So I was admiring my collection of tobacco filled mason jars the other day and got thinking "I wonder if these are sealed 100%, and if they are, will the rubber seal eventually degrade and become no longer viable? I do not bother vacuum sealing or heating jars or anything of the sort. I just fill with Flakes and screw the ring on with a firm grip. Guess really only time will tell. What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you trust them for the long haul?
The Reliability of Mason Jars for Long Term Aging/Storage
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I do. I've toby that I jarred two years ago and it's kept very well even though I open the tins every now and then, either to take some for my pipe or to check on it or just to smell it.
The seals could fail but they are the single best option available. Odds are the seals will outlive us all however. Hell, the universe could fail. Nothing is 100% guaranteed, and that’s a guarantee.
I have several jars approaching the twenty year mark. Nary a problem.
I trust them. My first big batch of tobacco that I jarred was 3lb of Dunhill EMP in 2003. I still have several jars from that batch and none have failed yet.
I've got a wire-bail jar that's approaching 20 years, and a regular mason jar that's 10 years and counting. Both are doing just fine.
If you are wondering if the jars are sealed, then take the ring off and check to see if the lid comes off easily, or turn it upside down and shake it. If the tobacco comes out, it never set.
The brass ring that holds the lid on, is designed to merely hold it in place. No matter how tightly you crank it down, it will not make the jar lid tighter. So, if the tobacco doesn't use up the oxygen and seal the lid, it's never going to seal.
The ring is designed to merely hold the lid in place while under the mild pressure of a pressure cooker, which allows the air to escape easily. In instances of canning green beans accidentally under too much pressure, I have had all of the beans in a jar shoot out from under the lid and ring, leaving the beans floating in the cooker with the jars empty but the rings and lids undisturbed. It was like a weird magic trick.
That said, if a tiny bit of tobacco comes between the jar and lid, or the lid just never sets, or the tobacco just never starts eating up the oxygen as it ages, the lid will not set. Also, extreme fluctuations in temperature or pressure will unset a lid also.
I take the rings off of mine after they set, to make sure the lids all stay set. I can easily check by turning the jar upside down and shaking them.
Once sealed, the lids should stay sealed. I have never heard of a seal failing because of age.
The brass ring that holds the lid on, is designed to merely hold it in place. No matter how tightly you crank it down, it will not make the jar lid tighter. So, if the tobacco doesn't use up the oxygen and seal the lid, it's never going to seal.
The ring is designed to merely hold the lid in place while under the mild pressure of a pressure cooker, which allows the air to escape easily. In instances of canning green beans accidentally under too much pressure, I have had all of the beans in a jar shoot out from under the lid and ring, leaving the beans floating in the cooker with the jars empty but the rings and lids undisturbed. It was like a weird magic trick.
That said, if a tiny bit of tobacco comes between the jar and lid, or the lid just never sets, or the tobacco just never starts eating up the oxygen as it ages, the lid will not set. Also, extreme fluctuations in temperature or pressure will unset a lid also.
I take the rings off of mine after they set, to make sure the lids all stay set. I can easily check by turning the jar upside down and shaking them.
Once sealed, the lids should stay sealed. I have never heard of a seal failing because of age.
I jar my stuff upstairs and then bring it down to my cellar.. when I pop the lid of the bale top jars (only ones made in Italy with real rubber seals) they are actually hard to pop like on a new tin because they have sealed down.
I think going from normal (warm) when jarred to cool temps helps.
I think going from normal (warm) when jarred to cool temps helps.
I have problems with my bale top jars. I use them to short& long term store them. Some hold their seals well, but others start to loosen up. I think it is due to the constant opening and closing of the lids, the metal starts to wear and tear or bend and thus losing its sealing power. I have gotten a few blends that went completely dry because of this.
So I bought 12 8oz ball jars to try them out.
So I bought 12 8oz ball jars to try them out.
I have the medium Ikea jars. These held/hold their seals well.
And I have the small Fido (made in Italy) and these don't hold their seals as well as the Ikea.
And both have thick white rubber rings.
I have had zero problems with the Fido jars. Interesting.
is it warm where you store your tobacco?
Canning jars last. I am smoking out of some I jarred over 17 years ago.
As with all things pipe, patience is the key.
As with all things pipe, patience is the key.
So the tobacco pulls in a seal as it ages? I always thought aging tobacco created outward pressure which is why tins start to bulge after a long time.
Are you guys heating up the lids so that they stick, or are you just screwing the lids on like anything else?
Nah man, I store them mainly in my closet or in my desk drawer. nowhere near a heat source.
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