So I’m planning on jarring 2oz of capstan flakes for long term aging (10-20 years). Since I only want to jar 2 oz of flakes at a time should I cram it in 4oz jelly jars thus destroying some flakes or jar it in 8 oz jar with a bit too much air space? I’m wondering if the flakes will dry up in bigger jars?
Jarring 2 oz Of Flake
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Smallest jars I own are 8oz Ball jars and they are perfect for storing 2oz of flake. I’d not cram flake if you can avoid it. ?
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I do. I cram it all. I’ve been known to cut the flakes in half with an opinel so they fit sideways into a jelly jar. ?Smallest jars I own are 8oz Ball jars and they are perfect for storing 2oz of flake. I’d not cram flake if you can avoid it. ?
You could also look into storing them in Mylar. Saves space, the bags are taller so you can fit full length flakes if you so choose.
Not jamming them all together leaves the option later of folding and stuffing down the road. Otherwise they tend to become a homogeneous mass.
I cut my flakes when I get them in bulk. I’ve learned that stuffing them in a jar makes a congealed mass of ?. If that doesn’t bother you then good. It’s not gonna matter you are right…but my OCD/ADHD doesn’t permit it with standard tins.
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Have you seen the squat 8oz Ball jars? I think they are called Elite Ball jars....they look ideal for most flakes.
One 50 gram tin of flakes fits perfectly in an 8 ounce Ball Jar, no stuffing or any damage to the flake structure required. Have been doing this for over a decade. I love opening the jars and pulling out a single complete flake to then put in the pipe as I see fit, either folding or rubbing out.
By the way, that bit of extra space is important. You want a little oxygen to help the aging process. What's left around the flakes is not enough to dry it. They remain moist for years if sealed properly. Just make sure no crumbs rest on the rim when you close the top.
You can’t cram enough tobacco in the jar to make a difference in that aspect IMO. One 50g tin in an 8oz jar wastes a hell of a lot of storage space, for me at least.
for the same tin I cut the flakes in half, then set them on their side in a 4oz jelly jar. I’m still able to remove the whole flakes and it uses half the space.
a bit of air ain't going to hurt it. Cramming it is only going to hurt the flake structure but not the final smoke. Or in other words the answer is yes either one. Up to you. Do you care if the flakes stay in a perfect flake stick of bubble gum shape or not. I leave air. But I only jar bulk. Also find that in a jar with even a lot more air then that dries the flake to where I prefer it.
Put some of your 2oz batches in 4oz jars and others in 8oz jars. Come back in 10 years and tell us if it made a difference. 
Oh I agree with what's been said. Makes no difference to the flavor or the smoke. A broken flake is the same tobacco.
I haven't run this experiment, but I'd guess, even if you cram them in somewhat there's enough air for them to age properly if you keep the jar well sealed.
I've got some Capstan tins in my cellar but they're still just in the tins. Are you telling me I need to open all of those tins and jar those flakes?
The square tins are more failure prone than the rounds, you're probably fine just checking on them every 6-12 months.
I would never open a sealed tin and then jarred it. That makes no sense. I have smoked close to 40 plus tins of the Capstan Blue flake and all are from 2013. Never had a sealed tin that didn't work perfectly. No matter the shape or the year. Those are my experiences. and if you keep your temperature and humidity in a very tight range say 73-74 degrees you should also not have any seals fail.
I may have caused some confusion above. People were talking about jarring bulk. I just meant if I open a tin to smoke and i'm not going to smoke it all right away then I will jar it. But the Capstan tins have good strong seals.