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Tobacco Storage

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janetta007

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I have looked at all the forum and sub- forums and cannot find a title for storing tobacco. I just thought it would be under finished tobacco. Is there a way to make a sub- forum on Tobacco Storage? Just my thoughts.

Janetta
 

BarG

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For me personally I use a myriad of methods.
1-I hang for a year in a shed closed with one window screened and cracked open a few inches.
2-Dons vapor proof bags in just the right case to prevent mold and remain pliable.
3-2 1/2 gallon ziplocks in same case as above.
4-A large cardboardbox 4-!2-30 pack soft drink or beer boxs

In the cardboard boxs it should be stored in low humidity, I do. rehydrate as needed. I got that tip from Bonner and thats how I store his burley which reminds me I have 3 hands of that coming out of my kiln this week.
 

DGBAMA

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Just keep a small amount for yourself and put the rest in the mail to other ftt members, then you don't have to worry about storage. We will all pitch in to make sure it is used appropriately before it can mold or be damaged. Lol.
 

BarG

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Most FTT members grow more than they can smoke. Check out the homeless in your area if you want to give it away.A bag of homegrown would keep them in hog heaven. We do like to share new types or varieties with other members. Also check out Boboro on his beer box storage.
 

BarG

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Just keep a small amount for yourself and put the rest in the mail to other ftt members, then you don't have to worry about storage. We will all pitch in to make sure it is used appropriately before it can mold or be damaged. Lol.

Even Better!!!
 

SmokesAhoy

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Don has managed to figure out storage conditions. I have leaf unopened that is perfectly in case in a plastic bag over a year old that has no mold whatsoever but when opened is perfectly in case ready to be worked.

For me I have been experimenting with twists and it's curing wonderfully right off the plant, wilted for a day then compressed with rope. It's a rich dark brown and is coming along beautifully with no signs of mold. I hang for a week then rewrap when I can squeeze the twist and feel some give. After that I let it go longer then unwrap and store it.

The leaf that has been treated like this, when part green has a much more lustrous brown look and tobacco smell than purchased leaf that was uniform brown before putting in the twist. Something to do with the fresh saps in the new leaf I think. I will definitely be doing all my leaf like this unless something really bad crops up in the next few weeks.
 

Knucklehead

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The Don's vapor proof bags. He sells them in one to ten pound capacity sizes. The price is cheap. After initial opening I reseal each bag with clothes pins because I want to reuse them. If you heat seal them shut each time, the bag gets shorter and shorter until it's basically useless. Large amounts of leaf can be stored in the five or ten pound capacity bags and tobacco moved to one pound bags for use.

http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/418-Vapor-Proof-Bags
 

ChinaVoodoo

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What about storing shredded leaf in cedar cigar boxes?

I can't see too much wrong with storing tobacco in cigar boxes, unless you want to be certain it doesn't pick up any of the cedar aroma. However, cigar boxes won't address the hydration issue. Too dry, it breaks or disintegrates or at the least, doesn't age. Too moist, and it molds.

Boxes in bags would benefit by the tobacco not being in contact with the plastic, for better air flow, but downside would be that cigar boxes are small, relatively, and you would need lots of them.
 

Knucklehead

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What about storing shredded leaf in cedar cigar boxes?

Keep in mind that the "cedar" ( actually a misnomer) used in cigar boxes and humidors is actually not a cedar species at all. The wood variety used is named "Spanish Cedar" and it is a member of the Mahogany family, not the Cedar family. Deciduous Spanish Cedar is no relation to Coniferous Cedar and does not have that strong pine type coniferous cedar odor. Although a pleasant smell on it's own, Cedar can really overpower your cigars.

Cedar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar

Cedrela (Spanish Cedar): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedrela

The best thing that I have found for storing whole leaf is the vapor proof bags that Don ships his leaf in. He also sells just the bags in 1 lb., 5 lb. and 10 lb. sizes. I shred leaf about a 1 - 1.5 lbs. at a time and work out of 2.5 gallon zip lock baggie. After I finish a cigarette stuffing session, I mist about three pumps from the water bottle sprayer into the bag and the tobacco is ready the next time I stuff cigarettes.

I have also found that shredding the leaf as you need it, opposed to shredding a lot of leaf for storage, gives a little more fresh taste to your cigarettes.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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I built a plug press out of Western red cedar (also not really a cedar). The tobacco in a short while picked up a lot of "cedar" character, mostly on the nose, but not so much in the smoke, but the moral of the story is, use something else ; hardwood / plastic, etc.
 

Brown Thumb

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Dons bags are awesome. # 1 on my list.
I use ziplocks also but if you have low humidity it will dry out over 6 months.
 

burge

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Tobacco gets better with age. I called Doug at ryo magazine and asked about the Danish blend and he told me it is aged by moistening and drying it out and remositening it again. Three Castles is soaked in water and redryed. Also the type of cut changes the flavour. I live in a low humidity climate. I find air affects the taste so does sweating the tobacco so when it gets super hot her my tobacco will naturally sweat. Experiment a bit i do know with the lemon viriginia that I have drying it out a remosting it it tastes better and better
 

webmost

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Do you think that repeatedly hydrating and then drying would knock the physical strength out of your leaves?
 

deluxestogie

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I don't think so. My experience--with BigBonner burley, WLT leaf, home-grown leaf, commercial cigars and commercial pipe blends--has been that cycles of drying tend to decrease the volatile aromatics (read "subtle aroma"), but the nicotine remains pretty much the same, and over a span of 20 or more years.

Bob
 
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