How Much Tobacco Does a Jar Hold?

[brassmonkey]

I have been importing some whole leaf tobacco, as it is a far cheaper option than buying pre-packaged tobacco here.

My plan is to make up a few blends and store it away in jars to age a bit and build up a cellar.
I have plenty of 1/2 pint and pint jars but was wondering how much tobacco to pack into each jar.
Do I stuff in as much as possible or just loosely fill? or is it better to weigh out a certain amount for each jar?
Your thoughts please.

 

[sablebrush52]

How much tobacco you can pack into a jar of a specific size varies with the cut. With most ribbon cuts, the ratio is 1 to 2 - 2oz tobacco in a 4oz jar, 4oz tobacco in an 8oz jar, and so on, and so on. Other cuts may require more space to hold the same weight of tobacco. When jarring I pack it tight, leaving about 1/4 inch of air at the top. A little air is considered beneficial to the critters who help kick off the aging process before the oxygen gets used up and the critters croak out.

 

[seacaptain]

^^^This

 

[pandapiper]

Interesting to know. I've been packing on a 1 to 4 ratio for ribbon cuts, though find I have to pack it in a little - the bottom of the jar is noticeably more densely packed than the top.

 

[npod]

Similar advise as above.
The only additional pearls are 1) you can put much more flake in a jar vs ribbon type cuts, and 2) if you pack tight and leave no air then the tobacco tends to be less aged going forward (read: it will taste more like fresh years from now, not as aged, but still aged a bit, bit as much as if you leave lots of air, etc). Some blend I like the high notes when fresh, I tend to pack them tighter with less air, I did this with bulk Nightcap so that in 5 years it has more chance to taste the way I remember the blend now, because it will not be around going forward.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I get a pound of ribbon cut into four half pint jars. A pound of cube cut and flake into two half pint jars.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I only jar up flakes and in a 1.5 litre jar I can get 750g of FVF or SJF standing upright and still in their ziplock bags. However for my 1 litre jars and smaller I rub out the flakes and cram as much as I am physically able, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace.
By rubbing out flakes prior to jarring up it is surprising how much you can get in any given jar so long as you compress it well.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[condorlover1]

How many full stops in a bottle of ink? :rofl:

 

[brassmonkey]

Thanks guys, some good guidelines there. I'll start with 1 to 2 ratio for ribbon cut as suggested and see how it looks.