Tobacco Cellaring or Storing

[raf66]

Good morning. I'm trying to build up a modest "cellar" of my fave selections. Anyway, my question is really more of a technique thing I guess. For example, I have several Mason jars filled with blends with stickers on the jars explaining what the blend is, the mfgr of that blend, and the date it was put in the jar. Of course, I want to partake from my inventory every day so do I: (1) buy more tins and smoke from the tins, leaving the tobacco in the jars untouched; (2) smoke from the jars until depleted and then replenish the stock in the jars; or (3) fill the jars up and then buy some extra tins of each blend for "cellaring", and then smoke from the jars and replenish the jars with new tins leaving the cellared tins untouched for aging.
I may not be explaining it very well so I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. What "technique" or "method" do you guys use?
Thanks.

 

[cortezattic]

When I started cellaring, only a couple of years ago, I used large 1 pint (16oz.) jars. For me that was a mistake because I didn't want to open a large jar until it had some decent time on it. I opted to wait, and just bought some more tobacco to smoke in the interim.
Now I use a lot of the smaller ½ pint (8 oz.) jars which, BTW, hold about 4 oz. of tobacco; so I can dip into the cellaring stock a little at a time while the remainder continues to age.
I hasten to add that of the 4 blends that I've cracked open after 2 yrs.:

• Iwan Ries Va. flake
  
  McClelland's 2015 Vaper
  
  2035 Dark Navy Flake
  
  5100 Va. Red Cake

only the 5100 showed significant, "worth-the-wait" improvement. The other stuff was just as good as ever, (maybe a little better), but on balance not worth the trouble/expense. YMMV
Greg Pease says that once an aging jar of tobacco is opened the original aging process stops because air is re-introduced, and that upsets the micro-biotic environment. If you sample it and re-close the jar it will continue to change, but it will go in some other direction.
You may want to check out the Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage, and Cellaring FAQ, as well as Bob Tate's blog on the subject of storage techniques.

 

[jonesing]

I"m just starting to build a surplus.
I usually buy an ounce to try.
Then if I decide it's something I want more of I will usually buy 8 0z or a pound, keep maybe 2-4 ozs out in a regular use container and then seal and store the rest.
I use the little squat 1/2 pint wide mouth mason jars. They hold about 2 ozs. I figure I won't even touch these for awhile. If I want more of that blend in the meanwhile, I'll order more (and some extra to store). Then after a couple years I'll reverse the process and start using the aged stuff and ordering new to replenish it in the cellar.

 

[raf66]

Hey, thanks for the guidance guys. I use the 8 oz. mason jars and they seem to work pretty well at holding at least 2 of the 100g tins of tobaccos such as Frog Morton or Hal O' The Wynd, which are both kind of a ribbon or broken flake blend, while the jars hold more obviously of the flakes such as Irish Flake or the coins such as Escudo.

 

[python]

I agree with Cortez. Use larger jars for what you definitely want to age for awhile and use the smaller jars for what you are going to smoke out of. That way when you buy bulk and jar it up, you are getting the best of both worlds.
Here is my article that I wrote with some of my thoughts on it:
Pipe Tobacco Storage

 

[jcsoldit]

Good article Bob... thank you. I'm just starting to store some away just in case the huge proposed tax increase is passed.

 

[unclearthur]

I am doing the same thing as well as growing my own tobacco this year for the first time.

 

[igloo]

I jar to preserve moisture because it is better than a plastic bag , its baccy not wine .lol

 

[unclearthur]

I "wine" every time I have to dig out the cash to buy more.

 

[raf66]

I think "jarring" or "cellaring" tobacco satisfied two needs: (1) having plenty on hand so as not to have spend money/race to the local B&M every time I want to smoke my favorite blend; and (2) stocking up in case our tobacco-buying freedoms (especially) online are curtailed at some point by the nanny state. I guess I actually have a third reason too. Darn it I just love having plenty of my favorite blends of tobacco laying around calling out to me to come have a sip.
Wow, I have to get a life!

 

[cortezattic]

Phil said

No offence to anyone that might read this,

right now the most “aging” or “cellaring” that my tobacco gets

is from one use to the next

Well Phil, you happen to be in complete agreement with one of the world's tobacco luminaries, Charles Rattray.

He said buy it and smoke it. And there must be something to that because as my post above mentioned,

only 1 blend in 4 showed enough improvement to justify the effort. (It is fun playing with the stuff though

 

[python]

I don't really jar and store tobacco specifically to age. I buy it, jar it, and store it when I have the money so that I can have a large variety of different blends on hand so that I can smoke something different all of the time. I like variety.
On the other hand, I have noticed some blends have gotten better with some age on it.
There are a lot of similarities between tobacco and wine. You can always drink the wine as soon as you buy it or you can put it away in your cellar for later. Tobacco is the same way and you store it pretty much the same way too.
Do whatever is best for you.

 

[highstump]

Well Phil, you happen to be in complete agreement with one of the world's tobacco luminaries, Charles Rattray.

He said buy it and smoke it. And there must be something to that because as my post above mentioned,

only 1 blend in 4 showed enough improvement to justify the effort. (It is fun playing with the stuff though

Charles probably never dreamed of a time when tobacco use would be so restricted. I cellar bulk in large and small jars for reasons already mentioned and when I buy tins, I get one to smoke and one to rat hole away. I cellar to get more age on them and because the cost is never going down.

 

[jonesing]

I agree. While I said I'll keep stuff for a year or 2....that is as long as it works out legally and financially. And I don't beleive my palate is refined enough to no if a blend improves with aging.
Another luminary Greg Pease is clear the he believes most blends (esepcially VAs) improve with age and he develops his blends with this in mind. See his FAQ
But as I said I bet I couldn't tell. The real thing is building a surplus.

 

[sapo59]

I don't know, I'm with Phil I'll just smoke 'em when I want.