BobKincaid Posted August 22, 2011 Posted August 22, 2011 Until recently, I've never dealt with tubed cigars in my humi. That has changed. Is it best to remove the cigars from the tube for maximum protection, or will the tube not interfere with the preservation/aging process?
BrandonW Posted August 22, 2011 Posted August 22, 2011 Until recently, I've never dealt with tubed cigars in my humi. That has changed. Is it best to remove the cigars from the tube for maximum protection, or will the tube not interfere with the preservation/aging process? The only tubes I have sitting in my humidor is a box of Partagas Blacks(GREAT cigar). They are about 2 years old and no issues with keeping the cigars in the tubes. I do however keep the caps on loosely just to help the cigar "breathe"
Bunner Posted August 22, 2011 Posted August 22, 2011 I leave them in and no issue and I dont loosen them. It's personal prefernce.
bc8436 Posted August 22, 2011 Posted August 22, 2011 I always open tubos when I first get them to check for mold. Then I just put the cap back on and toss them in the humidor. I don't put the caps on tightly so there can be some airflow. This Has worked well for me.
Scdalak Posted August 22, 2011 Posted August 22, 2011 I always open tubos when I first get them to check for mold. Then I just put the cap back on and toss them in the humidor. I don't put the caps on tightly so there can be some airflow. This Has worked well for me. +1 on this, I always felt they were meant to stay in the Tubes..
BobKincaid Posted August 22, 2011 Author Posted August 22, 2011 Thanks, y'all! The mold inspection idea seems sound. It will be interesting to compare smokeability between tubed an un-tubed after as much of a rest as I can bear to give them.
Lotusguy Posted August 22, 2011 Posted August 22, 2011 +1 on this, I always felt they were meant to stay in the Tubes.. +2 I found a few that had been packed too wet and had a little bit of mold so the inspection is definitely recommended. I also check a few samples now-and-then when I go through my humi.
drubcurtis Posted August 22, 2011 Posted August 22, 2011 I second the "strictly personal preference" statement.
CohibaBehike Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 +1 on this, I always felt they were meant to stay in the Tubes.. I agree! I've always said that they package cigars for a reason and that they shouldn't be changed. I do the same for Cello cigars as well, if they put cello on they wanted it on for a reason.
#2 man Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 For what it's worth I've always left mine in after inspecting them as any other shipment received
Whodat Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 I have always kept the caps loose on the tubos while storing them. I've always been satisfied with this result.
LLC Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 I am having a VSG eclipse tubo right now as I'm catching up on new posts. I left them as is in the tube and box and open when I'm going to smoke it. I do seem to notice the tubos develope plume quicker than normal. Does anyone else find that? A quick brush with my soft lens cleaning brush (no longer used for lenses) and I'm good to smoke. As for the cigar itself, I am enjoying it but have come to realize I much prefer the Illision in the VSG line. It has a lot more flavor. I think your ok to go with whatever you find your preference.
thechenman Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 I am having a VSG eclipse tubo right now as I'm catching up on new posts. I left them as is in the tube and box and open when I'm going to smoke it. I do seem to notice the tubos develope plume quicker than normal. Does anyone else find that? A quick brush with my soft lens cleaning brush (no longer used for lenses) and I'm good to smoke. As for the cigar itself, I am enjoying it but have come to realize I much prefer the Illision in the VSG line. It has a lot more flavor. I think your ok to go with whatever you find your preference. You sure that's plume your brushing off? I just mention it because in my experience is that tubos tend to develop mold more readily rather than plume...just saying.
Ginseng Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 You sure that's plume your brushing off? I just mention it because in my experience is that tubos tend to develop mold more readily rather than plume...just saying. This has been my consistent experience. I have encountered a significant proportion of tubed NC cigars touched by mold. Have not ever seen this in any Habanos tubos I've owned...from humble Partagas machine-mades to Siglo VI. I open up the tube and check to make sure the cigar is in good condition. If it is, I cap it right back up and into the humi it goes. Wilkey
LLC Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 Pretty sure it's plume bases on it being white and brushing off cleanly. I'll have a closer look but it seemed similar to some Monty #2's that had the same thing after some aging and matched example images on the web.
PigFish Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 Frankly I don't trust the storage conditions of others. I consider myself an expert on the topic, so sealing my cigars and isolating them in the condition that was provided by another and unknown to me, inside the tube, I see as a mistake. I like my cigars rather dry. I like my cigars tempered (my term for acclimatized) by my native environments (my humidors) and not the way they may have been haphazardly packaged at a factory or stored at a retailer. For the record, I hardly ever buy tubos. I am into the best cigars for my money and aluminum tampon holders just raises the cost of cigars I know I like already so I find them an unnecessary expense. While they have a place, when I need one I just reuse an old tubo. With all those caveats, when I get tubo cigars I open them in my humidor so that they become consistent with my other cigars. I want cigars that are ready to smoke, so ready to smoke represents the conditions that I store them. Sealing up a cigar that was in equilibrium at 70 deg. F. and 70 RH is not what I consider smoking condition, so I change it the only way I know how, by putting them to rest in the equilibrium environment that suits me. While it should be obvious, they need to be opened to freely exchange water vapor with that environment in order to come to equilibrium with that environment. -Piggy
thechenman Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 I take my cigars out of the tubos these days. I've done both, but honestly...why risk something bad happening inside a tube where I won't have any idea of mold growth or beetles until I open it. Better safe than sorry. Tubes are just for easy transport for me, so if I need it, I will just drop the cigar back into a tube before heading out. While Piggy makes a good point of having to pay more for cigars en tubo because of the aluminum tube, I do find myself buying them form time to time because I like my cigars in the round, and in the tubo format you can find that in certain marcas/vitolas which normally only come in dress boxes with a slight box press.
PigFish Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 Pig, while I agree with much of your points, I would argue that tubos are not exactly vaccuum sealed. They will acclimate to your personal preferential environment, albeit slightly slower. I would also argue that this is a good thing since the rule of thumb for cigars in general is slow and easy. What happens when you toss in a cigar that was living in 73RH into a humi with 63RH and do it too quickly? Nothing good. Slow and steady is the way to go. This is a matter of how you look at it. Tobacco transfers water rather easily at 180 DF and only half as fast at 150 DF. The fact is, the cigar transfers water very slowly at 70 DF and even slower when there is only 10 RH differential in water activity. Take a tubo, make sure the cap is tight and toss it into a bowl of water! Let it sit there 24 hours and you will find that your cigar is in the same condition that it was when you put it in. This is of course if the tube is not defective. My point here is that tubes are designed to protect the cigar from outside conditions. While they are not perfect that is why they are made!!! If you wish to seal the conditions set by others inside your tube with you cigars, please feel free. Depending on some form of tube leakage to adjust my cigars to the way I like them could take a decade and that is not the intention I have when I buy a box of cigars (to wait a decade). I don't store cigars to age them. I store them to keep them ready to smoke. While I often smoke a cigar before it is dry enough because I am impatient... it is only a cigar, my core belief is that a cigar, in a box, can take a year or more to fully change 5 ERH. JMHO. I don't think a rapid 10 RH swing will damage a cigar in any way. -Piggy
BMWFan Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 Thanks to this thread, I just got back from checking 2 boxes of 3x5 HdM Especiales Tubos. Now these are the 1st tubes I ever purchased. Had them over a month and only smoked one about a week after arrival. Box date 9/2010. Well imagine my surprise when about half of the cigars had white mold on them. I just wiped it off, but stored all cigars loose in the drawer now. I saved the tubes and will use them when I am going out. Thanks for this thread and feedback guys. Probably saved me a nightmare later, as I was not planning to smoke any more of these anytime soon.
Ginseng Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 I don't store cigars to age them. I store them to keep them ready to smoke. -Piggy I like that. Wilkey
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