CIGS: Long term storage

[sag45]

Anyone know how to maybe preserve CIG PACKS over a long time? I know from time to time in Texas the state sales tax stamp changes color to keep track of rotation of fresh packS from old. Most of the time the previous color indicates stale cigs or VERY old cigs. I have heard that people put them in the refridge or freezer. I was thinking about maybe putting some packs in a vacuum, but I dont know if they would get very dry. I have kept packs of cigs for 6 months unopened and never had a problem with the taste. I just wonder if there is possiblY a way to keep them or make them last LETS SAY 2 YEARS. I figured if the S*^* HITS THE Fan, besides having WATER, MRE's, AMMO and cig would be nice to have also.

[dirtbag]

Use a Seal-a-Meal.
it won't dry out, there's no where for the moisture to go.

[Garron]

I was wondering about this too... I was thinking of a 7.62 ammo can and just leaving them in there all sealed up... loose tabacco would be better as its already in a zip lock type bag.

Gaz

[housil]

Whats a delicious meal without a cig after it...

I wouldn´t vacuum them!
They are allready packed in plastic foil, but excapt glas is nothing "gas proof", means moisture from the tabacco will move (diffusion) thrue the plastic to the dryer air outside. Makes you smoking "straw"
They use "humiditoren" to store cigars for some reason
A vacuum will increase this by "sucking out" the moisture from the tabacco.
A vacuum will just protect food from spoiling as bacterias also need the air/oxygen (excapt anerobic).

I would just pack them in some more layers of plastic foil or similar or better in a glas bowl/jar with a cap. You may put some "drops" of water in to keep the air (equal) moist (like inside the pack).

Just my suggestion as a smoker for 20 years (that quit 3 years ago )

[sag45]

thanks for the info. I was also thinking of a using a vacuum bag. We have a handi-vac made by Reynolds Co. They are plastic bags with a seal and a port to suck out the air. They used to be 10 bucks, now about 3.50 at Wal-mart and the bags are right next to the unit where all foil and bags are sold. Preserves food a lot longer than having no vacuum. I used it for a lots of things. I do believe that there is suppose to be some moisture in cigs, and like the cigar stored they have that mist spraying out every so often inside the room. I will try the foil, but I am going to look at shelf life of cigs and about keeping in refridge/freezer. I will put some away for a year (foil, freezer,refridge) or so and see what happens. again thanks.

[DangerousDave]

Do you mean CEE-GARS?

[MCIera]

Keeping them in the freezer or fridge is a bit of folklore, a freezer and today's no-frost refrigerators will actually draw the moisture from the cigarettes. The greatest adversity that you might face with tabacco in general is the loss of humidity that will cause the tobacco to become dry and harsh to the taste. Ideally, you would want to keep them in a humidity controlled environment to keep them fresh. Commercially produced cigarettes already have chemicals in them to retard their loss of moisture, which is why you might not notice much of a difference after 6 months or even a year. Keeping them at about a 70% humidity level should extend their storage time, however the humidity should be monitored frequently as the ambient humidity levels change.

One other thing to bear in mind is that commercially produced cigarettes are not actually produced from tobacco leaves per se, but rather from the recovered dust of tobaccos. It is formed into a mash of sorts with the addition of chemicals to produce the taste that the consumber base has come to expect, and then dried into sheets, then cut to simulate cut tobacco before being machined rolled into the cigarettes that one is generally familiar with. If you smoke a cigarette that is made with real leaf tobacco, (either hand-rolled or stuffed,) you'll probably find that the taste is different from any commercially produced cigarette that you have ever tasted, and will probably find that it takes a while to acclimate to the new taste.

Anyone know how to maybe preserve CIG PACKS over a long time? I know from time to time in Texas the state sales tax stamp changes color to keep track of rotation of fresh packS from old. Most of the time the previous color indicates stale cigs or VERY old cigs. I have heard that people put them in the refridge or freezer. I was thinking about maybe putting some packs in a vacuum, but I dont know if they would get very dry. I have kept packs of cigs for 6 months unopened and never had a problem with the taste. I just wonder if there is possiblY a way to keep them or make them last LETS SAY 2 YEARS. I figured if the S*^* HITS THE Fan, besides having WATER, MRE's, AMMO and cig would be nice to have also.

[jfko6]

Wow! I see two Governors in that Predator photo.

[kman]

That's one Governor and one GOVERNATOR!

[sag45]

MCI era, thanks for the info. I guess that to keep cigarettes in a long term storage would take some work and expense to hold them. Next time I go to the cigar shop, I will ask them about this topic. Right now I have to worry of the summer around the corner. How to keep all these MRE's at least 70° in the closet. I just may have to put them in the one bedroom with the a/c window unit to keep them cool, but was trying to have them stored in the closet only with door locked. I've been broken into before and usually they are in a hurry and only take what they can grab quickly like tv,appliances, look thru a few drawers, so if they say the MRE case would they take it? Thats why I want them locked in the closet, but what good is a mre is left at 85° all the time! Maybe after this problem I might look into long term storage of cigs, for now I do have pipe tobacco and I think between the two I could have some smoke inventory if the Sh^& Hits the fan.
Happy New Year Everyone, I'm sober today, 25 years ago I would of been sick as you can be. DWI is a big think here in town and just not worth the trouble so I stay at home now.