I know there are threads discussing this topic, but I still have a question I’m not quite clear on. I have several snuffs I don’t use on a daily basis, and some I like to trade out every so often. Do you guys simply pull from your tins or do you decant ALL of your snuffs into something air tight? I’ve noticed I’ll buy like 5 large tins at a time and by the time I empty my first one (yet still pinching from the others) all my other tins are starting to dry out. Would this help to have moved them to something air tight even though I will still be taking from each of them?? Does this make sense? Okay just to clarify- when I see a post by say… @xander and it says “oh I have some O&G sitting in the attic I forgot about- I’ll have to go take a pinch…” is that snuff up there in a bottle for safe keeping or is it a tin you haven’t opened yet or one you have? lol I like to make my snuffs last awhile because I won’t do them all at once, but if I’m taking from them all evenly they will dry out. What to do?

I say keep it in the tin and put the tins in something airtight.

good idea

I think I must have been misunderstood. I have no O&G in bulk, and neither do I keep my bulk in the attic. That would be far too hot. I keep my bulk in artight canisters in the cellar where its cool. I also keep my unopened tins down there sealed in bags and further sealed inside some old army surplus ammo boxes. I do sometimes take a pinch straight from bulk when filling a box or something, but that’s just for the fun of it. Maybe that’s what I was reffering to. If I have a large open tin, and I know I won’t finish it all fast, I do put about half of it into something airtight, like a film canister or a F&T tube. The vast majority of my open tins are sadly rather dried out, but that’s what I get for getting so many open at once. These are getting fewer as I empty them though. Some have had to be rehydrated.

Tins in an airtight container, bulk in an airtight jar - simple as that. I know people talk about storing in the fridge/freezer/humidor etc (even WoS suggest keeping it in the fridge, but I think that’s more about their round cans which even when stored unsealed will let the snuff dry out) - it’s simple physics: if air can’t get in, moisture can’t get out. Get some large food grade jars, or even washed out airtight peanut butter jars and I guarentee your snuff will stay fresh. I use 4 litre airtight plastic cereal holders, the type that has a hole for shaking the cereal out as well as a clip down lid. I have 8lbs of bulk Toque in there that stays 100% fresh. The few small cans I keep are stored in the same way and likewise stay as fresh as when the snuff was bought.

8 lbs! And I used to rib Stokes…

I know, I know, shameful decadence…

@Xander I wasn’t referring to any post in particular and I know you don’t keep it in the attic or that it was Oand G, I was just creating an example. I wasn’t speaking literally, I just read posts by you in the past where you said something along those lines “oh I still have some of that from years ago- gonna go crack into it…” I didn’t know how you could still pinch from it if it’s stored in conditions that will protect it for so long… just wondering. Thanks guys

I have found a cigar humidor to work great,i have several opened cans/tins and they hydrated just fine being in the humidor. I don’t have some $400 humidor either,a cheap one will work just as good.

I am quite sure this is unnecessary but I decant all my snuff into amber glass bottles, such as the ones Mr. snuff now carries…yay!!! I am an organization freak and like having my snuff stored in a nice uniform manner. Also, if the jars sit out for while, uv rays are limited through amber…read here that light+snuff, not good.

I just use the tins. The scent stays fine for a good 3 months for most snuffs, even when being opened once or twice a day.

If it isn’t a dry Scotch it goes into a Rubbermaid or Tupperware plastic storage canister. I don’t know if it would last for years or not but I have a 260 gm. batch of Tom Buck as fresh as the day it arrived 3 months ago: Light, fluffy, moist, and oh-so-good! I just refill 5 gm. crush boxes from these as necessary. The Rubbermaid canisters I have hold up to 50 gm. and the lid of one snaps onto the base of the next so that they form a more stable unit when stacked one atop the other. I believe they are labled as “Snackers” and sold as a 2-pack here in the USA. I got mine from a local Wal-mart precursor called Magicmart though I have seen them at Wallyworld too.

Get some good rubber tape and seal those tins! Much better than air tight bags.

I have several of the Rubbermaid canisters that Pennanngalan spoke of. They keep snuff really really well. Anymore I only order snuff in 25 gram tins to sample, but immediately dump them into one of those. It works for me.

I use these 7.4 qt plastic airtight containers available from the Container Store. They work well, are stackable and relatively inexpensive. http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodStorage/leftoversPlastic?productId=10021671&N=74063

I kept multiple tins all together and found some picked up other scents in a stored container. That’s when I switched to paying more attention to individual tin sealing and bulk in mason jars, (preferably underground where my wife can’t see the size of my hoard)…but everyone has their own opinions and ways of goings about things.

@roho: I use containers that are very similar, but a different brand, for both snuff and pipe tobacco. I agree, they’re really top-notch. I’ve been aging some bulk SG St. James Flake in them for over 2 years, and it’s as fresh and moist as the day it arrived.

@roho: you’ve got some real oldies but goodies in that box!

Some of the tins are ~ 10 years old and are as fresh as when purchased. Most all are sealed with electricians tape or original WofS tape.

I just picked up some of those glass jars used to hold jams and preserves and whatnot. They have the little metal discs on top with the screw on band-type lid. Those should do nicely…

Question about moisture levels- Some snuffs seem bone dry (D.white, RR Mills plain). Any reason to keep these air tight?. Is it the flavor we are preserving or is it the nicotine as well? Will nic decompose over time? Now, for those snuffs that DO have a bit of moisture, when I put them in an airtight container, is there any logic in tossing in a damp q-tip (next to the tins, not IN them)? Any reason not to? so much for 1-post, 1-question. Would welcome your thoughts on any of this as I amass, and store, my mini-collection.

Even dry snuffs will deteriorate over time if not kept in airtight containers, though the process is a lot slower than with moister snuffs. It’s not so much that they dry out further (though toasts do have a little moisture to lose) but more that the snuff becomes stale and loses whatever flavouring it had. Whether nicotine breaks down over time I don’t know, but I suspect not. I’m not sure that a damp q-tip would have any effect though.

No reason not to in that it wont do any harm, but if your snuff container is airtight it wont need it and wont do anything - snuff simply will not lose moisture in an airtight container, its just physics.

@Xander i paid the same price for having way to much diffrent tins open at the same time. it is shame, that i didnt look deeper into the storage-topic before. :-/ …i got my leason and will try to aviod that from happening in the future.

I keep mine in the freezer. I never tried it with a Poschl President plastic container because I don’t know how the plastic would take it (don’t want the flip top to become brittle.) The Ntsu plastic holds up just fine. The F&T and Wilson Aluminum containers work Ideally. Just put what I need into my snuffbox and pop it back into the freezer.

Re dryness… If my snuff gets too dry I put a 0.1 - 0.2 cc of DISTILLED water into my snuffbox (with snuff in it) give it a shake and let nature take it’s course. If it’s still too dry, I repeat the process. WARNING don’t have your snuffbox more than 3/4 full. Rehydrating snuff may cause it to expand.

Expand? Could you explain that in a little more depth please?

I would assume that what howdydave means is that as the dry snuff absorbs moisture it increases in size, much the same way that wood swells in humid conditions.

Howdy! Tybalt is exactly right. Ever cook rice? You start off with 1 cup of dry rice (not quick rice,) after it has absorbed the water you have 3 cups of cooked rice. Nothing that drastic, of course, but as each piece of snuff absorbs water it expands a bit to accomodate it. BTW: I specified distilled water because it will not add any essences (such as chlorine) to your snuff.