How Long Does Tobacco Stay Fresh

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rajangan

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 14, 2018
974
2,809
Edmonton, AB
Do you add distilled water, bottled water, or it doesn't matter as long as its water?
I just use tap water. I'm sure there's situations where you would want better water, like if your tap water was disgusting or really high in minerals, but ours is pretty vanilla.
 
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marconi

Part of the Furniture Now
May 17, 2019
694
5,321
England
I just use tap water. I'm sure there's situations where you would want better water, like if your tap water was disgusting or really high in minerals, but ours is pretty vanilla.

Uk tap water is flouridated, its a bit nasty. I shall use some English spring water we have plenty of that especially after the last two weeks of rain.
 

02Knight

Can't Leave
Aug 24, 2020
333
401
71
Rockett, Texas. South of DFW Metroplex
If it dries out, I just add water. Pipe tobacco should be in the range of 10-14% water by weight, so if I've had a bad seal or simply was neglectful and find a bone dry batch of tobacco, I simply weigh the tobacco, add 10% of that weight in water, give it a shake, then come back a couple more times, shake and cop a feel.
I have read that you should use Distilled water instead of tap water, thoughts on this would be welcome.
 

rajangan

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 14, 2018
974
2,809
Edmonton, AB
I have read that you should use Distilled water instead of tap water, thoughts on this would be welcome.
You're probably better off using distilled water. I admittedly don't want to be bothered. I drink tap water. Tap water doesn't kill the yeast in my bread starter. How bad could it be? Some small towns and IRs have terrible stinky water. I wouldn't use that garbage.

Excessive irrigation of tobacco with high chlorine tap water causes burning problems. I haven't noticed a correlation with hydrating cured tobacco with it.
 
Apr 2, 2018
3,113
35,209
Idong,South Korea.
,I have tobacco that I vacuum sealed back in the late 90's,and is still smokable.It's good to age it in a jar for a few months, then vacuum seal it.This way all the strands are forced tightly together,and the various components marry to each other more than if they were loose in a jar.The actual aging will stop/slow down at this point due to the lack of oxygen.All personal preference,I guess.This image shows tobacco from the Georgetown tobacco ship in Washington DC from the late 90's.Dunhill tobaccos benefit especially from this aging treatment.Again,ust my opinion.0E2D1178-2AF0-41BC-81F0-A11F15F259A0.jpeg
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
On Forums, the question, "How long does tobacco stay fresh?" is the central philosophical question of our age and all of our lives, bearing on our purpose and meaning in every dimension. Collectively, we have written fifty five volumes on the subject, and are just finishing the preface, so we can get down to business on the issue itself. So, all I can say is, keep reading.
 

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
,I have tobacco that I vacuum sealed back in the late 90's,and is still smokable.It's good to age it in a jar for a few months, then vacuum seal it.This way all the strands are forced tightly together,and the various components marry to each other more than if they were loose in a jar.The actual aging will stop/slow down at this point due to the lack of oxygen.All personal preference,I guess.This image shows tobacco from the Georgetown tobacco ship in Washington DC from the late 90's.Dunhill tobaccos benefit especially from this aging treatment.Again,ust my opinion.View attachment 46895
That Old Georgetown Blend is good stuff. I picked up 8oz when I was last in DC in the mid 2000s and enjoyed every last bit of it.
 
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rajangan

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 14, 2018
974
2,809
Edmonton, AB
,I have tobacco that I vacuum sealed back in the late 90's,and is still smokable.It's good to age it in a jar for a few months, then vacuum seal it.This way all the strands are forced tightly together,and the various components marry to each other more than if they were loose in a jar.The actual aging will stop/slow down at this point due to the lack of oxygen.All personal preference,I guess.This image shows tobacco from the Georgetown tobacco ship in Washington DC from the late 90's.Dunhill tobaccos benefit especially from this aging treatment.Again,ust my opinion.View attachment 46895

+1 on vacuum sealing. I find it does still age though, especially if the moisture level is higher which is safer while vacuumed because of the lack of oxygen.

The reason I say it still ages is because much of the oxidation that occurs with tobacco is actually hydrolysis. In hydrolysis, the oxygen is taken from the water in the tobacco, not the air. This is why tobacco doesn't really age when its bone dry.
 
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BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
I think (without proof) tobacco lasts for ever.
IMO even if you light a bone dry tobacco, it rehydrates itself (From the moisture generated from combustion) within a few puffs.
If you think it is too dry add a Boveda pack and it will be moistened within a couple of weeks.
My experience is limited so it’s an opinion only - Tobacco does not lose any significant volatile matter when its dry. Case in point - Tobacco is indeed very dry when it is shipped to the blender by the distributor - It is stored dry in the warehouse before the blender cases it before blending.
Also how dry is the tobacco (I guess if you can call it that) in a cigarette?
 
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rajangan

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 14, 2018
974
2,809
Edmonton, AB
,I have tobacco that I vacuum sealed back in the late 90's,and is still smokable.It's good to age it in a jar for a few months, then vacuum seal it.This way all the strands are forced tightly together,and the various components marry to each other more than if they were loose in a jar.The actual aging will stop/slow down at this point due to the lack of oxygen.All personal preference,I guess.This image shows tobacco from the Georgetown tobacco ship in Washington DC from the late 90's.Dunhill tobaccos benefit especially from this aging treatment.Again,ust my opinion.View attachment 46895
Here's an example of high moisture, no air aging: I wish I had a photo of it before. It was a pale to medium brown. I put it in a plastic bag and compressed it with fiberglass tape, and two months later, it developed way more cigar character and was a much better smoke.

DSC_0983_2.JPG
DSC_1057_2.JPG
DSC_0154_2.JPG

And another tobacco, but same idea:

Before :DSC_0361_2.JPG

After:DSC_1058_2.JPG
 
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GlassMan

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 13, 2020
105
245
Tempe
9434A627-E537-43B4-875C-F5E4E3C132A2.jpeg
here is my osmosis trick for adding moisture. I always feel weird about adding water directly to leaf, as I have Had some mold issues. I fold up a small piece of tin foil to make a shallow dish, then take a paper towel, roll it up right, soak it in distilled water, and off to the races. Takes a day or two for all the moisture to absorb, but it works great in my opinion.
 

rajangan

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 14, 2018
974
2,809
Edmonton, AB
View attachment 47005
here is my osmosis trick for adding moisture. I always feel weird about adding water directly to leaf, as I have Had some mold issues. I fold up a small piece of tin foil to make a shallow dish, then take a paper towel, roll it up right, soak it in distilled water, and off to the races. Takes a day or two for all the moisture to absorb, but it works great in my opinion.
I like how your method is especially good trick for flake and rope because you wouldn't have to mix it up, ruining the shapes.
 

londonbriar

Lurker
Apr 17, 2019
29
97
London-ish, UK
A while back, I scored two cutter top tins of a British flake called Wills Cut Golden Bar - around 60 years old. One was perfectly sealed and still had its fantastic almond/ cognac aroma on top of a good virginia base. A delicious smoke. The other had rust holes and so was mummy-dry. Rehydrated*, I got what was essentially a Samuel Gawith style virginia - somewhere between Golden Glow and Best Brown Flake. The aromatic topping had vanished but the base tobacco was still great.

So tobacco basically lasts forever.

Steve

*my complex rehydration method is to add tap water to the tobacco jar - up to a teaspoon per 50g - and leave for a couple of days. Osmosis does the rest. Use bottled if your tap water is bad.