Sealed Tin Weight Variation - GLP

[ofafeather]

I just received a large shipment of GL Pease tins (Don’t look at me that way - you know you did, too ?). Since I was buying to bulk up the cellar I bought a bunch of 8oz tins, not what I usually do. As I was unloading and inspecting two of them felt light, compared to the others. Upon further inspection, it turns out that the lighter tins were both Chelsea Morning. My curiosity was piqued so I pulled out the scale. I weighed in grams bc I felt it would be more accurate. The sample size is 14 tins.

Most of the tins came in around 350g, with a little variation upward. One hit 360 but most were between 350-355. None were below 350, with the exception of Chelsea Morning, which, sure enough, came in at 330 each.

Wow, that’s a big difference, and if it’s all tobacco, about 10% (8oz being 226.8g).

If these were 2oz tins I may not have notice any discrepancy. What do you think is the cause? Here are some possibilities that come to mind:

-Miscalibrated scale used for filling
-Accidentally filled to 200g with a tin tare close to 130g
-the 12 other tins were filled on the high side of the tolerance scale.
-Different weight in the packaging materials - tin, lid, label
-moisture loss in the tin (not a good sign in a “sealed” container)

What else am I missing? Anyone have any other weight data of these tins to add to increase our sample size? (Keeping in mind that our scales may not be calibrated the same) Your thoughts appreciated.

 

[alaskanpiper]

42

 

[ofafeather]

42

8oz tins? I also got 2 1lb tins of Westminster.

 

[alaskanpiper]

8oz tins? I also got 2 1lb tins of Westminster.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy[edit]

The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything.
The number 42 is, in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything", calculated by an enormous supercomputer named Deep Thought over a period of 7.5 million years. Unfortunately, no one knows what the question is. Thus, to calculate the Ultimate Question, a special computer the size of a small planet was built from organic components and named "Earth". The Ultimate Question "What do you get when you multiply six by nine"[25] was found by Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect in the second book of the series, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. This appeared first in the radio play and later in the novelization of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The fact that Adams named the episodes of the radio play "fits", the same archaic title for a chapter or section used by Lewis Carroll in The Hunting of the Snark, suggests that Adams was influenced by Carroll's fascination with and frequent use of the number. The fourth book in the series, the novel So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, contains 42 chapters. According to the novel Mostly Harmless, 42 is the street address of Stavromula Beta. In 1994 Adams created the 42 Puzzle, a game based on the number 42.

The book 42: Douglas Adams' Amazingly Accurate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything (2011)[26] examines Adams' choice of the number 42, and contains a compendium of some instances of the number in science, popular culture, and humour.

 

[ofafeather]

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy[edit]

Lol! It’s been a long time and I totally forgot about that!

 

[Mr.Mike]

I want to read this now, I havent found the urge to read anything since finishing the dark tower series (sorry to OP for not being able to contribute)

 

[ofafeather]

I want to read this now, I havent found the urge to read anything since finishing the dark tower series (sorry to OP for not being able to contribute)

No worries. Dark Tower references are always welcome.

 

[Pipelady20]

I just received a large shipment of GL Pease tins (Don’t look at me that way - you know you did, too ?). Since I was buying to bulk up the cellar I bought a bunch of 8oz tins, not what I usually do. As I was unloading and inspecting two of them felt light, compared to the others. Upon further inspection, it turns out that the lighter tins were both Chelsea Morning. My curiosity was piqued so I pulled out the scale. I weighed in grams bc I felt it would be more accurate. The sample size is 14 tins.

Most of the tins came in around 350g, with a little variation upward. One hit 360 but most were between 350-355. None were below 350, with the exception of Chelsea Morning, which, sure enough, came in at 330 each.

Wow, that’s a big difference, and if it’s all tobacco, about 10% (8oz being 226.8g).

If these were 2oz tins I may not have notice any discrepancy. What do you think is the cause? Here are some possibilities that come to mind:

-Miscalibrated scale used for filling
-Accidentally filled to 200g with a tin tare close to 130g
-the 12 other tins were filled on the high side of the tolerance scale.
-Different weight in the packaging materials - tin, lid, label
-moisture loss in the tin (not a good sign in a “sealed” container)

What else am I missing? Anyone have any other weight data of these tins to add to increase our sample size? (Keeping in mind that our scales may not be calibrated the same) Your thoughts appreciated.

Thanks for doing the homework. Now I hope they read this and take more care in their packaging, I'm going to be a bit suspicious now. I also think that's a lot of missed tobacco just paid for.

Edit: I just recently bought 8oz of Quiet Nights and Maltese Falcon, of course I'm not returning them, but I'm not going to be happy if they shorted me and I may think twice before another purchase.

 

[swilford]

-Miscalibrated scale used for filling
-Accidentally filled to 200g with a tin tare close to 130g
-the 12 other tins were filled on the high side of the tolerance scale.
-Different weight in the packaging materials - tin, lid, label
-moisture loss in the tin (not a good sign in a “sealed” container)

What else am I missing? Anyone have any other weight data of these tins to add to increase our sample size? (Keeping in mind that our scales may not be calibrated the same) Your thoughts appreciated.

Most were flakes and plugs other than the Chelsea Morning, right? There's more packaging in the tins with flakes and plugs (paper 'holders') to keep those secure. Assuming your data points other than Chelsea Morning are flakes and plugs, the difference lies there.

Beyond that, yes, there's about a 2% range between 100% of 8oz and 102% of 8oz the tins get filled to, largely to avoid breaking flakes--or whatever--in half.

There's also minor variation in the weight of the packaging materials. If your scale measures in 5g increments, those can look like more than they are.

 

[ofafeather]

Most were flakes and plugs other than the Chelsea Morning, right? There's more packaging in the tins with flakes and plugs (paper 'holders') to keep those secure. Assuming your data points other than Chelsea Morning are flakes and plugs, the difference lies there.

Beyond that, yes, there's about a 2% range between 100% of 8oz and 102% of 8oz the tins get filled to, largely to avoid breaking flakes--or whatever--in half.

There's also minor variation in the weight of the packaging materials. If your scale measures in 5g increments, those can look like more than they are.

Thanks Sykes! I knew there was something I didn’t know and was missing from my equation. This is great info to have. I very much appreciate your awesome, in-depth response.

FYI-My scale is digital and measures in 1g increments.

 

[ofafeather]

Most were flakes and plugs other than the Chelsea Morning, right? There's more packaging in the tins with flakes and plugs (paper 'holders') to keep those secure. Assuming your data points other than Chelsea Morning are flakes and plugs, the difference lies there.

Beyond that, yes, there's about a 2% range between 100% of 8oz and 102% of 8oz the tins get filled to, largely to avoid breaking flakes--or whatever--in half.

There's also minor variation in the weight of the packaging materials. If your scale measures in 5g increments, those can look like more than they are.

And, yes, all the others were flakes so you were right on the money.

 

[BROBS]

Most were flakes and plugs other than the Chelsea Morning, right? There's more packaging in the tins with flakes and plugs (paper 'holders') to keep those secure. Assuming your data points other than Chelsea Morning are flakes and plugs, the difference lies there.

Beyond that, yes, there's about a 2% range between 100% of 8oz and 102% of 8oz the tins get filled to, largely to avoid breaking flakes--or whatever--in half.

There's also minor variation in the weight of the packaging materials. If your scale measures in 5g increments, those can look like more than they are.

Excellent explanation. ?