Final Seal on Mason Jar

[olewaylon]

So I have spent hours reading on jarring and cellaring techniques and have found some great information on this site and others. I would like to know what the consensus around here is on the final seal of jarred tobaccos. there seem to be a few different schools of thought on this.
1. jar the tobacco screw lid on tight and you are done.

2. heat jar in near boiling water, remove jar, add tobacco and tigthen lid. this should cause the lid to tighten around jar and form vacuum seal.

3. place tobacco in jar, tighten lid and then place in the hot water untill lid becomes pressurized.

4. jar tobacco and tighten lid with no heat. after lid is on dip in parrafin wax to create an airtight seal. (this is used in the belief that the tobacco requires the air that would otherwise be evauated by heating methods)
Im sure some will say that im over thinking this but when people are spending 100s of dollars on their tobacco cellar, it becomes valuable equity that should be protected as any other precious asset.
thanks for any input.

 

[mp31guitar]

+1 on what rothnh said. I run the jars through the dish washer, dry on the heat cycle, then add tobacco and screw the lid on. I've never had a problem with my tobacco. And, I have some that has been in jars for 6 years like Dunhill Early Morning and it's great.

 

[05venturer]

Thanks for the thread olewaylon.
Thanks for confirming that I am correctly cellaring my tobacco rothnh & mp31guitar!! I am still fairly new to the cellaring deal (3 months) and needed the confirmation I was not going to be dissapointed years down the road. :worship:

 

[captainbob]

Just screw the lid on and be done with it. Nothing else is necessary if the lid is tight. Leave a little air in the jar as it is necessary for proper aging. Don't pack the jar too tight. Just a light pressure to get air out of it and not heavy pressure. C&D never vacuum seals their tins because Craig Tarler believed in allowing tobacco to age in the tin. For that you need some air in it.

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[olewaylon]

well so far looks like category 1 is sufficent and we can put faith in the mason jar to do its job with no extra precautions. thanks for the replies.

 

[chopz]

if i'm not mistaken, in canning there's a relatively tiny amount of air left at the top when filling a mason jar with tomato sauce or jam or whatnot so heating to expand the air and displace more of it makes sense. when you fill a jar with tobacco it's still mostly filled with air so heating it isn't going to do much good.

 

[topd]

I believe that folks that boil or steam their jars are killing off the enzymes and thingies that

we want to go to work 'aging' our tobacco.

 

[eaglerico]

I believe that folks that boil or steam their jars are killing off the enzymes and thingies that

we want to go to work 'aging' our tobacco.

I think this is correct. The boiling is part of the sterilizing process that is done when preserving fruits and other foods. This is done to kill any bacteria and prevent the food from spoiling. In our case pipe tobacco is already a fermented/cured product and by sequestering the tobacco in the jar we are hoping to carry the process that was started by the original blender, a little further. I would compare this to a dry aged steak (only without the waste exterior that has to be trimmed off). A dried aged steak is left to decompose and break down the natural toughness of beef. After a certain amount of time the natural enzymes in the beef have broken down the meet to the point where it almost melts in your mouth due to being so tender.

 

[numbersix]

From this conversation, I assume you're all using the 2 piece metal caps with the rubber seal - correct?
Anyone use the screw on plastic white lids for long term storage?

 

[spartan]

As long as it's durable, clean, and can provide an airtight seal, I think you're good to go.
I wouldn't use any plastic tubs for aging tobacco, but that's just because I'm unsure of any interaction between the tobacco and plastic over long periods of time. Probably nothing though.
Not sure about what plastic white lids you're reffering to though. Got a pic?

 

[numbersix]

Thanks Spartan. I was thinking that too - but I am wondering if the red rubber on the metal caps would be offer a better seal. These white caps just screw on - they work great, but not sure if they're good enough for several years of storage.
Here's a pic of what I mean:

 

[judcole]

jar the tobacco screw lid on tight and you are done

I believe that folks that boil or steam their jars are killing off the enzymes and thingies that

we want to go to work 'aging' our tobacco.

I'm with you both. I do run jars through the dishwasher when I empty them, simply because I am not sure what sort of tobacco will go in the next time I use that jar.

 

[dragonslayer]

+1 on Roth, as usual we agree on most things. Personally for how inexpensive lids are, I just always use a new top and ring. It’s true that a ring can be perfectly fine, but for a quarter I don’t bother. But do make sure you spend the few minutes it takes to do it right for something you want to last decades.
Craig

 

[dochudson]

won't hurt to warm the jars but not necessary. pack the jar to the neck, screw the lid and store in a cool dark location. after not long when you open it the lid will 'pop'. I reuse the jars by simply wiping them out with a paper towel and letting them air. Always use a new lid..

 

[kashmir]

I spit on it to make it last.

 

[numbersix]

I also wouldn't trust those plastic caps. My 8 ounce Ball screw-top jars have worked splendidly for long term aging for many years now and they're cheap ($7.47/12 @ Wal-Mart). No, I wouldn't take a chance using anything else, especially given the cost of my tobacco -- if it works, why fix it.

Thanks Rothnh - that's what I was thinking too.