Fesh Tins

[Trout Bum]

What's up, people! Yes, most amped am I, juiced up on a pot of coffee and a bowl of Westminster... so, on that note, a question: I just popped the tin of Westminster, and I am wondering... how long will it stay fresh, as is, in the tin? I tend to immediately transfer a newly opened tin directly to a jar, but I am out of those, empty ones that is, at the moment. What do you guys do with your freshly opened tins? I also have heard that certain tin types lend themselves to short term storage better than others -- any thoughts on that one?

Just curious...

TB

 

[Anonymous]

I have found a most excellent way to store opened tins. I usually have several open at once so needed a way to keep the contents from drying, short of jarring the excess. As a compulsive scavenger I'm always picking stuff up for future use when I find it, so while shopping at my local tobacconist I found in a corner a stack of used cigar boxes, the cardboard ones were free with a purchase and the wooden ones ran fron $2 to $5 depending on size and whether they had a closure latch. I picked up about four (two for the kids to put trinkets in) and two for myself. When I got them home I noticed they were lined with spanish cedar which is what quality humidors are lined with (it's good for stabilizing the humidity). Wa-la instant opened tin storage facility. I've been using this method for about 6 months and found the contents of the tins don't dry out but do stay quite stable. I have one I carry in my car with room for two tins a pipe and everything needed for smoking and safe storage. The second one sits on my desk with a couple more tins that I don't smoke as often.

 

[Carlos]

I have open tins on my desk in the cellar for months. I know some of those have been open for more than a year easy. Depends on the tin and how fast it will dry. Square tins dry fast. They never really reseal. Dunhill tins get perfectly smokeable quickly and can dry out if you pussyfoot around. C&D and GL Pease tins can hold moisture for long periods of time. Those 8oz tins are like desktop humidors. I have one upstairs with Telegraph Hill in it that never seems to change. Just gets a little less tobacco in it from time to time.

 

[Smokey Joe]

I keep my open tins in the nightstand. I've never had any issues with tins getting stale because they don't last long . The cigar box idea is a good one, especially if you have a bunch of open tins hanging around that you don't get a chance to smoke a lot.

 

[Al in Canada]

On the rare occasion when I found that a tin was getting a little on the drier than I like it I pop in one of those little aluminum humidifier discs (the ones with meershaum chips in them), bingo no problem. but i seldom have more than three tins around and open at the same time, so they don't really get that much time to dry out. Too moist is more of a problem for me.

Al (in Canada)
Old Dublin in A GBD

 

[Strongirish]

I pop a tin and put it in a baggie and store in a dark cool closet. If it is one that I don't go to regularly, I seal it with electrical tape and they last for a long time as the tape reseals it.

 

[glpease]

What's up, people! Yes, most amped am I, juiced up on a pot of coffee and a bowl of Westminster... so, on that note, a question: I just popped the tin of Westminster, and I am wondering... how long will it stay fresh, as is, in the tin? I tend to immediately transfer a newly opened tin directly to a jar, but I am out of those, empty ones that is, at the moment. What do you guys do with your freshly opened tins? I also have heard that certain tin types lend themselves to short term storage better than others -- any thoughts on that one?

Just curious...

TB

Tins with plastic overcaps can hold their moisture pretty well, generally, but not perfectly, and the plastic is somewhat permeable to the non-polar molecules that are responsible for flavour and aroma, so it's not ideal to use them for long-term storage.

I put a double layer of aluminum foil over the tin before putting the plastic overcap back on, and the tobacco seems to retain its moisture, aroma and flavour for months. I've some 2-oz tins that have been open for almost a year, and they're still just fine.

Cheap, easy, and pretty reliable.

-glp