Cellaring Questions.

[GuitarMyFriend]

I desperately want to get my Cellar started! I think at my age, it's imperative to think ahead, and I already plan to sit in a rocking chair on my wrap around porch smoking a pipe with my Bloodhound (Hank) at my feet. Here's what I want my cellar to basically look like...( http://pinterest.com/runkzachary/tobacco-cellar/ ).
I want three of every tin (to start off) and 1/2 lb of the bulks before I call it my Cellar. I have a few of these tins already, not many, but a few. These are all tobaccos I've tried and have thoroughly enjoyed. I've already told myself that I'm not cracking any tins until I get this all figured out. (I've got baggies and opened tins to hold me off for quite a while). Now my questions;

When purchasing a tobacco for your cellar, do you simply write the date on the back and toss it in?

Should I keep my cellar in, say, a cabinet? or would a shelf simply do?

Those who plan out their cellar like I do, do you purchase tins in bulk? or slowly over time? (Should I save up and go crazy, or take it nice and slow?)

When jarring bulk blends, is there any special process to this, or is it just buying jars and dumping the 'bacca in?

I want to get this off as soon as possible, so any help would be appreciated!!!

Zach

Ps, if you'd like to see a poorly shot photo gallery of my pipe collection;
http://pinterest.com/runkzachary/pipe-rack/

 

[Slide]

Zack,

I fear time may not be your friend at this point in internet purchases of pipe tobacco. Many of us are concerned about what new rules the FDA will be rolling out.

I would buy as much as I could, as fast as I could, without impacting the family budget.

As far as my purchasing habits I typically place large orders. If I know it's a tobacco I like and it's a tinned to tobacco I try to get a pound. If it's a bulk I try to get at least a pound.

I place very few orders that are under $100.00

 

[kaiser83]

When I buy tins I look at the bottom to see if they have the tinned date already on them, if they don't I Sharpie the purchase date on them.
I have my cellar on a set of shelves, and a stack on the floor, in the basement. You want to keep your cellared toby out of direct sunlight to age slowly. Mason jars are wonderful things and you can pack em up and screw the lid on tight, after a week or 2 check the lid to make sure it is still on tight unless you actually went through the work to seal the jars. If you want to seal the jars there are two main ways:
1) Put the toby in the jar, with the lid off microwave it 10 seconds, wait a few, microwave 5-10 more seconds, immediately slap the lid on and crank it down, wait up to 5 minutes and the seal should pop in for you.
2) Boil water, put the mason jar (with toby in it) into the water for about 30 seconds or less, pull it out and slap the lid on, the seal should pop in just a short while for you.
If you actually seal the jars you really won't have to worry too much about double checking to make sure the ring is cranked down tight, but I do anyhow.
I buy bulk tobaccos when I know I will have time to jar them up and label them properly. I also have a recurring order through JR where each payday they automatically charge my credit card and send me 2 tins of FM and a tin of 965. It pope on payday so i never notice it, but the tins keep coming in and the stash keeps growing. If you have a couple favorites that is a decent way to just keep a steady flow coming in. Considering I always forget I have the recurring order I still order various tins and have them sent to the house on occasion, as well as the stuff I have sent here. I think I try to buy about 50 dollars worth of toby or so each payday, not including the recurring order.

 

[idbowman]

I label all of my tins with the tinning date (when it can be discerned based on the manufacturer's labeling) or the purchase date (when it can't.). All mason jars are labelled with manufacturer/blending house, blend name, purchase date, and weight of product - I dump the tobacco up, and closer 'er up tight (I don't heat/seal them the way Kaiser does).'

For storage, my only concern is to keep the mason jars away from direct sunlight. What has worked for me has been keeping my bulk jars on a small bookshelf (two shelves that are two jars deep and 8 or 9 jars across), and all of my tins in two small 3-drawer plastic cabinets. As the horde grows, though, I'm looking to upgrade this setup in the very near future.

As far as building up, I agree with Slide. If you're serious about cellaring, it would be a good idea to throw as much as you can afford at it sooner rather than later. It won't get any cheaper or easier to get a hold of than it is right now, and the future of cost/availability is a bit uncertain. For my money, I'd start by by trying to knock some of the bulk blends off your list...that way you can add tobacco by the 1/2 pound (since that's your goal weight) fairly rapidly, and get those blends into an environment where they start to get some age on them. Another thought...are you attached to all of the pipes you own? If there are some you just have "because you have them" that you'd be willing to trade, you can probably get a hold of a number of the tins your looking for via trade with little-to-no cash outlay.

 

[Kelhammer]

Zack,

Firstly I must say how dare you lure me into a Pinterest page. I looked at the link just long enough to see what I wanted. Pipeintrest, and clicked away. My wife praises that dam web site to every female she encounters. It is for her what this site is to me.

As to putting away, I stored a lot last year. The impending doom of this past time has me parting with every penny I can spare. What I know now is I should have tried more GL Pease blends along with Cornell-Diehl. I mention these two for several reasons. They both have many great blends. They come in the very easily stashed 8oz can, and the price is right. Just scribble the date on the bottom and toss the tin in some out of the way place.

If money is a problem get a second job. Your time is short.

Andy

 

[Puff Daddy]

I hate to break it to you young Zack, but any tobaco you cellar now for your old age will be too damned old and tired to smoke. It will have died long before you get that old. If you're serious, buy some seriously strong British pigtail or rope tobacco, it may have a chance of still having something left in 40 years.

 

[KevinM]

I use Mason jars in qt, pint and half pint. The bigger the jar, the longer term of storage. I bought a couple plastic sweater storage containers for tins.

I use an especially cool, dark corner of my cellar. I keep the stuffed jars in the boxes they came in just to be careful.

My preferred method for preparing jars is to stuff them, then leave them in a parked car in sunlight for an hour, then cap'em and store 'em. Works for me. The "Nuke 'em" method described above is easier and faster, but seems to alarm my missus. When I've used it, in the dead of winter, I simply stuff the jar, using a small tomato paste can as a tamper, and nuke it for 20-30 secs on the 7 setting (or 3/4 power). Then slap the caps on quick. You don't wanna cook the weed, just warm it.

Personally, for long term storage as you describe, I'd go for bulks, simply because you can buy more of it for the same outlay of cash.

I buy adhesive labels in the local office b+m store. I do blend and date. Then I cut some of the labels in half and use these for the lids. It's just utility with no concession to embellishment.

It's a good feeling for a man to sit amongst his tobacco hoard sipping a bit of whiskey from a spare Mason jar while listening to the Clancy Brothers sing Roddy MCorley. The Irish in me believes it will be even better when the busybodies, sissies and bedwetters have made it illegal.

 

[Wet Dottle]

Zach,

It's great fun to build a cellar. I use a Sharpie to mark the purchase date on the back of the tins and store them in a container like this:


This is an old pic and I don't use the actual container seen here anymore because I found it wasn't air tight. The containers I use now are similar, but they're air tight. Always use some desiccant to prevent tin rust. The containers are big, but not too big that cannot be lifted without breaking my back. If you are going to use mason jars, however, you won't have to worry about tin rust, therefore your storage options will be simpler than mine.

Started cellaring in mid 90's and now have over 200 lb of my favorite blends, all tins. I don't use mason jars because of the weight. I also found that my tastes have changed, and I can trade away the blends I don't care for much more advantageously if they are in tins. Selling off old tins can also be a good way to make money to invest in new tins, which I have done aplenty.

A strategy that I found very helpful was to always have funds to purchase a lot of tobacco at once. That allows to buy large amounts of rare blends when they suddenly appear for sale, or when a brand goes out of business without warning.

Good luck with your cellar.

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

Oh I know that the tobacco won't last till I'm THAT old... I Just want to get a cellar started up! Than replace a tin every time I take one out! That's an awesome Picture WD!!!
Zach

 

[MisterE]

I hate to break it to you young Zack, but any tobaco you cellar now for your old age will be too damned old and tired to smoke. It will have died long before you get that old. If you're serious, buy some seriously strong British pigtail or rope tobacco, it may have a chance of still having something left in 40 years.

I saw some Civil War era pigtails/ropes on eBay not long ago. It'd be interesting to rehydrate those and see if you have somethong smokable.

Didn't Natch get something like that a while back? I can't remember if he smoked it or not.

 

[bosun1]

I find something I like and cellar it. I am too cheap to buy the 'good stuff' so no tins for me. I want pounds! I use wide mouth mason jars, two pounds of bulk will compact into three jars with some left over for immediate rotation. Leave the jars in the cardboard carrier they come in, label the top of the jar with contents and date packed. Leaving in the carrier will allow easy stacking. In front of the carrier I put a post-it note in back of the plastic wrapping so I know what is in that particular unit. Stacked off the floor in my literal cellar..cool, temp stable, dry, darkish. Tastes change over the years so I have some variety, but half of my stash is either Half and Half or Sugar Barrel. Eight pounds of C & D Epiphany for my light English stash, plus a couple of pounds of straight Latakia if I want to add some to a particular blend in the future.