Ceramic Pipe Tobacco Humidor — Can I trust it?

[craiginthecorn]

Before I ask this question, let me say that I acknowledge that Mason jars are the best container for tobacco, so there’s no need to hammer that home. This is about having one or two more decorative containers around that contain my favorite blends.
I just received my free Mac Baren ceramic tobacco humidor with my order of HH Vintage Syrian from smokingpipes.com. It has a silicone seal. My experience with humidors is surprisingly bad. Most don’t really retain moisture and require something to maintain humidity.
What should I expect with this glazed ceramic, bail lid, silicone-sealed jar?

 

[midwestpipesmoker70]

I still think it will leak. I would trust storing aromatics. I might try, say, wet flakes but I'd keep an eye on them. I think that any tobacco at optimum moisture content would dry out fairly quickly. The size of the jar could possibly be a positive. If you fill that baby to the rim maybe the tobacco wouldn't dry out so fast. I haven't had any luck with smaller jars of that style. I too purchased this HH jar and I am not quite sure what I want to do with it yet.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've had tobacco dry out in bail top jars. YMMV

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I keep my Carter Hall in a bail-top and it keeps for plenty long, but... Carter Hall, ya know?
I wouldn't really trust it. Your biggest enemy there is stray tobacco debris sticking to and compromising the seal, if it's even a good seal in the first place.

 

[balkisobrains]

https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipe-tobacco/mac-baren/HH-Vintage-Syrian-16oz-with-Black-Ceramic-Limited-Edition-Tobacco-Jar/product_id/47622
It looks cool, you could put it on display somewhere without the tobacco in it.
::

 

[irishearl]

I smoke cigars rarely but keep mine in a humidor just like that with a humidifying disk in the lid. Even with the humidifier and rarely opening the jar, they tend to dry out unless I regularly re-humidify the sponge.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Yeah, that's been my experience with pretty much everything, with the exception of Mason jars, 5 mil mylar foil ziplock bags (my preferred method for 1.5 oz or less), and an old apothecary jar with a beveled, frosted glass seal like you sometimes see on liquor decanters. That apothecary jar is da bomb!
Thanks everyone.

 

[jpmcwjr]

The easiest way to know is to pop a small hygrometer in the jar and monitor it once a week or so. It may be fine, and the jar may leak like a sieve. My guess it's all right if carefully resealed each time.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Toss a Boveda 62 % RH pack in the ceramic jar, will work fine if you just lay it on top of he tobacco. I use non-forum approved methods of storage (Mason Jar! Mason Jar! Mason Jar ) quite frequently for my own particular purposes, have done so for over 30 years, and the Boveda packs have worked great since I started using them a year and a half ago and before I started reading forum threads telling me how I had to store my tobacco.
BTW, the Boveda is a two way device. Very handy to have if you are storing tobacco that is a tad wet.It will dry it down considerably if you aren't in a rush. And the 62% is the right level for pipe tobacco. I use 70% for cigars, and also as the most convenient way I have found to rehydrste tobacco. But that is another topic. How long they last depends largely on how often you open the container.
As for the silicone seals on the jars, those can become an issue. I have two Gevala coffee bail top ceramic jars that I expect to fail any day now. Been 25 years. But I have had them go bad on other jars in just a couple of years. Those bear watching. Replacement seals are available, but the exact size may be unavailable when you need one.

 

[saltedplug]

My experience with humidors is surprisingly bad. Most don’t really retain moisture and require something to maintain humidity.

What should I expect with this glazed ceramic, bail lid, silicone-sealed jar?

2nd question answered.
1st is about seasoning a humidor. If there isn't much of a seal you can build up the rim with blue electrician's tape, testing for the leaky areas by putting a dollar bill all the way around it and closing the lid. I did this once and was able to get the humidor to hold humidity. But then after a few months it seemed not to. If you build up one area what impact do you have on the other areas of the rim?
They say over and over that cedar is best for holding moisture. Seasoning is best accomplished by:
1. Putting a wet sponge inside the humidor with the lid closed for two weeks.

2. Put a hygrometer inside and take a reading, remove the sponge and let it sit for an hour.

3. Take a second reading and if that reading is within 8 points or so, you're good.
This assumes you can get a hygrometer that is worth a sh*t.
My cigar guy says that once seasoned, the only reliable way to maintain humidity is Boveda. I have six $4 dollar packs in mine. So that's 24 dollars for about 6 mos. humidity minus beads and hygrometers, my previous methods, which were notoriously unreliable, and in the end confusing.
Cigars, humidors, and Boveda packets are much more expensive than pipe smoking, provided you manage TAD, and especially PAD.

 

[admiral]

In general jars as these are supposed to keep your tobacco for few weeks (slightly more if they got balsa or integrated sponge in the lid). In other words till you smoke it up, considering that you smoke only that.

For longer periods - Mason jars

 

[didache]

I have something similar which I keep my St Bruno in. It is fine for a tobacco you dip into regularly (it is a rare day I don't have at least one bowl of St Bruno). I wouldn't use it for long-term storage though. Use them for tobacco you smoke frequently and enjoy them for that.
Mike

 

[madox07]

Can you post a pic of the Mac Baren ceramic tobacco humidor?

 

[mawnansmiff]

"I've had tobacco dry out in bail top jars."
Bugger.....just what I didn't want to hear. The bulk of my bulk blends is stored in such jars bought from Asda (UK version of Walmart). I use 550ml, 1 litre and 1.5 litre jars. Interestingly I noticed at some point last year they changed from rubber to silicone seals so I have to wonder if there were complaints of failures.
The smaller jars I use for rubbed out flakes (packed very tightly indeed) and the large ones I use for entire flakes of FVF and SJF though I do leave those in their ziplock bags afore jarring up just as an extra precaution. I can get 750g in one large jar that way.
I have recently invested in some Ball jars and the British equivalent Kilner jars and I'm kind of regretting not going that route from day one.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[oldtoby]

I have one of the MacBaren Syrian jars. Had it for years. Cool to look at but aren't much good for storing tobacco over long periods.
I use mine to store lighters, tamps and various other things pipe related.

 

[pappymac]

In other words, the ceramic tobacco humidor is perfect for the tobacco you smoke on a daily basis but don't count on it for long term storage.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

@pappymac, I would say that Mason jars clearly have no equal for long term storage if aaging is the primary objective. Otherwise, particularly if you are in and out of the container, those bail top jars work fine. With the assistance of a 62 % Boveda, they work even better. Just pay attention to the seal. My guess is that the MacBarens one is pretty good compared to ones commonly on sale at big box store.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Can you post a pic of the Mac Baren ceramic tobacco humidor?

 

[madox07]

I like this system. I have a 200gr jar like this, glass not ceramic, and it keeps the tobacco as moist as as the day you pop the tin. I have a auen land tin opened since December and it is still in very good shape.

 

[Chasing Embers]

They will work for several months, but anything that you cellar for years will dry out.