Cellaring: Pouches Versus Tins

[Seamaster]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

This forum is raising my anxiety levels about the demise of our hobby and I am seriously thinking about cellaring for the first time. At UK prices, this would be a ruinously expensive endeavour, and there is a further issue (and apologies in advance if this has already been asked many times).

Many, if not most, tobaccos here are sold in pouches rather than tins, including my favourite: Mac Baren Scottish Mixture. Now, if I was to start tucking away, say, half a dozen pouches a month, would they be safe and for how long?

I don't trust myself to get the business of decanting it all into Kilner jars right.

 

[rajangan]

This forum is raising my anxiety levels about the demise of our hobby and I am seriously thinking about cellaring for the first time. At UK prices, this would be a ruinously expensive endeavour, and there is a further issue (and apologies in advance if this has already been asked many times).

Many, if not most, tobaccos here are sold in pouches rather than tins, including my favourite: Mac Baren Scottish Mixture. Now, if I was to start tucking away, say, half a dozen pouches a month, would they be safe and for how long?

I don't trust myself to get the business of decanting it all into Kilner jars right.

Stick your pouches in glass jars. They won't last forever in plastic pouches alone because water vapour can pass through the thin plastic.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I don't trust myself to get the business of decanting it all into Kilner jars right.

Dump into jar, screw on lid. It's that simple. You should be able to get four 50g pouches into a 473ml jar.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I place my pouches in mylar bags.

 

[Seamaster]

Stick your pouches in glass jars. They won't last forever in plastic pouches alone because water vapour can pass through the thin plastic.

Would packing pouches into, eg, Tupperware be equally effective?

I'm just thinking in terms of ease of storage/space.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Would packing pouches into, eg, Tupperware be equally effective?

I'm just thinking in terms of ease of storage/space.

Tupperware isn't airtight. You'd get a month or two, if that long.

 

[rajangan]

Would packing pouches into, eg, Tupperware be equally effective?

I'm just thinking in terms of ease of storage/space.

It's rare to find a resealable plastic container that seals well enough. If you really want plastic instead of glass, you need to look at containers with screw on lids, and gaskets.

Look at food items at the grocery store. You won't find snap on lids for a reason.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Look at food items at the grocery store. You won't find snap on lids for a reason.

 

[craig61a]

Well, there it is... smoke 1 oz. bowls every day and your problem is solved.

 

[judcole]

Not for any sort of long term storage, however. That will be consumed within a very few days after packaging.

 

[judcole]

Many, if not most, tobaccos here are sold in pouches rather than tins, including my favourite: Mac Baren Scottish Mixture. Now, if I was to start tucking away, say, half a dozen pouches a month, would they be safe and for how long?

That blend improves with aging, too, Even a couple of years does wonderful things to it.

 

[rajangan]

Yeah. Throw that in your cellar. Brilliant. You are like a shining star.

 

[Jwebb90]

I will second Mylar bags.

 

[Casual]

This forum is raising my anxiety levels about the demise of our hobby and I am seriously thinking about cellaring for the first time.

No greater sales tool has yet been invented, than talk of supply drying up.

 

[Seamaster]

I'd sooner run out of toilet paper.

 

[Casual]

You might consider finding some 100g tins. They’re the easiest to keep, since you can just toss them in a box in a closet and forget about them.

Also, you have impeccable taste in pipe tobacco. Scottish Mixture is a favourite.

 

[beezer]

Mylar bags are your friend. Seal the pouches up and forget about them. You don't need to periodically check the lids on your jars, worry about rust or a compromised seal, nothing. Furthermore, your cellar will be much lighter and portable than had you gone with jars and I believe mylar bags are cheaper over the long run than jars and lids.

If you find yourself needing to sell off part of your cellar down the road keeping the baccy in their original packaging will be better than selling jars of bulk also.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

That blend improves with aging, too, Even a couple of years does wonderful things to it.

I think that this is and has been disputed by many. There are a lot of factors go into whether a blend will become better, worse, or not change at all, and I wouldn't bank on those OTC's pouches changing dramatically any time soon. But, if you are just saving some back to have in the future, then a glass jar is the tried and true way, but many have started experimenting with mylar bags... NOT plastic baggies.

Plastic is permeable to air, meaning air is passing through it... not at a rate that would keep a hamster alive for very long in a sealed one, but enough to degenerate your tobacco over time.

 

[ray47]

Glass jars are the way to go for cellaring and by the way, don't believe everything you read about the demise of pipe smoking. I'd bet you dollars to Navy beans that it will be around long after you check out.

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

For a while, until they outgrew its capacity, I had an ammo-can full of pouches. They seal up pretty good, at least until the umpteen-thousandth opening which finally sees the gasket crumble.