Tobacco Storage Cross Contamination

[Jebi]

I have a container that I was keeping a local blend in. Since I travel a bunch I pick up house blends all over the States. I want to transfer one of these travel blends into that container for longer storage as I work my way to them.

I am worried that if I don't decontaminate the container from the aroma of the local blend that it would leech into the travel blend. To clean the container before I stored any tobacco in it I soaked it with dawn for 24 hours then let it dry over a weekend. Seems excessive and I am too lazy to do that every time I want to change out tobaccos after smoking through one blend.

Last bit of information, this is not a perique or Latakia or cherry aromatic. Local blend is a Virginia with a ton of stuff mixed in. Travel blend is a form of Virginia as well.

Any experience in this? How worried should I be?

 

[sablebrush52]

Transfer your blends to metallized Mylar storage bags for long term storage without cross contamination.

 

[Lumbridge]

What type of container? You can clean glass jars out with dish soap if you want. My preference would be one without fragrances. Other options are vinegar or alcohol; just rinse with water after.

Glass mason jars are easy to deodorize with a good cleaning. It's the lids that hold smells for all eternity.

 

[Lumbridge]

Transfer your blends to metallized Mylar storage bags for long term storage without cross contamination.

Mylar is great. I would add that the bags should be heat sealed, not just zipped up if they're the zipper type.

 

[captpat]

To clean the container before I stored any tobacco in it I soaked it with dawn for 24 hours then let it dry over a weekend.

This is what I do for containers I am re-using. Most often these days it's a bail jar that I use over and over again for blends that were stored in a now-opened mylar bag. Mason jars and their lids can simply be run through a dishwasher cycle, I don't do that with bail jars as the dishwasher soap is pretty harsh on the aluminum bail components.

 

[The Novice Piper]

I also collect house blends from around the country.

Do you have White Stag from Stag Tobacconist in Scottsdale AZ, by chance?

I made the mistake of packing a ziploc baggie of Ennerdale in the same suitcase pocket as a baggie of Prince Albert for just two days, and the Albert was ghosted with Ennerdale. Moved the Albert to a jar and it remained ghosted until I consumed it half a week later; the jar itself was then ghosted until a thorough washing. And yet, Ennerdale hasn't ghosted a single pipe. Weird.

 

[Jebi]

I also collect house blends from around the country.

Do you have White Stag from Stag Tobacconist in Scottsdale AZ, by chance?

I made the mistake of packing a ziploc baggie of Ennerdale in the same suitcase pocket as a baggie of Prince Albert for just two days, and the Albert was ghosted with Ennerdale. Moved the Albert to a jar and it remained ghosted until I consumed it half a week later; the jar itself was then ghosted until a thorough washing. And yet, Ennerdale hasn't ghosted a single pipe. Weird.

I have not made it out to AZ yet, but will make sure to stop by here if so. I normally have to try and find pipe shops after I land.

Going to Seattle in September so I am going to see if there is a pipe club meet up happening at the same time and then just stop by some suggestions. Do you have any suggestions up that way?

 

[Jebi]

What type of container? You can clean glass jars out with dish soap if you want. My preference would be one without fragrances. Other options are vinegar or alcohol; just rinse with water after.

Glass mason jars are easy to deodorize with a good cleaning. It's the lids that hold smells for all eternity.

Well that is embarrassing that I forgot to include that haha. It's glass jars, but not mason. They were sealed with tiny alcohol cakes from a fair but they are perfect for 1 ounce of tobacco. I will focus on the cap and see if I can get by with a quick rinse. Thanks!

 

[Jebi]

Transfer your blends to metallized Mylar storage bags for long term storage without cross contamination.

I have never heard of these, but to google we go! Thanks for the suggestion

 

[The Novice Piper]

I have not made it out to AZ yet, but will make sure to stop by here if so. I normally have to try and find pipe shops after I land.

Going to Seattle in September so I am going to see if there is a pipe club meet up happening at the same time and then just stop by some suggestions. Do you have any suggestions up that way?

I haven't been to Seattle, so no suggestions there... Although I have heard about a pipe club up that way with some amazing blends, lol!

 

[kcghost]

Jebi you are spending way too much time worrying about things. Just do as @sablebrush52 says and quit worrying about so much about worry about things.

 

[Lumbridge]

Well that is embarrassing that I forgot to include that haha. It's glass jars, but not mason. They were sealed with tiny alcohol cakes from a fair but they are perfect for 1 ounce of tobacco. I will focus on the cap and see if I can get by with a quick rinse. Thanks!

No problem, and you should be fine if they just contained cakes. You don't want to reuse a lid that has been used with something like garlicky pasta sauce or pickles because it can and will make your tobacco taste like the former contents. Ask me how I know...

Anyway, mason jars are fairly cheap and it might be a good idea to pick some up.

 

[ThermionicScott]

You can buy packs of new lids pretty cheap, too.

 

[Jebi]

No problem, and you should be fine if they just contained cakes. You don't want to reuse a lid that has been used with something like garlicky pasta sauce or pickles because it can and will make your tobacco taste like the former contents. Ask me how I know...

Anyway, mason jars are fairly cheap and it might be a good idea to pick some up.

The cakes were alcohol cakes (like basically just soaked in alcohol) that my wife wanted, however, those cleaned very well which is what I used to store originally (when I was describing the soak method above). I was thinking of buying more but honestly I really just need to be able to swap between tobaccos as I generally stick to one brand currently as I have more aromatics than anything which of course don't age so I just smoke straight through them.

Thanks for the heads up on the foods to avoid haha, will keep that in the mind in the future.

 

[Jebi]

Jebi you are spending way too much time worrying about things. Just do as @sablebrush52 says and quit worrying about so much about worry about things.

I don't see why this response was really necessary. I am a curious person and was curious to ask those of you with more experience in this instead of just trial and error. Trial and error is fine if I could just get more of this tobacco but they are house blends from around the country so I will worry and ask for guidance.
What they suggested seemed like a good fit and I already ordered some. Thanks.

 

[Jebi]

I haven't been to Seattle, so no suggestions there... Although I have heard about a pipe club up that way with some amazing blends, lol!

Yeah they have more than a couple options and in different ways too (like their plum pudding one you can get barrel aged, special reserve, etc..). Though they are available online so I am going to go where they meet up at and ask for some of the house blends there instead.

I will let you know if I find any gold lol

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I have never heard of these, but to google we go! Thanks for the suggestion

7 mil bags from Pleasant Valley on Amazon. I probably have more than 50 lbs in these for long term aging and storage.