Paint Can Style Tin Sealing

[Ebarber]

So it pained me to think about jarring and throwing out all of these European tobacco tins. While jarring my bulk I was thinking of a solution to be able to somehow seal these tins long term. I came up with filling the moats of the tins with Paraffin canning wax. It's a little messy but I got better at it twards the end of the process. I believe this is going to work for me. What do you think?
I used parchment paper to save my countertop. It also caught the drippings and I poured what was leftover to peal and use next time.

If you do this make sure to press your lids firmly before starting and check your work carefully after you are finished to make sure you get a good seal. It's hard to tell until it dries and turns white.

I was also able to leave the tax stamps intact because the wax flowed under them.

Also, rock the can back and forth while filling to work the hot wax around the moat to get a good even seal.

A small ladle with a small pouring spout is very helpfull.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Just buy some 7 mil mylar bags large buy to put one or more tins in for long term storage.

 

[Ebarber]

Just buy some 7 mil mylar bags large buy to put one or more tins in for long term storage.

That would be a solution also but I like to stack them in the basement on my shelf.

 

[captainsousie]

I'd be dubious about the seals as they have been messed with due to expanding and contracting of both the wax and the metal due to heat transfer. They were best left as-is in my opinion and if one wanted an insurance policy, the most economical and well thought-out is the mylar solution. Tins sealed in bags do not stack with any more difficulty than ones that have had wax added.

 

[sablebrush52]

The contents of those pait cans will dry appreciably in a few years. I've saved the platic tops that used to go over those and I've not noticed any appreciable drying of tins fitted with those tops.

 

[Ebarber]

The contents of those pait cans will dry appreciably in a few years. I've saved the platic tops that used to go over those and I've not noticed any appreciable drying of tins fitted with those tops.

Can you buy the plastic lids somewhere that wi'll fit these?

 

[sablebrush52]

Can you buy the plastic lids somewhere that wi'll fit these?

I don't know. Maybe ask Esterval's.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

That would be a solution also but I like to stack them in the basement on my shelf.

Ideally, nothing would be required. My priority was keeping the tobacco fresh so I went with the mylar and stacked them awkwardly in a large plastic totes.

 

[SmokeClouds]

I transferred my tobacco that came in the European paint cans to Mylar bags. The bags preserve it very well, maybe even better than mason jars. However, with the tobacco from LJ Peretti, some is stored in the original paint cans (which are lined with a plastic bag) and some was moved to Mylar. So far, 3 years, the seal of the paint cans has not failed. Some senior members mentioned that tobacco can be stored in these cans for 7-10 without excessive drying. I shall report in a few years...

 

[64alex]

It looks the question asked was how to seal in the best possible way the original tin keeping the baccy in the tin for whatever reason and we should try to answer that question rather than giving different solutions which could or could not be not better in term of seal but do not answer the original question.

Me too, while a lot of stuff goes to mylar or mason jars, I am in the situation where I want seal many of the tins. In these cases I found that aluminum tape is pretty good and prevent/decrease drying the baccy for a considerable time (many years, at least 5 if done properly) and it is a viable solution for sealing in an easy way the tin. I would say that a tin sealed with aluminum tape the highest risk is with mold or with tin rusting rather than drying, and if it dries a little bit it is very slow and can be corrected easily.

When I buy a tin I just seal with aluminum tape and reseal with it once opened. Today most of my purchases are bulk plugs and ropes and they go to mylar and mason jars but for tins aluminum tape works.

 

[LotusEater]

I’m glad I read this thread
I have a couple lbs of Peretti blends that I just left in the original paint can type containers. I thought it would be safe in the sealed tins but I guess I had better re pack it in Mylar or mason Jars.

 

[Ebarber]

Ideally, nothing would be required. My priority was keeping the tobacco fresh so I went with the mylar and stacked them awkwardly in a large plastic totes.

If you dont mind sharing where do you get the bags and what size do you get?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

If you dont mind sharing where do you get the bags and what size do you get?

Amazon. Plantation Farms or something like that is the brand. Key thing is 7 mil thickness. Large variety of sizes, pick the size that will hold the quantity of tins you want to put in them. I'm guessing half gallon for those HU tins. I bought some 5 gallon ones and put a bunch of them away with kind of a "do not open for a minimum of ten years " idea. I use a clothes iron to hear seal them.

 

[Terry Lennox]

I doubt those plastic lids some of these cans come with are any more air tight than the metal lid itself. I have long experience with the paint cans from K&K and they are fine for maybe 7-8 years. I have opened some older (maybe 12-15 years) and the tobacco was on the dry side, though smokable. A couple of days re-hydrating and they were perfect. With jarring you could avoid that, but I like keeping it in the original packaging. Also better for resale if I ever decide to sell them.

 

[Ebarber]

Just to follow up on this, I decided to jar everything.

I have a ton of mason jars available to use in the basement.
Although the seal looked good from looking at it I don't think sealing with wax was a very good option.
Upon examining the tins I opened they did not appear they were sealed completely no matter how thorough I thought I was being.

Also FYI there were quite a few tins I opened that had a bit of tobacco stuck between the lid and can from the factory that would compromise any kind of long term seal.

I'm glad I decided to jar them and can now sleep easy knowing all of that wonderful tobacco will be good long down the road.
I also now have a ton of great German tobacco tin targets for my new .22 cal Weirauch HW90 I just purchased!

I just didn't want anyone reading this to be steered in the wrong direction.

 

[mso489]

Labor intensive but seems like it would do the job.

 

[Ebarber]

Labor intensive but seems like it would do the job.

Yes sir you would think. Oh well, I tried.

 

[troutface]

I have a one pound can of Peretti Tashkent I have been smoking out of for more than three years and it's fine. As mentioned, there is a plastic bag inside the can, but I barely twist that shut before I pound down the lid.