Vacuum Sealing

[Pugsley]

How well does vacuum sealing in plastic bags work? Does it affect the aging process in a negative or positive way? I have a vacuum sealer and with all these new FDA regs I'm considering buying in large bulk amounts, (which I've never done before), and putting it aside for later use. Do the plastic bags impart a flavor over long term storage? I know I could use canning jars but the bags seem like a better option in terms of storage space. What say you?

[OnePyroTec]

That would be a great question for Russ at P&C.

[Haebar]

Here's what a blog on tobaccopipes.com says about it:

Cellaring Tobacco: The Dos and Don’ts - TobaccoPipes.com

Do NOT Store In Plastic
One of the worst crimes a smoker can commit is to store their tobacco in plastic long term.

People believe it is OK to store tobacco in plastic, mostly because when they buy tobacco from their local tobacconist, they store the tobacco in a plastic bag. The intent behind that bag is that you take it home and store it in a jar, or that you smoke it relatively quickly. We are never given plastic bags to keep as storage containers.

The chemicals in the tobacco will begin to erode part of the plastic. This is then absorbed into the tobacco (not good). On top of that, the plastic will itself absorb the tobacco. It will begin to ghost (change colors). Just like how you store chili in a tub container, and after a few weeks the container is no longer clear, but brown, your tobacco will do the same.

“Pounds of tobacco are often delivered to shops in plastic”, you may say.

The truth is is these plastic bags have been chemically engineered to store tobacco for up to five years. So they are safe from the effect.


I don't know if you remember about the 5 lbs. of bulk Dunhill My Mixture that I purchased at the Nashville Pipe Show last year that was unsmokable. It had been stored in the original bag for about 10 years and bit like nobody's business. I ended up giving it to @Lostmason who tried various remedies and wasn't able to improve it. Anyway, my theory is that the casings reacted with the plastic bag and created some nasty contaminant that tainted the tobacco.

[Rocket Scientologist]

Do NOT Store In Plastic
One of the worst crimes a smoker can commit is to store their tobacco in plastic long term.


I don't know if you remember about the 5 lbs. of bulk Dunhill My Mixture that I purchased at the Nashville Pipe Show last year that was unsmokable. It had been stored in the original bag for about 10 years and bit like nobody's business. I ended up giving it to @Lostmason who tried various remedies and wasn't able to improve it. Anyway, my theory is that the casings reacted with the plastic bag and created some nasty contaminant that tainted the tobacco.

Um, so I guess the various samples I got from the Noob Sampler Trade which have been in plastic baggies for...oh, a year or more, are bad now? I have noticed everything kinda tasted the same, you think that's the plastic or my inexperience?

[Haebar]

Um, so I guess the various samples I got from the Noob Sampler Trade which have been in plastic baggies for...oh, a year or more, are bad now? I have noticed everything kinda tasted the same, you think that's the plastic or my inexperience?

I wouldn't think they would have gone bad in that short period of time. The tobacco I was talking about had been stored in the same bag for probably 10 years or more. Although tobacco is shipped and sold in plastic bags, they are not intended for long term storage.

[Bruck]

Um, so I guess the various samples I got from the Noob Sampler Trade which have been in plastic baggies for...oh, a year or more, are bad now? I have noticed everything kinda tasted the same, you think that's the plastic or my inexperience?

C) they're probably too dry. Plastic bags don't hold humidity long term. (I assume you had them in bags outside the humidor but I could be wrong, heck .500 is a good day for me)

[Pugsley]

Well ...... so much for that idea.

[OnePyroTec]

Wonder if there is any study on the mylar/metalized plastic food bags? https://www.uline.com/BL_5552/Food-Bags
Esoterica has been using the mylar/metalized plastic bags for some time. Before that, they used plastic. Makes me wonder how good some of this is anymore after reading the report.
Pipestuds Consignment Shop

[droy1958]

I've been buying in pounds thinking I could store them as is...

[Haebar]

I've been buying in pounds thinking I could store them as is...

Well, if it's any consolation, now is a good time to buy canning jars... businesses are trying to unload them to make space for Christmas items. I got a heck of a deal on some Ball Mason quart jars last weekend at Big Lots. The store had canning supplies marked down 20% and they also had one of those store-wide 20% off sales so I got several cases of the quart jars for just $7.00 a piece. A quart jar will hold approximately 8 oz. of tobacco. The more dense the tobacco, the more you can fit in.