32
TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
MAY/JUNE 2013
D
o you know the best way to store
pipe tobacco and keep it fresh
for the long- and short-term?
Share that knowledge with customers
and they will likely come to depend on
you as their pipe source and supplier.
So let’s review the three primary ways
of keeping pipe tobacco fresh:
General/Daily Storage
—In general,
keep all tobacco in a cool, dry place. Use
common sense—do not put a tobacco
pouch on the dashboard of your car and
leave it there. Sunlight and heat are pipe
tobacco’s worst enemies because they
promote mold.
The vast majority of tobacco smokers
have a pouch for daily use—which
means that as an astute tobacco retailer
you should already be stocking a good
selection of this essential accessory.
There is usually no need to humidify
tobacco in a pouch because you will use
it faster than it will dry out. So for daily
use, a tobacco pouch is perfect.
Tobacco in an opened tin is another
short-term storage method.
Above all, take care not to put pipe
tobacco in the refrigerator—the way
refrigerators cool the air is extremely
drying—they suck the moisture out
of everything; that’s why freezer burn
exists. Also, if you put a tobacco pouch
or bag in a refrigerator it is likely to
absorb odors from the food inside.
Granted, this will probably take longer
than a day or two to occur, but you do
not want to risk adding any unwanted
flavor to pipe tobaccos.
Intermediate Storage (about 30-
60 days)
—For anything longer than
immediate consumption or use, storage
should probably include humidification.
But it is important to note that
humidifying pipe tobacco is not the
same as humidifying cigars. Cigars are
made from different tobacco and they’re
rolled, not cut—so do not store pipe
tobacco in a humidor with cigars, or it
will become over-humidified. The ideal
70 to 72 percent humidity level in which
cigars thrive might promote mold in pipe
tobacco.
So for intermediate storage—a month
or two, not years—it is common for
pipe smokers to buy a whole pound and
store it in a tobacco jar—another good
accessory to stock. Tobacco jars should
have a good-fitting lid usually with a
built-in humidifier that you add water
to, typically wetting it about once a week.
As long as this is not long-term storage,
tap water is fine. Of course, the purists
believe you should only use distilled
water because it will not impart any
flavors and will not promote mold. But
for a month or two of storage, I believe
tap water is probably okay.
Beyond jars, some pipe smokers use
zip-lock bags for intermediate storage,
but I am not in favor of them.
Long-Term Aging
—This is where
you’re buying tobacco knowing you’re
going to store it away, either because
you’re worried the blend will be
discontinued and you want to keep
supply for the future—or else you
simply want to age the tobacco to
improve flavor. Many pipe smokers
like to age their tobacco because
certain flavors keep evolving over
time, much like a fine wine. There
are many tobacco blends that tend to
age well, such as Virginia tobacco—
in a year or two you might get a
better flavor.
So for this long-term aging,
vacuum pack food storage bags have
been used with very good success—
they’re air-tight and create a vacuum.
A less-expensive alternative, also
used with good success, is a mason
jar with its locking lid system. I
don’t know of any who pour the wax
to seal it further, but that could be
done if desired. Mason jars seem
to work very well just the way they
are—simply fill the jar and screw on
the secure lid. They seal up well and
contain humidity.
Perhaps the best system for long-
term storage is to buy tobacco in
manufacturer-sealed tins that are
then left unopened and put away.
Again, no matter how tobacco is
stored it should be placed in a cool,
dry environment.
Sharing fresh storage information like
this with your pipe customers turns you
into an asset; at the same time it will
turn more sales. The more knowledge
you have to share with customers, the
more they’ll come to rely on you and
return to your store to make future
purchases.
TOB
Give Fresh Advice
Sharing tobacco storage knowledge
with customers can only help pipe sales.
By Bill Doherty, head of market development,
Daughters & Ryan
