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I have heard of knowledgable collectors aging their cigars in the 50s, so I don't think that will harm them...though I don't plan on trying it, still seems too dry to me.

80+ will likely do serious wrapper damage to cigars in the long run, so much moisture in the cigar is bound to expand the filler.

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Storing in high RH is also begging for mold problems.

Realistically speaking, anything over about 75 is going to be difficult to smoke. It's not going to burn well, it might not stay lit and it's going very likely taste quite bitter and sour.

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Absolutely.

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About aging (cigars, of course):

What types of cigars will age well? (I'm not talking about the few months apperently required, in an ideal world, of any cigar, but of the long term aging, of at least a few years)?

I have read about some cigars losing all their flavour if they are aged too much, so what doesn't age well?

Finally, because a coolidor doesn't breathe, some say that it can't be used to age cigars. Any truth to that?

Thanks again for your wisdom gentlemen.

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What types of cigars will age well? (I'm not talking about the few months apperently required, in an ideal world, of any cigar, but of the long term aging, of at least a few years)?

As you are talking about years, decades and more most of the worldwide experience is in aging Cuban Cigars because Non-Cuban cigars haven't been around nearly as long and the production techniques are so different. NC's cure and age loose tobacco fro several years and then roll where as Cuban leaf is cured and rolled. Most Cubans age well, some would say even require aging. Although the changes in processing over the last 10 years in Cuban production have changed things considerably if you ask me. That said some NC's do age well. Many, myself included have had good luck with aging Padron's and Fuentes (Opus and Anejos specifically). As for Cubans many will let them age at least a year or two before even trying. In the end some like em fresh others like them aged. It really is personal prefference and it's fun to find out what you like, provided you can keep you hands off them. The easy way though is to pay for aged cigars. There are sources that you can buy from with 10 years or more already in aging.

I have read about some cigars losing all their flavour if they are aged too much, so what doesn't age well?

This is possible with any cigar really. And it is really dependent on the long term conditions. I have had the opportunity several times to smoke the same aged cigars and had bland and fantastic ones, even when the fantastic one was actually older. There are lots of variables and I personally don't subscribe to the theory that any one particular brand or vitola will not age well. And given that you could safely, IMO, say that a Cuban cigar will not loose anything with 5, maybe even 10 years of age it's going to be a while, maybe never that I ever find that out. ;)

Finally, because a coolidor doesn't breathe, some say that it can't be used to age cigars. Any truth to that?

Sounds like total bunk to me. Many of the vastly more experienced smokers than myself use vacumm sealing for long term aging. Even the English, the originators of the aging idea, used to seal individual boxes with wax paper for long term storage, read 20+ years. Now lack of air may slow the process down, but are you truly not going to open a cooler for 10+ years? More likely it will be opened every 6 months at the longest, and really should be to inspect your investment. That will provide an instant air exchange, removing the idea of no breathing.

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FFP from EricF, Thanks Brother.

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Is that a question? ;) :r

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I am waiting on my humidor which is in the mail right now. Currently I am using a Tupperware container with a humicare crystals container. (cigars have only been in there since this past Sunday) I have noticed that some of the cigars became a little "squishy". Should I remove them from the container and put them in my herfador? I'm not sure what the humidity is in the container as my hygrometer is currently sitting in the boveda calibration bag. It just got here in the mail today.

Also I just got 2 boxes of cigars, would it be better if I removed them and put them in the tupperware container or just leave them in their box?

Thanks in advance for help

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:sh

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I was on my iPod when i posted and accidentally hit the submit button. Message has been edited.

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Remove the Humicare and place all the cigars in the tupperware. You don't really need humidification in a tupperware container. As you have learned, it's too much. Leave them in there till you get your humidor seasoned and ready to go.

:2

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For cigars in sealed tubos, glass or otherwise, when in the humidor, is it best to leave them completely sealed, crack the caps a little, or leave the stopper out completely?

Also, do I understand correctly that if a cigar is sealed in a tube with no air exchange, it will just recycle it's own humidity? Will that last indefinitely?

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I know that is false. Even cigars in tubes need to be humidified or they risk getting dried out. I thought the same thing, but was instructued different by an employee at a B&M. As for the other part of your question, I'm uncertain which method works best for keeping a tubed cigar humid. I would think that it would be fine with the tube closed?

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A cigar in a sealed tubo inside your humidor will be fine. Some people open the tubes and some don't. Just like some people leave the cello on and some don't. It all boils down to personal choice.

Try it one way and see if you like it...

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Why is it that I have about 40-50 cigars in a tupperware container with no humidification device and the humidity level keeps getting to 78-80. Is this ok? I thought it was supposed to be between 62-70 from what I have read.

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What is the ambient temperature in the area where you keep the tupperware? Also, what RH were the cigars at when you put them in there?

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The ambient temperature is anywhere between 68-72. As for the RH of the cigars when i put them in there, I'm not sure. I got them them from cbid and CI. I had 12 in the tupperware container first for about 2 days with a Humicare crystals jar but then I was told i should take it out so i did. then about 3 days after i put in 32 more cigars and ever since it starts out at 70 when i close the lid and climbs. Ive been opening the lid til it drops to about 68 then close it again.

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I would have to assume that you currently residing in a high humidity climate right now and that might be the cause of what you are seeing with your tupperware container. Not many storage devices are air-tight and if the outside humidity is high like that it can affect the RH where you are keeping your cigars.

This is the reason why so many people seek humidification control devices in high humidity climates so that they can keep their cigars at a more adaquate 60%-70% RH. Smoking preferances differ on RH from what I have read. Some people prefer it on the dryer side around 60% and others upwards of 70%. The problem is that when cigars are subjected to RH over 75% for a consistent amount of time they can tend to have burn issues (going out often) and not to mention the dreaded beetle problems when temperature and RH are at a prime condition for beetles to become active.

Personally, if I lived in a region that had constant high humidity I would either invest in a humidor with control devices or at least purchase a de-humidification device for the room where I was storing them.

However, if the humidity in your area is forcasted to drop soon then maybe you'll be just fine! :tu I have always thought of Texas to be a rather dry state but that might not be the case where you live. I used to live in Tampa, FL and that was a whole different ballgame where it was pretty much 80% RH all year!

Hope this helps....

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Also, its a good idea to check and calibrate your hygrometer by using the salt test or a Boveda test kit. :2

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D'OH!
I meant to ask what is the ambient RH?

CI (and most online vendors) tends to ship their cigars "wetter" than the desired 62-70 % RH. This might explain the higher RH in your tupperware.

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Right now I'm currently in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I'm waiting for my humidor and boveda packs to come in the mail. Hopefully they should be here this coming week.

I have experienced some burn issues.

I just got the hygrometer a few days ago and calibrated it in the boveda test kit for 36 hours and it stayed at 74%

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Here is an interesting thread on dry boxing. As Peter said earlier a lot of these cigar places keep and send their sticks on the moist side. Check out this thread and it may really help you out.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...=drying+cigars

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What can you tell by pinching a cigar? Whether it's humidified or not? I've always been told that a well humidified cigar will have some give to it.

Also, I have heard that nicely aged cigars will be more firm to the touch, even rock hard, and that is a sign of the tobacco being well aged. Is that correct, and if it is, how can you tell if you have nicely aged cigars, or cigars that are just dried out?

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I think this is right. The cigar should have some give and the wrapper shouldn't crack.


Don't think that is correct at all. A rock hard cigar could be over packed, have a stem in it, or other malady. Of course, the might just smoke fine. Only way to tell if a cigar is correctly aged is to age it yourself, or be handed one that somebody else aged. One of the interesting things about aging a cigar is experiencing how it changes over months and years. Some even have sufficient patience, funds and aptitude to monitor over decades.

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Leave the pinching to Grandmas and their adorable little grandchildren. Pinching tells you absolutely nothing IMO. :2

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A friend suggests you should burn off the cigar when you get towards the end by holding a flam up to the cigar and blowing out for 30secs. Then let it sit for a min or so and smoke it. Ive tried it a few times and it worked. Is this a common practice?

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That is called purging. I am a fan of it and do it often when smoking. 30 seconds might be a bit much (10 secs should do it) and the lighter at the end is not necessary but makes a cool light show at night.....:D

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Oh wow...so just plow out without the flame?

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You can do either but the flame trick works best at night.

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Yessir!

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I purge all the time

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Are you supposed to leave the plastic wrapper on cigars when stored in your humidor?

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It doesn't hurt them either way. Some do and others dont remove. It all comes down to personal preference.

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Lots more discussion here:

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...hlight=Wrapper

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...ighlight=cello

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you wouldnt like em on a crowded subway train at 7am...

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I wouldn't be awake at 7AM on a bet, much less on a subway. ;)

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LOL, I got 20 years to go before I can enjoy that luxury...

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Just work nights! ;) :r

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:fp

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This is going to be pretty long I'm thinking. So if anyone takes the time to read it and respond I would greatly appreciate it. This is more about my first experiences with cigars over the last few months than a question, although I do have a few questions.

So I bought a humidor in January along with a few cigars. Bad idea. For about two weeks I was hastily trying to season my humidor and place my cigars in it before they dried up. Why? Because being a noob, I thought the cigars would dry up quicker than I could season my humidor. Anyway I could never get the humidor seasoned right and it would never hold at the 65% rh I desired, despite using the beads. It hovered between 56-60.

I live in Iowa. So it's not too humid. I think my first mistake was the 65 beads. I may change to 70. Does that seem reasonable? I also had a post in the cigar smoking technique forum about not being able to taste my cigars despite retrohaling. A person there suggested that my cigars may have been dry, and I'm sure now that they were. I may try the boveda seasoning packs for the seasoning. Do those work well? I guess the main thing I've learned is that this is not a hobby to RUSH. Patience, as with most things in life, is essential.

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Yes, patience is very critical and cigars are not as tempermental as they first seem to a newb. If you are still having issues with the humidor not being properly seasoned it is not to late to start over. Put your cigars in tupperware or freezer bags with the boveda packs or your beads while you get a good season on your humi. You should not have to buy 70RH beads if you have 65 already, they should be the same beads as the 65 but seasoned at a higher RH. Do you have a good hygrometer and has it been tested lately? That is the first key to knowing everything else.

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If after 2-3 months, the humidor still hasn't stabilized, it's probably leaking.

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I have a digital hygrometer that I salt-tested and then towel tested later on to affirm the accuracy. It was about 3% of when I first tested it so I adjusted it accordingly. After wrapping it in a towel a couple of weeks later it read 98% rh, which I was told it should read between 98 and 100 after the test. So the hygrometer is fine I believe. I took everything out of the humidor about a month ago and it is currently reading 44%

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Sounds like you have a leak. Is it a glass top? If so you may have leakage around the edges. Check the accessory forum for the thread on sealing the glass with silicone. You can also check for leaks by opening the top about half way and letting it go. It should not slam shut, you should hear a "whooshing" sound as the air escapes evenly around the edges. you can seal the top edges by using painters tape around the top. :2

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I would re-season the humi now, during this time I would put your beads in a tupperware with distilled water in a shot glass. Test it and get it to the 65% mark you desire, then remove the shot glass and continue to monitor the beads in the tupperware. If it stays around where you want it, and you get your humi ready make the move back in. It may take a while for your cigars, beads & humi to all nuturalize. If it continues to drop RH you may have a leaky humi, you can research ways to seal it or you can continue to put your beads in a tupperware with a shot glass of distiled water often to charge back up to 65%. :2
I hope this helps. Scott Shilala created a very interesting thread about making a humidor water tight!

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Well I'm currently at a University so I can't really do any handy work with the humidor. I think it does have a leak because it slams pretty hard. But yes it is a glass top. I'm just mad that I invested money into something that doesn't work as advertised.

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It is a common issue with many humidors.


Here is the link I was referring to:
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=52938

Although it sounds like you may not be able to get this involved.

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No not at all. I've looked at that guide and it looks great. I just don't have to tools right now. Maybe this summer. What humidors do you guys have/recommend? Mine was a cheap one from cheap humidors.

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Honestly I would reccomend a cooler. Cheap and many seal well.
Not much of a presentation however.

You might consider trying to just use a clear odorless silicone to seal the glass and a foam seal to seal the opening on the one you have. You should be able to do a mediocre job without any tools or much time. :sh

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Buy a small cooler or a piece of Tupperware big enough to store your cigars, beads and hygro. All you have to do is clean it out and remove any plastic smell, no need to season or anything.