Anyone Vacuum Seal Their Crop?

[Davo]

Firstly, sorry about all the capitals in the title. It’s a carryover habit from another forum.

Currently I have whole leaf and blends stored in jars and the WLT bags. Apart from feeling the need to check over the dark air cured varieties from time to time I don’t even really think about them. The jars/bags are either in a cabinet or a chilly bin.

I’m expecting to add another 10lbs to the cellar in homegrown this year and I plan to leave this for a year or two before revisiting it. I have a vacuum sealing machine that I use to seal purchased tins of pipe tobacco in mylar bags. I’m wondering about storing some of my leaf like this after kilning.

is there any advantage/disadvantage in regards to completely vacuum sealing the bag as opposed sealing with a small (or if necessary larger) amount of air inside? I would assume the tobacco would eventually absorb the air content anyways.

what I am uncertain about is whether tobacco actually needs to breathe a bit while it is still relatively young.

also, as an aside, if I was to seal tobacco in bags, how long would I need to let it settle after kilning before bagging up?

Chur

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

It's funny the amount of shinanigans that are ignored, but title case, that line shall not be crossed, lol.

I vacuum seal stuff. It lasts forever with very little risk of mold. It ages well if there's decent moisture level. If you don't remove the mid ribs, you might regret it, because you're basically making a plug.

 

[Davo]

Do you ever press the leaf into a plug? Or the pressure of being vacuum sealed with a bit of case is enough? I’ve decided to remove all mid ribs as I’m happy to play with frog legged or threaded leaf

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Do you ever press the leaf into a plug? Or the pressure of being vacuum sealed with a bit of case is enough? I’ve decided to remove all mid ribs as I’m happy to play with frog legged or threaded leaf

If you vacuum seal it in upper medium case, it will stick together as densely as it would if you used a hydraulic press.

 

[Davo]

Stupid question, forgive me it was an early start. Have been playing blocks since before 5 today.

by storing leaves in that case are you ever worried about the potential for mould growth, even on inside leaves? Or it’s a non issue due to the lack of air inside the bag?

Also, do the leaves stay at the same case somewhat indefinitely? It seems that vacuum sealing would lock the leaves in a closed environment but I’m not sure of the extent tobacco can absorb moisture/dry out from internal chemical reactions etc

 

[Private1]

Playing blocks is probably the best way to start the day, aside from Orlick's Dark Kentucky!


My opinion as a nooby, I don't think it would be a major, but it would get pretty compressed together, and at the right case would just continue to develop?

Could you quickly sterilise the leaves in the right case and leave it sealed/suck the sterile air out under vacuum (so nothing gets in) and then just leave it.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

It has been my experience that I have never had vacuum sealed tobacco mold. I have opened these packages and ended up with mold which grew after I opened them. Even with high case black cavendish which, before vacuum sealing, was left outside in the environment for a few weeks.

I can't guarantee no mold. I just haven't experienced it myself. Just don't put all your platypus embryos in one bushel, and you'll be best kind.