Aging Tobacco.....
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I certainly do, but it's probably not a hard-and-fast rule. I jam it in as tight as I can get it. (One exception: Classic Burley Kake. The light crumble cake is so perfect it feels like velvet. I hate to ruin that by smashing it into the jar like I do with ribbon cuts or cube cuts.)
There's at least one recent thread that goes into this in some detail. Or search for some Pease articles.
I believe that the less oxygen to start with, the better the aging. - But that is from "academic research", not my own tests.
I believe that the less oxygen to start with, the better the aging. - But that is from "academic research", not my own tests.
This question has caused some of the most intense debates I've seen on here. For myself, I refer to GL Pease and his blog and other writings for my information, but keep in mind that there is no definitive research on anything having to do with aging bulk pipe tobacco. YMMV
Woods had posted something about using a caulk gun, a clean one I assume, to press the tobacco into jars.
Me?, I like to use the small jars and only put 2-3oz into each jar. This way, when I pop the jar open latter on down the road, I have just enough open to enjoy till I get tired of it, without stopping the aging process on a huge jar with a pound crammed into it. The larger jars would loose their vibrancy by the time I made my way to the bottom, so I like small jars.
As far as what "ages" best? That really depends on what you mean. Time does not stop in a loosely packed jar. It all ages. Personally, my loosely packed 2oz in half pints that are now reaching two years are wonderful, IMO. As for what they could be if I had of used a press? I cannot say. But, it's nothing that I am going to loose any sleep over. And, I have invested 160 lbs into this approach. YMMV :
: It's your cellar, do what you like.
Thanks Cosmic, but i mean press them into cakes and then cellar them. Is that ok for me to do at home? Or is that to much time out in the open to cellar properly.
"And, I have invested 160 lbs into this approach."
That would put you at #4 at tobacco cellar. I agree with the smaller jars for the reason stated.
That would put you at #4 at tobacco cellar. I agree with the smaller jars for the reason stated.
Someone on a previous thread talked of having good results using a bag and a food saver to to remove all the air and putting some heavy books on top for a few days to make a homemade cake that he then removed from the bag and jarred it.
A site like that would kill me. I use Pipe Tool, an app for the iPhone. This way, I am not competing against anyone, and I can cellar at my leisure. It is also linked to tobaccoreviews.com, so that I can easily access between the two apps.
A science guy told me that there is no one living that can describe what happens inside a jar, fermentation, that is.
What we do know, and what I know of that, is:
1. fermentation/aging occurs because tobacco is an organic substance, and from the time the leaf is pulled from the stalk, it starts deteriorating. Curing refers to "fixing" or slowing that deterioration down to a crawl, I guess. Removing most of the moisture allows tobacco to be stored in bales until the blender is ready to use it, more or less stopping all aging. If you watch the MB video on the front page they say this, referring to the many bales they have in house.
2. Thus some moisture is needed to restart aging, and thus whatever moisture is in it in the tin is necessary, as is water inside the jar.
3. The next important variable is air, not that it's presence or absence seems to affect the outcome. What it does affect is the type of fermentation that occurs, as it is known that it differs; the terms are, of course, aerobic and anaerobic aging. If there is air inside the container it ferments aerobically, if not anaerobically. Most advocate leaving some air in the jar, but I'm not sure it matters, as it will pass from one to the other when the air is gone.
4. If I'm going to resist smoking tobacco during aging, then I want the wait to be worthwhile. Virginia ages best, because of the sugar content, and to my non-scientific mind this means that the sugar is used as the fuel for fermentation. But I would not age non-premium tobacco of any nature. Why be patient aging tobacco that was mediocre in any case? Even if it ages, it would seem to me that GIGO applies.
5. In general tobacco mutes and melds during aging. If you like only vivid flavor don't age and smoke $5 Nicaraguan cigars.
6. This is my principle only, though a big player in the industry seemed to concur.
If you close a jar, it stays closed until you have met whatever aging time you've selected. Some claim they are aging tobacco but permitting themselves to sample the contents periodically. One guy puts the tobacco in a plastic bag inside the jar so as to minimize contact with air while retrieving a bowl's worth. But as I purist I believe that this couldn't be more wrong. It offends me purist sensibility; my consternation is mine and only mine. But if we say that we are buying a tin of vintage tobacco that's 20 years old, we are certainly speaking of a tin that long ago exhausted whatever oxygen was in the container, and that has been aging anaerobically since that time. That is, we commonly refer to a container whose tobacco contents have not tasted any air over the years. To my mind what is the point of forcing the tobacco to upshift into aerobic fermentation, and then downshift into anaerobic, repeatedly? This is a needless chemical shift. The tobacco was doing just fine closed. It's aging as aging is done even according to standard definition as regards the vintage, tin, above. Why fool around with it? Most of all, aging takes time and patience. One is going to extra effort to make it occur. If a aging is occurring as it needs to, why make life difficult for the tobacco?
Just my thoughts.
7. I knowledgeable member on another forum claims that some VAs don't age well, the Europeans. I have no opinion on this, though I hope he's wrong as I've been aging a canister of Heinrich Curly since 2003.
8. So how much air you leave inside the container and how firmly you pack the tobacco in it as anyone's guess. You could pack looser to have all the contents more exposed to the air in the container or more firmly to allow the chemical process intensify by the adjacent leaf. I don't think anyone knows.
What we do know, and what I know of that, is:
1. fermentation/aging occurs because tobacco is an organic substance, and from the time the leaf is pulled from the stalk, it starts deteriorating. Curing refers to "fixing" or slowing that deterioration down to a crawl, I guess. Removing most of the moisture allows tobacco to be stored in bales until the blender is ready to use it, more or less stopping all aging. If you watch the MB video on the front page they say this, referring to the many bales they have in house.
2. Thus some moisture is needed to restart aging, and thus whatever moisture is in it in the tin is necessary, as is water inside the jar.
3. The next important variable is air, not that it's presence or absence seems to affect the outcome. What it does affect is the type of fermentation that occurs, as it is known that it differs; the terms are, of course, aerobic and anaerobic aging. If there is air inside the container it ferments aerobically, if not anaerobically. Most advocate leaving some air in the jar, but I'm not sure it matters, as it will pass from one to the other when the air is gone.
4. If I'm going to resist smoking tobacco during aging, then I want the wait to be worthwhile. Virginia ages best, because of the sugar content, and to my non-scientific mind this means that the sugar is used as the fuel for fermentation. But I would not age non-premium tobacco of any nature. Why be patient aging tobacco that was mediocre in any case? Even if it ages, it would seem to me that GIGO applies.
5. In general tobacco mutes and melds during aging. If you like only vivid flavor don't age and smoke $5 Nicaraguan cigars.
6. This is my principle only, though a big player in the industry seemed to concur.
If you close a jar, it stays closed until you have met whatever aging time you've selected. Some claim they are aging tobacco but permitting themselves to sample the contents periodically. One guy puts the tobacco in a plastic bag inside the jar so as to minimize contact with air while retrieving a bowl's worth. But as I purist I believe that this couldn't be more wrong. It offends me purist sensibility; my consternation is mine and only mine. But if we say that we are buying a tin of vintage tobacco that's 20 years old, we are certainly speaking of a tin that long ago exhausted whatever oxygen was in the container, and that has been aging anaerobically since that time. That is, we commonly refer to a container whose tobacco contents have not tasted any air over the years. To my mind what is the point of forcing the tobacco to upshift into aerobic fermentation, and then downshift into anaerobic, repeatedly? This is a needless chemical shift. The tobacco was doing just fine closed. It's aging as aging is done even according to standard definition as regards the vintage, tin, above. Why fool around with it? Most of all, aging takes time and patience. One is going to extra effort to make it occur. If a aging is occurring as it needs to, why make life difficult for the tobacco?
Just my thoughts.
7. I knowledgeable member on another forum claims that some VAs don't age well, the Europeans. I have no opinion on this, though I hope he's wrong as I've been aging a canister of Heinrich Curly since 2003.
8. So how much air you leave inside the container and how firmly you pack the tobacco in it as anyone's guess. You could pack looser to have all the contents more exposed to the air in the container or more firmly to allow the chemical process intensify by the adjacent leaf. I don't think anyone knows.
I'm with you on that statement. I have a LOT of tobacco in jars, big/small, tins, vac-pac, cardboard containers, the list goes on and on. Name the genre, English,Balkan, Aro, Flake,rope, plug, and etc. I'm pushing 60 and we will see how I've rolled the dice as I go in to my retirement or more than likely disabled from health issues. Once this comes to pass, I have enough to last me till my demise...And, I have invested 160 lbs into this approach. YMMV [:
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