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Mez

Might Stick Around
Dec 20, 2024
95
572
30
Ohio
I'm a newer piper. I've been buying tobacco to store. YouTube has me convinced most companies tins will probably maintain a seal for a good long while. For example, I watch guys called "Pipe Currency" and "Beans316" on YouTube who collect tobacco. They appear to have many tins that are 10 years or older that they left in the original package and the tobacco stored well. I am aware that there's a chance some of them wont make it but I plan on checking on them every so often. So I'm wanting to know if I should move it all into mylar or if its fine in the tin? Thank you.
 

Briarcutter

Lifer
Aug 17, 2023
2,085
11,620
U.S.A.
It's a tough call. I've had round tins for twenty years with no problem, well nothing to speak of, maybe a few compromised but for the most part all have held the seal. The square and rectangle tins are more challenging, if I were to plan storage on those over a couple years I'd vacuum seal them in the original tin. I really like tobacco in the original tin, I like cracking the seal on a tin so I don't like to jar tinned tobacco. From what little experience I've had with the aluminum "chip dip" tins I've noticed tobacco reacts to the aluminum differently that the steel tins, seems to corrode faster so I cannot speak for them concerning long term storage. I smoke very little,if any tobacco from aluminum containers. This is just my preference and experience, YMMV.
 
Last edited:
Dec 11, 2021
1,891
10,034
Fort Collins, CO
It's a tough call. I've had round tins for twenty years with no problem, well nothing to speak of, maybe a few compromised but for the most part all have held the seal. The square and rectangle tins are more challenging, if I were to plan storage on those over a couple years I'd vacuum seal them in the original tin. I really like tobacco in the original tin, I like cracking the seal on a tin so I don't like to jar tinned tobacco. This is just my preference, YMMV.
I am more diligent about checking the square tins, that’s for sure. So far so good on those, however. The tin with the bad seal was Peterson EMP believe it or not. Not more than a year old. Just get a bad one once in a while I guess. I caught it early enough that, although a bit dry, was totally smokable.
 

Servant King

Geriatric Millennial
Nov 27, 2020
5,867
35,145
40
Frazier Park, CA
www.thechembow.com
I'm with @Briarcutter on this; my tins are just going to stay sealed until I get to them. Sure, it's a roll of the dice, but I just don't have the room to put tins in mylar as a Plan B. As previously mentioned, square/rectangular tins are more susceptible to busted seals than round ones, and of my tins, most of them are round, so there's that. It's a tiny risk yes, but one that has to be taken in my view.

Most of my holdings are in bulk, but that presents its own problem. Most of my factory sealed bags are fine, but Mac Baren (a big part of my cellar) packed their flakes in decorative gold colored paper inside the sealed plastic. Translation: a foothold for mold to develop. So I had to just transfer all the flake-age to mylar, and after a brief period of mourning for the loss of the original packaging, I felt a lot better about it.

But back to tins...yeah, it's your call. It's a roll of the dice either way. Assess the risk, and make your choice as you see fit. 👍
 

WerewolfOfLondon

Part of the Furniture Now
Jun 8, 2023
647
1,997
London
I'm with @Briarcutter on this; my tins are just going to stay sealed until I get to them. Sure, it's a roll of the dice, but I just don't have the room to put tins in mylar as a Plan B. As previously mentioned, square/rectangular tins are more susceptible to busted seals than round ones, and of my tins, most of them are round, so there's that. It's a tiny risk yes, but one that has to be taken in my view.

Most of my holdings are in bulk, but that presents its own problem. Most of my factory sealed bags are fine, but Mac Baren (a big part of my cellar) packed their flakes in decorative gold colored paper inside the sealed plastic. Translation: a foothold for mold to develop. So I had to just transfer all the flake-age to mylar, and after a brief period of mourning for the loss of the original packaging, I felt a lot better about it.

But back to tins...yeah, it's your call. It's a roll of the dice either way. Assess the risk, and make your choice as you see fit. 👍
If I may ask. When you transfer your McB to bags, do you have seperate bags for each tin, or do you just have one big mylar and heap all the tins in together?
 
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Jan 30, 2020
2,770
9,006
New Jersey
The game has its risks. You simply play it and take them based on your preferences.

I mostly keep everything in the tin that comes in a tin. For a period of time I did break down 8oz tins into (4) 2oz jars so I'm not opening 8oz tins down the line but I've stopped bothering with that. Most of my tins are C&D style.

I don't want to have to deal with mylar, so I don't deal with mylar even though others love it. I also don't buy anything bulk anymore so no need for more jars either.
 

Brad H

Lifer
Dec 17, 2024
2,020
10,854
I'm with @Briarcutter on this; my tins are just going to stay sealed until I get to them. Sure, it's a roll of the dice, but I just don't have the room to put tins in mylar as a Plan B. As previously mentioned, square/rectangular tins are more susceptible to busted seals than round ones, and of my tins, most of them are round, so there's that. It's a tiny risk yes, but one that has to be taken in my view.

Most of my holdings are in bulk, but that presents its own problem. Most of my factory sealed bags are fine, but Mac Baren (a big part of my cellar) packed their flakes in decorative gold colored paper inside the sealed plastic. Translation: a foothold for mold to develop. So I had to just transfer all the flake-age to mylar, and after a brief period of mourning for the loss of the original packaging, I felt a lot better about it.

But back to tins...yeah, it's your call. It's a roll of the dice either way. Assess the risk, and make your choice as you see fit. 👍
How did you choose to protect those precious bags of Plumcake?
 

Servant King

Geriatric Millennial
Nov 27, 2020
5,867
35,145
40
Frazier Park, CA
www.thechembow.com
If I may ask. When you transfer your McB to bags, do you have seperate bags for each tin, or do you just have one big mylar and heap all the tins in together?
I only transferred the bulk flake, because that's the only factory packaging that had paper within the sealed plastic. Their bulk for non-flake cut doesn't have any paper in there, so I keep them as is. Likewise, all my tins, Mac Baren or otherwise, are staying as they are.
 

NookersTheCat

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 10, 2020
746
3,686
NEPA
It's a tough call. I've had round tins for twenty years with no problem, well nothing to speak of, maybe a few compromised but for the most part all have held the seal. The square and rectangle tins are more challenging, if I were to plan storage on those over a couple years I'd vacuum seal them in the original tin. I really like tobacco in the original tin, I like cracking the seal on a tin so I don't like to jar tinned tobacco. From what little experience I've had with the aluminum "chip dip" tins I've noticed tobacco reacts to the aluminum differently that the steel tins, seems to corrode faster so I cannot speak for them concerning long term storage. I smoke very little,if any tobacco from aluminum containers. This is just my preference and experience, YMMV.
What are the chip dip tins?? Extremely ignorant to this lol
 

JOHN72

Lifer
Sep 12, 2020
6,487
62,163
52
Spain - Europe
I have tin tins with plastic lids, some of which are bulging, while others are not bulging but have lost weight, as if the tobacco were dry. The round and square tins are fine for now, although my tobacco is no more than seven years old. I don't see any rust on the outside of them either. Well, the room is always dry and moderately cool, there is no humidity. Another thing is when I decide to open one of these tins and see what I find inside. Those that have lost weight are not bulky, or at least give the impression that the tobacco could be drier. It also depends on the brand, from what I have seen. I would sincerely like the aging limit to be no more than 5 or 6 years, but that is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.
 
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Mez

Might Stick Around
Dec 20, 2024
95
572
30
Ohio
I think I'm going to seal everything up in mylar. Being only 29 and buying a decent amount for the future, can't hurt to guarantee its survival. Thanks for the advice everybody.
 
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