Storing filler

[moscca]

As I read here it is important to roll cigars with a dry filler.
Here in Honduras it is very humid, and I'm worried to keep my filler dry.
The sealed jars I find here are to small for leaves, the are fine for my pipe tabacco.
I was looking on amazon for sealed vacuum bag systems, but there are so many options.
Is here a prooved system known ? or an other way ?
Thanks,



Jan.

 

[Gdaddy]

I'm not sure but was wondering if could you use zip lock freezer bags and keep it in your fridge? Or get a separate wine cooler/fridge to keep it in.
I would think this would work just fine.

 

[FmGrowit]

Keep the tobacco in the bags it was sent in. close the bag by folding it a couple of times and use tape or paper clips or something like that to keep it closed. For long term storage, use an iron to reseal the bag.

 

[MarcL]

Wow, your not kidding! When I get leaf, I'll put them in huge freezer bags until I sort them and de-stem them. Then I put them back in the bags they came in. I tend to add moisture before I roll and let them sit a while before smoking but, I think your going to have no hay problema.



The average daily high (blue) and low (brown) relative humidity with percentile bands (inner bands from 25th to 75th percentile, outer bands from 10th to 90th percentile).

 

[Gdaddy]

Keep the tobacco in the bags it was sent in. close the bag by folding it a couple of times and use tape or paper clips or something like that to keep it closed. For long term storage, use an iron to reseal the bag.

Are zip lock freezer bags adequate as an alternative or they don't have the vapor hold that your bags have?

 

[holyRYO]

Are zip lock freezer bags adequate as an alternative or they don't have the vapor hold that your bags have?

I have had good luck for up to two years with double regular Ziplocks.

 

[FmGrowit]

I know it sounds like I'm trying to sell you something, but believe it or not, I spent many months experimenting with different materials and the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of the bags the tobacco is packaged in is equal to at least 2 freezer bags and most likely equal to more than eight times.

Four 1 mil layers is equal to four 1 mil layers. The rate of vapor transmission is slowed with four layers (compared to one layer), but it is not decreased by four times unless the layers are laminated.

The bags are included in the purchase of the tobacco. I'd strongly suggest using them for long term storage.

 

[deluxestogie]

It seems like I just posted on the subject of bag vapor permeability. Don's poly-Nylon bags are definitely superior in preventing leaf from changing its case.

Polyethylene (Ziplocks of every kind) allow water vapor to transpire. The thicker the bag, the slower the transpiration.

Doubling the bags introduces a time lag between when the changes in ambient humidity (and temp) affect internal humidity (and temp). So, doubling a standard Ziplock is a dramatic improvement. It basically subjects the internal contents to the average ambient humidity (and temp), rather than to minute-by-minute fluctuations. Doubling a freezer Ziplock does provide some serious protection. But alas, if the average humidity is always quite low, the contents will dry fairly quickly. Doubled freezer Ziplocks plus some attention to case every few weeks works well.

If the humidity is always too high, then you will need to play with heating and evaporation. If you warm the air within the bag when the bag is vented, then it will tend to drive off moisture. Sealing it then slows the re-entry of moisture into the bag. This is all trial and error. Warm tobacco holds less moisture than cold tobacco, while warm air holds more moisture than cold air.

The greatest drawback of Ziplocks for whole leaf is the size of the bags that are typically available. Many varieties of whole cigar leaf will not fit a 1 gallon bag. Two gallon bags are not as easy to find, and are starting to get pricey, especially if you intend to double them.

With the perfectly sized WLT poly-Nylon bags, folding the cut edge a few times (then anchoring it with tape or a couple of clothespins) will maintain the internal humidity at whatever it is for many months, if the ambient humidity does not differ too dramatically. If you intend to store the leaf unused for more than a year, then thermal sealing will halt nearly all transpiration.

The bottom line is that any barrier will slow the exchange of humidity. How much of a barrier is determined by the vapor transpiration properties of the material. Even a paper bag works for a short time.

For a tropical setting, a tripled Ziplock, with a packet of desiccant crystals between the two outer bags might work.

Bob

 

[holyRYO]

No worries, whatever you use, you can't hurt it, unless it gets too moist and molds, or too dry and crumbles. You have a fairly wide window. To rehydrate, just add water. To dry, direct sunlight or desk lamp. If it's WLT leaf, chances are it will get smoked in no time. I would not invest any money into it unless you actually start to have problems. Get a feel for it first, it's part of the art. Wasn't that Cuban lady in the vidio using plastic shopping bags?

 

[quo155]

Great information here...as it's very humid in East Texas as well. I will put these bags from Don to use!

 

[moscca]

Thanks for all that information !!I have some experience here with storing tabacco for pipe and my cigars.Some tabacco comes in a kind of plastic bag with a long sleeve to close, but how good I try to roll it up, or with big paperclips, after a week or so the tabacco is to wet for pipe smoking.Tabacco in tins, once opened and the vacuum seal is broken, the same problem.I work on a 6 weeks on-off swing, so I have to make sure before I leave, that my leaves are stored so that they don't undergo changes.Now it is summer here and average humidity is around 75, in the rain seazon it is sometimes 100 for days.It seems the poly-Nylon bags are the best way to go. What would be a good size bags, maybe a size bigger so I close it several times. Does anybody knows a good deal on thos bags ?I find it awkward that nobody is considering the vacuum bag option.Jan.

 

[FmGrowit]

The poly-nylon bags are vacuum bags.

Here's a link Vapor Proof Bags

 

[holyRYO]

You have the same problem I have during humid times, storage is not the problem, it's once it's opened, it sucks the humidity right out of the air. Small bags help reduce the amount exposed. I like easy to load and close options so that I can get what I need quickly. Turning on the AC is what I need to do.