Long Term Tobacco Storage - Mylar

[craig61a]

Anybody storing long term in sealed Mylar bags?
I've been looking at sites where they are sold, and it's fairly inexpensive.
Supposed to be able to keep food fresh for years.
I'd be interested in hearing if anybody does this.
Edit: I fixed your title. Please check out rule #9 (Cosmic)

 

[mcitinner1]

Craig yes they do. There are other threads on the subject if you google it.

 

[cortezattic]

I just opened a 10 yr. old Iwan Ries Perma-Moist aluminized mylar bag holding about 8 oz. of Hal O'the Wynd.

It was drier than when I originally bagged it, but it wasn't crunchy. I'm of the opinion that I should have checked on it sooner.

I've held tobacco in these bags before, but only for a year or so, with no ill effects.

 

[woodsroad]

There has been a great deal written on these pages about the relative merits of tobacco storage in Mylar bags. Use the PipesMagazine Custom Search Function to do some further research.
Short answer: The better quality Mylar bags (3-5 mil Mylar laminate) are great for storing tobacco. The weak link is the zip seal, especially after being opened and re-closed a few times. For long-term storage, the bags should be vacuum and heat sealed. FoodSaver-type bags are not Mylar and and are not recommended for long-term storage.

 

[cosmicbobo]

I bought a hundred bags (waiting for delivery). These are often used by preppers long term storage. I am also using some PET BPA free plastic jars. They should both do fine for the rest of my life and time for my kids to sell them.

 

[woodsroad]

I'd be careful with plastic jars. Just because the plastic claims to not contain BPA, doesn't mean that it's suitable for long-term storage of tobacco. Most plastics are not oxygen barriers the way mylar laminate bags are, and many plastics are susceptible to absorbing chemical components of tobacco. You can see this in the cello wrappers of aged cigars, for instance. Latakia will do this to most plastics, as will many aromatics. Glass caning jars, tightly packed, are still the cheapest and best way to store pipe tobacco.
And be careful about the zip seal on Mylar bags. After a few open-close cycles, many of them become unreliable.

 

[loneredtree]

I have used a "sealing iron" from Tower Hobbies to seal Mylar bags. It was re-purposed from my radio controlled glider days. purpose

 

[forloveoffreedom]

Can you not just double bag in a high-quality Ziploc's?

 

[darwin]

"Can you not just double bag in a high-quality Ziploc's?"
No, not for long term storage. They don't seal all that well and the plastic is a poor vapor barrier. 5 mil. thick aluminized mylar bags properly heat sealed are far superior and functionally equivalent to glass jars. In addition the Mylar Pro brand of bag has a zip seal superior to ordinary freezer bags and will keep newly opened tobacco fresh for much longer, six months at least in my experience.

 

[woodsroad]

What darwin said.

 

[craig61a]

Well, glass jars are good, I have Ball and bail top, but this seems more cost effective.

 

[woodsroad]

Mylar bags are also much, much lighter than glass and take up less space.

 

[craig61a]

As for the title, it seems that's what I originally posted. I looked for a link to the rules but can't seem to find one.

 

[craig61a]

Mylar bags are also much, much lighter than glass and take up less space.

Well there's that too...