Setting Up the Cooler

[Jack Straw]

Well, I went to Target yesterday and bought a squarish 60 or so quart cooler from target - it was only $20!

Then, I went to a local B&M and bought 6 empty boxes for 75c each to hold/sort singles, samplers, 5ers, and bundles. I didn't want to shell out extra money for the hard wooden ones, so I went for paper covered Chateau Fuente boxes that have plenty of exposed cedar inside and out (only paper covered parts are really the lid and the outside of the walls).

It doesn't have that "premium humidor cedar" smell, but I figured if Fuente uses it, it must be fine. The best part, is that I found 5 matching ones that are huge one layer boxes, perfect for singles, and probably a foot square. Also got one more small one to hit the "buy 6 their 75c each" deal the store had.

So $25 later, and this is what I've got:



I put some gars in to take this picture, and show how nice the size of these boxes is:


Now, the only problem is, I have to figure out why the DC of my beads says "delivered" yet my front porch is empty.

[royhubbs]

Nice, Those boxes should work nicely. I almost picked up a cooler today at Wal Mart but I resisted the temptation.

[Jack Straw]

Roy, the way I figure it, you can just slowly accumulate stuff when good prices pop up, and then you can just throw it in the cooler and forget about it, and then down the line when you otherwise would have to re-up the stock of a small humidor with overpriced non-bulk items, you already have them sitting in the cooler ready for action. I don't even smoke that much (maybe 3x a week), so most of what goes in here probably won't come out for a long time. I know that I won't be tempted to smoke more just for having the cooler, because I find that if I smoke a few days in a row, each cigar seems less special. I like to really relish them.

Also, figured out that the mailman put the beads in my downstairs neighbor's mailbox, so I'm all set up!

[Doogie]

sweet setup for $25

[Jack Straw]

So, I finished airing it out two days ago, put the beads in, and wiped down the boxes. I love seeing the hygro say 65%, right on the nose. It's very comforting.

[karmaz00]

good start...once you accumelate more seegars it will smell less like cooler and more like cigars.

[Hermit]

Just don't waste any money on empty boxes.

Buy full ones!

[Sweet_Cigars]

Sweet setup!

[Jack Straw]

Originally Posted by Hermit

Just don't waste any money on empty boxes.

Buy full ones!

Heh, got another box in there today:


Oops, what happened!

[OracleSmoke]

looks like you dig fuente

[Hermit]

Originally Posted by OracleSmoke

looks like you dig fuente

Those are empty.
Pay attention, dammit!

[Frinkiac7]

Will a bunch of empty cedar boxes work? I was under the impression we had to seek out large blocks of it or something...

[Blaylock]

Originally Posted by Frinkiac7

Will a bunch of empty cedar boxes work? I was under the impression we had to seek out large blocks of it or something...

Cedar boxes work well!

[slyder]

Originally Posted by Frinkiac7

Will a bunch of empty cedar boxes work? I was under the impression we had to seek out large blocks of it or something...

plain old mahogany works too. Spanish cedar is a form of mahogany and they both have the same properties when it comes to controlling RH. I got some at Menards and ripped it to fit in the slots on the lid of the cooler. Its not 100% necessary but it looks cool and is sure to help a little. The cigar boxes will do most of the work.

[Jack Straw]

Would getting large blocks wouldn't do much beyond regulating humidity, which is somewhat redundant in a cooler to begin with? It would I'm guessing be higher quality cedar than in the cheapy boxes I have though. Just having enough to add aroma to the cooler will probably be fine, unless there's something I'm missing. I mean, most of the cigars you put in there are going to be in cedar boxes to begin with, right?

I'm also beginning to wonder if the cedar aroma really infuses with the cigar to any noticable degree to begin with. Obviously for a normal humidor it is good for stabilizing RH, but I wonder if you put one cigar in a well kept tupperware for a few months and one in a well kept spanish cedar humidor, if either would really taste more cedary than the other.

But then there's that lovely smell when you open it up, which is just great.