More on Cellaring - Tin Seal Question

[JSPiper71]

Looking for your experience and wisdom around laying tins down for a long period of time. I saw someone on YT was vacuum sealing his tins in plastic vacuum bags, leaving me to wonder if anyone has ever had an issue with their tins not holding their seal after several years??? I like displaying them in a shelf, so I'd prefer going down this road.

 

[sablebrush52]

Depends on the type and manufacturer of tin. My experience with the square and rectangular metal tins is that they hold up for maybe a decade, while all the time slowly losing their seals, and begin to go bad a little bit at a time. Round tins can distribute the pressure of the seal better than square or rectangular tins and often hold up better, even for decades, though many of those lose ther seals as well. Cannister tins hold up until they don't and can break a seal along the portion of the top where the metal has been scored to make it easier to use the pull ring.
If you want really long term storage, it's mason jars, mylar, or cutter tops..

 

[JSPiper71]

Depends on the type and manufacturer of tin. My experience with the square and rectangular metal tins is that they hold up for maybe a decade, while all the time slowly losing their seals, and begin to go bad a little bit at a time. Round tins can distribute the pressure of the seal better than square or rectangular tins and often hold up better, even for decades, though many of those lose ther seals as well. Cannister tins hold up until they don't and can break a seal along the portion of the top where the metal has been scored to make it easier to use the pull ring.
If you want really long term storage, it's mason jars, mylar, or cutter tops..

Cutter tops?

 

[sablebrush52]

Cutter tops?

An obsolete tinning method that actually preserved the contents for decades. Closest thing today are the large OTC tins that require a key to open them.

 

[JSPiper71]

An obsolete tinning method that actually preserved the contents for decades. Closest thing today are the large OTC tins that require a key to open them.

Ahhh, like my Edgewood RR tin from the 60's. Pull top, like the old beer cans or were they actually sealed like a soup can?

 

[captpat]

I’ve not experienced an issue with rectangular tins failing to maintain a seal, though I only started serious cellaring in 2014

 

[sablebrush52]

Ahhh, like my Edgewood RR tin from the 60's. Pull top, like the old beer cans or were they actually sealed like a soup can?

Sealed like a soup can, with much heavier gauge metal than current tins. They would come with a little cutting knife attached that you pulled loose, jabbed into the top, and worked around the circumference to open the tin.

 

[pipestud]

What sablebrush 52 said regarding cutter tops. But, most of today's tobaccos in the round pull tops are the absolute best bet for keeping them in the tins since you won't find cutter tops anymore. I've dealt with tons of old flat vacuum sealed tins and the round ones do better than the square or rectangle ones regarding keeping their seals for decades. In fact, when I get an old rectangle tin that is 10-years or so old, I always transfer to a Mason Jar immediately just to be safe. I've seen some that were good for decades but have also shed tears over others that lost their seals.

Just my thoughts,
Steve

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

So if you get any rectangular tin with a big dent in the side, lol, (this one has a little age on it as well) would the recommendation be to open it and get it jarred just to err on the side of caution?

 

[monty55]

So if you get any rectangular tin with a big dent in the side, lol, (this one has a little age on it as well) would the recommendation be to open it and get it jarred just to err on the side of caution?

Sounds like a YES!

 

[sablebrush52]

What people forget is that these metal tins were never intended for long term storage. They're not constructed to offer that, especially rectangular and square metal tins. They're not 100% sealed, maybe 99.5%, which is enough of a difference for the vacuum seal to weaken over time. And if one is dented, that seal is going to fail much sooner.
Perfectly fine for a few years, maybe more. At the decade mark, it's iffy.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

FWIW, I've been cellaring for 13 years now, and I don't worry about all of this. If a tin has some microscopic seal issue, then so what. I've never had an issue, nor do I intend to live more than 20 more years. As a smoker, I will be happy to just live ten more years. I've not yet had any issues, nor will I be devastated if I lose a few tins. That's the risk I take.
I just periodically go through and try to open the tins with bare hands. A sealed tin will not open this way. And, I have yet to find one that has failed. If I do find one, I'll just smoke it.

I'm more suspicious on the seals of the jars, than the tins. If you go check out forums and websites devoted to jarring and canning foods, you'll know what I mean. They are not designed to create a seal by just cranking down the ring on the lid. Use a feeler gauge. Check it out.

And, I am not sold on this mylar crap. Ever open a package with an old harddrive in it? The mylar can just break up by touching it.

If the tins are not 100% assurity, then nothing is, and that's the risk we all take. I'm good with that.

 

[kcghost]

I hate to waste time storing tins so I just put them up however I got them. But once I open a tin I smoke it in two weeks time or less.