Just a quick question. After a discussion several years ago, I began decanting all snuffs into small brown medicine bottles, all new, with aluminium lids. I now have hundreds! They sit, sealed, in a box under the bed. They are my future proofing for a snuff- apocalypse!!
However I never considered if the aluminium caps with epe liners were safe in the long term?
Any body got an answer?
Thank you so much in advance.
When my canisters become low I transfer the contents into the large aluminium Fribourg & Treyer tall ‘tins’ which are in turn gradually emptied during the course of a year or so. I was assured by Jim Palmer at the Haymarket shop years before that the shape and material used are specifically designed to keep snuff in good condition – and so they do. Most here, however, store snuff in sealed glass jars.
All my stored snuff is kept in the kitchen – always cool for want of heating and out of sunlight. Your strategy of storing snuff in a box under your bed, perhaps while you sleep with a blunderbuss by your side for fear of robbers with designs on your hoard, is probably not so sound.
Although warming snuff before taking enhances the flavour, snuff keeps best when it is in a cool environment – not under your bed in a warm bedroom.
I agree that snuff must be kept in a cool dark place for long term storage, a root cellar being ideal if you have one. Warmth can cause rapid fermentation and will increase the rate at which your snuffs dry out. I use glass jars of different sizes for long term storage of tobacco. Large jars for bulk storage and smaller jars for filling my snuffboxes from. For my main snuffs I also have a medium sized jar I fill the small jar from, it is best not to open the large jars more than once or twice a year.
Bulk snuff keeps itself fresh, 1lb of snuff will keep fresh much longer if you keep it all in one jar as opposed to 9 50g jars.
Thanks for the answers, but specifically… Is aluminium as a cap safe for the long term?
Aluminum will oxidize over time but seeing as it is just the lid and not in direct contact with the snuff it should not be a problem unless it corrodes so much that it starts to flake off and fall on the snuff but it will take ALOT of corrosion for that to happen.
Get a vacuum system. I store pipe tobacco for years in a vacuum with no alteration of moisture, taste nor quality. I do the same thing with my bulk snuff, so far so good.