How to Cellar Tobacco properly

[oldmaus]

In the past few days I have placed almost all of my tobacco (several pounds) into jars. I have them filled to the top and capped. In a telephone conversation about three weeks ago with Russ Ouellette he had mentioned that he runs a sink of very hot tap water and puts the jars in to warm up then after he removes them they seal as they cool down. I cannot get my jars to seal at all. What processes do you experienced in cellaring use for storing long term? Can anyone point to a good resource about this topic?

Thanks

 

[ohin3]

Well this is how those jars were originally meant to be used when canning. You have to boil the jars to get them hot enough though. Have you ever made and canned jam or anything in a mason jar? when you do, you boil the jars and add what you are canning as hot as possible. then you place the lids on and let them sit till you hear them go "POINK!". Heat expands things, cold contracts things. So, when the heat subsides, contraction occurs. As the contraction occurs it pulls on the lid which is sealed by the rubber seal. this pulls so hard on the lid that the metal gets sucked in and thus seals the rubber to the glass in an air tight seal. I don't know if this is necessary when cellaring tobacco. I would think that just screwing the lids on tight would work. I sure wouldn't want to introduce heat to the tobacco. Heat causes changes.

 

[oldmaus]

Russ Ouellette had said that boiling was not necessary. I asked that question specifically since I am familiar with the "canning" process you described. I just screwed the lids down tight.

 

[kcvet67]

On jars for long-term storage I rub a layer of beeswax on the rim of the jar before sealing, for shorter term use (less than a year) I don't bother.

 

[unclearthur]

Did you put the lids in a pan of hot water to soften the rubber seals?

 

[kcvet67]

Did you put the lids in a pan of hot water to soften the rubber seals?

Yes.

 

[unclearthur]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? When i "can" tobacco I give the jarred stuff a short shot in the microwave then add my cooked lids and rings. Always get a good seal.

 

[lordnoble]

I follow ohin3 on this as well. I just screw the tops down as hard as I can. I haven't got to the point where I'll be cellaring tobaccos for years to come, so all of my jarred blends are for smoking. Some blends will be stored to age a few months, but I couldn't keep my grubby mitts off any of my tobaccos for any appreciable amount of time. :wink:
-Jason

 

[unclearthur]

Of course you could always send them to me for cellering! :twisted:

 

[bubbadreier]

Now I just throw the tobacco in a very well cleaned jar and tighten the lid... It seems to seal itself after a few days! It is funny because you can hear little "pops" coming from my closet for a few days after I jar up a load!

 

[wallbright]

What happens if you forget to clean the jars [bought new and they were plastic wrapped and lidded] before putting the tobacco in? I just filled 36 jars but forgot to clean them before. I don't think it will be an issue as they were brand new but you never know.

 

[mlaug]

Your enemy is mold spores. That is basically what you're trying to protect your tobacco from.
I just run my jars through the dishwasher. I don't bother trying to get a vaccum seal. I find they do it mostly on their own anyway.

 

[pstlpkr]

IF you are like Phil / Ohin3 (a dipper) I'd opt for bail top jars.

I've used them for years, nary a problem.

 

[python]

I do not heat the jars up to create a vacuum seal. I just tighten the lids up.
Here is my article on the subject:
Pipe Tobacco Storage

 

[igloo]

Boil the lids to soften the gasket to ensure they are air tight . Bailtop jars are better but they are harder to find .

 

[thomc80]

I just put the lids on real tight. Most of the time inside of a few days they seal on their own.

 

[wallbright]

Wait so what happens if the jars are new, unused, sealed in plastic and with the lid on from the factory, but I forget to clean them before putting the tobacco in?

 

[redfox]

i'm sure the new jars are fine, but it's good to wash them to be sure they are cleaned thoroughly. You never really know what was going on when the jar was being made and it's possible that it has chemicals or other odd matter bits in it. It's unlikely, but i like to be safe! :D

 

[bubbadreier]

Well to be honest I don't know for certain but I don't think they do a very good job of cleaning the jars straight from the factory... I would be worried about dust, and mold spores. But then again that is just my thoughts, it could be squeaky clean!