Question About Flake Storage
- Thread starter irishearl
- Start date
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A pound? I would jar it (at least most of it) regardless. If you really only smoke it a few times per week, a pound is going to last you far longer than 4-5 months.
It sounds to me like you are not wanting to jar this if you can help it. If that is correct, then don't. It is a flake, which will dry more slowly anyways. And, unless you are in an arid environment, 5 months in a ziplock is nothing. You may even find that in that last month you enjoy the flakes much more than you did in the earlier months.
But, if you are a worrier, have access to tons of jars, space isn't a problem, and you just love folding large flakes into a jar, then go ahead and jar them. I hope that helps.
I agree that for flake, five months in a ziplock is fine. OP says that he's only smoking a few bowls per week, and has a pound. That means he's going to be storing in ziplocks for a lot longer than five months I would think. I would jar at least half of it, but maybe ziplocks are okay for even longer term given the moisture held in flakes.
Or maybe double bag it in the heavier freezer bags
Vacuum sealer. That's what I did with my pound of Newminster 400 (flake) after stuffing some in a half pint jar to access for smoking.
The other option if you don't want to jar it all is to get some zip top Mylar bags (or a large one) and put it in there. Remove as much air as possible when sealing it and throw in an oxygen absorber packet. Do the math on how many are needed given the volume of the bag and how much O2 you want to remain to allow the tobacco to age a bit...
While I'll probably only smoke it a few times each week, it will amount to multiple bowls each time. A pound which I smoke 3-4 times per day typically last me 6-8 weeks. So, that's why I'm guessing the pound of flake would last 4-5 months. Sounds like a zip lock may work out for that, though.
If you don't like jars, buy a few zip lock style mylar bags to store it in. In most environments, a pound should last quite awhile in a regular zip lock but why chance it? Mylar bags are cheap.
Would you recommend heat sealing mylar bags? Just wondering how well the zip lock works longer storage.
Yes, for long term storage, absolutely. I'm simply saying the mylar bag with the zip lock will be a better short term storage solution than a regular zip lock. I hear seal all my mylar bags for long term storage but I have also found the zip lock mylar bags work quite well for short term storage just relying on the zip lock.
Ah, okay -- I thought you meant 3-4 _bowls_ a week. Yeah those sturdier zip lock freezer bags should do fine for that.
I would glass jar it as I hate baggies and I especially dislike the taste of plastic bags that go along with plastic. You might lose your taste for that tobacco and might want to smoke something different.
Flake (as well as coin, rope, and plug cuts) smoke longer than loose tobacco because of the slightly thicker pieces and the moisture retained, I guess. So smoking a pound of flake will take longer than a pound of loose tobacco. I learned this smoking flake in a mini-MM-cob during the intermission of a bluegrass concert. I didn't finish anywhere near the bowl by the end of the intermission, so I carried it home and smoked it up later.
