Over humidification and subsequent "coning"

Lexxxus · 03-23-2009, 11:44 AM

I've had some cigars in a "coolerdor" for about a year and just began to notice some serious burn issues, "coning" and poor draw.

Normally flavourful the (Siglo III) was harsh and spongy. I could not smoke it past the halfway point. I thought it was perhpas over-humidified.

As well, the normally whiteish ash was dark and uneven... I took one of the sticks to a local B&M who verified it was over humidified.

I had been using a distilled water system and it seemed to work for me but I obviously reached a point where it got away on me.

I checked the levels and placed a hygro in the suspect box and another simply in the cooler. The hygro sitting atop a box in the cooler read 69 but one in the box of Cohibas read 72...

I yanked the water system and switched over to beads (that I has sitting but had not got around to using) and on the advice of another forum member left 2 large containers of beads (dry) in the cooler to hofefully absorb the excess humidity) Levels are dropping slowly and the hygro in the cigar box was at 70...

I pulled a stick and let it sit out overnight... the stick felt much firmer and it smoked better but still it was "off"... The cigar burned better but produced visible "coning" (the outer portion of the cigar burned well but the interior was still overly humid and it burned darker and to a point or a "cone")

I could not smoke it much past the point of 1/3 remaining... I decided to tear it apart and the a pencil thickness of the interior was damp.

Questions:

How do cigars humidify? from the outside in or the other way around... It make sense that if the whole thing was damp, it would dry from the outside first (resulting in a stick that felt good from the outside but was revealed to still be damp inside)

Obviously the whole cooler was a bit too humid, how low can I take the interior humidity of the cooler to ensure everything returns to proper levels? Or a better question, what is the best way to bring cigars back down? How long should it take?

And finally, does short-term over-humidification damage cigars?

03-23-2009, 11:44 AM	#1
Lexxxus I break for Cubans Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Wayne Location: Winnipeg CANADA Posts: 130 Trading: (2)	Over humidification and subsequent "coning" I've had some cigars in a "coolerdor" for about a year and just began to notice some serious burn issues, "coning" and poor draw. Normally flavourful the (Siglo III) was harsh and spongy. I could not smoke it past the halfway point. I thought it was perhpas over-humidified. As well, the normally whiteish ash was dark and uneven... I took one of the sticks to a local B&M who verified it was over humidified. I had been using a distilled water system and it seemed to work for me but I obviously reached a point where it got away on me. I checked the levels and placed a hygro in the suspect box and another simply in the cooler. The hygro sitting atop a box in the cooler read 69 but one in the box of Cohibas read 72... I yanked the water system and switched over to beads (that I has sitting but had not got around to using) and on the advice of another forum member left 2 large containers of beads (dry) in the cooler to hofefully absorb the excess humidity) Levels are dropping slowly and the hygro in the cigar box was at 70... I pulled a stick and let it sit out overnight... the stick felt much firmer and it smoked better but still it was "off"... The cigar burned better but produced visible "coning" (the outer portion of the cigar burned well but the interior was still overly humid and it burned darker and to a point or a "cone") I could not smoke it much past the point of 1/3 remaining... I decided to tear it apart and the a pencil thickness of the interior was damp. Questions: How do cigars humidify? from the outside in or the other way around... It make sense that if the whole thing was damp, it would dry from the outside first (resulting in a stick that felt good from the outside but was revealed to still be damp inside) Obviously the whole cooler was a bit too humid, how low can I take the interior humidity of the cooler to ensure everything returns to proper levels? Or a better question, what is the best way to bring cigars back down? How long should it take? And finally, does short-term over-humidification damage cigars? __________________ Lx I invented the cordless extension cord. Last edited by Lexxxus; 03-23-2009 at 11:58 AM.