Jar Size to Tobacco Amount Ratio

[beef]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

I've seen on a few threads about jarring that ~2oz of tobacco should go in an 8oz jar. Can someone explain why that much extra space is needed? I assume that it has to do with aging and needing air to eat up microbes. But that much air is needed? If that's right, wouldn't it be better with latakia blends to put them in smaller jars so that there is less opportunity to age?

 

[macaroni]

If I've got my numbers right, I put 4 oz of tobacco in a 16 oz (pint) jar. I put 8 oz (1/2 pound) of tobacco in a 32 oz (quart) jar. I haven't stored them for long so I don't know if this is good in relation to air space and long term storage--it's just how much I can generally put in the jars easily (give or take an ounce).

 

[cossackjack]

Tobacco Mason/Ball jar storage: jar volume by tobacco weight

My experience (rule-of-thumb):
1/4 of the jar's volume, contingent on the cut & dryness of the tobacco

Jelly jar (4 oz volume) = 1.72-2 oz plugs; 1 oz tobacco

Half-pint (8 oz volume) = 2 oz tobacco

Pint (16 oz volume) = 4 oz tobacco

Quart (32 oz volume) = 8 oz tobacco

1 lb tobacco should fit in 2 one-quart jars or 4 one-pint jars or 8 half-pint jars (the latter favored by some to minimize disruption of aging when opening larger jars)

Wide mouth jars are easier to pack & remove tobacco.

 

[beef]

ya sorry, oz are unfamiliar to me. I have 2oz of tobacco in 500ml jars. I am more or less wondering why this is the rule of thumb.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I put 1pound/pint jar ribbon cut, 1/2pound/pint jar cube and flake cut.

 

[coming to_falling too]

I was listening to a radio show in which Brian had jarred and aged the same tobacco, but in one jar he filled the jar loosely, and the other he packed full and only left a bit of air at the top. He cracked both and noted how they were different, apparantly from jow he packed the jars prior to aging. Cant really recall the specifics, but pretty interesting nonetheless.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I pack my jars until I can't fit another shred of tobacco in em.. Space becomes an issue quickly with this endeavor.

 

[mingc]

ya sorry, oz are unfamiliar to me. I have 2oz of tobacco in 500ml jars. I am more or less wondering why this is the rule of thumb.

A jar size "ounce" is short for fluid ounce, a unit of volume, whereas a tobacco ounce is just that, a unit of weight. It happens that 2 ounces of loose tobacco will fit nicely in an 8 fluid ounce jar. The metric equivalent would be 50g of tobacco and a 250ml jar.

I've seen on a few threads about jarring that ~2oz of tobacco should go in an 8oz jar. Can someone explain why that much extra space is needed? I assume that it has to do with aging and needing air to eat up microbes. But that much air is needed? If that's right, wouldn't it be better with latakia blends to put them in smaller jars so that there is less opportunity to age?

2 oz of loose tobacco in a 8 fluid ounce jar is not going to leave you extra space. In fact, you'll probably have to press the tobacco in to get it to fit. Now, if it's a flakes or plugs, you'll be able to get more into the same sized jar.

 

[ChuckMijo]

I pack my jars until I can't fit another shred of tobacco in em.. Space becomes an issue quickly with this endeavor.

This^^^

 

[drrock]

Tobacco Mason/Ball jar storage: jar volume by tobacco weight

My experience (rule-of-thumb):
1/4 of the jar's volume, contingent on the cut & dryness of the tobacco

Jelly jar (4 oz volume) = 1.72-2 oz plugs; 1 oz tobacco

Half-pint (8 oz volume) = 2 oz tobacco

Pint (16 oz volume) = 4 oz tobacco

Quart (32 oz volume) = 8 oz tobacco

1 lb tobacco should fit in 2 one-quart jars or 4 one-pint jars or 8 half-pint jars (the latter favored by some to minimize disruption of aging when opening larger jars)

Wide mouth jars are easier to pack & remove tobacco.

This has been my experience too.

 

[saltedplug]

At its height I had 45 cases of pints, storing and aging tobacco. I used jelly jars for 50g and 4 pint jars for lbs. I don't think air has anything to do with better results. Using quart jars means that you are going to interrupt aging, whereas pints hold a lesser amount such that when you open one, the other jars will continue to age.

 

[anotherbob]

A jar size "ounce" is short for fluid ounce, a unit of volume, whereas a tobacco ounce is just that, a unit of weight. It happens that 2 ounces of loose tobacco will fit nicely in an 8 fluid ounce jar. The metric equivalent would be 50g of tobacco and a 250ml jar.

2 oz of loose tobacco in a 8 fluid ounce jar is not going to leave you extra space. In fact, you'll probably have to press the tobacco in to get it to fit. Now, if it's a flakes or plugs, you'll be able to get more into the same sized jar.

why did it take so for this to be stated? Why?

 

[ashdigger]

I pack my jars until I can't fit another shred of tobacco in em.. Space becomes an issue quickly with this endeavor.

This is the master plan. I don’t weigh anything going in a jar. I stuff and then seal.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

There's so much variance, its not worth thinking about too much.

 

[sablebrush52]

ya sorry, oz are unfamiliar to me. I have 2oz of tobacco in 500ml jars. I am more or less wondering why this is the rule of thumb.

It's not a rule of thumb. That's some people jar, and others do it differently.

When packing ribbon for long term storage, I pack it tight, like it is in round screw top tins. This works out to a 1:2 ratio. 2oz tobacco in a 4 oz jar, 4oz tobacco in an 8 oz jar, etc, etc. I figure that the folks who manufacture tobacco blends have a clue. I leave about 1/4 " of air space at the top. In any case, it has worked just fine for me.

With flakes, I pack them in tight enough so that they largely fill the jar, but not so tight that I can pull a flake or two without causing mass destruction. For long flakes I use the tall 12 oz jars to accommodate the length of the flake.

 

[jei64822]

I pack em to the brim. Don't have space for a bunch of jars.

 

[jrharrigan]

Tobacco Mason/Ball jar storage: jar volume by tobacco weight

My experience (rule-of-thumb):
1/4 of the jar's volume, contingent on the cut & dryness of the tobacco

Jelly jar (4 oz volume) = 1.72-2 oz plugs; 1 oz tobacco

Half-pint (8 oz volume) = 2 oz tobacco

Pint (16 oz volume) = 4 oz tobacco

Quart (32 oz volume) = 8 oz tobacco

1 lb tobacco should fit in 2 one-quart jars or 4 one-pint jars or 8 half-pint jars (the latter favored by some to minimize disruption of aging when opening larger jars)

Wide mouth jars are easier to pack & remove tobacco.

I think everything here is exactly correct.

 

[jerryskid47]

From what I’m seeing though there isn’t any harm in packing it to the brim, correct? I’m kind of in the same boat that I just don’t have room for any more jars.

 

[Chasing Embers]

From what I’m seeing though there isn’t any harm in packing it to the brim, correct? I’m kind of in the same boat that I just don’t have room for any more jars.

None that I've found. In absence of vacuum sealing, there's still air in the jar for aging.

 

[STP]

I stuff as much as I can get into them, particularly for longer storage, and never had any issues. It’s seems that the tobacco holds the moisture longer when compacted. When I have spill over into another jar that’s loosely packed, the tobacco is not as moist... or at least that’s my experience.