Tins for your own tobacco?

[ZeroContent]

I know everyone likes canning jars for storage but can you tin your own tobacco in the kind of tins used by C&D and McClelland?

 

[puros_bran]

How would you make a mostly air tight seal short of having a canning machine like they use?

 

[ZeroContent]

Thats why I'm asking. Can sealing tool like a can openner that you run around the lid to seal instead of open. I dunno.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

http://www.specialtybottle.com/metal-tin-containers/screw-top/2oz-tsc2.aspx

These guys I have ordered from before, good stuff....


http://www.papermart.com/metal-containers/id=19037-INDEX#catid50038
I have not ordered from these guys, but I like the seal banding for the tins.

Just a couple of suggestions

 

[SpeedyPete]

I only use glass jars for long term storage because then I know I have nothing to fear I don't trust tins for storing, only good enough for everyday use.

 

[RDPipes]

I don't know and this is just a thought but, if you were to heat your containers with the tobacco in them and then put the lids on would they not vacuum seal like in doing home canning when they cool? :scratch:

 

[MisterE]

I don't know and this is just a thought but, if you were to heat your containers with the tobacco in them and then put the lids on would they not vacuum seal like in doing home canning when they cool? :scratch:

Yes, some people will sit the jars in hot water to heat the bottom of the glass before sealing. When the glass cools, voilá, negative pressure.

 

[RDPipes]

I don't know and this is just a thought but, if you were to heat your containers with the tobacco in them and then put the lids on would they not vacuum seal like in doing home canning when they cool? :scratch:

Yes, some people will sit the jars in hot water to heat the bottom of the glass before sealing. When the glass cools, voilá, negative pressure.

Thank you for confirming that "E", I had wanted to do this to a couple of jars (well a lot really) I have to put some age on them without worrying about them maybe drying out.

 

[nismo270r]

I had tossed the idea around before of hunting down one of those tinning machines after having visited C&D a few years back. I think they had a grand total of 3 of them when we took the tour. I can't remember off the top of my head how many tins Chris said their fastest person could do in a day, but I do remember the number being mind boggling. I think two were setup for the 2 oz tins and one setup for 8 oz tins.

I was wanting to get it setup to stash away some bulks or tobacco that comes in bags like Esoterica for longer term aging. I like the idea of the tin to help keep light out and having a good seal, but I think it would be pretty cost prohibitive even to get one of the antique machines. With jars, you can keep light at bay with where they're stored, and it is nice to just pick up a jar and be able to see if anything funky is going on.

Speaking of sealing jars, didn't they used to have some doohickey that worked with a vacuum sealer that would let you seal a regular mason jar lid?

 

[Ozark Wizard]

I had tossed the idea around before of hunting down one of those tinning machines after having visited C&D a few years back. I think they had a grand total of 3 of them when we took the tour. I can't remember off the top of my head how many tins Chris said their fastest person could do in a day, but I do remember the number being mind boggling. I think two were setup for the 2 oz tins and one setup for 8 oz tins.

I was wanting to get it setup to stash away some bulks or tobacco that comes in bags like Esoterica for longer term aging. I like the idea of the tin to help keep light out and having a good seal, but I think it would be pretty cost prohibitive even to get one of the antique machines. With jars, you can keep light at bay with where they're stored, and it is nice to just pick up a jar and be able to see if anything funky is going on.

Speaking of sealing jars, didn't they used to have some doohickey that worked with a vacuum sealer that would let you seal a regular mason jar lid?

I have one vacuum lid thing for my food saver, but it only does wide mouth jars.. I do seal some with that, but for the most part I just fill the jar after heating it and cap it. Works well enough for me..

 

[nismo270r]

FYI, this is the same type of machine C&D uses:

Can Sealer

Not exactly chump change and you still have to source the tins and lids

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Hmmmmm...........

No, no, I can't.....

I mustn't.........

God help me.........

 

[KevinM]

You can also put your glass jar (any size) of tobacco in the microwave, cover the top with a saucer or something non-metal, nuke it, then put the lid on. The trick is to warm it, not cook it. For me, thirty or forty seconds on mid-setting is plenty. Many pipers, though, have said a tight seal is sufficient, no need for a vacuum. I've tried it both ways and can't pick a conclusive winner.

 

[MisterE]

^I  can't really tell a difference either. These days I just close them and check that the cap is tight every so often. The rubber seal on the lids will compress, so a slight twist to keep it tight once in a while is a good idea. Also be careful of a piece of tobacco on the rim of the jar, or on the seal itself before tightening. This will cause leakeage. Been there, done that.

 

[ZeroContent]

Guess I'll just use wide mouth jars. I want to press and age my own plugs just to see what i can custom make.

 

[KevinM]

This might / might not be to your point --

I discovered that a small can of tomato paste was the perfect size for tamping bulk tobabacco in a Mason jar. But you gotta be careful not to compress it too much. In fact, it's probably best to leave a bit of air space in there. If you fill a Mason jar at room temp and nuke it as discribed above, the warm tobacco will absorb quite a bit of compression. You may be tempted to cram more in there while it's still warm. However, once you put the lid on, it's possible that re-expansion during cooling will be sufficient to crack the jar. I had this problem once with a batch of half-pint jars filled with ribbon-cut Virginia. Bummer. I'd say that the compression is a plus for thrifty Mason jar management, but probably doesn't benefit the tobacco aging process all that much. Yes, this seems counter-intuitive to aging most tins in which tobacco is tightly compressed. It's a puzzle to which I lack a ready answer.

 

[puros_bran]

to help keep light out... you can keep light...

You growing mushrooms or aging tobacco? :scratch: :scratch:


Also, on the 'cramming and heating' method mentioned earlier by a couple guys.. :scratch: :scratch:



I don't know if you boys have discovered something I haven't or if you are just nuts, but what's wrong with sticking the leaf in a mason jar and tightening the lid? Been working for me for quite a long time.

 

[leacha]

Hear's what I use.

A few quick pumps and its sealed. Enough air still remains in the jar for fermintation. A machine may take out too much air IMHO. I crack a jar and smoke what I want and if I tire of it, a few quick pumps and back it goes.

 

[KevinM]

[quote/]
I don't know if you boys have discovered something I haven't or if you are just nuts, but what's wrong with sticking the leaf in a mason jar and tightening the lid?  Been working for me for quite a long time. [/quote]

Yes, but anyone can do that.

 

[puros_bran]

Kevin you aren't into textual criticism on ancient manuscripts are you? I know they also assume the hardest must be the correct.