a question for the more experienced smokers

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MDPipeSmoker

MDPipeSmoker

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Ok first,

I have been smoking pipes for about a 2 years. Long enough to have some favorites and started to cellar some as well. During my trip to Boswells I picked up over 2 pounds of tobacco in total. I have placed the non aromatics in ball jars for safe keeping. But Now I have collected over 3 pounds of aromatics I enjoy. As hard as I try I cant smoke it all fast enough..... lol

My question is:
Knowing some say Aros's dont benefit from cellaring, has anyone tried vacuum sealing tobacco for long storage? Sounds like a way to keeping flavor and quality in aromatics. But I could also be wrong, I have been know to be wrong at least one other time in my life.... :)

Any input would be great.

Thanks
Jake
 
I can't answer with any great authority, but I do recall one of the mast blenders saying something about even the vacuum seal bags have a certain porosity that allows some gasses to escape.

If I were going to try it, I would probably follow what some of the survivalist (those types that believe the government is going to collaps, zombies will emerge, and society as we know it will cease to exist) do and add a mylar layer to the standard vacuum bag.

I can tell you that I have one aromatic in particular (Boswells PA Dutch Treat) that just doesn't seem to be as good a month after I ordered it. Like you I'm a fairly new guy to all this, but I've read that this isn't too uncommon with aromatics. I'll probably order more of that blend in the future, but I'll just order a couple ounces at a time. In other words, about what I would smoke in a month.
 
I keep my aromatics in jars just like all the other stuff. They don't necessarily improve over time like a natural virginia, but the jar is the best way to store tobacco (regardless of type). Aromatics can get a little funky after too many years, but it depends on the blend. I've had some stay good for years while others seem to lose their original flavor profile after a year or two.
Milan
 
Yak once mentioned the anaerobic benefit many tobaccos can get from proper storage and aging, and the more "air space" that exists in an aerobic environment in the container, the more time it will take for the benefit of the oxygen to be absorbed and anaerobic action to take place.

This makes sense to me.

Vacuuming out any "atmosphere" in whatever storage container would most likely be a benefit if this is the case.

(...just parroting relevant information...) 8)
 
I totally agree with Kyle and Yak on this method of storage. However I don't have a vacuum sealer and just stuff the blends into quart sized ball/mason jars and have some that's been cellared for 15 years with excellent results. Some aro's will change over time depending on what the casings/toppings consist of. Virginias just get better every year.
I also have several aromatic and Virginia blends that I acquired from folks vacuum sealed that have kept long term and once I opened them they were fine but afterwards transferred the contents to glass jars.
 
I've got some PA Dutch Treat that has been stored for more than a year in a Ball jar and it seems to smoke just fine, just had some this morning.

Smokey
 
MDPipeSmoker":oi3ievb6 said:
Ok first,

I have been smoking pipes for about a 2 years. Long enough to have some favorites and started to cellar some as well. During my trip to Boswells I picked up over 2 pounds of tobacco in total. I have placed the non aromatics in ball jars for safe keeping. But Now I have collected over 3 pounds of aromatics I enjoy. As hard as I try I cant smoke it all fast enough..... lol

My question is:
Knowing some say Aros's dont benefit from cellaring, has anyone tried vacuum sealing tobacco for long storage? Sounds like a way to keeping flavor and quality in aromatics. But I could also be wrong, I have been know to be wrong at least one other time in my life.... :)

Any input would be great.

Thanks
Jake
Click to expand...

One reason to cellar is to minimize the effects of price increases, ageing is really just a side benefit. I would jar and label all bulk tobaccos, regardless of genre, to prserve the freshness. This allows you to always have something you like to smoke despite horrendous price increases, shortages, etc.
 
I recommend the jars. No true aging is going to happen with aros, it will just get older and milder.
 
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