Fixin' to Start Cellaring Tobacco

[Presby John-Dave]

I know there are plenty of internet resources, but that defeats the purpose of virtual community! So, what are your tips, tricks, and experiences with cellaring tobacco? I'm starting with some smaller quantities (1/2 ounce to 1 ounce).

[Mr Beardsley]

It seems like you should already have an idea of some favorites that you want to keep on hand so snag those in bulk (if available) while on sale. Don't chase unicorns. Look both ways before crossing the road. If you have large hands use wide mouth Mason jars. Age doesn't automatically equal amazing tobacco.

[Piping Abe]

For storing go with Mason Jars or Food Grade Mylar and heat seal it shut with a cheap hair straightener.

Those food saver bags where you suck all the air out work good also but since there is no oxygen left, the tobacck does not age any if at all. If aging to change the tobacco is your goal don’t use the food saver method.

Glass Mason jars is the best, but heavy, bulky and hard to move and risk shattering some.

Find your favorites and order as much as you can without going broke. But wait for sales. I only purchase during a sale unless the blend is hard to come by (G&H/SG).

Storing tobacco in the tins they come in is usually safe 99% of the time. Sometimes there is a defect in the tin but i’d leave them in their tins. Although G&H specifically states that their tins are not for long term storage. Those should be jarred immediately if you wish to store them long term

[Silver]

For storing go with Mason Jars or Food Grade Mylar and heat seal it shut with a cheap hair straightener.

Those food saver bags where you suck all the air out work good also but since there is no oxygen left, the tobacck does not age any if at all. If aging to change the tobacco is your goal don’t use the food saver method.

Glass Mason jars is the best, but heavy, bulky and hard to move and risk shattering some.

Find your favorites and order as much as you can without going broke. But wait for sales. I only purchase during a sale unless the blend is hard to come by (G&H/SG).

This ^. I'd add McConnell/Rattray's/Esoterica-Germain's (good luck with that!) to the list of tobaccos to jump on when available.

[Presby John-Dave]

I'm mostly experimenting with cellaring, so it's not necessarily an ironed-out function of managing my supply of favorite tobacco. The tobaccos I have aren't necessarily favorites. I like them enough and even like them a lot. It's mostly that I have a fair amount of different blends and want to put some away for a little while in order to get new, different blends.

[MikeDennison]

For small amounts like you mention, I'd suggest small jelly jars. I've still got a dozen or so of'em floating around the bottom of my trunk somewhere loaded with stuff that I tried when I was first starting out.

[Tsal]

Threads like this can only mean one thing. Tax Return.

[Ruffinogold]

Lot to unpack with that question

All tobacco ages

Jars . You want air present when aging . How much is a funky question because how do you measure it , lol .

Years ago , Macbarens website mentioned the amount of air left in the tin when sealed . Imho , Macbaren really has their shit together with their packaging and whatever process they use in all ways . I think everyone else is a light year behind . However , MacBaren did make the worst commercial ever . No one can do it all , ya know

As far as a trick .. lets say you dig SG Firedance . Like many SG products , they are packaged wet as hell and Un smokable at the tin pop . So , what ya want to do is .... let a blend like that sit out until its just about ready to be smokable and then jar it . You do this so that , when you get to that jar , you don't have to go through the bs of having it way wet . The reason I keep it just a little before its ready is that , when I do pop it , its not an unreasonable time to smokeability .. plus , depending on how often youll pop it may make a slight difference

Now , a wet American style aromatic .... just jar it because they never go dry and if they do , they arent very good usually , though Ive experienced a few exceptions

All tobacco ages . They all change in time
People can debate whether certain things age well or not but who cares about all that . It will depend on if you like how a blend ages and you'll only know if you do it

Oh , heres a tip that I think is worthwhile . Lets say you get a good amount of a blend to age ... like a pound + . What I like to do is this . Take a half pound there abouts and pop that in a jar with a date on the label and just forget about it . Then the remaining half pound or so , separate into a medium jar and a smaller jar .
This is nice because you can use the smaller jar to have it fresh if you like and just rip throgh it , especially if its a new cool blend . After that is done , youll have the medium jar that you can either wait on a bit , being you just smoked a few oz of it , or bust into it .. or .. let it age a while . Maybe youll let the medium go a year or two and youll know what the large jar is doing . If you like the direction .... by all means dont open the big jar , just forget about it . If you sense its not gonna be a big deal , do whatever you want with what you have left

I hope that made sense ^^^^ . I think its a cool thing . As an example , Im a MacBaren Golden Extra junkie . Ive been doing the above " method " since the early days of the first PSF and now I have MB Golden Extra in different vintages and can enjoy and taste how it changes over the years . Its pretty freaky cool . I have other blends I do the same with and I always enjoy tasting the difference

Tasting the difference . The talk about what ages well is just that .. talk . Who cares what someone else thinks of the way something ages . For example ... Generally , its discussed that English blends dont age well . However , you may really enjoy an English blend fresh and then age it for 7 years , smoke it and its toned down considerably and that might make you love the hell out of it . I really like Balkan Sasieni fresh and I really like it aged over 10 years . Its like a different blend but theyre both good .

Just my opinion here , but if you buy any C&D or H&H stuff .... they need age . I wouldnt bother smoking any till they had at least three years in the tin or jar . Again , just me . You do you

Many agree that virginia and vapers age best . I think they show a difference in taste rather quickly [ in an aging time frame ] . However , depending on the blend , you may like it better fresh than aged ... ya dont know till you try

Christ , I could go on and on . Just do it and enjoy

[Presby John-Dave]

Lot to unpack with that question

All tobacco ages

Jars . You want air present when aging . How much is a funky question because how do you measure it , lol .

Years ago , Macbarens website mentioned the amount of air left in the tin when sealed . Imho , Macbaren really has their shit together with their packaging and whatever process they use in all ways . I think everyone else is a light year behind . However , MacBaren did make the worst commercial ever . No one can do it all , ya know

As far as a trick .. lets say you dig SG Firedance . Like many SG products , they are packaged wet as hell and Un smokable at the tin pop . So , what ya want to do is .... let a blend like that sit out until its just about ready to be smokable and then jar it . You do this so that , when you get to that jar , you don't have to go through the bs of having it way wet . The reason I keep it just a little before its ready is that , when I do pop it , its not an unreasonable time to smokeability .. plus , depending on how often youll pop it may make a slight difference

Now , a wet American style aromatic .... just jar it because they never go dry and if they do , they arent very good usually , though Ive experienced a few exceptions

All tobacco ages . They all change in time
People can debate whether certain things age well or not but who cares about all that . It will depend on if you like how a blend ages and you'll only know if you do it

Oh , heres a tip that I think is worthwhile . Lets say you get a good amount of a blend to age ... like a pound + . What I like to do is this . Take a half pound there abouts and pop that in a jar with a date on the label and just forget about it . Then the remaining half pound or so , separate into a medium jar and a smaller jar .
This is nice because you can use the smaller jar to have it fresh if you like and just rip throgh it , especially if its a new cool blend . After that is done , youll have the medium jar that you can either wait on a bit , being you just smoked a few oz of it , or bust into it .. or .. let it age a while . Maybe youll let the medium go a year or two and youll know what the large jar is doing . If you like the direction .... by all means dont open the big jar , just forget about it . If you sense its not gonna be a big deal , do whatever you want with what you have left

I hope that made sense ^^^^ . I think its a cool thing . As an example , Im a MacBaren Golden Extra junkie . Ive been doing the above " method " since the early days of the first PSF and now I have MB Golden Extra in different vintages and can enjoy and taste how it changes over the years . Its pretty freaky cool . I have other blends I do the same with and I always enjoy tasting the difference

Tasting the difference . The talk about what ages well is just that .. talk . Who cares what someone else thinks of the way something ages . For example ... Generally , its discussed that English blends dont age well . However , you may really enjoy an English blend fresh and then age it for 7 years , smoke it and its toned down considerably and that might make you love the hell out of it . I really like Balkan Sasieni fresh and I really like it aged over 10 years . Its like a different blend but theyre both good .

Just my opinion here , but if you buy any C&D or H&H stuff .... they need age . I wouldnt bother smoking any till they had at least three years in the tin or jar . Again , just me . You do you

Many agree that virginia and vapers age best . I think they show a difference in taste rather quickly [ in an aging time frame ] . However , depending on the blend , you may like it better fresh than aged ... ya dont know till you try

Christ , I could go on and on . Just do it and enjoy

What was the horrible Mac Baren Commercial?

This is good advice! I haven't purchased anything in that large of quantities, but I might try it when a good sell is on.

Another question, how much room should be/ could be in your jar? The quantities I'll be working with are pretty small, but I don't have mason/ball jars that small. I think I have 8oz ones. If it's important or advisable, I might just order the tiny jam jars that were mentioned.

[Ronv69]

Start 10 years ago.