Storing tobacco in Mason Jars

[ben88]

How tightly it should be packed? Or kept loose?

As an example - I was able to fit a 1lb of PS Luxury Bullseye Flake into 1L jar with a bit of clearance between tobacco and the lid.

Is it too tight? Or I needed 2 1L jars for 1lb of PS English Oriental, would that be a bit too loose?

Thank you

 

[mso489]

I've never packed it down tight, but I'll be interested to hear more expert answers. I think it needs a little air to develop. I notice tinned tobacco is not packed tight.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Great question, one I was about to post myself. My guess is the jar should be filled as close to the top as possible, but no packing beyond how it first arrived.

 

[wilson]

There's plenty of air in there. I pack my mason jars pretty tight.

 

[stephenw]

I have always packed the jars as tightly as possible. I have always heard that the good aging is anaerobic I figure the less oxygen in the jar at the start means the less oxygen that must be gotten rid of by the aerobic aging process. People have said that I am a liar by saying this, but I would pack 4 ounces of 2015 in a 4 ounce mason jar. It was packed very tightly, but after 10 years aging, the tobacco is sublime.

 

[pylorns]

This might help too:

https://medium.com/@pylorns/mason-jars-for-pipe-tobacco-83ae13edc707

 

[tarak]

Brian Levine, our radio shown host, recommends packing tight with as little air as possible.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Makes sense. Wonder if it ever benefits from the very occasional "breathing" that some wines are subjected to. But once sealed in the jar, I wouldn't open till you're ready to smoke it, unless some studies have been done showing it benefits from a shot of oxygen every few years.

 

[danielplainview]

I started a thread a while back on this very subject. There is some great info in the replies.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/yes-another-mason-jar-question

 

[tarak]

I believe opening it had opposite effect- you'd be starting the process over every time.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Thanks, Dave. Did you try the "dashboard technique"?

 

[aldecaker]

Go to a thrift store or antique store; for a couple of dollars you can get an old flat-bottomed potato masher that makes packing jars tightly a pretty easy chore. I need to get a new (old) one myself; due to a dog-related mishap, mine is out of comission and have been using the wooden butt-end of a drywall jab saw. Works, but not as safe as the masher!

 

[sablebrush52]

Pack tight and leave no more than 1/4' airspace at the top, so that the bacteria can to their thing and get the anerobic process happening.

 

[peteguy]

I find it better to use smaller jars so that when it comes time to open one you have a more manageable amount. I rotate a lot of blends though so ymmv.

 

[drezz01]

Posthuman Piper on Youtube has a great series on cellaring. Video #2 talks about containers, including mason jars, and the aerobic and anaerobic processes of aging tobacco.

 

[ember]

I like small jars as well

 

[jkrug]

I too am a fan of using the smaller jars. I usually don't put more than 2 ounces at a time in a jar unless there is just a little bit left over then in the jar it goes. ::

 

[danielplainview]

I mostly use half pint masons and they're perfect for 2oz.
And Steve is right, you can fit 1/4 pound into a half pint. I jarred up many 8oz. portions into 2 half pints.
(Still haven't tried the dashboard tin experiment yet)

 

[maxx]

What about crumble cake formed tobacco? Do you break it down or what? Many of the C&D blends I've been smoking are in that form.

 

[aldecaker]

@Maxx-Classic Burley Kake is the only exception to my "pack it as tight as you can" rule. To avoid ruining the beautiful texture of that stuff, I pack it slightly firm, but not hard enough to crush it. I am convinced that the texture helps make it smoke as well as it does, so I try to preserve that.