Tobacco in ziploc bags

[sailortodd]

I did a cursory search for the answer and couldn't find anything definitive regarding the subject: what is bad about storing pipe tobacco in a ziploc bag if that's how it came? I see in plenty of places that the widely accepted method of storing pipe tobacco is in a sealed glass jar, naming the reason as not wanting the tobacco to dry out over time. For my tin tobacco this has been the go-to method for storing tobacco, but I have a couple of blends I've picked up that are put in a ziploc bag, and given a lack of available suitable vessels, these tobaccos have remained there. Is there anything wrong with that, and if so, specifically what?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Downside: Many, perhaps most, plastic bags in which tobacco comes, are insubstantial. Thin walls, poor locking seal. One solution is to double or triple bag it, leaving a minimum of air in all pouches.
Upside: Convenient, cheap, easy to transport, several smaller pouches can be inside larger bags. I've stored some tobaccos over six months this way, very little loss of moisture. OTOH, if you are cellaring for a year or more, jars with tight seals are the ticket.

 

[darwin]

A far superior method is to use 5mm metallized Mylar zip closure bags. These are opaque and completely gas and moisture tight if properly heat sealed. Quart and gallon sizes are the most useful. I judge this method equal to the mason jar for both long term storage and ageing.

 

[sailortodd]

Part of why I ask, I have a couple of blends I got a few years ago, kept in the plastic bag (more out of neglect than a conscious decision on my part). Those tobaccos are as moist as the day I got them and at least apparently to me have lost none of their aromatic appeal. There was no detriment caused to the tobacco in this case rendering it unsmokable?

 

[judcole]

Those tobaccos are as moist as the day I got them and at least apparently to me have lost none of their aromatic appeal

If they are, it's because they are loaded with chemicals to keep them that way. I'll use zip lock as temporary storage, but not for anything else.

 

[alexnc]

I'm in the same boat. I've used double zip freezer bags and double bagged with great results - some have been stored 6 months and smoke great. If I know they're going to be stored for months I'll also put the bags in locking canisters. Multiple bags in each. Just pulled some Beacon Extra that's been double bagged for 3 months or so / no canister and it needed a little dry time.

 

[mikestanley]

Tobacco with a lot of flavoring and humectant can sit in zip lock bags for a couple of years and not dry out noticeably. Most bulk blends can surely do likewise for six months or so. The more you open the bag the quicker it will become dry. Zip locks aren't reliable for long term storage/aging. For me, long term starts at 3 years and runs to 25.

I have a 2 oz bag of something similar to Rum&Maple I bought at a local B&M to be polite. It's been in my cellar for about 2 years unmolested. I'll bet it is as wet and sticky as the day it was bagged.

Mike S.

 

[jefff]

If you can smell the tobacco through the bag , even a well sealed bag, that means the material is porous enough to let air in.
Water molecules are larger than air.

 

[mso489]

Plastic bags with zip closures, whatever brand, mostly get cloudy after a point, which denotes degradation, which means the plastic could be residual in the tobacco, which is not a good thing. I have to admit, I've had tobacco in plastic bags for years (small quantities, by neglect), and though the tobacco was pretty dry, it smoked fine in terms of taste. A Tinder Box bag or two showed no cloudiness. I'm not recommending this, but merely observing. With many small samples, I admit I sometimes put the plastic bags inside the jars, to avoid having a wall of jars, although if I have any quantity at all, I transfer them to jars. Some jars are better than others, so I select based on the quantity I have to store.
After tobacco dries out noticeably, I find there is a long period when it remains smokeable and pretty good, depending on the blend.

 

[jamesrsmithjr]

I have, by neglect and forgetfulness, left non aro bulk in the plastic bags they came in, in an airtight cooler (that I forgot about). After 5+ years the tobacco is as moist as day one. My issue is what will the degrading plastic do to the tobacco over time? Seems 5 years has had no effect.

 

[shutterbugg]

I don't think you have to worry about plastic degrading in 5 years, or even in your lifetime. From what I've read the plastic stuff in landfills will probably outlast humanity.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Can anyone who uses Mylar bags post a link to an example of a brand that's suitable?

 

[pipesmokingtom]

...and I presume a gallon bag would fit a pound no problem?

 

[darwin]

Here's a link to the bags I use. A pound of bulk will indeed fit into a gallon size and four ounces in a quart. They won't hold many tins though. The heavy duty zip closure with keep things stable for many months but they can be heat sealed with a hot iron for long term storage and aging. Home freezer bag heat sealers are not hot enough to seal the thick mylar properly.
https://mylarpro.com/product-category/mylarpro-extreme-bags/

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Thanks very much. Didn't mean to jack the thread - my apologies. 50c each seems really reasonable. You just discard the oxygen things?

 

[darwin]

Yeah unless you have some other pressing need for the things just pitch 'em.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Awesome. Starting to cellar bulk stuff and this is how I will manage it. Cheers.

 

[ericusrex]

If your ziplocs are in a very humid environment it will take a lot longer to dry out. Here in New England, winter dries out the contents of a ziploc in about 3 weeks.

 

[sailortodd]

I have been fortunate that my tobaccos in plastic bags have not dried out. The concern about toxins leaking into my tobacco from the bags is a concern of mine, and I see it was mentioned only briefly, but not a concern that will make me toss my couple year old tobacco that still smokes great. If all goes well I will be picking up jars to transition my tobacco to within a day or two anyway.

 

[jpmcwjr]

If your ziplocs are in a very humid environment it will take a lot longer to dry out. Here in New England, winter dries out the contents of a ziploc in about 3 weeks.

Not if you use better bags than is typical from tobacco sellers, and double up on 'em.