Just a quick question about pipe tobacco storage… I very rarely smoke my pipe, but it’s a treat and something I really enjoy when I get round to it. I’ve probably only smoked 5 bowls full since I started and have tried two types of tobacco. I was keeping them in their original packaging (one that was similar to the kind of pack rolling tobacco comes in, and one that was simply a rolled up bag with tobacco in the bottom) and in a clik-loc box. I got the box out earlier for the first time in two or three months and the tobacco was bone dry. What’s the best way to store pipe tobacco so that I can occasionally smoke a bowl? I’d probably get through 25grams in 6 months at the rate I’ve been smoking, is it just inevitable that it’s going to dry out over such a time period? I don’t really want to shell out for some nice baccy and then have it go dry on me.

Put it in jars, the type with the plug tops. They are rather cheap and keep things airtight. Also the longer you keep it “cellared” the better it will get.

I use ball canning jars. In a dark place. It works wonders have had some for over two years. The best part is the tobacco dries out just the right amount and stays that way seemingly forever. Definatly agree with the ageing thing. In fact I have one blend I hated when I bought it now it’s mind blowingly good. Actualy got really good in about a month.

Yep, canning jars are the ticket. And like money in the bank (those few who have such a thing) the more you’ve got cellared the more secure and happy you’ll feel.

definatly. There is also nothing sadder then running out of a favorite blend. Good bye to the Allegro.

I store my tobacco in mason jars.

Yes glass, not plastic. Air tight! There is a point in time where the tobacco uses up all the air. Pipe tobacco loves aging in that condition.

I can’t stress how much better a tobacco that has been aged is. It’s really amazing.

Not all pipe tobacco blends benefit from aging, or at least not to the same extent. Usually, it’s the blends that are mostly Virginia leaf that age the best. Aging doesn’t seem to affect Burleys quite as dramatically, although there are exceptions, like the 20-year-old Kentucky (fire-cured Burley) in G. L. Pease Cumberland. Don’t waste time and cellar space trying to age an aromatic. That’s a fool’s errand.

Mason jars in a cellar, but any dark, cool place will work, remember temp fluctuations, heat, and light promotes the growth of bacteria which can cause you tobac to go bad. I also remember reading somewhere that pipe tobacco ages best at around 55-70 degrees (which just so happens to be the avg temp of a cellar) and aging does drastically improve most blends. I won’t smoke any McClelland blend that hasn’t been aged at least a year.

Actually mold is much more of a problem than bacteria. And the most crucial factor is storage in airtight containers. A dark and cool place is good, too, but it won’t help at all if your containers leak air.

Any opinions on cellaring in the refrigerator?

Pipe tobacco doesn’t really need to be stored in the fridge, and there’s a much better chance of mold jumping from a food item into your tobacco, if your containers aren’t perfectly airtight. I wouldn’t recommend it. A closet or cellar is probably better. Heck, even a cardboard box will do.

Agreed, storing pipe tobacco in the fridge is not a good idea, a carboard box in the closet would be better, and if your low on closet space you can even store it in a box under your bed.

Thanks guys for the info. It’s just that things get pretty hot and dry around here in summer. But I can find someplace cool dark. Glad I asked.

Man I disagree about the aromatics. Sunset breeze by petersons taste good from the tin but it’s got a bite from hell. Put a match out on your tongue to get an idea of what the bite is like. After about a month it’s wonderfull smooth with no bite.

Also aromatics do require proper storage even if not for aging. I would also recommend an environment that does not have too much temperature fluctuation. If the location is exposed to daytime heating etc. you can use a styrofoam cooler to moderate.

When you talk about aging pipe tobacco, you’re talking years, not months. And yes, I agree, all pipe tobaccos need to be stored properly, even if you’re not aging them.

All my pipe tobaccos are in their own jar (not a jar full of bags) with a paper label. I keep them out on a shelf that gets some sunlight, but not much.

@Pike Mopers: Storing it there is alright as long as its the tobacco your smoking not ageing, as you will probably end up smoking it all before it has a chance to go bad. But I wouldn’t age tobacco for years on that shelf. You should always keep some of your tobacco in smaller jars for smoking as you don’t want to keep opening your ageing jars(this defeats the purpose of ageing) you want to leave them alone for as long as possible. Also I’ve found tinned tobacco ages better when moved to a jar because the vacuum-sealed enviroment that keeps it fresh, impedes the ageing process.

^ thanks for the tips. I have only been a pipe smoker for a few months now and I haven’t narrowed it down to any blends to order more than 2-4oz of. More than likely in 8 months-1 years time I won’t have any of this particular tobacco anymore so I’m not that worried about it.

For inexpensive airtight storage, I recommend Snapware: http://www.snapware.com/W-401001.html

For inexpensive airtight storage, I recommend mason jars, its less than 20 bucks for a box of 12 1L mason jars. I find a 1L mason holds about 1 pound of flake, and a 1/2 pound of ribbon(or similar) cut.

Great tip about the cooler. Just moved my baccy there. Up here in Canada, pipe tobacco is about 4 times more expensive than in the 'States. If I had to buy it all here, aging would not be a concern. Buying hand blended bulk from my guy in the US was a great discovery and I now have the option to store and age some.

BTW, I just resurrected a burned-through cob. If anyone would like to know how, just whisper me. Cheers

I also have a method of cob fixing that never fails. You go the gas station and get a new one 'cause they are like 3 dollars.

I do find that even after a few months in proper storage it will age tobacco. I’ve noticed too that you’re right (if I follow correctly that is) that the “plain” blends seem to get the most out of ageing after a few years. The blends that I’ve aged for years the aromatics aren’t as noticably improved (still improved) as are the plain tobaccos where it’s really noticable.

Pike, not in my little village. You couldn’t buy a pipe of any kind here to save your life. Also, being a particularly well-heeled country boy, I buy only the best (Missouri Meerschaums) and with the exchange and shipping and all, they can cost me upwards of $12 bucks. When you spend that kind of money, you want to make them last.lol

The Missouri Meerschaums are about $3.00, maybe $4.00. I can find them in about 10 different stores in walking distance. Drug stores, newsstands, convienence stores all sell them here.The tobacco shop has a bucket of them on a shelf, you can pick the one you want. That’s odd, becuase I rarely see anyone smoking a pipe. I guess like me, they do it in private.

Holy cow, that’s sure cheaper than online! I obviously have to be a better shopper. I love that they are so inexpensive because they smoke so absolutely well. Cool and dry. I only got on to them because folks here and on the Fedora Lounge were talking about them. When I think of the amount of money I’ve spent over the years on briars and meers…

Yeah, well they’re only good for a handful of smokes before they burn through, and they’re kind of short and stubby. I do know there are higher end cobs available. I’ve never bothered with them though. MM also makes some little wood ones, I think they are cherry. They’re usually sold side by side with the cobs.

@wildwilliam, or any other pipe smokin Canadians: In Canada you are allowed to order up to 500g of pipe tobacco duty free, I order a pound at a time, sometimes 4 or 5 times a week and I never had to pay duties. smokingpipes.com will even warn you if you’ve gone over 500g before you finish checkout.

Cobs like the Diplomat and The Great Dane have a hardwood insert bottom so they last longer. 7.49 for the Diplomat and 8.59 for the Great Dane http://www.corncobpipe.com/

@n9inchnails - where did you see that you can order 500g of pipe tobacco duty free? You might be allowed to BRING IN that much if you are out of the country for 48 hours, and you can do it something like 3 times a year, but I have never seen anything suggesting I could ORDER pipe tobacco duty free. Last year I ordered some pipe accessories and a single pouch of Sail (50 g) and I had to pay something like $18-20 in tobacco tax, plus PST and GST. A few years ago I crossed the border with about 1/2 a pack of American smokes (from a day trip to Spokane) and customs charged me something like $9 in tax for that. I suppose it could be because it was cigarettes instead of pipe tobacco, but still… If you have some written code on that, I would love it, as Customs has been very harsh to me over the years. I wonder if it is a luck thing for you - I recently received a package from Wilsons that had mistakenly declared the contents as 2 KG of tobacco (it wasn’t!) but it was completely ignored by Customs - just some good luck to go with my usual miserable luck…so I wonder if you have just been ignored so far? Best Regards, Geraldo

@Geraldo: I do believe that is is a relatively new law that may not have been in effect when you ordered last year. I have ordered over 30 pounds of pipe tobacco this year, a pound at a time and have not had to pay duties on any of my orders. Just this week I received an order for a pound of GH Louisiana Flake duty free. Some of my orders were even opened by customs (I know this because it was taped up with tape that said opened by customs). The only written word of this that I have seen is on smokingpipes.com when you try to order more than 500g, thats how I found out. This is what the message says when you try to order over 500g: All international shipments will now be sent via United States Postal Service only, and will have a true and honest Customs declaration attached. It is the customer’s duty to know the Duty Free amount of tobacco allowed in their country. Here is a partial list of Duty Free amounts: Armenia 500g, Australia 250g, Austria 250g, Azerbaijan 1000g, Belgium 250g, Canada 500g, China - People’s Republic of 1000g, Cyprus 250g, Czech Republic 250g, Denmark 250g, Estonia 250g, Finland 250g, France 250g, Germany 250g, Hong Kong 250g, Hungary 250g, Japan 250g, Latvia 250g, Lithuania 250g, Luxembourg 250g, Malaysia 225g, Netherlands (Holland) 250g, Poland 250g, Russia 250g, Singapore 400g, Slovakia 250g, Slovenia 250g, Spain 250g, Sweden 250g, Taiwan 500g, United Kingdom 250g You are shipping to a country that allows for a maximum weight of 500.00 grams. Your shipment weight for tobacco is 526.17 grams. There is the possibility that you may need to pay extra tariff’s on your tobacco when it arrives. We believe that this information is correct, however, weight limits can and do change frequently. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY ANY AND ALL CUSTOMS DUTY THAT MAY BE DUE ON YOUR ORDER. Under no circumstances will we be responsible for your taxes.

Thanks for the info on cobs and the skinny on importing pipe weed into Canada. I’ve had no problems so far, knock on wood. My two little dinky old Canadian cobs have had about thirty smokes each so far. Only one has burned through, and I just made a plug for it out of some douglas maple that grows all over around here and it is back in service doing a yeoman’s job. Another great tip I learned on the net someplace is to put a layer of pipe mud in the bottom of the pipe before you fire it up. This works GREAT. I am so taken with cobs that I’ve not smoked a briar or meer in weeks. The cob out-smokes my best briars by a factor of ten and is even drier and cooler than my block meers. The only other pipe I’ve had that was as good was a good calabash with a meer bowl, but that one was too big, heavy and fragile to pack around or be a good clencher. I’m never going back. I just saw a way cool Peterson with a tortoise lucite stem and silver mounts for a really good price which I normally would have bought in a heart beat, but I just let it go. I’ve got four MM’s with custom lucite bits on order from Walker Briar Works including the freehand, his custom ‘nose warmer’ a country gentleman and an egg. All of this is less simoleons than just one of my briars. I’m thinking folks eschew cobs because they think that they are too low class or something, just a toy, or too cheap to be any good. I was a victim of this myself. I am delighted to have found out that none of that is true. If you haven’t tried one you would not believe how good they smoke. Besides, it was good enough for Mark Twain and his literary son Huck, so I feel I’m in great company. Old Sam actually used MM’s, which have been around since 1869. To top it all off, think of the reverse snobbery appeal!

@Wildwilliam So true buddy I received a Mario Grandi some time ago , its a beautiful pipe but cant give me the sweet , dry smoke iam used from the cobs This was the last briar i bought

While I’m sure that Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) smoked many a cob in his day, he was well known to be very fond of Petersons, when he wasn’t smoking a good cigar.

Ta, ap, I feel as though I’ve stumbled on this great, long hidden secret on par with discovering anti-matter or something.lol PSS you are absolutely right, I was looking at a pic of him just today cradling a Peterson. Hope I didn’t imply that cobs were his only pipe, if I did, I apologize. He was however a noted MM smoker and was one of my inspirations, apart from my Dad, to take up the pipe many long years ago.

No problem, I just wanted to clarify that point. Corncobs do make great pipes, I agree, especially for burley blends. They’re also terrific for trying out new blends. If you end up ghosting the pipe with a blend you don’t like, it’s much better that it be a cob than a briar – cobs are easily replaced. Twain has always been an inspiration to me, too, and not just for his pipes. His earthy wisdom and sense of humor are a much-needed antidote to the usual tone of public discourse.

Too true. I’ve just put a hold on some of his classics that I want to re-read. I remember when I was a kid and late at nite I was awakened by uproarious laughter. I went downstairs to find my great old Dad reading “Roughing It.” What a great book. I still remember the bit about the Washoe Zephyr. Just lovely.

All this talk of Twain has got me re-reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and like Twain I love my Petersons, IMHO their system pipes are the most ingenious pipe design, and you got to love their push in stems no fiddling around trying to untwist a tight stem without breaking it, just push it in and out doesn’t get any simplier than that.

how is that diffrent then other stems???

@bob: You clearly don’t own a Peterson System pipe or you won’t be asking that question. With a regular pipe you have to use two hands to remove the stem, one hand on the bowl and the other hand on the stem and then you twist and pull them apart. With a Peterson System pipe you can remove the stem with one hand in a split second!

@n9inchnails I’m confused too. Does that mean it just isn’t as tight of a fit? Or is it lubricated? I put a tiny dab of beeswax on stem where it goes into the pipe and I can get my stems out in a split second as well. However, when I took up pipe smoking I wasn’t aiming to do anything as fast as possible.

I suggest you go to Petersons website or better yet go to your local tobacconist and ask to see a Peterson System pipe, we’re drifting a little too far off topic here.