Cellaring System - Small vs Large Jars

[zyrcon]

As an up and coming pipe smoker, I’m interested in trying different tobaccos and building a cellar. I’ve come up with a method I think will work, but would really appreciate some blunt and honest feedback. What would you change? Can you make an argument for larger jars? How good are tin seals?
I keep my current smoking rotation and samples I’m trying in “8oz Ball Elite Jars” They don’t stack well, but look great, make it easy to fill my pipe over and have a large lid for labeling.

For cellaring/storage, I use 4oz & 8oz Quilted Ball Jelly Jars. Occasionally, I use Ball Wide Mouth Pint (16oz) Jars. I use the pint jars for bulk American burleys… CH, CB, PA, SWR. Everything else goes in 4oz or 8oz jars. Honestly, part of me wants to put everything in 4oz jars.

Note: For storage, a 2 to 1 ratio seems to work. 4oz jar = 2oz tobacco, 8oz jar = 4oz tobacco, etc.
Here’s what I do:
• Tins - If I open a tin of a tobacco I’ve never tried, I put .5oz in a rotation jar and the rest gets sealed in a 4oz jar.

• Bulk - If I buy 2oz – 8oz, 2oz goes in rotation and the rest goes in 4oz jars. If I buy 10oz or more, 2oz goes in rotation, then I fill one 8oz jar and the rest goes in 4oz jars.

• Flake – The only time I will ever use an 8oz jar for flake, is if I buy 16oz or more.
Here’s my rational for small jars:
• I can sample small amounts at different ages.

• I can trade or gift a small jar.

• Transport, storage and segregation.

• If the integrity of a jar seal goes bad… all is not lost.
Here’s what keeps me up at night:
• If I had a large jar with 16oz of 10yo flake and decide I want some... Am I committed to putting the whole jar in rotation? Can I reseal it? If I reseal it, will it be as good as if I never opened it? Should I pull 2oz and then break it down into smaller jars?

• I have several tins in my cellar… What if they leak or lose their seal? Shouldn’t I just open them as soon as I get them and put them in 4oz jars? I trust my seal more than theirs. How much change/aging has really occurred since the manufacturer sealed it? Which tin has a better seal, a vacuum tin or one with a pull tab?

• How do I build a store of tobacco that doesn’t age well… I guess a future where tobacco is scarce or near impossible to get, would consist of aged VA & VA/PER. Not a bad future at all…. But I would miss the variety.

 

[zyrcon]

Does the aging process stop permanently once the jar is opened, or will the introdcution of fresh oxygen start the process over, but different? Also, does that mean if I open a new tin and immediately move it to a jar and seal it, it will not age? I love Pipes and Tobacco 101!

 

[rosney]

I dont smoke a lot very quickly so all mine go in the small jars just like the second one you have pictured. Usually when I buy a tin I can split into two small jars and leave enough out for two or three bowls. This does two things for me. It allows me to open small amounts at a time, and it also forces me to keep buying tobacco because I dont like to open the jars. I want to wait at least a year. When I run out of what I have opened I have to get a new tin. Then it gets split into two jars and only leaves me with a few bowls. It is a vicious cycle that stocks up the cellar well and allows me to try new blends without ruining what I have bought. I like your small jar method although I haven't been around long enough to see if it works!

 

[zyrcon]

Awesome... thank you both. No Ambien needed tonight. Glad to here about the tins. They brighten up and look cool in the cellar. Easy to stack too. Off to Wally world for more jars. Just got in a box of SG BBF.

 

[olewaylon]

lots of good information here.

 

[olewaylon]

I don't want to hijack the thread but was curious which types of tobacco do you think age the best? what is the sweet spot as far as length of aging? what stages of aging does the tobacco go through and how noticeable is the taste difference?

 

[igloo]

Link , http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/out-of-the-ashes/saving-for-a-rainy-day/

 

[mustanggt]

It all depends on a persons tastes. I smoked some McCranies 1983 crop of Red Virginias. I also smoked some McClelland Tawney flake from 2006 and I am not able to tell the difference in flavor. They both are awsome to smoke and I enjoy them both the same. So there are general rules I guess such as Virginias and Va/pers age very well as I you can tell from my experience but blends with latakia in them don't. I opened a tin of 1992 McClelland Bombay Extra and the lat was still there but very subdued.

 

[olewaylon]

thanks rothnh i will check it out. and thanks for the link iglo

 

[dragonslayer]

Great thread and Roth as usual hit all the key notes, so no reason to go over them.

Convert everything into grams, your tobacco will lose weight and that will be the system of trade and sale in the future.
Make a decision on long term, and have a good labeling system. Keep records, this can be simple like paper and pen. I use a data base and ID numbers, not just for myself but for the future and family.
Solid flake should be stored on its side. 10+ years of anaerobic bacteria eating away at the structure will leave you with twisted and sagging flake, not the perfect stack you jarred.
Single pressed tins are acceptable to me for safe long term. But all the rolled tin packaging is in a FDA approved selling container. It’s already shown problems in manufacturing with P&C. This is all out of the hands of the tobacco manufacturer and they use different production companies which all have their own standards. Seams, bottom crimping, coatings, chemical reactions and the human factor all vary. Anything in these containers for long term should be jarred for the simple reason of the unknown.

 

[olewaylon]

I have a question about aging in 8oz jars. i just opened a tin of mcclelland no.24 Virginia. I put some in a jar to smoke from some in a jar to be stored away and aged. Im wondering what to do with the extra. i have enough to fill half of an 8 oz jar. would there be too much air in the jar to age properly? should i just put the rest of it in my smoke now jar?

 

[dochudson]

I'm wrapped a little tight.. so different size jars would drive me nuts. I load up on the standard ball/mason 8oz jars at our local Kmart or Krogers, etc.. and have never paid over $10 for a case of 12. I use the Elite jars like the top picture for open stock on my desk.

 

[gwtwdbss]

I use them all. Everything from the little 2oz to the 32oz widemouth. It all depends on how much bulk I am storing and for how long. I also have a few of the 4oz fancy ones for some coins I smoke regularly(as seen in the first pic). Mostly I use the 16oz widemouth pint jars for cellaring though. One note. The 32oz widemouth are also great for placing an entire 8oz bag of a blend in. I have heard the Mylar bags tend to develop pin holes over time and I don't want to open up every 8oz bag I buy.

 

[drrock]

I personally only use the 1/2 pint Kerr wide-mouth canning jars. Easy to fill, stack well, and easy to fill your pipe from. I print a label for each jar using an ink-jet business card that I put along the inside of the jar as I fill it. The Kerr jars are clear, not quilted so the labels are easier to read. I do use, however, the small 4 oz. quilted jars for samples.

Since I have a number of tobaccos open at one time, in my experience using larger jars causes the tobacco to dry out over the long course of time it takes for me to smoke up the contents!

 

[allan]

Drrock
I also have bought the Kerr jars but don't you find the double removable clamps a PITA? One usually springs away from me and the rubber gasket seems a little too big for the cover so aligning the jar lid seems troublesome
My experience with four 4oz jars
Allan

 

[cortezattic]

Readers may find the Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage and Cellaring FAQ to be of some interest.

 

[olewaylon]

Wow great resource Cortez!

 

[captainbob]

zyrcon,
You have it figured out just fine. I follow the same procedure... from open tin to large or small jars. I use the small jars for travelling and daily use. As for "sealing", I do not do anything special. I just screw the lid on tight.

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