Recommended Baccy Jar Capacities ....

[aussielass]

Sorry guys this is a curly one that I hope you can work out for me. I can only get 50gm baggies of loose blends from within Oz.
I am about to buy some of those Italian or French glass jars that have the wire frames around the lids and the rubber gasket that forms an airtight seal - that will have to do for cellaring ... if & when you can get Mason jars out here they're simply unaffordable.
So, my question is, for a normal standard OTC type baccy pouch both in USA & here, 'coz they're both the same weight of 50gms of baccy. Now, the jars come in sizes of 125ml, 380ml, 500ml or 700ml (see here: http://www.petersofkensington.com.au/Public/catalog/searchresults.aspx?search=STORAGE+JAR&_view=80&s=plh )
My problem is that I have no idea what size to order - is the baccy packed in loosely, or do you really compact it down, is it a problem if half the jar is filled with air - how many ml's are the mason jars you would use to store a standard pouch in? Will the equivalent size in a jar that I can't vacuum seal using the methods you do work in the same superb fashion if it has air remaining?
Cheers Di

 

[olderthandirt]

I use 1/2 pint and pint Mason brand canning jars.

2oz of tobacco in the 1/2 pint, 4oz in the pint jars.
This varies a little between blends, but the main variation is in cut.

Where 2oz of a ribbon cut fits nicely in a 1/2 pint jar, that same jar will hold upwards of 4oz or more of flake.

 

[spyder71]

HI Aussie, Maybe this will help. I use standard 12oz Ball/Mason for cellering. These hold about 4oz's of baccy. I cant quite read the ML's so I had to give you our units of measurement. But I bet they are the 380ml equivalent.

Oh, I should have added that I warm the jars in simmering water so that when they cool they create a vacuum. Seems to work well cuz my little "poppers" on the lids are always down tight. I keep my jars in my desk and sometimes they "pop" in there to let me know are sealed now.

 

[yohanan]

I use a 8oz jar for 50gms, 16oz or for 4oz of tobacco and 32oz jar for 8oz of tobacco, I might have to pack it slightly to jar it up. ::

 

[winton]

It kinda depends on how long you plan to store the tobacco. If your goal is to let it age for several years, you might want to fill it up loosly about 3/4 high. If you plan to smoke it all within the near future, you can press it in tight. Tobacco is usually not very fragile.
Just checked my stash. The box of jars says a pint is about 500 ml. This can easily hold 2 oz of tobacco or more, depending on how tight you pack.
Also be aware that the rubber gaskets will pick up the scent of the contents and share the scent with the next contents. I am using a lid from a jar that held apple butter to try to give some tobacco more cinnamon flavor.
Winton
online conversion says 1 pint is 550ml.

 

[spyder71]

Also be aware that the rubber gaskets will pick up the scent of the contents and share the scent with the next contents. I am using a lid from a jar that held apple butter to try to give some tobacco more cinnamon flavor.

Interesting. I think I will use a Proper English lid on my PA and see if I can spice up a couple oz's!

 

[winton]

Don't store tobacco in an old pickle jar.

 

[olderthandirt]

online conversion says 1 pint is 550ml.

Careful with those conversions winton, they can trip ya up.

The canning jars are a liquid pint, not dry. A liquid pint is 473ml, a dry pint is 550ml. Not much but it is a difference all the same.
No, I have never been accused of being anal, (-:

 

[jship079]

the "proper" way would be to pack that crap in as tight as you can get it (there is a video on this I think from russ of P&C somewhere)that being said I have had tobacco of less than a ounce in pint mason jars for a year and they were fine. So my recommendation would be don't sweat it get what you will be smoking and through it in the jar.

 

[chopz]

use WIDE mouth jars.

 

[winton]

Use a canning funnel, to avoid spilling. Also don't use one that is also used for making jelly. That would have a bad effect on the jelly.

 

[pipeinhand]

I jar everything, as soon as it comes no matter what is came in,: yes I have a lot of empty tins. Here is the thing, baccy is sold by weight, not volume. So a wet baccy will fit in a smaller jar but a tin of drier will not. So I have settled on 1 pint jars for just about everything. It doesn't seem to matter how much space is left in the jar, it all smokes the same to me. It also serves my AR'ness as they are all the same size. I have bigger, but not a lot.

 

[schmitzbitz]

Aussie; to answer your question without a bunch of diatribe on conversions...I buy 250ml Mason Jars for 50g of tobacco, 500ml Mason Jars for 100g. You should be able to make do with the 380ml you have available, but as people have stated, are they wide mouth? These make life so much easier.

 

[aussielass]

Oh lordy, it's 4.19am and I can't even read the answers through my bleary old eyes. Thank you so much for your help guys, I'll come back to it as soon as I wake up - except all those oz. got my head spinning, I'm not good with numbers, especially imperial ones, although I still do feet & inches.

 

[marmal4de]

A liquid pint is 473ml, a dry pint is 550ml.

Wow, Imperial measurements are so complicated, I love the metric system.

 

[olderthandirt]

without a bunch of diatribe on conversions

What diatribe schmitz? lol, Smileys were used (-:
Your response to the OP is certainly more succinct and to the point, no doubt.

 

[philip]

When storing tobacco in jars, it is essential to keep some basic facts in mind.
First, one peck equals 1/4 bushel. Be careful not to confuse this with a dekaliter which is equal to 0.28 U.S. bushels. Then of course one furlong equals 40 rods which equals 220 yards. Then it's a simple matter to convert to the metric system because one yard is equal to 91.44 centimeters. Easy!
Then, if you buy your tobacco by the ounce don't forget that one ounce is the same as 0.028 349 523 125 kilograms.
So far no problems. Now it gets a little complicated, but just remember the basics! We all know that one cubic centimeter equals 0.270 512 181 62 drams and one dram equals 0.026 021 068 27 gills [UK].
Now comes the critial step which many 2nd rate tobacconists tend to overlook for no good reason. It is essential to convert to from British to US measurements. One gill [UK] equals 1.200 949 925 5 gills [US].
The rest is easy, as 4.654 588 775 4 gills [US] is exactly equal to one pint [US, dry]. And one pint jars are available just about anywhere.
Finaally, put the tobacco into the jars, and when the jars are full, put the lids on them.
Oh, and by the way, if you have a hogshead of beer. That's the same as three kilderkins or two firkins. (At least I think so. I've always been a little fuzzy on my firkins. )

 

[pipeinhand]

LOL, I think I went to sleep, or my brain seized.

 

[rd02sir]

My 500ml wide mouth mason jar can hold 3-3.5 ounces max.

 

[revs]

They will be fine Lass. The wire bail lids you are referring to will work wonders. Heat them up in some hot water then dry them out and pack them with baccy before they cool down and shut em tight. When they cool down, the cooling air will create a tighter seal almost like vacuum packing.