Cigar Storage

[Ray]

Hi all,

Another newb storage question. I know it's best to leave the individual cigars in their cellophane.

Tubed Cigars - Remove them or just open the tube?

Boxes - Remove the cellophane wrap or leave it sealed?

Boxes - Does the type of box make a difference for storage? (ie paper covered, sealed wood, plain wood)

Thanks
Ray

[K Baz]

Tubed Cigars - Remove them or just open the tube?

Leave them tubed

Boxes - Remove the cellophane wrap or leave it sealed?

Remove Cello to inspect then leave closed

Boxes - Does the type of box make a difference for storage? (ie paper covered, sealed wood, plain wood)

Nope inspect them upon arrival then close them - same for all kinds

[ribletman]

I always inspect cigars on arrival, and a re-inspection when removing them from quarantine. To me, that means open everything up so I can see all sides of a cigar. Unfortunately, cedar wrapped cigars are problematic to inspect, but cellophane makes no difference.

Everything you do with cigars after inspection is good. Remove the cellophane, leave it on, remove from boxes, leave them in, remove from tubes, leave in... it just does not matter. Whatever suits your fancy will be good.

[pitbulljimmy]

I'm partial to removing the cello wrappers from cigars I put in my humidor, I guess I'm just not so hot on having it rest/age against a man made material, and some would say it helps the cigars mellow quicker. Just my opinion. The wrappers protect against damage, but if you aren't handling them all the time, or treating your humidor like a box of shake'n'bake you shouldn't have any troubles.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by ribletman

I always inspect cigars on arrival, and a re-inspection when removing them from quarantine.

How do you quarantine your cigars and for how long?
Is this an important step I've been missing?

[ca21455]

Tubed Cigars - Remove them or just open the tube?

Leave them in the tube.

Boxes - Remove the cellophane wrap or leave it sealed?

Remove wrap and inspect. I leave boxed cigars in their cellophane wrapper.

Boxes - Does the type of box make a difference for storage? (ie paper covered, sealed wood, plain wood)

The black lacquer boxes are not good. All the ones I have experience with had a paint smell. Removed the cigars and stored in a drawer or another box. All the others I leave in the box as shipped

How do you quarantine your cigars and for how long?

I've been lucky and never experienced a beetle infestation. Most of my purchases are contemporary NC so there is not a lot of risk there. If you are buying Cuban the risk goes up. The quarantine method of choice is freezing. If you are interested there are a number of good posts on this, just use the search function.

[Alex_T]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it make more sense to remove cigars from their tubes?

If they are sealed in their tubes there would be no point in keeping them in a humi because they're sealed off from any humidity.

[piperdown]

Most tubes I've seen are not a high enough quality to be completely sealed (unlike some lab stuff I have at work). However, it will take a long time for humidity to reach equilibrium if they have been in a dry climate for a while or a really humid environment for a while. I'd say on the tube you'd have to leave them sealed for at least 2 weeks to equilize to your humidor or, for faster results, open them to the humidor for a couple of days.

[Ray]

Well, I have to admit, after researching quarantining of cigars on a few threads, you all sucessfully scared the sh*t outta me!

I recently had a cigar that I smoked that I noticed had a few pin holes in it, I didn't think much of it at the time. It still may have been nothing, but now my humidor is empty and all my sticks are in the freezer.

I'll be vacumning out my humidor before returning my cigars too, better safe than sorry!

Thanks for the info though, who knows what may have happened!

So after freezing for a few days they go in the fridge for 24 hours. What comes next? Straight to humidor or some other step?

[ribletman]

Originally Posted by ca21455

The quarantine method of choice is freezing.

Freezing is a method to prevent possible beetle infestations after evidence is found that beetles have hatched. Freezing is not needed unless beetles are already suspect, though some may choose to always freeze.

Originally Posted by Ray

How do you quarantine your cigars and for how long?
Is this an important step I've been missing?

Quarantine is just a humidity and temperature controlled isolation from the rest of your cigars. I use a plastic container, with a loose fitting lid. When I get new over-humidified cigars in the mail, I keep them in the the quarantine container for a few weeks. This is long enough to see evidence of beetles (if any), and long enough to get the humidity down to around 62-65%, where I like it. I inspect ever cigar individually as I put it into the quarantine container, and I put a hygrometer/thermometer on top the cigars. When the humidity consistently reads 65% (or lower), I rearrange the cigars. When it drops to 65% again, I put some 65% Heartfelt beads into the container until ready to move to the regular humidors. I love Heartfelt beads!

[Herf N Turf]

Freezing 101:

Double zipper bags, or zipper bag/tupperware.

Fridge - 2days
Freezer - 2days
Fridge - 2days

Humidor

[ca21455]

Originally Posted by Alex_T

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it make more sense to remove cigars from their tubes?

If they are sealed in their tubes there would be no point in keeping them in a humi because they're sealed off from any humidity.

I do not take them out anymore for the sole purpose of experiencing the cigar the way the maker intended. It is true that some tubes are not of high enough quality to isolate the cigar, but some are. The tubes keep the cigar from picking up any outside flavors from neighboring cigars or the humi environment.

[bigtattoo79]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Freezing 101:

Double zipper bags, or zipper bag/tupperware.

Fridge - 2days
Freezer - 2days
Fridge - 2days

Humidor

Thank you very much for this info. I have been wanting to ask but never got around to it.


Thanks Lance

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Freezing 101:

Double zipper bags, or zipper bag/tupperware.

Fridge - 2days
Freezer - 2days
Fridge - 2days

Humidor

Thank you for the info. Hopefully it really wasn't a tobacco beetle, but I don't think I'll be risking that again any time soon. One last question though.
How many days after they go in the humidor before they are ready to smoke?