How Tight to Stuff a Mason?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,974
21,898
SE PA USA

IMG_8335.jpeg
I've tried everything, filling loosely, stuffing by hand, packing tight with a caulk gun. Honestly, I don't see a lot of differences. Packing tightly will accelerate the start of anaerobic growth, provided there is sufficient moisture in the tobacco. Dry tobacco will not age as well as tobacco with some moisture in it. Like Jesse, I sometimes pack long flakes like 507c into the tall Ball asparagus jars, but I generally prefer the 4oz. jars. I'd just rather not have a bigger jar of aged tobacco open for an extended period of time.
 
Last edited:

NookersTheCat

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 10, 2020
161
468
The bags appear to be polyester, but they aren't multi-layer foil laminated. I wouldn't trust them beyond a year if the storage humidity drops below 65%.


Where did you find this information? The bags are filled with product, then sealed. No metering of air or O2, no special packaging for any given blend.


That all makes sense. I double-bag the pound bags into 7mil foil laminate Mylar bags. Usually, I move everything into 4 or 8 oz Ball jars, but my recent Sutliff Spree has overwhelmed me. Besides, I'll be selling all these bags back to y'all in ten years, so they'll me worth more unmolested!
Well Mylar actually is just a special type of polyester that doesn't actually always have the foil layer... it usually does but that's actually a separate process it's put through whereas the Mylar itself is just trademark of biaxially oriented polyester. I'd assume the bags are either an unmetallized Mylar or a very high grade/multiply polypropylene. Pretty much nothing will beat a Mason I was just saying they're leaps and bounds above a ziploc. Either way though, they do let out some small amount of scent so I'll grant there is some obvious vapor transmission.. hence our double bag method probably being the best way to go.

And idk, unfortunately I left the gas chromatograph at the office but I just meant going off eyeballing it lolol 😜
At least of the batches I've received, the full aromatics are straight vacuum sealed, the Virginias have generous airspace and the aromatic-English/hybrid blends seem to be somewhere in-between. Could it be coincidence? Sure, but it could also be that they just know from decades of experience what we've been discussing here and therefore give different sealing instructions based upon the blend... just my observation/supposition though.

And lmaoo, I hear ya brother. I keep telling myself (and the girlfriend) that I just dropped so damn much money and am surrounded by so many boxes full of bags and tins because I'm gonna beat the S&P500 with it one day but God truly knows it's either gonna go up in smoke in my own pipe, traded, or only be sold after I'm gone and unable to enjoy the proceeds. My problem is that I enjoy staring at hoards of tins/jars/bullion/bullets far more than I do numbers on a bank account screen. It gives me the warm fuzzies, what can I tell ya? 😂🤷‍♂️
 
  • Love
Reactions: woodsroad

NookersTheCat

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 10, 2020
161
468
With flakes, it's tight enough that you can sill pull one out intact when you want to. I like the taller 12 oz jars for GH&Co flakes.
Great minds... I have a 4 year old asparagus jar of 250 grams of some frosty St. James I'm about to crack into soon... It will be my first time trying it actually haha. Received it as a gift/accident from SP and just let myself forget about it til now. God, I hope I hate it cause it'll suck having to wait another 4 years for some more! :ROFLMAO:
 

NookersTheCat

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 10, 2020
161
468
I don't know what the right answer is. One caution I would give is that if you pack your jar to the brim, be very careful about tobacco bits compromising the rubber seal around the lid.
Great point. I always make certain to wipe the rims as with actual canning (even if it's only with my thumb for the baccy jars) and rinse/dry the lids/gaskets before sealment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: woodsroad

Swiss Army Knife

Can't Leave
Jul 12, 2021
468
1,364
North Carolina
However much it takes to get it into the jar. I'm not made of mason jars and the local grocery store is probably going to put me on a list if I buy any more.

That said if I'm it putting to away to age I'm throwing it into a heat sealed mylar bag. Way easier to store. Jars are pretty much just for blends I'm likely to tap into in the near future.