This is odd

Bentbrier

Here's one for the group.  You may have seen I opened and smoked a couple bowls of a very old (1980s or older) ton of Lane LTD Mountain Leaf.  In order to keep it from drying out I put the tobacco in an air tight Mason jar (nothing else in jar).  After a couple days the inside of the jar has a cloudy coating like dust or steam.  Pic below but not sure it comes through on photo.  Any ideas.  Room temp is mid 70's and room humidity us low.  It's only on inside.  Other jars next to this one are clear.

mfresa

@Bentbrier, if the tin still had a vacuum on it then it is likely moisture coming out of the tobacco.  The extra space and air provided inside the jar might allow this to occur.  Was it moist when you smoked it?

Bentbrier

@mfresa it wasn't overly moist but not dried out either and yes the tin was still tightly sealed.  Odd to me that other jars, some of which had moister tobacco, didn't do this.  The age may be a factor.

ghostsofpompeii

The tobacco seems to be smoking itself.

Bentbrier

@ghostsofpompeii that was my thought and fear ( too good to let it smoke itself).  It reminded me of the warning I got growing up on a cattle ranch in MT.  Don't put up wet hay.  It will burn down the barn.  Good news is the jar doesn't seem warm so thinking maybe mfresa is right about moisture.  Of course if I open the jar and it busts into flame I'll have to find a way to tamp it and insert a stem 

ghostsofpompeii

@Bentbrier With that amount of tobacco to smoke in a single sitting you may end up looking like this poor fellow.

Bentbrier

So on further investigation it appears to be a fine white dust.  Not water vapor.  Thoughts?

PappyJoe

Bloom from the tobacco. 

mfresa

Very interesting....

Bentbrier

@PappyJoe that ma be it.  Dumping it from tin into the jar might have stirred it up.