Hi from Belgium

[Custom56]

Greetings from the land of Waffels, Brussel Sprouts, Chocolate and BEER !

I'm Jan (our version of John). Just a few weeks ago, when I had some friends over for Newyear i had the pleasure of enjoying my first cigar. After this great meal with lot of wine one of my best friends offered me a Romeo & Julieta Nr2 tubo. I really enjoyed it.

2 days after i went out and bought my first Humidor and a whole lot of cigars.

We are now 1 month after the first cigar and this is what my stash looks like now:

Climate controlled cigar cabinet, nice and steady at 16-18°C and 65-70% RH (thanks to a pound of heartfelt beads).

Humidor in the bottom filled with singles.

Boxes:

Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva (an investment for the future)

Cohiba Siglo I

Trinidad Robusto T

Trinidad Reyes

Partagas Serie D No 4

RyJ Short Churchills

50 cabinet of Ramon Allones Specially Selected

H. Upman Magnum 48 LE

Montecristo Open junior (yeah i know shoot me, i like it on a sunday morning)

Like they say: It's a very slippery slope...

In the summer I'm moving to a bigger place together with my wife-to-be and I'm planning to convert the attic into a smoking room. I will surely keep you all posted on that.

Jan

[finecigar]

Welcome to FOH- what a great place to be. I really like the set-up you have. Nice selection of cigars, and quite an investment for just having your first one a month ago!

-Adam

[laficion]

Hi Jan,

Welcome to FOH Jeffke

For your first steps and experience into cuban cigars, you've landed at the

right place.

Thanks for sharing with us your first cigar and certainly not your last.

Have a great time on this forum and open up some great Belgium beer, Meneke!!!!!!

P.S. Where do you live in Belgium ?

[Custom56]

Thanks Adam,

I was really into fine wine and whisky already so this is really more of a new hobby to me.

I know it's a big investment... But after watching alot of video reviews it became clear that a fine cigar is something that needs a bit of aging. The full boxes I'm not even touching at the moment. I plan on leaving them in there for at least 6 months or so (except the Reyes, they are a 06 box) before i light the first ones up.

As I said, the bottom humidor is also packed with a great selection of singles from all different blends and sizes, that's really my "explore the world of cigar tasting" box.

The only thing that is still not clear for me is the correct way of aging these boxes. Everybody i speak to about it has a different opinion.

20°C and 70%RH is something you hear and read often, while other people in my new circle of smoking friends have suggested:

16-18°C and 70-75%RH

20°C and 60-65%

I was hoping some of the "experts" here could give me some solid advise on this. I plan on aging these cigars, that's the sole purpose of the climate controlled cabinet.

In the future I will be buying a slightly bigger wooden humidor to hold all the singles and "go-to everyday smokes" without worrying too much about temp.

So the question actually is:

1. Humidor with singles and a few "cheaper" boxes to smoke on a regular basis out of the climate cabinet. What RH% to aim for?

2. Climate cabinet with all the expensive boxes for aging. What temp and RH to aim for?

Jan

[Custom56]

Hi Jan,

Welcome to FOH Jeffke

For your first steps and experience into cuban cigars, you've landed at the

right place.

Thanks for sharing with us your first cigar and certainly not your last.

Have a great time on this forum and open up some great Belgium beer, Meneke!!!!!!

P.S. Where do you live in Belgium ?

I was born and raised in Maaseik (province of Limburg), a little city very near to the Dutch border.

At the moment I'm living in Meise near our capital city Brussels, but I bought a house in Gent so I'm moving there after the summer.

-Jan

[laficion]

Jan,

For the long term aging, I would keep them at, 16-18°C with a 60-65% RH

For the singles or others , 18-19°C with 68-70% RH since Belgium is a humide country

Hope to have been of some help

Guy

[hansa]

Hey Jan,

Welkom... or should I say "Welcome". You're not the only Belgian guy around here !

It is indeed a very slippery slope ! Prepare yourself for a rough ride !

One hint : Have you checked the Dutch/Belgian forum "sigarenplatform" ?

Hans

[Ellery]

Welcome and excellent pics

[thechenman]

Welcome to FOH Jan, and thanks for sharing your story and pictures. You are definitely off to a fine start. Let us know how the smoking room in your attic goes. I think it is great that your fiance does not opposed the idea. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

By the way Guy, posted some good info for you regarding Rh, and I would agree with his opinion. Take care.

[android]

Welcome to FOH...you new set-up and stash looks and sounds great.

[Custom56]

Jan,

For the long term aging, I would keep them at, 16-18°C with a 60-65% RH

For the singles or others , 18-19°C with 68-70% RH since Belgium is a humide country

Hope to have been of some help

Guy

Guy,

One other question that keeps bugging me.

Every time the cooler comes on to cool about 2 degrees, some of the vapor in the air condensates on the walls of the fridge and then evaporates again, resulting in a 10min dip in RH.

This happens about once every hour or so. So in fact the RH is constant 68-70% for 50 mins, then drops to 60-62% over 5 mins and comes back to 68-70% the next five minutes. Do you think this has a negative effect? Also all the boxes are closed in the cabinet, should i open them a bit or leave them as they are.

Thanks for the help, un grand merci !

Jan

[Custom56]

Hey Jan,

Welkom... or should I say "Welcome". You're not the only Belgian guy around here !

It is indeed a very slippery slope ! Prepare yourself for a rough ride !

One hint : Have you checked the Dutch/Belgian forum "sigarenplatform" ?

Hans

Yes Hans, i just registered today !

Looking forward to seeing you in "La Fuma" someday, it's such a relaxing place to smoke a good havana...

-Jan

[gdmw]

welkome mate

[samb]

Welcome to the forum! You're embarking on a wonderful hobby!

[finecigar]

Thanks Adam,

I was really into fine wine and whisky already so this is really more of a new hobby to me.

I know it's a big investment... But after watching alot of video reviews it became clear that a fine cigar is something that needs a bit of aging. The full boxes I'm not even touching at the moment. I plan on leaving them in there for at least 6 months or so (except the Reyes, they are a 06 box) before i light the first ones up.

As I said, the bottom humidor is also packed with a great selection of singles from all different blends and sizes, that's really my "explore the world of cigar tasting" box.

The only thing that is still not clear for me is the correct way of aging these boxes. Everybody i speak to about it has a different opinion.

20°C and 70%RH is something you hear and read often, while other people in my new circle of smoking friends have suggested:

16-18°C and 70-75%RH

20°C and 60-65%

I was hoping some of the "experts" here could give me some solid advise on this. I plan on aging these cigars, that's the sole purpose of the climate controlled cabinet.

In the future I will be buying a slightly bigger wooden humidor to hold all the singles and "go-to everyday smokes" without worrying too much about temp.

So the question actually is:

1. Humidor with singles and a few "cheaper" boxes to smoke on a regular basis out of the climate cabinet. What RH% to aim for?

2. Climate cabinet with all the expensive boxes for aging. What temp and RH to aim for?

Jan

-

I like the "explore the world of cigar tasting" box- kind of similar to my life. I have many humidors all over the world in different homes that I have property of- Sometimes I tend to forget of all the cigars I own but anyways, I can't really answer your question because I never have used a climate controlled cabinet. I am more of a desktop-humidor person. The interaction of opening and all is what I truly love. I have made quite an investment of time and money in this hobby and it hasn't hurt me ever. Welcome again, and hope your questions were solved by other more expert members. I am fairly new also. Hope you find this place an entertaining, informative, and overall superb experience/ forum to come to whenever you feel like it!

[Buch0]

Welcome mate, as the above have mentioned you are indeed on the right path and I doubt you will ever look back from this point on!! I am pleasured by hearing about others love for cigars as it is paralleled to my own. Be sure to keep us updated on your smoke room.

[Ken Gargett]

welcome and enjoy.

[Trevor2118]

Welcome to FOH Jan.....

[anacostiakat]

Welcome Aboard!

Aaarrrggghhh. . .

[Custom56]

Welcome Aboard!

Aaarrrggghhh. . .

Sooo, you're a pirate?

[laficion]

Guy,

One other question that keeps bugging me.

Every time the cooler comes on to cool about 2 degrees, some of the vapor in the air condensates on the walls of the fridge and then evaporates again, resulting in a 10min dip in RH.

This happens about once every hour or so. So in fact the RH is constant 68-70% for 50 mins, then drops to 60-62% over 5 mins and comes back to 68-70% the next five minutes. Do you think this has a negative effect? Also all the boxes are closed in the cabinet, should i open them a bit or leave them as they are.

Thanks for the help, un grand merci !

Jan

Hi Jan,

I'm afraid I can't answer your question since I don't have a climate controlled cabinet.

As to should you leave your boxes opened or closed , If you leave your boxes closed,

I don't think that there would be a negative effect on the cigars since it's only a few minutes

of change each time. I would ,however, check with a specialist on the problem of

condesation on the walls of your cabinet, you will maybe need a fan inside.

Guy

[Custom56]

Thanks Guy,

I already ordered some fans and will be installing them shortly. These also eliminate some stratification of humidity.

-Jan

[OZCUBAN]

Hi Jan nice set up going through the same myself

Welcome to F.O.H and enjoy

Cheers Oz