Storing in Plastic Bags

[Brown Thumb]

Went digging around tonight in the Baccy Cellar.
Low and behold. Bottom shelf baccy shoved into the dark corner against the concrete wall.
Bags of damp moldy Baccy, 7 of them from 2013.
Somehow the plastic bags can wick moisture out of concrete.
My basement is dry so I am like WTF.
The bags on top of them are fine, just the ones against the concrete walls.

 

[BarG]

Bummer BT. Never experienced that.

 

[Alhefner]

Food storage bags like that are slightly porous. They'll leak vapor in and out. A good 'vapor proof' bag would probably have done OK.

 

[Brown Thumb]

The crazy part is for the most part, I have to bring the Older Baccy Leaf back into case before handling it.
Condensation, like a windshield.

 

[Knucklehead]

The leaf I have stored in 2.5 gal. zip locks dry out really, really fast. Which means they can also take moisture in through the bag. A fellow member located these vapor proof bags from Uline: http://www.uline.com/BL_5563/Vacuum-Bags?keywords=poly nylon bags We had a mini-group buy and split the bags and the cost. We got the 10"x30" bags. Perhaps you could split a case with someone you trust. My sidekick says they may be just a pube hair thinner than Don's bags, but that's not much difference.

MarcL, can you mic a pube?

 

[deluxestogie]

The concrete acts as a refrigerator for those bottom bags. So whatever moisture they have inside, or can draw inside is more likely to condense, and allow mold to grow.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

The concrete acts as a refrigerator for those bottom bags. So whatever moisture they have inside, or can draw inside is more likely to condense, and allow mold to grow.

Bob

I hadn't thought of that. I think a difference in temperature between inside and outside causes condensation. There would be a greater temp difference against the cool concrete.

 

[BarG]

I'd put it in a box in an area that is dry dry dry, Bugs don't like extra dry, mold don't like dry at all., humans like a little moisture content. A happy medium sucks all the way around. Vapor proof bags for allowing storage and reuse are optimal as long as no bugs are introduced. @2 yrs later and being in right case when sealed properly comes out very much the same. There is a key to monitering for bugs, look for powder in bag.

 

[BarG]

. My sidekick says they may be just a pube hair thinner than Don's bags, but that's not much difference.

MarcL, can you mic a pube?

Are we talking redhead or blonde?

 

[MarcL]

I'll have to reach into some old bags to get some variants to get an average. This is going to take some research.

 

[ArizonaDave]

I thought WLT had storage bags for sale.....I need to check into it too.

 

[deluxestogie]

The Uline bags are fully transparent 3 mil poly-nylon, which is used for commercial food vacuum-sealing. Don's bags are nearly transparent, (I'm guessing) 4.5 to 5 mil poly-nylon, which is preferred for vacuum sealing foods that may include sharp bone edges. I'm sure that the vapor transfer rates differ, but I'll have to see if that makes a practical difference for home storage of whole leaf. The heavier bags certainly protect whole leaf better during warehouse handling and shipping.

The Uline 10" x 30" bags are specially priced, so they end up costing $0.158 per bag, plus shipping. Uline has warehouses scattered around the country, so shipping costs vary.

If you're looking for only a handful of bags, or a small number each of various sizes, then Don's bags are definitely the way to go. I decided that, since nearly all my storage needs are for small batches of flat cigar leaf, the 10" x 30" bags (which can be cut shorter) would be reasonable in a large quantity.

A Web search for poly-nylon or vacuum bags will turn up a number of other sources, some with thicker bags (up to 5 mil), but at a much higher cost, and with the same large quantity requirements.

For newbies, I would recommend going with Don's bags. If you have so much home-grown leaf that you don't know what to do with all of it, then a case of bags may be a solution for storage. Check out the available sizes and costs from Uline: http://www.uline.com/BL_5563/Vacuum-Bags?keywords=poly-nylon.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I seal Don's bags with these clips the wife brings home from work. They are on the bags that contain the stuff they make casts with or the cement they use for bones/implants; i forget. I haven't searched it, because I get them for free, but it says www.weloc.com on it.



They work well.

 

[deluxestogie]

Those Weloc clips are the Cadillac of bag closures. "WeLoc are manufactured in Sweden under strict hygiene conditions..." You could probably surgically implant one in your leg, without risk of toxic exposure. And, they can be autoclaved for sterility! I'll bet that the original cost of one clip exceeds the price of the tobacco in the bag. But free is good, and I'm sure they would otherwise be tossed into the waste can. Nice.

Bob

PS: Use a pair of scissors to open your poly-nylon bags. That will leave you with more bag length.

 

[Smokin Harley]

you used Ziplock bags , they're not vapor proof and you had a cold concrete surface next to the bags...condensation due to acute temperature differences. same as putting a plastic tarp down on an assumingly dry concrete (garage) floor. youd think it was dry but it will produce a dew like moisture over night. long term exposure like this , encourages mold. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Smokin Harley]

just realized this post is a year and a half almost old.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

just realized this post is a year and a half almost old.

The new post was the one about the clips.

And good eye, Bob, for noticing my lousy bag opening technique. I'll be sure to use scissors next time.