How and where to store a pu erh brick

[LordCrichton]

I purchased a ripe and one raw brick of pu erh online and would like to know where and how to store them.

[glenbo]

Are you intending to store them for aging or just to keep them while you're also drinking from them? The most important thing would be to keep them from sunlight and offensive odors. It's probably a good idea to keep the two separate since their aromas are so different.

[Puerlife]

When it's hot and humid I put my pu in sealed ziploc bags to protect against humidity and put those bags inside cardboard boxes to protect against light. The ziploc bag material still breathes enough to keep your pu happy but stops water molecules from entering, and the cardboard breathes, too. I have to do this because during the rainy season the RH stays above 80% for months at a time. If you have a dry season you can take the pu out of the bags but leave them in the boxes. Buy yourself a hygrometer so you can see what's going on. Mind you I’m at 18.8 degrees north latitude. Even Miami is at 25 degrees north so I’m sure you have an actual cold season which I know nothing about.
I don’t fully understand the relationship between temp and humidity but I know that at a RH of, say, 75%, there’s a hell of a lot more moisture in the air at 30C than at 20. In other words, an RH% reading alone doesn’t tell you how much moisture is in the air. I need to find a chart that’ll give me the absolute amount of moisture in the air at various temps and RHs. Of course, if your leather shoes or clothes in your closet are getting moldy, so is your tea.
If you have hundreds of kilos of tea in tongs that are in boxes stacked together you don’t need Ziploc bags because the tea will be sealed enough. Why Ziploc and not some other kind of plastic? Apparently, it breathes while other kinds don’t. Anyway, that’s what I’ve gleaned from many hours of reading teachat posts and talking to dealers. When you get a bing in the mail that’s shrink wrapped or in some kind of kitchen plastic wrap, that’s for short term protection, not for aging.

[Puerlife]

Over the shorter term, cheap ceramic tea caddies in my heat and humidity can really advance a tea, but after a few months you run the risk of losing some of the tea's characteristics, so I wouldn't break up a whole bing at once unless I was going to drink it fast and I like more variety.

[mr mopu]

I use an old mini fridge with a cigar humidifier in it and small computer fans to circulate the air on occasion. I live in Virginia and try to maintain 68-70% humidity in the cabinet, Store rae and ripe teas separate and keep smoky teas away from non smoky ones.
As mentioned before if your leather molds in your home the tea will as well.

[Greenteaguru]

Also to add, cold conditions for long periods will give Ripe Pu an earthy taste and destroy character. Must keep above 15c at least, ideally min 18c.