Going to cellar some tobaccos

ocpunk714 · February 2018

Been reading articles from The Lounge section of the website and decided I want to cellar some tobaccos. I got a 6 oz sampler of some Latakia blends...Balkan Supreme and Stokkebye Proper English. I might get some more Cornishman on International Pipe Smoking Day.

Has anyone here cellered Frog Morton on the Bayou? That tobacco came on recommendation from John David of The Country Squire.

motie2 · February 2018

@ocpunk714 -- Here for downloading is a document of cogent tips on cellaring pipe tobacco.

ocpunk714 · February 2018

Thanks again for coming through with some more knowledge @motie2

The articles were also extremely informative as well. One of the things I love about this culture is how intimate and involved you can become with the process.

ghostsofpompeii · February 2018

@ocpunk714 Starting a cellar ... a lot of fun but fraught with peril, as you are slowly pulled into the world of obsessive tobacco hoarding. It starts slowly with a few orders to Pipes And Cigars or Smokingpipes and before long the UPS guy knows you intimately - he's seeing you three or four times a month. And before you know it the house is amass with Mason jars of tobacco blends and stacks of tins. But it's still not enough. After all, the dark cloud of the FDA Deeming Regulation is looming overhead while the clock is ticking on the final months of Dunhill blends causing additional panic buying. Proceed with caution my friend. In less than two years I acquired enough tobacco to get me through three recessions, a full on depression, and the zombie apocalypse. I find I can give advice ... but 'the jones' has got me so bad I can't heed my own advise. It's great to start a cellar, and stock it with a variety of blends - as well as doubling up on your favorite blends. But before you start stocking the shelves gage your tobacco usage to get an idea of how much you actually smoke in a month's time. Are you a one or two bowl a day smoker - just week-ends - or several bowls a day? The size of your cellar should reflect the frequency and amount that you smoke ... even if you are stocking up for the long haul. It's true that tobacco will never be cheaper than it is today, because everything goes up. And that's how I've rationalized my purchases. And I see where that logic and line of thinking has gotten me.

ocpunk714 · February 2018

@ghostsofpompeii

My rate of smoking is pretty consistent. I have about 6 tobaccos in rotation now(mostly one oz bags) and have gone through about 2 1/2 ounces in 3 weeks. What I got from P&C would probably last 1 to 2 months.

I was browsing tobaccos last night and practically had to cut my hand off to avoid shopping on The Country Squire for some tins.

PappyJoe · February 2018

@ocpunk714 - The Country Squire has some excellent bulk house blends. You can also occasionally find hard to find tins of tobacco there but for the most part they will be a couple of dollars more expensive than ordering on-line. That part is true for all brick & mortar tobacco shops. Knowing this, I still mostly buy one or two tins a month from my local B&M to support them. They in turn support our local pipe club.

ocpunk714 · February 2018

@PappyJoe

I am thinking about getting their Cornishman in bulk. Got a 1 ounce bag and it is one of my favorites so far.

Real tobacco shops are non existent where I live in California. Everyone vapes or does hookah. I’m really surprised that @Oddjob27 lives literally right down the street from me.

Oddjob27 · February 2018

@ocpunk714 Everyone around here vapes and hookah. Locally, we have a number of big time vape players. I actually worked for one of them, no, I don't consider myself a vaper. But that being said, the only real "tobacconist" is down south in Lake Forest, The Tobacco Barn.

ocpunk714 · February 2018

@Oddjob27 that’s off El Toro right? My cousin said High Times in Costa Mesa carries pipe tobaccos. I haven’t been there in awhile, but I remember them having a sizable humidor for cigars.

BlueCollarBastard · February 2018

Can one use a food saver to cellar some? Vacuum seal it.

Oddjob27 · February 2018

@ocpunk714 Yes sir. High Times isn't a bad spot to go to, but Tobacco barn does carry a lot of the big name stuff. I recently saw Frog Morton Cellar there. VERY expensive compared to online, but if you do have a strong inclination to support "local" business then it's a decent spot. They are having a Savinelli event this Saturday.

mfresa · February 2018

@BlueCollarBastard that is an excellent idea.

BlueCollarBastard · February 2018

@mfresa thanks. I've just read and saw on other posts and sites where people complained about mold growing on their cellared stock. We vacuum seal food why not tobacco? It comes vacuumed sealed in tins. Just do it again

mfresa · February 2018

Worth giving it a try

jfreedy · February 2018

The down side with vacuum sealing tobacco is that it will no longer age without any air. It will simply “exist” like Bilbo feeling like butter spread over too much bread.

PappyJoe · February 2018

@BlueCollarBastard - As @jfreedy said, the problem with vacuum sealing is that the non-aromatic components of the tobacco will not age if there is no air in the jar. As for mold growing on cellared stock, I've seen post like that but have never experienced it myself. I would hazard a guess that some other factors come into play like the jar not being properly cleaned first or the mold was on the tobacco before it was cellared. That does happen occasionally and some people I trust have opened new tins and found mold. The on-line retailer they ordered from promptly replaced it.

The general belief is that aromatic pipe tobacco does not age because of the casing and topping used in the processing. I believe this to be true also but with a caveat - the Virginias used in aromatics are not cased it is possible that it will age somewhat. Another thing I've believe with cellared aromatics is that while they don't really age, the flavors will meld together the longer its stored. The analogy I like to use is how a pot of stew or soup (red beans if you live in Louisiana) always taste better after siting in the refrigerator overnight.

Woodsman · February 2018

I think that a plastic, sealed bag wouldn't stay intact for many years. Try sealing a bag and in a day or two give it a sniff. If you smell tobacco it's not air proof. The only mold problem that I recollect was in the tins of a particular manufacturer. The white flecks seen on long cellared tobaccos that I've seen are sugar crystals formed by fermentation.

xDutchx · February 2018

Speaking of vacuum sealing, I would think sealing in mylar bags would be just the ticket for latakia blends and aromatics. Since latakia peaks when aged around the 2 year mark, and then begins to decline in strength, I would think that vacuum sealing with no air in mylar bags, would be ideal for keeping aros and lat blends in a suspended in time state. Similar to what Michael Jackson planned to do with himself in that cryogenic chamber. It would be similar to tobacco sealed in coin twist tins, only better because there would be no chance of rust forming as does in some of the factory tins. I'll bet my last tin of Christmas cheer, that your tobacco would come out looking a lot better than Michael Jackson as well.

I'm not sure how long mylar is rated for food storage, but it is the choice of preppers from what I have heard.

Kmhartle · February 2018

@xDutchx I think you're right. The plastic bags are permeable. Although the food grade bags may be less so. The Mylar would probably be the better option as certain foods will shelf for decades. Add an oxygen absorber packet before sealing and it would probably extend the shelf life even more. I've used the Mylar bags before when packaging food for fly in fishing trips. I may experiment with an aromatic tobacco and report back in a few decades.

ocpunk714 · March 2018

Updated look of my cellar. I got a couple more FM 100g tins coming from smoking pipes.

Jayhawk422 · March 2018

I just cellard my 5100 that I got last night. It was wonderful smelling all of that tobacco, but sad at the same time.

mustangii · March 2018

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029410/uploads/editor/nd/b9jn2ptclx8i.jpg

My Cellar

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029410/uploads/editor/lb/xjmne25a6syq.jpg

mustangii · March 2018

My cellar, bottom 2 shelves are for my Hookah stuff.
edm

Woodsman · March 2018

@mustangii Do you buy separate hookah type tobacco or do you use regular pipe tobacco? Back in 65 My friend and I bought a small 2 hose hookah that we used on long trips in the car. Whoever was shotgun did the filling and lighting. We occasionally got pulled over by a cop who would approach sniffing for weed. one or two would get us out of the car but the scent of the Amphora plus sniffing the tobacco in the pouch would avoid any legal issues. Today I get looks from some of them while smoking my regular pipe and I see questioning looks from some.

motie2 · March 2018

@mustangii -- Howdy and welcome. Say, I get the tin of Altoids, but what is the "Banishing Cream" for? Just askin'.......

mustangii · March 2018

@motie2 I live in a Mobile Home with my loving wife, where my cellar is a middle bedroom that has become a catch all room. has My camping stuff and paintball stuff in it. Some of my wife's stuff appears in there from time to time, lol. @Woodsman just Hookah tobacco, Have not smoked reg pipe tobacco or anything else in it.

Budman · March 2018

Yes, once you start cellaring, look out.... lol

Woodsman · March 2018

@Budman Oh yeah, nice organizing.

Jayhawk422 · March 2018

Everything I have is in a cardboard box that is a tin in my basement. My jars are the same way as well. Hopefully soon we can buy a new dresser and I can turn my old one into a tobacco cellar and pipe cabinet.

ocpunk714 · March 2018

A work in progress still. The bag has a couple burleys I’m going to get some more jars for. Thank the Lord for Target gift cards.

Organizing things a bit better now.

Jayhawk422 · March 2018

@ocpunk714 your cellar is looking good.

Going to cellar some tobaccos

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