5. Storing Pipe Tobacco

Once you have prepared a pipe tobacco blend and brought it to your desired case (degree of humidity), an ideal container is one that is transparent (so you can see what’s in there), relatively vapor-proof, and informatively labeled. These requirements can be met by a number of kinds of containers. And if you disregard transparency, even more kinds. The classic tobacco tins in which small and large quantities of pipe tobacco are sold are not transparent, not vapor-proof (once opened), and simply provide a known name of the blend, but not its composition.

If on your chosen container, you clearly identify the recipe, either by writing directly on a bag or taping a paper label onto other containers, then multiple variations of a blend you may be experimenting with will be easy to keep straight. A colorful, printed label, such as those shown in the pipe blend recipes section, and taped onto a container, can also add an inviting aspect of graphic art to your blend.

Ziploc bags are commonly available. A “freezer” Ziploc provides a more effective vapor barrier than a sandwich bag. Depending on ambient conditions, a sandwich bag may be adequate for storage for a week or two, whereas a freezer bag may keep the tobacco from drying for a month or two. The difference may be meaningless for tiny test batches.

Ziploc tubs and similar, small food containers are available with tightly fitting, snap-on lids. They come in a dozen different sizes and shapes and work fairly well for pipe tobacco.

WLT tobacco bag pouch: If you happen to receive some whole leaf from WLT that is contained within a 7-inch wide bag, you can trim the empty bag with scissors to make a handy, effective pipe tobacco pouch.

If the pouch apron is long enough, the pouch will remain well-closed without using tape. And the apron serves as a convenient spot to pack your pipe, allowing any fallen tobacco to glide back into the pouch.

Plastic jars with a good lid seal are wonderful for holding a medium-size batch or larger, and allow a graphic label to be removably taped to the lid.

The wider the lid of a jar, the easier it is to pack a pipe from the jar.

An efficient container for a medium-size batch of pipe blend.