot of smaller ones, so you can keep the aging going as you smoke down one jar, and had 6 left (for example.)

 

madox07

Lifer
Dec 12, 2016
1,823
1,689
Agreed, as much as I looked for alternatives to mason jars, ultimately I have never found anything better or at least of equal performance to mason jars for aging. I use clamp jars for storing, and that works for maybe up to a year ... after which the tobacco starts drying out.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
Just adding my voice to the chorus singing praise for Mason jars.

Heed the advice to use many small jars for cellaring so that as you draw from one jar, the remainder of your tobacco can continue to age undisturbed.

 

railman

Might Stick Around
Mar 9, 2019
83
16
As stated above mason jars are cheap and time tested. Why risk losing $60 of tobacco to avoid spending $12 more on jars?
Also stated above no one has had mold problems, that’s because the cases of sealed jars come from the factory already sanitized. Trying to further sanitize them yourself may actually introduce more contaminants.

 

mrenglish

Lifer
Dec 25, 2010
2,220
72
Columbus, Ohio
I've run used jars through the dishwasher without soap and have been using them for years without issue. The lids were replaced though. I've even refilled jars with different tobaccos (than what was originally stored) and eight years on, the tobacco is perfectly fine.

 

nunnster

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 17, 2019
141
62
Just stick with the Mason jars if you are planning on storing them for any extended period of time. The small ones can hold about 3ish oz of tobacco tightly packed (and a half oz to smoke now if you're like me). You can get a whole case of 12 for reasonably cheap, I think they are like 14 bucks or something. I just filled my 12th jar with the last week and have to go get another set.

 
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