What Is The Best Way To Store Wood Chips?

... and how you are storing your raw agarwood and sandalwood chips?

There has been lots of discussion about storing oils. However, unless I overlooked it, not much about storing raw wood.

I read somewhere that someone was using a freezer/refrigerator as a storage for his big chunk of sandalwood.

What are the best storage conditions? And for how long precious oils can be preserved in a raw piece of wood. What has an impact on how well/intact are oils in a wood chip? Temperature? The size of chips? Humidity?
What do you think about an idea of storing it in a vacuum container?

Please share your thoughts.

Woodland Note said:

... and how you are storing your raw agarwood and sandalwood chips?

There has been lots of discussion about storing oils. However, unless I overlooked it, not much about storing raw wood.

I read somewhere that someone was using a freezer/refrigerator as a storage for his big chunk of sandalwood.

What are the best storage conditions? And for how long precious oils can be preserved in a raw piece of wood. What has an impact on how well/intact are oils in a wood chip? Temperature? The size of chips? Humidity?
What do you think about an idea of storing it in a vacuum container?

Please share your thoughts.

Click to expand...

One would think that storing wood in a sealed glass jar or vacuum container, then store in a cool dry place would suffice. Maybe in a Paulownia box also. However, since I recently went through all my chips, I believe that some of them experienced degradation of scent. I don’t know if it is the type of region, or if it is the age of the chip when harvested (oil to resin ratio), or even if it was plantation versus wild. If certain chips won’t age well, then they should be used sooner and not stored for very long. I had a couple of batches of Borneo chips that lost some aroma, but my findings aren’t conclusive because overall, I did not test most of my chips many years ago, to compare them to how they smell now.

ooh that's a good question, I didn't even think of how I'm storing them. All my wood is still in the plastic baggies they came in and have been kept inside a box that Royal Bengal Ouds sent my order in!

A small upadate. Who seeks shall find. I have found an interesting article on kyarazen site.

https://www.kyarazen.com/how-to-store-kyara-and-fragrant-woods/

What about storing it in plastic containers and with silica baggies to keep moisture out?

In some areas, moisture is not the problem, the dry climate is the concern.

But if anyone chooses to use silica....make sure it’s food grade, the packets you’ll find in non food items are a type of silica which gives off cobalt gas which in turn is not safe.

My chips are stored in a cardboard box and the box is in a drawer which has a small silica bag. My pills are also stored in the same drawer. Thank you for the tip on Food grade silica

PS: I live in Kuwait so the temperature can get to 50 degrees and more but surely the chips are in a controlled climate, would that still be an issue?

A box in a drawer is ample insulation and is away from light, for short term storage that’s fine.

For long term, a sealed container to keep oxygen out, and keep fragrance in
But if moisture is a concern, or the wood is relatively fresh from harvest, I would open the sealed container occasionally to make sure it stabilizes.

I've prepared recently a new storage solution for my agarwood wood, sandalwood and oud oil vials. I bought a large (3.5L) glass jar with a full glass lid.

Similar to this one:

I binned the plastic seal gasket that was included with it because it was not doing its job at all and it was smelling with something chemical, similar to cyanoacrylate glue. And I made a custom (100% natural silicone - without any additions) gasket that makes it now air-tight. And I’m quite happy with this. I also tweaked my cabinet just for this jar. Now I’m considering drilling a hole in the glass lid and installing reverse/one-way stainless steel air valve, glued also with the same silicone caulk to make vacuum inside. Light vacuum should be fine. I’m wondering though if stronger vacuum would be fine too for the wood and the vials. Wouldn’t it pop the vial caps? Or even break the vials? Hmm... and what about the wood stored in strong vacuum? Wouldn’t oils emerge to the surface of the wood or something? Hmm... Hmm...

Mohammed Nadeem said:

My chips are stored in a cardboard box and the box is in a drawer which has a small silica bag. My pills are also stored in the same drawer. Thank you for the tip on Food grade silica

PS: I live in Kuwait so the temperature can get to 50 degrees and more but surely the chips are in a controlled climate, would that still be an issue?

Click to expand...

Certain food grade silica gel should be ok, I suppose, but some other might be not ok. For an example the one used as cat litter will swallow the scent molecules too. Perhaps some molecular sieves designed for H2O only would be a better choice, but I don't know.

Well now I know how to keep my wood pieces..but this is what I keep them in now.

Just got a couple of these bottles with vacuum pump in the cap from Amazon...this might be the best long term storage solution for woods I have found.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07QD85W6B/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_api_i_FpDODbNRF8KNT

I think the best way may be to use wide mouth mason jars with these lids made of stainless steel and having silicone seals.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F6C143W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1DGFPAV722I3X&psc=1

I store My kyara in small jars filled with clean washed sand so that there is no oxygen in the jars. I also put tape around the cap! Of course in a cool place!

My woods arent a problem since I only have a little stash
Ignore the perfumed garbage in the black tin I swear its plywood with
perfume and incense glued to it ( hahah )

But now you guys have me thinking about how to properly care for and store my oils.

I only have a few (not counting the samples) and I'm ok with the samples
expiring ( well sort of its not like I let them exist long enough for that but it would be nice to have a droplet in them for reference )
... BUT my few cherished lucky to get the last one REAL Oils
I should REALLY consider a better way to store them !

The best way for me has been by heating it, enjoying it and storing the experience and memory in my head and heart.
I have very recently learnt to enjoy my oils and woods more and caring less about preserving them. I have truly enjoyed more when I cared less. I am a person who never buys samples. If I have to use tiny bits of something with an intention to preserve, I have enjoyed it less.
Also, I have come to learn, there will always be good oils and woods available for taste.

Tauhid Shaikh said:

The best way for me has been by heating it, enjoying it and storing the experience and memory in my head and heart.
I have very recently learnt to enjoy my oils and woods more and caring less about preserving them. I have truly enjoyed more when I cared less. I am a person who never buys samples. If I have to use tiny bits of something with an intention to preserve, I have enjoyed it less.
Also, I have come to learn, there will always be good oils and woods available for taste.

Click to expand...

so then would it be wrong to buy something, enjoy it and also have a stash preserved this way you have it preserved in your memory and also in a stash where you can enjoy or just open for a room temperature whif anytime you wish to reminisce over? i have some super fragrant kyara that i enjoy so much just smelling out of the jar it smells very explosive and for a good couple of minutes before it turns into a more subtle smell. some people preserve it as collectibles and enjoy them like this others heat them and enjoy them like that, others do both

A lot of wood I buy is already old and harvested many years prior.
I store in glass jars and burn freely

I like storing the experiences of aromas into my memory….I also store my woods into glass containers….plus I have a bunch still in plastic baggies. At the least, keep them away from heat and sunlight.

Yes Yes I have jumped to talking about Oils sorry

I'm beginning to accept that the tiny droplet samples from Ensar or the even more generous samples from brother Ish from Royal Bengal Ouds that I have abused are just going to end up in the garbage because there is nothing left of them to even sniff, let alone apply.
My long glass applicator from some Box Stores Attar has basically robbed every little vile of every drop.
It would be best if I just let them go and stop kidding myself that there is anything left in those vials ..
but you know you want to like have them for reference but its not practical a half of a drying up droplet isn't going to give you enough to remember how wonderful an oil sample was ...
Sigh 🤦‍♂️
So back to how to properly Store my 3 gram real purchases long term Hmm Vacuum sealed herb container ?