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Cellaring for the long term

brandaves

With a great avatar comes great misidentification
How confident should I be in cellaring tobacco in the containers they come in? If I intend to enjoy some 20 year old Escudo in 2040 do I need to vacuum seal the tins? What do you guys do to ensure your tobacco is safe for the long haul. I obviously jar bulk stuff but I have a lot of tinned baccy that I was just planning on leaving that way...anyone suggest I do differently?
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I’m rolling the dice on all my factory tins :). I opened a 5 year old FVF tin and I could smell it outside the tin. After opening it there were tobacco stains migrating out under the seal, the vacuum had somehow still maintained itself and the tobacco was in top shape.
 
@Isaac nailed it. Of the three main types of tins, the pull-tab type (Pease, C&D) are almost 100% worry-free. The round tins aren't far behind - it is possible the seal might fail, but i would consider it very unlikely. The rectangular tins (Gawith, for example) seem to be the ones most prone to failure. Still, if you are careful, the chance of losing a tin is pretty slim. I am basically lazy - i just stack tins in like groups in boxes inside the chest - and over the course of almost 10 years, including two moves, hundreds of tins, i have had exactly one tin seal fail (SG Squadron Leader, if you're keeping score).
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
@Isaac nailed it. Of the three main types of tins, the pull-tab type (Pease, C&D) are almost 100% worry-free. The round tins aren't far behind - it is possible the seal might fail, but i would consider it very unlikely. The rectangular tins (Gawith, for example) seem to be the ones most prone to failure. Still, if you are careful, the chance of losing a tin is pretty slim. I am basically lazy - i just stack tins in like groups in boxes inside the chest - and over the course of almost 10 years, including two moves, hundreds of tins, i have had exactly one tin seal fail (SG Squadron Leader, if you're keeping score).
And it’s an impressive chest.
 
I reached out to Seattle Pipe Club regarding their lined cardboard type container for long term storage. Below is their guidance.

Our opinion is the lined 'cardboard' containers are adequate for medium long term storage. There is no hard and fast rule. The containers being use are very high quality but of course not completely air tight. If you intend to cellar them for years you might want to transfer them to mason jars. It can't hurt and mason jars are the best. Remember to start out with a new lid and a freshly washed jar.
 

brandaves

With a great avatar comes great misidentification
I reached out to Seattle Pipe Club regarding their lined cardboard type container for long term storage. Below is their guidance.

Our opinion is the lined 'cardboard' containers are adequate for medium long term storage. There is no hard and fast rule. The containers being use are very high quality but of course not completely air tight. If you intend to cellar them for years you might want to transfer them to mason jars. It can't hurt and mason jars are the best. Remember to start out with a new lid and a freshly washed jar.
That's good feedback...but it also kind of sounds like a CYOA answer.
 
You could be right Brandon. I have many SPC tins that have not yet been transferred to mason jars. Trying to decide if it is necessary BUT, better safe than sorry!
 
Does anyone heat the mason jar lid to soften the rubber gasket. I know this is recommended for jarring fruit/vegetables to ensure a good seal. When jarring food, after filling and securing the lid, I have always placed it back into boiling water to get a good seal.

I have not done this with tobacco as I am concerned about heating it up. I have, however, heated up the lid after it is secured on the jar with a hair dryer. Unsure if it has done any good but it can't hurt.
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I apply a few seconds of vacuum with a food saver just to make sure that it can hold a seal. I have had 2 jars out of maybe a hundred or more that for some reason or another wouldn’t seal from pressure of the ring alone.
 

Hirsute

Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose
I use it for all my long term storage. I only run it for a few seconds.

Same here.

And before folks start chiming in with the Greg Pease article about vacuum and aging, this technique doesn’t suck all of the air out of the jar, it just sucks enough out to suction the lid down. There’s still air in there for aging.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
Same here.

And before folks start chiming in with the Greg Pease article about vacuum and aging, this technique doesn’t suck all of the air out of the jar, it just sucks enough out to suction the lid down. There’s still air in there for aging.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also even if you ran it full vacuum, it only gets to 30% vacuum, meaning there is still 30% air in there.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
I just found two small jars VA flake I had put away in the fall of 2013. One SG VFV and the other a VA flake I bought bulk. They are very good but I have no idea what they were like new. I’ll just have to assume they are somehow better now.
 

brandaves

With a great avatar comes great misidentification
I just found two small jars VA flake I had put away in the fall of 2013. One SG VFV and the other a VA flake I bought bulk. They are very good but I have no idea what they were like new. I’ll just have to assume they are somehow better now.
You mentioned it burned slow with no burn...that's a good place to be with any VA blend.
 
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