drrockmpls

I've been lurking for a while, reading posts & learning, & thought I'd finally
introduce myself & ask some dumb questions. I recognize a few names from other
message groups like ASC & this newsgroup looks like a friendly, informed bunch.

For me pipe smoking started like many others. My grandfather smoked pipes &
cigars & I thought they smelled great. When I was in college many moons ago,
he gave me a pipe (a Bohn-Dri pot-shaped that I still have & it smokes great!)
& showed me how to smoke & care for a pipe. A number of years later, when the
cigar boom hit, I began smoke more or less only cigars. Just recently, I dug
out my old pipes & began stoking 'em up. I have an almost-embarrassing sweet
tooth & have again taken up aromatics. Lately I've been smoking CAO Sweet
Vanilla Honeydew, MacBaren Symphony & Vanilla Cream, McClelland Captain Cool &
Oriental Cavendish, Peterson Luxury Blend, & Tavern Tobacco's Summit Hill. I
even picked up a new Peterson pipe (always was a "wet" smoker & like that
P-lip!) & new pipes by Stanwell & Nording.

With a demanding job & as a dedicated family man, I don't get to enjoy my pipes
very often. It's been a real treat reading the posts on ASP in the meantime.

My dumb questions:

Can I use an old cigar humidor to store tins & small Mason jars of tobacco in
order to keep the tobaccos in good condition?

Any recommendations for a quality maple-based aromatic?

Thanks!

Glen

chantymanjack1

(snippage)

Welcome to ASP, Glen.


You probably should not. Many humidors are lined with cedar and this will
impart a cedar flavor to the tobacco.

If the Mason jars are tightly sealed, the tobacco will not need any
humidification.


Fair winds,
Sailorman Jack
Port of New York
-------------------------------------------------------------
"There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." Professor Bernardo De La Paz in
Robert Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress."

smf

in article 20040121165905.18989.00000471@mb-m28.aol.com, DRROCKMPLS at


Glen,

For a quality maple-based blend, I strongly recommend Cornell & Diehl's new
offering, Autumn Eve. Welcome aboard!

--Steve

buck12ga

In article <20040121165905.18989.00000471@mb-m28.aol.com>,
drrockmpls@aol.com says...


Hello Glen,welcome to ASP.Hey,there are a lot of smokers on here that
enjoy a bowl of an aromatic blend.I don't know of any specific maple-
based aromatic but there is sure to be someone that knows.

I don't know about the humidor but I feel certain it would be alright if
the humidity was turned down.My only other concern would be that the tins
could rust.

buck

planetary

Welcome, Glen! Grab a seat and stay a while.


I would share Buck's concern for rusting your unopened tins, if you
stored them for any length of time in a humidor. Risk of rust from the
moisture would almost certainly offset any benefits you'd obtain from
even temperature.

(The risks to tins in an environment of *significantly* uneven
temperature are primarily in the area of seal compromise due to
differences in thermal expansion and contraction between the different
parts of the tin: the body, the lid, any other materials in the seal,
etc.)

Store your precious tins in a cool, dark place. People have been known
them to put them in and on cardboard boxes, bookshelves, coolers,
baskets. They then keep these storage units in closets, dens,
basements, garages, attics, under pillows...

Once you have open tobacco, you want to use a short-term storage
container, like a bail-top jar, mason jar, or even a heavy zip-top bag.
Also for *short-term* use, plastic containers are reported as working
fine. The objective of any of these containers is to prevent the
tobacco from drying out while you consume it over the course of up to a
few months, which is why slightly pourous materials would work, or
those with something less than an iron-clad seal. Naturally, the more
air-tight your container, the longer your open tobacco will retain its
native moisture.

My smoking habits have me going through open tobacco very slowly
compared to most of the folks here, so I opt for bail-top jars. Easy
access, but very good storage characteristics.

For a great deal more information, you may wish to check out the
following compilation of ASP wisdom.

http://www.nocturne.org/jason/aging/

Cheers,
Jason

solomonlaw

welcome
--Tom
-oo-
""\o~
------------------------------------
"Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto."
Terrance

bill

Yep. Best to just stick them in a closet somewhere.

fleep

Welcome to the smoking lounge, Glen. Pull up a wingback and prop your feet
by the fire.

Re: a good maple blend, give House of Windsor's Mapleton a shot. The blend
packs real easy with a simple gravity feed, it isn't goopy and it has a
healthy dose of perique to spice it up a bit. Smokes cool and clean right
down to the bottom of the bowl. It's sort of become my go-to Aromatic in
the Winter months.

Fleep

drblues

Glad to see you come out of lurking mode. I am sorry though I cannot
help you on the tobacco you are looking for. There is no reason to be
embarrassed about what type of tobacco you smoke. I for one think it
is a level playing field with each individual making their choices to
suit them and the love of this hobby being the equalizer.
cordially
T

mikey

Welcome to ASP, Glen. First off, as if you couldn't tell by some of the
posts here (most of 'em mine), there are NO dumb questions...

An old cigar humidor will work to keep your tobaccos from drying out. It
will probably take less close monitoring than it would for cigars, though.
And if the rubber seals on the mason jars are still good, they don't need to
stay in the humidor - they'll keep just fine on their own. Another approach
for the open tins might be to transfer the tobacco to mason jars.

I myself have found only one really good maple tobacco, but it was a bulk,
and the tobaccanist would never tell me where it came from...

We want to hear from you again, now that you're on board...

- Mikey