A question of storage.

[SirBriarMcpiperson]

I have a humidor locker im renting at my local tobacconist. I have multiple bags of tabac along with metal tinned tabacs. Im recently thinking it might not be such a good idea to keep tins in a humidor like environment. Any thoughts?? or encountering something bad from a similar situation? Since I have opened these tins already I was thinking of just emptying them into individual bags and leaving those in the locker instead of the tins. Any thoughts and tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[Northern Neil]

I am by no means an expert, but my understanding is that pipe tobacco does not need to be kept in a humidor like cigars do. If you want to store your pipe tobacco, the tried and true method is to put the baccy in a mason jar, seal it and keep it in a cool dark place. Humidors will increase you risk of mold in pipe tobacco.

 

[Storm_Crow]

I've never used a humidor, but I don't know whether it would hurt anything.

My tobacco storage MO:

- less than 1 month = store in open tin

- several months = jar with rubber gasket seal

- years = vacuum sealed bags

 

[KevinM]

+1 to preceding

 

[RDPipes]

I believe and I'm no expert at any stretch of the imagination but, if temps are moderate and you can keep it out of direct sun light your shouldn't have any problems. I keep my in a dresser draw , many others keep there's in a closet. I say, quit wasting your money on a rented humidor and stash it at home where you need it.
I don't use bags of any sort, just don't trust them. Canning jars or screw lid tins.

 

[monbla256]

For storing it FRESH, in a plastic bag it'd probably do just fine, but I don't think it's really going to work for "ageing". No real anerobic action would take place.

 

[Brewdude]

Jar it up in a Mason.

'nuff said.

Cheers,

RR

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Renting a tobacco box? I can see that for fellas short on space, comfortable on cash and/or a reliable place for cigars...but for pipe tabak? Meh.

Mason jars or cans-in-ziplocks, depending on amount and use, for me.

 

[Kapnismologist]

Not a good idea at all, for a whole slew of reasons. As mentioned above, mason jars (and baggies or the tobacco in baggies placed back inside of the original tins for stuff you will smoke within a reasonable amount of time), and you are good to go.

 

[bosun1]

I "think" cigars have to be stored at something like 65% humidity otherwise they turn to dust. Pipe tobacco at something closer to 10%. I'm too cheap/frugal to buy tins, and use mason jars to store my bulk. Stored in the basement, cool & steady temps, dry, dark.

 

[Kapnismologist]

... Stored in the basement, cool & steady temps, dry, dark.

A more suitable environment there is not (and one thinks here of Natch's famous larder). There is a good reason why jarred and canned goods of all types, including jarred and canned tobaccos, do so well resting peacefully in such an environment. Whereas a handful of good cigars are prima donnas requiring all types of pampering and care to keep them happy (and are wont to moan and bitch when conditions deviate even a bit from their standards), a few jars or tins of good pipe tobacco are more than content to sit stoically in humble, spartan surroundings and be left alone to do what they do.

 

[AJ]

Renting a tobacco box?  I can see that for fellas short on space, comfortable on cash and/or a reliable place for cigars...but for pipe tabak?    Meh.

Mason jars or cans-in-ziplocks, depending on amount and use, for me.

This is the way to do it. IMHO  

AJ

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Another thing to think about: my local Tinder Box often keeps open "sample" tins of pipe tobacco in their humidor, for no other reason than it's better than leaving the tins elsewhere in the Nevada aridity. At 63% - 69% humidity, there's been times I've opened up pipe tobacco there to try that was green and fuzzy.

ale:

 

[Andy Lowry]

Another mason-jar fan here. Tins can be stored in a drawer or bookcase.

 

[Storm_Crow]

Alot of folks use mason jars for long term storage, whereas I use vacuum sealed bags.

Now, I came across an interesting youtube video by a gentleman that goes by briarleaf00. The vid referenced an article that G.L. Pease apprarently wrote, but I've not read discussing aerobic vs anerobic fermentation.

According to the video the presence of oxygen (aerobic) is as important to the aging process as being in a vacuum (anerobic). The aerobic stage supposedly comes first, and need not last nearly as long as the anerobic stage.

Assuming all this is true, and assuming the ballpark stat I've previously heard that 90% of the aging process occurs within the first 5 years of storage (alot of assumtions here I realize), the question becomes "how much time out of those 5 years should the tobacco be stored in an airtight environment that still allos for the presence of oxygen before tranferring the tobacco into a vacuum sealed environment?" Is one month enough? 6 months? A year?

As an aside, since neither mason jars nor rubber gasket sealed jars are vacuum sealed, but merely airtight, why do so many approve of mason jars and dislike rubber gasket jars?

 

[Hermit]

Assuming all this is true, and assuming the ballpark stat I've previously heard that 90% of the aging process occurs within the first 5 years of storage (alot of assumtions here I realize), the question becomes "how much time out of those 5 years should the tobacco be stored in an airtight environment that still allos for the presence of oxygen before tranferring the tobacco into a vacuum sealed environment?" Is one month enough? 6 months? A year?

As an aside, since neither mason jars nor rubber gasket sealed jars are vacuum sealed, but merely airtight, why do so many approve of mason jars and dislike rubber gasket jars?

"how much time out of those 5 years..."
All of it.  It goes into airtight jars and stays there.
If you "transfer" it, you reintroduce oxygen and start over.
The jars create their own vacuum as the oxygen is consumed.