Cellaring

[zeedoctorae]

Greetings All,

So, if I wish to cellar some tobacco in a ball jar for 5 years, is there any special preparations I need to make? I have been googling it and have come across some techniques for boiling the jars to create heat on the inside which then sucks the lid down as it cools, etc. Is this necessary? Thanks for any help.
-The Doctor

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Probably not necessary to heat prior to packing. Get the jars clean and dry then cram as much in as possible. All my jars have sealed themselves while sitting.

 

[jnielson]

If you want it sealed and airtight, you could probably get a seal-a-meal thing, mine came with an attachment for getting the air out of jars for storing dry things like grains.

 

[jon11]

They are sterile right out of the box. Don’t wash or boil.....just load up and hand tighten!

 

[pianopuffer]

+1. They’re good to go right from the packaging.

I reuse mason jars that once had food in them (we can a lot of foods), but a simple sterilization through the dishwasher or boiling water bath and a new lid does the trick for me.
Sunlight is the enemy here, find a dark cool place to store.

Happy cellaring! I’ve been beefing mine up this past year and have been enjoying it thoroughly!

 

[philobeddoe]

Just open them new and fill them up, don’t wash the jars, you’ll just add bacteria to the jar!

 

[cortezattic]

Don't go crazy with the tight packing bit. Aerobic microbes will need some oxygen. Estimate the tightness based on your experience with commercially tinned tobacco. Packing it insanely tight will produce a crumble cake, which is probably not what you want your ribbon-cut blends to become.
Using the small 1/2 pint Mason jars allows most of your tobacco to continue to age undisturbed as you go through your supply one jar at a time.

 

[sablebrush52]

+1 with the half pints for use while aging. I also use pint and quart sized jars for cellaring tobacco that won't be touched for several years. With most ribbon cut I find that a 1:2 ratio works well, for example, 2oz tobacco into a 4oz jar. That's a pretty tight pack and it leaves about 1/4 of an inch of air at the top for aging. Over time the oxygen gets used up, the top pops, and it's good to go.

 

[pianopuffer]

I’m expecting a couple pounds of PS flakes this week or next to be aged long term.

I have 2 Quart jars at the ready but wonder if they’ll be enough.
My cellar jars mostly contain ribbon or shag or flakes in small quantities so I’ve figured out the right ratio.

Any advice? I plan to keep them intact, not rubbed out.

 

[sablebrush52]

I’m expecting a couple pounds of PS flakes this week or next to be aged long term.

I have 2 Quart jars at the ready but wonder if they’ll be enough.

Unless you're not going to touch these for several years, consider buying pints. I keep my PS-LBF in pint jars. For longer flakes, look for the tall 12oz jars.

 

[danielplainview]

Here’s a great video on everything you need to know about cellaring
https://youtu.be/9qaWKF8Pnr4

 

[sumusfumus]

This thread caught my eye. I had many, many, concerns about properly storing...you well-seasoned guys call it "cellaring" ....a batch of freshly mixed, personally-exclusive, cigar-leaf aromatic-English. I imported (don't ask) some special, Cuban leaf and mixed this into my secret tobacco recipe. As a homage, in recognition and in honor of the specially fermented Cuban leaf, I call my blend: "Besame Culo". It's a lovely, mild, smooth, yet rough, blend that has an room note that's reminiscent of rancid fried pork rinds, some tangerine peel, type-A transmission fluid, and just a tad of Nabisco chocolate cookies. My goal is to cellar/age it for at least 12 years, for mellowing, but couldn't figure out how to prevent mold, etc. from spoiling my rare tobaccos. I was reluctant to try the process. Now, I know how it's done. I can't wait for the 12 years to go by quickly! If I'm absolutely forced to (because of tyrannical FDA deeming rules), I will smoke my "Besame Culo" mixture posthumously, in a large Ascorti briar, at my local B&M cigar lounge. It should be lots of fun. For the local customers, maybe not so much. I hope they can be open minded, and not too snobbish about the Latakia-like aroma of decomp.
******************************************************************
@ dave g: Thank you!...for the 15 + minutes of pure pipe tobacco parody!! A brilliant lampoon.
You have provided a perfect video that treats this cellaring dilemma with the proper respect and seriousness that this arcane process demands. The simple, yet informative instructions, were very easy to follow, however I only had a large, ball-peen hammer in my junk drawer. I am hoping for some perfect cellaring results. I was assured of this and have all confidence of achieving the desired outcome by following the suggestions of the gentleman in the video. However, I did have a problem. I found the gauge of tin used by Dunhill to be quite inferior, and it was very easy to smash these cheapo tins into a shape that could easily fit inside my jars. I expected more of a challenge....but then again, it was just a soon-to-be-defunct, British blend.
I enjoy reading through all the strange, confusing, and obviously subjective material posted on this forum. Who needs "science" to back up claims, after all. Why let facts get in the way? I have learned many things about the fine art of pipe smoking.
With tongue firmly in cheek....many thanks to my fellow forum members.
Frank

NYC

 

[zeedoctorae]

I just watched a youtube video by some gentleman who actually dipped the cap of the ball jar in wax to seal it. Thoughts?

 

[danielplainview]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Very informative stuff. In all seriousness, no need to get overly technical about cellaring. No washing, boiling, wax, etc. Just make sure the rim and lid seal are free of tobacco particles. Lid is firmly tightened. Store in a cool dark place.

 

[pianopuffer]

sable - these are going into long-term storage. I've got smaller amounts of both in little jelly jars that I tend to go for when the weather is warmer.

 

[fmgee]

Dave: that Video was amazing!

 

[badger]

I love those John Doe videos... very informative.

 

[sablebrush52]

sable - these are going into long-term storage. I've got smaller amounts of both in little jelly jars that I tend to go for when the weather is warmer.

OK, then the larger jars will work just fine.