Microwave Seal

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Philthy

Philthy

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Okay, okay, just bear with me a second.
We all have at least some mason jars. Yes I know some folks do not want to draw a slight vacuum and just slap the lid on and that is their right and more power to them.

I am looking to store up many years worth of Toby and would rather have that slight vacuum and dimple in top of my jars. Now usually I am not jarring up huge amounts of toby but anywhere from 4oz to 1.5lbs and I dont feel like firing up a boiler etc like I am actually canning food.

So.........how do I do this? :study:
I used a hot air gun, heat the jar and lid, deal let it cool. Okay got it to work, takes too long almost as bad as boiling. Gotta be a better way.

Aha! Take metal lids off of jars (that is a key point there folks)
Pack in your toby - I don't pack too tightly but do push it down a bit and load in more. Put in microwave for ten seconds - if its adjustabel maybe med or low power. Check on toby stick nose in there, feel if it is warming up.

Another ten seconds, same just starting to feel it.

Another ten smells nice feel just a bit of warmth but not hot. Slap the lid on and screw it on tight but not over tight and let it cool down.

Tink! Little draw down as it cools and there is my dimple. :D

Anybody else?
 
The jars will create their own vacuum when
the anerobic bacteria eat up the oxygen.
I jar mine at room temperature; after
a while you have to pry the lids off.
 
Philthy":7o0898dq said:
Tink! Little draw down as it cools and there is my dimple. :D

Anybody else?
Click to expand...
My method exactly. In fact, jarred up a total of four lbs. of McClelland bulks from the box which arrived from Mars Cigars today in just this fashion. Works every time - isn't that 'ping' a great sound!
 
Even 10 secs in the microwave gives me the willies - I would go by any of the other methods feeling much safer (including using heat gun as a source, or just jarring without heat)


In the end I opted for no heat, but a wax seal - it may be overkill, but better than a jar full of dust 20 years from now... Something as simple as a tiny chip in the rim or bit of tobacco under the seal can be easy to miss...


On some tobaks I go for a full vacuum in the jar using a foodsaver (said to be 28 atmospheres of vacuum) - good for putting the brakes on aging for aeros or english blends that you desire to push way past their normal limits of age. Latest sale at foodsaver is around 30 bucks for a compact full power unit

- also some blends like Esoterica And So To Bed are so different fresh from aged, and in some cases, very nice to have fresh...

- my pure latakia and perique are in vacuum as well..


note - vacuum is for slowing the aging process - general jarring should always include air to allow proper aging...
 
I have around 20 cases of various size mason jars and all I do is fill them up and put the lid on. I opened a jar last week that was sealed 11 years ago and it was perfect. I trade 2oz of FVF that was from 2007 to Maiser this week and it had a some nice sugar on it. Just what I do load and seal to each his own.
 
gandalfpc":poeeqp9i said:
Even 10 secs in the microwave gives me the willies - I would go by any of the other methods feeling much safer (including using heat gun as a source, or just jarring without heat)

note - vacuum is for slowing the aging process - general jarring should always include air to allow proper aging...
Click to expand...
Why would the micro wave give you the willies? If anything I found it to be much more reliable and controllable allowing relatively low temperature.

We aren't talking the depths of outer space here guys. There is air in the mason jar -obviously- since you seal it in an open environment. As I stated I dont bother to pack it to the rim or pack it so tightly its a brick either. By slightly warming the contents and sealing it simply draws down i.e. slightly lower pressure than ambient is achieved when it cools. If you are drawing a serious vacuum with some other equipment then there is a possiblilty less oxygen. Personally, as long as it stays sealed I dont believe the amount of air inside matters. There is not enough to continue interaction- it is consumed/converted by whatever processes are ongoing until it is used up and lets face it there isnt much to start with. The lower pressure just helps the seal in my opinion.

I am not saying anybody is wrong. This is just my preferred meethod and reasoning.
 
Indeed - my case of the willies is purely from the gut (thinking of those microwaves zapping my gawith :) )

no actual reason to believe that it is bad...

one thing to watch for - the hot water method limits the temp to below 145 in the jar - not sure how hot things get at jar center in the mic..
 
I did have a concern for getting too warm. There is that camp that actually believes in accelerated aging using the oven at around 220 degrees F and frankly I find that idea interesting, but that is not my intent here. That is why I went in so slowly ten seconds at a time and checked the temp by hand. It was just a nice comfortably warm temp but definitely noticable and obviously enough to drop the pressure when it cooled.
 
nate560":1nqgmwc7 said:
I have around 20 cases of various size mason jars and all I do is fill them up and put the lid on. I opened a jar last week that was sealed 11 years ago and it was perfect. I trade 2oz of FVF that was from 2007 to Maiser this week and it had a some nice sugar on it. Just what I do load and seal to each his own.
Click to expand...
Ditto Nate!
 
Drop the baccy in, top it, tighten the ring and forget about it. Works for me!
Keep it simple!
 
Must work for you Dover. I think you tighten those lids so tight you cant get them open. Thats why you have baccy that can date back to 2003...... thats discipline brother! 8)
 
DoverPipes":b72qmd3x said:
Drop the baccy in, top it, tighten the ring and forget about it. Works for me!
Keep it simple!
Click to expand...
Agree wholeheartedly. I have done enough research during the past year, in addition to talking to Greg Pease and members of the Chesapeake Club to not bother going to extreme lengths to create a vacuum seal. These are guys that have been aging tobacco for 30 years and have reported no problems with just putting the tobacco in and tightening the ring. Not to say that there is anything wrong with other avenues if one really feels there will be more added insurance. Different strokes for different folks! 8)
 
Do you bother to sterilize the jars first, or go straight out of the box?
 
Somebody who works at a lab tested
the jars and found them to be sterile.
I still run mine through the dishwasher,
just 'cause I was in the habit of doing so.
Prolly unnecessary, but it couldn't hurt. ;)
 
Hermit":a3075nzi said:
Somebody who works at a lab tested
the jars and found them to be sterile.
I still run mine through the dishwasher,
just 'cause I was in the habit of doing so.
Prolly unnecessary, but it couldn't hurt. ;)
Click to expand...
Same here, wash, dry and load.
 
I have a Seal-a-Meal Vacuum sealer and put some in plastic bags they make and they also have a cup that fits over a mason jar and will vacuum seal the jar and then just add the ring on. They have one for the big mouth jars and one for the small what use to me the normal size lids.

Their bags are not like a regular zip lock, they are much thicker

I have put some tins in that are not well sealed like the Solani 633 comes and if I place that in a bag and vacuum it the bag will crush the tin so all air is out.

I use a good many mason jars too though especially if I open a big tin and don't want to let it all sit out I vacuum most of it back and just keep out in a jar not vacuumed to keep what I am smoking.

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