After Baking Day, the sixteen wrapped cakes were left in the large plastic tub used to mix the batter. Daily the cakes were flipped, on one day they were rotated 180 degrees, on the next they were flipped. Then one-half ounce of cognac was poured directly on top of each cake, taking care to go slowly so the cognac soaked into the cheesecloth rather than running out. The cakes were arranged in two rows of eight each, an additional four ounces of cognac were poured down the gap between the two rows. After several days of this, the cakes reached saturation, where the cheesecloth remained damp to the touch a day later. They were left to rest for a few more days until finally being sealed on the 20th of December 2025.
Each cake was turned upside down and had two oxygen-absorbing sachets put on the (now facing up) bottom. They were vacuum-sealed in plastic, and then vacuum-sealed once more in an additional layer of plastic. For the 2125 cake a copy of the recipe used was sealed between the first and second layers of plastic.
Each cake was then weighed in the sealed configuration to allow tracking of weight changes over time of the in-situ cakes. The weights were:
- 2026: 930 grams
- 2027: 907 grams
- 2028: 967 grams
- 2029: 932 grams
- 2030: 818 grams
- 2032: 926 grams
- 2035: 929 grams
- 2040: 912 grams
- 2045: 911 grams
- 2050: 916 grams
- 2055: 921 grams
- 2065: 910 grams
- 2075: 912 grams
- 2085: 953 grams
- 2100: 928 grams
- 2125: 937 grams
The cakes were then placed in a hard plastic tub with integrated clamps which held a lid on tighly; an integrated seal made the tub airtight. Included in the tub was a cannister of moisture absorbing material, this will be periodically checked and refreshed as necessary. The logbook was also included, sealed in a separate plastic zip-top bag. An experiment is underway to do remote environmental sensing of temperature and humidity in the sealed tote; once that is stable an entry will be made to explain it.
The tub was then placed in the basement. Early sensing seems to show a stable temperature of 19 degrees C and relative humidity of about 25%.
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Cakes in the tub: The sixteen fruitcakes and a moisture absorbing cylinder are placed in the tub.
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Record Book: The record book was sealed in a zip-top bag and put on top.
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Sealed: The sealed tub.