so recently I purchased some scotches at my local grocery. I got a’few scotches in tubes a little over a once each. I already have a humidor for my cigars and acrylic sealed locking lid jars I keep extra cigars and another that i keep my hookah tobacco’s in. Will this work also to keep my snuff fresh. I also have been refilling smaller 5g tins of old snuff with my scotches so I don’t have to keep opening them over and over will this help too?
I’ve never tried it but it seems like the humidity level for cigars would be higher then for snuff. Snuff will absorb moisture at much quicker and more thorough rate then cigars would. Wilson of sharrow recommends useing the crisper in your fridge. Though air exposure is really the biggest thing to be concerned with as far as snuff storage goes. The best thing is air tight and to minimilize exposure to air. So one of the best things is to decant into a smaller container for use while keeping the bulk of the snuff in an air tight container only opened for transfer snuff.
@bob yeah I don’t use the humidification gel in the jars with the hookah tobacco only in the humidor. Also I figured the smaller tins would be a good idea, but all my scotches are in those like cardboard tubes and I figure that doesn’t help much in itself. but thanks i almost put in one of my extra humi packs for cigars, glad i didn’t now although some of my scotches are realy realy dry (as they should be I guess) would that help with a little moisture you think?
@ snuffeysouthcarolina, My feelings are that you don’t have to worry with scotches, as it is dry to start with. But you may like to read what ermtony says about keeping snuff on his web-site. >> http://ermtony.pbworks.com/w/page/23670787/Snuff-Storage
@snuffhead thank you that was informative. I think I will be using a combo of ziplock bags and the large locking sealed lid containers I already use for my other tobaccos’ that should do the trick I think.
Ya, just beforeyou finely ziplock the bags squeeze out the bags, then if you can roll them up and put them in an other larger ziplock bag and do the same. As they are not fully airtight. It’s a little like keeping beer & wine the less ullage, the better.
So glad to see this thread, as I was tempted to start one. Thanks ssc and all. When I moved from the northeastern US to the southwest I certainly noticed that Copenhagen dip dried out a lot faster. I’ve been doing what ermtony suggests–with the ziplocks and small tins and transfers and all, with good results. A WoS Best Dark went unsnuffable very quickly on me, and that caused me to take action.
I keep my snuff in a Cigar humidor and it works great. I have one just for cigars and then another one that has half snuff and half pipe tobacco.
I saw some bail-top glass jars with rubber gaskets at Target not long ago. They were advertised as spice jars. I’m guessing, but I’d say they probably hold between 100-150 grams each, maybe more. They were very reasonably priced, and looked like they would make excellent snuff jars. I may pick up a couple the next time I’m there.
I purchased something that sounds similar, Pipesnusnsnuff. They were not clear jars. My lids and rubbers didn’t match up correctly and the bailer was kinder cheap. That’s something I couldn’t tell because they came in a box. Hopefully yours turn out better. After that is when I went wholeheartedly with Mason Jars for storage. And half-pints are nice if you don’t buy in huge bulk amounts.
Store snuff in an airtight container and you have solved the problem. It’s as simple as that and I have lots of snuff over 30 years old that is in perfect condition simply through storing in airtight containers. Personally, Im convinced that anything else is just redundant.
@Bart: The ones I saw were indeed clear glass jars, so I’m hoping they’re not as disappointing as the ones you describe. The packaging was such that you could easily see the contents.
@pipensnusnsnuff I got mine at wal-mart just sitting on a shelf they are acrylic with large rubber gaskets and locking lids they are about a half gallon tho and are made for like flour but I just started using it with my larger tins we will see if it works. It worked perfect for my stogies.
Yeah those kilnar I think they are called are pretty cool with the locking gaskets. I got two plastic ones from target. Plastic scares me though I want to get glass haven’t found any good ones yet.
I use a little over a tin of American Scotch snuff a month. I buy it by the case and put it in a freezer bag in my office. That means it takes almost a year to use up the last tin. When I get the new case I can’t tell any difference in freshness. I don’t think American Scotches get stale.
I think you are right, or at least not for a heck of a long while. Snuff looses it’s flavour when the aromatics get carried away in evaporation, leaving dry, tasteless tobacco grit behind. Hard to see any US scotch getting much drier!
Definately airtight containers, Wilson’s airtight time had a shelf life of 4 years(until they were opened of course!), pocket boxes would have a limited shelf life of three months and will lose their flavour and top notes after which time they were classed as old stock and would be returned the mixing process…
Avoiding oxygen, light and heat but not freezing is standard for herb storage. Suppliers to herbalists sell foil lined ziplock bags. As mentioned above, bleeding the air helps avoid oxidation. Commercial suppliers flood nitrogen before sealing, but that might be a bit overdone.
No nitrogen was used in the filling and lidding process at J & H Wilson’s…
I just zip lock my tins and store them in a file box in my closet. I haven’t had any problems yet.