Sealed Tins or Mason Jars for Aging/Cellaring?

[Chalaw87]

Is it better to age and/or cellar tobacco in their original sealed tins or to put the tobacco into a mason jar for aging and/or cellaring?

From what I understand part of the aging process/mellowing of flavors when aging tobacco is to the consumption/lack of oxygen within the container. I would assume then that opening a sealed tin would reintroduce oxygen and disrupt the aging process. However Ive heard people suggest immediately opening tins and storing the tobacco in a mason jar. I would love to get some opinions on the matter, and as always appreciate the feedback.

 

[SBC]

The general consensus is that round tins are pretty safe, square tins may not hold a trustworthy seal, and you can never go wrong putting everything immediately into mason jars.

 

[monty55]

^^^ I agree. If you have a good round sealed tin, leave it alone. I even have a lot of square tins, but I bought them new, and they have been in a climate controlled environment so I know they've been safe. But, if in doubt, dump it out into a mason jar.

 

[Peter Turbo]

The only reason I have anything in tins still at all is to save space, if I had the room everything would be in its own jar.

 

[That Guy]

Round C&D style tins are left untouched till I'm ready to smoke.

Round Peterson style tins have never failed me so they stay untouched.

Square tins are smell checked monthly to see if they have failed.

Bulk blends get jarred right away.

Paint can style tins so far have been reliable.

I've probley had around 8 Gawith square tins arrive with the seal already broken so I pay special attention to them.

 

[monty55]

Once you open a sealed tin you will go from aging using microbes that live a anaerobic environment, to microbes that live in a aerobic environment. Different microbes different aging process. It's been argued that the "aging" process as we know it pretty much stops once you reintroduce oxygen into the environment and simply preserves the aged state that the tobacco is in at the point the tin was opened.

 

[john19]

If you open the tin, how long tobacco can it last? 2-3 months;

 

[FLDRD]

If you open the tin, how long tobacco can it last? 2-3 months;

That will vary based primarily on your humidity environment; and on what you think is the "right" moisture level for your smoking style.

Do you like it best right out of the tin? It will change a lot in 2-3 months. Many find they like the tin contents better after 1-2 weeks.

Is it a heavily flavored aromatic? Might last quite a bit longer.

Is it a codger blend like Carter Hall or similar? It will still be fine for your offspring to use...

 

[cosmicfolklore]

If you open the tin, how long tobacco can it last? 2-3 months;

I have had opened tins last for longer than a year, while retaining all flavor. Maybe it is just environmental conditions, but honestly, I think that most anxiety about opened tobaccos going stale is just manic. Maybe if you live in the desert, but I have yet to have tobacco go stale here. There is a vast difference between a tobacco drying out and it going stale.

 

[kcghost]

I haven't put any tins in jars. Yes, I think it has cost me two or three tins over thirty years. When you reach the time when you want to sell a large part of your cellar, you'll get top dollar for tins not so much for jars.

 

[SBC]

I haven't put any tins in jars. Yes, I think it has cost me two or three tins over thirty years. When you reach the time when you want to sell a large part of your cellar, you'll get top dollar for tins not so much for jars.

FWIW, this is a fair point. If you want to maintain the option of someday selling off some of your cellar, you'll want to keep unopened tins.

 

[cigrmaster]

I have every shaped tin and not a one has ever lost it's seal. I have never taken a new tin and then jarred it. I age my tobacco in their tins as I find the flavors are great.

I normally have 20-25 tins open at the same time as I like variety. I keep my tins fresh by storing them in some tupperware type containers I bought at walmart for 6 bucks. They came in a 4 pack of different sizes. Here in this picture the opaque plastic tubs with the white tops is what I am referring to. They will stay fresh for a couple years normally, but I just found an old 2012 Peterson University flake at the bottom of one of these things and 10 years later it still had some moisture. I think that one was a fluke.
Here is a pic.

 

[sablebrush52]

I have every shaped tin and not a one has ever lost it's seal. I have never taken a new tin and then jarred it. I age my tobacco in their tins as I find the flavors are great.

I normally have 20-25 tins open at the same time as I like variety. I keep my tins fresh by storing them in some tupperware type containers I bought at walmart for 6 bucks. They came in a 4 pack of different sizes. Here in this picture the opaque plastic tubs with the white tops is what I am referring to. They will stay fresh for a couple years normally, but I just found an old 2012 Peterson University flake at the bottom of one of these things and 10 years later it still had some moisture. I think that one was a fluke.
Here is a pic.

Belt and suspenders approach.

 

[cigrmaster]

Belt and suspenders approach.

lol, I have never owned a pair of suspenders, belts only.

 

[sablebrush52]

Is it better to age and/or cellar tobacco in their original sealed tins or to put the tobacco into a mason jar for aging and/or cellaring?

From what I understand part of the aging process/mellowing of flavors when aging tobacco is to the consumption/lack of oxygen within the container. I would assume then that opening a sealed tin would reintroduce oxygen and disrupt the aging process. However Ive heard people suggest immediately opening tins and storing the tobacco in a mason jar. I would love to get some opinions on the matter, and as always appreciate the feedback.

It all depends on how long you want to age tobacco, and what kind of tin they're in.
If you're thinking of 10 years or more, think jars or food grade .7 mil Mylar heat sealed bags. Less than that, most tins will hold up, though the square and rectangular tins are more susceptible to seal failure than canister, or round tins.
Greg Pease was a major proponent for keeping blends in the tin, but changed his mind several years ago after finding "disappointing failures" in his cellar, and he's been cellaring since the 1980's. He now advocates tansferring to jars for aging.
C&D tins from the early 2000's of a number of Pease' blends, failed by rotting out from the inside. I've published images of this on this forum. McClelland, who used much higher food grade tins for their product are now showing problems with their 1990's tins.
I've experience a number on tin failures from tins older than a decade, including one canister Rattray's tin from 1996, that failed along the scoring line for the pop top.
Anything I want to keep for long term goes into jars or Mylar, and shorter term stuff can remain in tins.

Also, I wouldn't worry to much about the "aging interruption". Once transferred the process starts up again. And aging isn't a guarantee of anything in terms of whether or not the tobacco will taste better. That's a myth. Tobaccos change during aging, more of less, and whether that change is an improvement is up to the individual smoker to decide, not the hive mind.

 

[coys]

I have every shaped tin and not a one has ever lost it's seal. I have never taken a new tin and then jarred it. I age my tobacco in their tins as I find the flavors are great.

I normally have 20-25 tins open at the same time as I like variety. I keep my tins fresh by storing them in some tupperware type containers I bought at walmart for 6 bucks. They came in a 4 pack of different sizes. Here in this picture the opaque plastic tubs with the white tops is what I am referring to. They will stay fresh for a couple years normally, but I just found an old 2012 Peterson University flake at the bottom of one of these things and 10 years later it still had some moisture. I think that one was a fluke.
Here is a pic.

You’ve given me an idea - I can buy those large jars and put tins inside of jars.

 

[Chalaw87]

It all depends on how long you want to age tobacco, and what kind of tin they're in.
If you're thinking of 10 years or more, think jars or food grade .7 mil Mylar heat sealed bags. Less than that, most tins will hold up, though the square and rectangular tins are more susceptible to seal failure than canister, or round tins.
Greg Pease was a major proponent for keeping blends in the tin, but changed his mind several years ago after finding "disappointing failures" in his cellar, and he's been cellaring since the 1980's. He now advocates tansferring to jars for aging.
C&D tins from the early 2000's of a number of Pease' blends, failed by rotting out from the inside. I've published images of this on this forum. McClelland, who used much higher food grade tins for their product are now showing problems with their 1990's tins.
I've experience a number on tin failures from tins older than a decade, including one canister Rattray's tin from 1996, that failed along the scoring line for the pop top.
Anything I want to keep for long term goes into jars or Mylar, and shorter term stuff can remain in tins.

Also, I wouldn't worry to much about the "aging interruption". Once transferred the process starts up again. And aging isn't a guarantee of anything in terms of whether or not the tobacco will taste better. That's a myth. Tobaccos change during aging, more of less, and whether that change is an improvement is up to the individual smoker to decide, not the hive mind.

Great advice and insights, thank you.

 

[captpat]

I have good luck with using the original tins, recently had a 12 yo FVF that was just fine in a rectangular tin. Paint style tins seem to do okay though I wouldn't push them on age. Bulks are packaged in mylar bags, I've switched to that from mason jars.

This question, and variations of it seem to recur every month or so -- perhaps a sticky is in order?

 

[Chalaw87]

I have good luck with using the original tins, recently had a 12 yo FVF that was just fine in a rectangular tin. Paint style tins seem to do okay though I wouldn't push them on age. Bulks are packaged in mylar bags, I've switched to that from mason jars.

This question, and variations of it seem to recur every month or so -- perhaps a sticky is in order?

Why have you switched from mason jars to mylar?

 

[crashthegrey]

I have had opened tins last for longer than a year, while retaining all flavor. Maybe it is just environmental conditions, but honestly, I think that most anxiety about opened tobaccos going stale is just manic. Maybe if you live in the desert, but I have yet to have tobacco go stale here. There is a vast difference between a tobacco drying out and it going stale.

I have found tins that I thought were empty or lost randomly well over a year later. They have tasted just fine, if not better in some cases.