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Bob is wise. :)

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To add to that...

Don't wait until the pack is crunchy or this might not work.

If you catch the pack when it is just getting thin, you're fine and it'll pump back up quickly.

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I just put a pack up top and a pack down below. I use 70% and that's just about where it stays.

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I never knew that. Thanks Brother. You just saved me some serious cash in the future. Much appreciated.

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I keep having to re-light my cigar. Does this have something to do with the cigar itself or with how I'm lighting it? I've watched countless videos on how to light a cigar and think I'm doing it correctly.

Please advise this newbie!

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So I'm heading down to Key West for my honeymoon and can't wait to get some of the cigars down there. I'm hearing there are a bunch of places that roll them right in front of you.
My question is, do you have to let these "age" or can you smoke them right way? I think that I'd go crazy waiting to smoke them if I had to!!

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Most likely its the cigar, it may be too wet.

What many here do is store our cigars at 60-65% rH instead of 70% and this eliminates most of the burn and relighting issues.

A quick fix is to let the cigar "drybox" for a day or two before smoking it. Place the cigar in a unhumidified box for a day or two and it will dry it out enough to smoke.

Another issue I have sometimes is the humidity in the air. I smoke outside a good bit and in GA during the summers it can get a bit humid causing my smokes to not want to stay lit. When this happens I just put up with the relighting, what other choice do I have.

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I'm in Indiana and it's been really humid here. I don't have a humidor yet and thought I'd better smoke what I bought last week before they degrade.

Here is another question. I get the humidor 70% thing but what about temps? I don't have A/C and sometimes it gets pretty darn hot here. Is it ever better to move the humidor into the fridge on a really hot day??

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Typically a bad light will cause an uneven burn more than it will cause the cigar to go out. You want to light the entire foot fairly evenly and you should be fine. Lighting only a tiny corner, yeah, that could go out easily on you.

Probably more to do with the ambient humidity where you are and how moist the cigar is.

What are you keeping your humidors at?

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You can smoke fresh rolled cigars. Sometimes they are good to go, sometimes they need time. There really is no set rule.

A lot of it depends on how much age the leaves have before they were rolled. Also, depending on how moist the roller made the leaves when bunching, you mgiht run into a physical burn issue when trying to smoke them fresh.

Buy five. Smoke one. That will tell you right there about that particular cigar blend/size.

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Likley that is your problem right there. Air is too moist, cigars might also be too moist.

I've found less burn problems and better flavors at 60%-65% than 70%RH. Oh, and no mold issues either.

Moving the humidor into the refrigerator is probably not a great idea.

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They are just about a week from the "fancy cigar store". Since then, they've been in a plastic bag but now they are gone (up in smoke if you will).

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Thanks. Is it something that etiquette wise is ok to ask the roller?

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I've read a few times around here recently things to the effect of "the glycol/sponge almost ruined my cigars". I keep the vast majority of my sticks in my Edgestar with beads, but do keep a handful of *coughacidcough* cigars in a couple of twenty count humidors, which I use the glycol solution and sponge device to humidify. it does keep the cigars a bit wet, sometime approaching 72%, but it seems to do pretty good. so should I worry?

thanks everyone.

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Of course not. They're Acids. ;)
Seriously. You stated "it seems to do pretty good".
Nothing else matters. :2

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At 72%, I'd start worrying about mold.

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i didn't say they were Acids! i just coughed. ;)

right on, i'll keep an eye on 'em then. as of last night they were flying just below the 70% mark.

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Besides capacity, what is wrong with storing cigars in one of these travel humidors??
http://www.amazon.com/Cigar-Caddy-10...sr=8-2-catcorr

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The short answer...Nothing. That will do just fine.

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I started out with travel humi and within three months had a 300ct, 150ct and a cooler.

Travel caddies will do just fine. I had cigars in mine for almost 8 weeks this spring while I was in Indiana and they smoked great.

Don't forget to mosey over to the new inmate section and post a hello, and check out the Monthly Hoosier Herf thread.

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What do you gain from a wood humidor over plastic?

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Over time, the spanish cedar used in a wood humidor can lend an effect to the taste of cigars but this takes a long time. Wood humidors are the traditional means simply because spanish cedar and other mahagonies can absorb and release water with little to no warping. This is handy obviously in the use of a humidor. Technology has come a long way in terms of humidification sources, especially in two way sources so that a wood humidor isn't really needed, but is still nice.

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Thanks for the input. This makes sense. My problem is that the temps in my house vary a lot through the seasons. The only cool place in the house in the summer is the floor of my furnace room (even though that sound contradictory).
I could place the plastic humidor on the floor and not worry about it. I'm afraid that a wooden box wouldn't fair so well on the concrete damp floor.

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Hate to break it to you buddy but your at the Asylum now. Bigger boxes, multiple coolers and vinotemps are in your future weather you like it or not!

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Spoken like a true addict.... *written from next the cooler I had to get cuz my 25 and 150 are full after 1 month*

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I got a new Blazer lighter. What brand of butane should I use. I keep reading "DONT USE CHEAP BUTANE".

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I use Vector.

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Vector is very good. If you go to a cooking supply store, you should find it for a decent price as it is used in creme broulee torches (food grade)

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+1 Vector is what I use.

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Good a consensuses!

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What temps should I be storing my cigars at? I know that above 70* is a problem but how about on the low end. How cold is too cold?? What low temps should be avoided?

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Depends how long you're storing them at a lower temp, but generally, I've found that about anything above mid-50F's is fine for longer storage and being able to just pull one out of the humidor and smoke it.

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This brothers got serious knowledge. Pay attention when he posts.

As for me, I got a vino at 65 and one at 70. I do my own experiments to see what I like best.

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Please dont feed the animals!

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Thanks, but make no mistake, there are lots of S/BOTLS here with high levels of knowledge. Sometimes I might be in that catergory, sometimes not.

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HosierGuy. Only listen to Adam This time!!!

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A quick question...generally how many boxes can you fit in a a coolidor? j/w

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Depends on the size of the cooler!!!!! And the sizes of the boxes

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Yeah :( It was a pretty vague question. I'm leaning towards a 150qt and let's said I'm storing boxes no bigger then an Opus X. I got my desktop for storing singles.

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Ok so I'm looking to start up a humidor and cigars, rather than just buying them and smoking them. So I went to Cheaphumidors.com and I'm looking at buying.....

The Tuscany Humidor, with the cigars they offer + all the options (not to the max but VERY Close) Just not the Cigar Oasis, everything else maxed. $127
Mega and mild sampler - 15 cigars for 40 bucks...it'll help me get an idea of what I like.
Xikar cutter, supposed to be the best I hear? maybe? $38 bucks.

Looking at $204 not shipped...so I don't know what shipped. Advice and comments on my choices?

I usually smoke the same cigar, Sosa's? They are like $6 a shot and apparently a 91 on cigar aficionado.com? That's what my store tells me and I do like them a great deal.


Again if this were knives, guns, beers, bourbons, tequilas or rums I wouldn't need ANY help. But I'm a little new to this enjoyment. Any advice and help is more than appreciated.

Questions like, Does the humidor matter? *what's the difference*? How Do I pick a good one? .....What cigars smoke/taste like Sosa's but are better?

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Bigger Humi!

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100-120 Cigars isn't enough to START?

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You're not safe here. Save yourself the trouble of buying ten of those!

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Crap please tell me you guys aren't like my knife forums....talking me into a $400 pocket knife O_O

So what humidor should I buy to start?

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This should do...

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/a18c9f16.jpg

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just like buying a gun safe, go bigger than you need, and it still won't be enough room down the line :D

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O_O HOW PERDY......MUST HAVE.....someday....

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OH now you're speaking my language....got ya. I own an AR-15, mossberg, and I sold my glock, trying to acquire a new P30 from H&K. I'm only 23 but I've been kinda lucky to enjoy some of life's little pleasures.

But could you please explain humidors and the pro's/cons.....is it literally just size or....what? That's what she said BOOM!

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Bill, 100-120 cigars is more than enough to start. But be aware that humidors are always overrated for capacity. If it says 100-150 it typically will hold 80-120 cigars. I dont know what size cigars they use but based on a variety of sizes you can expect your humidor to hold about 2/3 of its rated capacity.
There are many good humidor vendors out there, many have used CheapHumidors with great success. You might want to look at the cigars at CigarsInternational, you can get free shipping on your entire purchase if you purchase the JoeCigar deal of the day.

Invest $20 in a digital hygrometer, Xikar makes a good one. Get a Boveda test kit to calibrate your hygrometer its much easier than doing a salt test.
Also, look into some humidity beads(I use 65% beads from HeartfeltIndustries.com), they are much easier to use than a sponge and PG solution. :2

As far as cigars, its really hard to recommend anything as everyone has different tastes and goes through a discovery process when looking for that ideal cigar. That's half the fun of this hobby/obsession. Enjoy whatever it is you decide to smoke. :tu

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Right on, I figure let's face it, I have MANY other hobbies and addictions, so each one gets it's own budget and whatnot. So even if it holds 75 cigars, that's enough before I start smoking them like a bad habit.

although......http://www.cheaphumidors.com/HUM-300GR.html 300 cigars for $110 isn't a bad price ...and 300 IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.

So I should just get the base ...300 cigar humidor from cheap humidors and the Xizar cutter, where do I order the Xizar hygrometer?