I have a one pound bag of HH Old Dark Fired on its way, my question is, what's the best way to store this for long term? I will fill a jar for smokin now, but want the rest to have a nice resting place that will keep the baccy good. Mason jars? Do I stomp them tight? Vacuum seal the jars? Vacuum sealed baggies? Loose in a mason jar and no vacuum? Help me out, what's the best way to preserve it. All I have used up to now is tins and once opened, I jar the balance of my first smoke. Thanks in advance for your help.
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Pound bag
- Thread starter Griz
- Start date
Mason jars will hold a seal for years.
A few things here Griz from experience. Make sure to wash the jars and lids prior to use. I like to use pint jars for the majority. I don't use larger because once you open a jar to smoke out of the aging stops. So with a pound of flake I would use two jam jars and the rest in pints. Label the pints with name and date. The jam jars are for immediate smoking. Make absolutely sure the rim of the jar is wiped clean with your fingers so no little specks of tobacco are on there. If they are they will interfere with the seal. Heat up the glass portion of pint jars in the microwave for 45 seconds and them place the flake inside the jar. Put the lid on and press firmly. Place on the ring and tighten. Make sure it has seated by pushing on the old and it shouldn't make a popping sound.
I never heard of heating the jars like that, may have to give that a try. Thanks.
I've used the dishwasher to do a quick seal like that as well. Takes care of the cleaning and heating in one shot. Pop it open right at the end if the drying cycle and the jars will freshly cleaned and nicely warmed. Will pull a decent vacuum without having to deal with hot water baths or any of that hubub
If I know that I am going to cellar some bulk for several years, what about putting the tobacco in a vaccum-sealed bag? I have a FoodSaver vacuum sealer and, reading this thread, it just occurred to me that that would put a great seal on a bunch of tobacco. Plus, each sealed bag would take up less space.
For aging tobacco you wouldn't want to store it that way. If you don't care about aging then doing your way will work fine
The aging process requires some air space so I wouldn't do this unless you just want to preserve it.
Best way to store tobacco would be to use jars, don't heat but put your tobacco in the jar to about an inch or 2 from the top. Put the lid on. Then that jars lid is dipped in paraffin wax. That seal the jar and keeps enough space in the jar to help aid in aging
So you pour melted paraffin on the lid and fill in the area against the screw on ring? Or dip the whole jar top in the wax?
dip in the wax
Sorry make that better understood.......
take your jar, fill to where you want the tobacco to be at in the jar,,,, leaving some space for air. then take the Lid and put it on. then take the jar and dip lid in the Wax. It has best aging over all other forms of storage.
if you use vac Sealing, don't Vac out all the air and double seal the bags. That will give you up to about 3 years of storage before dring out... Single bag sealing with or without air after 2 years noticeable drying in the tobacco. If all air is removed even in jars it will not let the aging for the tobacco.
Sorry make that better understood.......
take your jar, fill to where you want the tobacco to be at in the jar,,,, leaving some space for air. then take the Lid and put it on. then take the jar and dip lid in the Wax. It has best aging over all other forms of storage.
if you use vac Sealing, don't Vac out all the air and double seal the bags. That will give you up to about 3 years of storage before dring out... Single bag sealing with or without air after 2 years noticeable drying in the tobacco. If all air is removed even in jars it will not let the aging for the tobacco.
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javajunkie
BoM July '12
aging is both an aerobic and anaerobic process, so i wouldn't swear that the vaccine seal would be a bad thing...
still, my stash is jarred in small jars, just so i only crack one seal at a time, and leave the rest undisturbed...
after reading all this, I am really leaning toward just getting a bunch of small mason jelly jars and tossing it in jars and cranking the lids on and let it alone. How long will it last if I do that, without wax or vacuum?
Canned goods last for years and years that way
Loads of factors. But as long as it sealed well while cranking on the lids you should be fine for a few years or more. Also a storage place that don't see direct sunlight is somewhat important as well. I also think a place that don't have large temp swings is important as well.
James
I'm just finishing my office in the basement and that's where I will keep everything. It will get as hot as 67° in the Summer and as cold as 62° in the Winter, so it's a nice and stable environment.
Huge thanks to Griz for starting this thread and I was just wondering the same thing.
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