The mason jar aging process

[SamuelPipe]

I've read some posts and various things on the internet where people say that opening the mason jar stops the aging process. That seems logical, but wouldn't the aging process 'reset' and begin again once you close the mason jar back up as long as the seal is air tight?

 

[mark]

That's what they say

 

[Hunter5117]

Same answer as "how many licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop". Once opening a well-aged jar, no one has ever been able to close it up again and wait.

Generally, I don't find too much issue with opening and closing a jar other than it may probably not get a proper seal from the consumption of the internal oxygen after the first time.

The Dark Lord has also written at some length about the aging process and what goes on when you open a jar and then reseal it, you might want to check out his blog. His thoughts on the process are definitely not negative, just that frequent opening makes the process "different".

 

[SamuelPipe]

Maybe the answer I'm really looking for is, can I open a 10 year old sealed in, try a few bowls, jar the rest, and keep the jar'd in more or less stasis. I don't care about the aging process really from that point, but I don't want it to go downhill any, it might take me 6 months or a year to get throw the tin by myself with the other tins I have open. Maybe it is just a matter of keeping as airtight seal as possible so it doesn't dry out?

And if the seal was airtight, let's say I opened a 10 year aged tin, put it in an airtight mason jar and let it sit another 10 years, wouldn't it age another 10 years?

 

[Harlock999]

My advice (for what it's worth): Don't worry too much about it. Set aside what you need, jar the rest, and partake of it freely as the whim strikes. Don't be too concerned with molecular biology and stasis. In other words, don't make a simple pleasure complicated. Have fun, enjoy things now. Who knows, your tastes may change considerably while you're waiting ten years for your tobacco to mature. Again, just my opinion.

 

[Zeno Marx]

Don't be too concerned with molecular biology and stasis. In other words, don't make a simple pleasure complicated. Have fun, enjoy things now.

I like this advice the most.

Reminds me of the ultralight trend in backpacking. They get more fixated on the weight of everything, spreadsheets with all their gear down to the gram, and how many trail miles they can speed through in a day; rather than letting go of all the minutiae nonsense of the world and just relaxing and enjoying their time outdoors. As if a 5LB pack will lessen their joy more than a 4.6LB pack would.

 

[sand18f]

My advice (for what it's worth): Don't worry too much about it. Set aside what you need, jar the rest, and partake of it freely as the whim strikes. Don't be too concerned with molecular biology and stasis. In other words, don't make a simple pleasure complicated. Have fun, enjoy things now. Who knows, your tastes may change considerably while you're waiting ten years for your tobacco to mature. Again, just my opinion.

I agree with Harlock.
I do not believe time can be halted by the opening of the lid. JMHO

 

[s.ireland]

Harlock, Zeno & sand are all correct. I haven't aged anything for 10 years because I have only been smoking the pipe for five, but I have jarred blends and opened them annually to sample. It could be what I want to believe, but the same jar of the same blend, tastes different over time even when being exposed to air from time to time.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Closed jars should, IMHO, remain closed until you are ready to smoke the contents. If you open the jar and reseal it, yes, it will continue to age, but it will age differently—don't ask me how.

Part of this belief system rests in the different properties of aerobic and anerobic aging. When you seal a jar there is whatever quantity of oxygen in it, at which point aerobic aging starts, gradually depleting the oxygen in the jar, and at depletion, anerobic aging starts. It is the aging process that manufactures the chemical compounds that we prize, that makes VAs taste so good.

When you open the jar, oxygen again enters it and anerobic aging halts. I'll admit that I'm a purist, but if what you want is prime, aged, VAs, don't open it until the point of consumption. I know guys who can't resist putting their hands in the cookie jar, but in my opinion, this defeats the purpose of aging. In fact the piper I most admire for his long facility and great knowledge about pipes and tobaccos opens jars, steals a bowl and reseals them. His logic is "why should I deprive myself of a taste of this or that tobacco?" This guy is a very adept scientist, but when asked him for an explanation of anerobic aging, he told me that not only could he not explain it scientifically, he doubted anyone could.

Just my 2¢.

 

[PipeLeisure]

Very good question and some very interesting answers.

 

[Zeno Marx]

I've jarred tobacco, watched the tobacco "eat" the oxygen out of the mix, the lid dimple pulled tight, then opened the jar to remove some tobacco, replaced the lid, and the lid dimple again get pulled down and sealed. How much was the tobacco affected? Honestly, I couldn't care less. I could ask an infinite number of what ifs in the aging process. That sounds silly to me. I'm a purist. I'm an idealist. I'm a minimalist. Lots of intuitions and philosophies could cause me to longingly stare at that jar of tobacco, after I've run out of what I thought would hold me over, thinking it is untouchable and "against cellaring policy". Two words: F' THAT.

Now, I'm going to go ruin some of my own fun elsewhere. See y'all in a bit.

 

[MisterE]

Now, I'm going to go ruin some of my own fun elsewhere. See y'all in a bit.

:lol!: :lol!:

 

[Lesath]

I have a lot of jars. Some of them I have not touched in a very long time, others that I have the best intent to "age" somehow never make it quite so far. The only way for tobacco to remain safe around me is if it is in a sealed tin, or if I have so much of a blend jarred that I'll never get to the matured leaf. I can have the very best intentions, but I did buy it to enjoy. You can drive yourself nuts toying with the intricacies of the dire consequences of opening a jar of tobacco. Myself, I'll lose no sleep. I'm smoking some of McClellend's PM pipe right now that came out of a jar I thought was aging. It's pretty darn good, so maybe the next jar will fare better.

 

[whitebriar]

i have never been able to understand the idea of undisturbed cellar--admittedly i am from the 'old school'--

i guess i just 'store' tobacco rather than cellar it--about the only way i can hurt my tobacco is to pour it out in a pie tin, uncovered, and leave it for about 5 years--that'd probably do it no good--

 

[NeroWolfe]

If I am cellaring 8 ounces or more, I will put it in 2 or more smaller Mason jars, and mark one with an X to use for routine sampling, and let the others rest. When I finish the one with the X, I put an X on the next one, and proceed. If it is 8 ounces or less, it goes into one Mason jar, and I may occasionally sample it. I do not lose sleep over this !!

 

[jacko]

My 2 cents:

Opening a mason jar will not halt the aging process however continual exposure to air will slow down and possible change the blends ability to age to its maximum potential. Also as I understand it, its the VAs that age due to the high sugar content in the leaf as oppose to English blends which have relatively little so jarring English for long periods of time could pose adverse effects to the overall blend. Generally speaking I have tins set aside to age and open tins/jars for smoking. Keep in mind that tins will always go up in value however jars won't...

 

[WingRider]

By nature I love to research topics, and hobbies, I am interested in. So when I took up this hobby in February of 2009, I started digging in. I soon ran into ASP Pipes, as well as BoB, Christian Pipe Smokers, and several brick and mortar places around NC. (My two favorites ending up being the original McCranies in Charlotte, and B&B Tobacconists up in Asheville. I've also been to smokingpipes in Myrtle Beach and, pipesandcigars in Albany.

Anyway, with regard to aging, 2 quotes ended up sticking in my brain. One was from Greg Pease who said that he felt the greatest aging change in most tobaccos occurred in the 18-24 month time frame, and they continued getting better up until around 5 years. After that changes still occurred but were much slower and less noticeable. The other was someone said their goal (with respect to Virginias and Vapers) was to never smoke one less than 5 years old. So I basically made that goal mine.

I got enough of my mainstays, that I could put a bunch up in half pints, pints, and with one -a few quarts. I then swore to not open any of these until they were at least two years old. I just purchased new stuff in smaller quantities at need until that point. So now I'm there. I don't buy anything much any more, other than a tin here and there to try new stuff, because I've got 77 lbs in the cellar. (In fact I'm trying to sell some, but that's another story.) So I figure I have enough half pints to get me through the 2 - 5 year period, and then after that if I can break open a larger jar, repack into smaller jars again, and I'll have at least a five year aged tobacco 'til I die. If some of that ages further, fine, if not it's got a least five years on it, and they'll be a fair number of jars that go beyond that.

So I feel I have the best of all worlds. I don't have to stress about it any more, can smoke what I want, and the rest of the stuff just sits in the closet getting better and better.

 

[BLM25Super]

I've jarred tobacco, watched the tobacco "eat" the oxygen out of the mix, the lid dimple pulled tight, then opened the jar to remove some tobacco, replaced the lid, and the lid dimple again get pulled down and sealed. How much was the tobacco affected? Honestly, I couldn't care less. I could ask an infinite number of what ifs in the aging process. That sounds silly to me. I'm a purist. I'm an idealist. I'm a minimalist. Lots of intuitions and philosophies could cause me to longingly stare at that jar of tobacco, after I've run out of what I thought would hold me over, thinking it is untouchable and "against cellaring policy". Two words: F' THAT.

Now, I'm going to go ruin some of my own fun elsewhere. See y'all in a bit.

How long does it take for the dimple on the jar to pull down tight? i jarred some tobaccy this weekend. Samuel Gawiths FVF was probably the best but some of the lids havent had the dimple pull down yet. Im starting to worry that maybe i didnt do it right or something and my baccy is going bad.......... :?:

 

[deepbass9]

I've jarred tobacco, watched the tobacco "eat" the oxygen out of the mix, the lid dimple pulled tight, then opened the jar to remove some tobacco, replaced the lid, and the lid dimple again get pulled down and sealed. How much was the tobacco affected? Honestly, I couldn't care less. I could ask an infinite number of what ifs in the aging process. That sounds silly to me. I'm a purist. I'm an idealist. I'm a minimalist. Lots of intuitions and philosophies could cause me to longingly stare at that jar of tobacco, after I've run out of what I thought would hold me over, thinking it is untouchable and "against cellaring policy". Two words: F' THAT.

Now, I'm going to go ruin some of my own fun elsewhere. See y'all in a bit.

How long does it take for the dimple on the jar to pull down tight? i jarred some tobaccy this weekend. Samuel Gawiths FVF was probably the best but some of the lids havent had the dimple pull down yet. Im starting to worry that maybe i didnt do it right or something and my baccy is going bad.......... :?:

Just chill, it will get there.....

 

[sorringowl]

Here is a very simple, but thorough, formula for figuring the best time to open cellared tobacco:

First, weigh all the tobacco you have on hand and come up with a number for the total weight. For example, I think I have about 6 pounds of tobacco, total, on hand, at the present moment. I say I think I have 6 pounds because even though I have a digital scale, I'm too lazy to go and individually weigh each tin I have. So, I figure I have about Forty 2oz. (plus or minus a few bowls) tins, which adds up to about 80 oz. which adds up to about 5 pounds and change. Okay, so I have 5 pounds, not 6, but for argument's sake, let's say it's 10 pounds because that's a nice even number and I'm not that great with math.

Second, take the total weight of the tobacco you have (5, 6, or 10 pounds, whichever sounds better to you) and add that to the estimated total weight of any and all future tobacco purchases you will buy for the rest of your life. I think I will buy 100 pounds (again, I don't really know for sure, but 100 is a nice, round number and I suck at math).

C., add these two numbers together. So, for me, the total would be 110...or 200 pounds (I rounded up to 200 to take into account me possibly winning the lotto and thereby doubling the amount of tobacco that I would buy for the rest of my lifetime--plus, 200 sounds like a nice, even roundish number and besides, I really suck at math.)

Four, take the total number of pounds of tobacco you have now and will ever buy in the future (even if you win the Lotto, or Powerballs, or whatever the hell you call it in your neck of the woods)--so, that's 200 pounds for the average-lousy-at-math Joe, like myself, and divide that number by the number of bowls you think you will smoke for the rest of your life (Lotto or not).

So, let's see...to figure out the number of bowls I will smoke for the rest of my life, I have to first count how many bowls I smoke a day (about 1 or 2, but sometimes none at all, and once in a blue moon, like 4 or 5, when I meet up with my local pipe club...so let's just say I smoke 2 bowls a day--not exactly sure how I arrived at that number but that's a LOT of math to figure out and besides, that "sounds" about average and somehow kind of right, but who knows, I suck at my maths, even though I'm American and technically, should not even be saying, "my maths").

So, two bowls a day. Multiply that by 7 to arrive at your weekly bowl smoking amount (14, or, "20" bowls a week for me--20 is a good round number, plus I just like the sound of the word "twenty" better than I do the word "fourteen". To me, the word "fourteen" sounds odd, even though, technically, I know it is actually an even number--maybe it's because if you divide "fourteen" in halves, what do you get? Two sevens! And both of those suckers are odd. That bird don't hunt! Not the same with good ol' "Twenty." Look around you: ever see a fourteen dollar bill? Nope. Why? Because a Twenty is just way better. Okay, so, I lost my train of thought...

Yeah, so, take the amount of bowls you smoke per week and multiply that by the number of weeks in a year, fifty (or is it 52? like the number of states in our country--no, I'm pretty sure it's 50 weeks per year, not including Alaska or Puerto Rico) and multiply that number by the number of years you expect to live.

Let's see...I'm 44...I'm healthy...I'm a non-smoker...unless you include pipe smoking...and I don't engage in any kind of risky behavior such as promiscuity, politics, religion or dangerous or potentially unhealthy activities, like drugs, or politics (unless you include pipe smoking as unhealthy--but why would you do that? That's just weird).

Anyway, I figure I will live at least another 30 years for sure and possibly even 40 or 50 years (especially if I win the Lotto and can finally afford healthcare). So, let's just say I will live another 70 years, because that's a nice even round number and even though there's an odd number in there, I'm pretty sure it's still even, which makes me want to root for it because it's, like, an underdog. So let's go with 70 years...or 100. Yeah, I like 100 better. So, let's just go with 100 years.

But wait a minute, methinks. What if I don't live to be 144? What if I only live to be 100? or worse yet, 114? That would really suck because I really don't like the word fourteen. Don't believe me? If you say the word "fourteen" over and over again, it doesn't even sound like a real word. In fact, I'm pretty sure it isn't because, again, it just doesn't "sound" right.

Anyway, what if I don't even live past the young old age of 44? What then? After all, life is not guaranteed, no matter how good your maths skills are. ale: Also, why do the emoticons on the sidebar of BoB change from day to day? What's up with that?

My point is nothing is guaranteed. Not even the freaking emoticons on the sidebar.

Wow...that's really depressing...I'm gonna' go open all of my cellared tobacco and smoke like 5 or 6...no, 10 bowls (but definitely not fourteen), RIGHT NOW! I suggest you do the same. ig: Also, while you're still alive, and able to smoke your tobacco, do me a favor and find out why we have a pig emoticon on the sidebar. What's up with that?

Hurry, before it's all gone and you don't have the chance to do it again.