How to freeze cigars

[tempbond]

I don't know if you've seen this study before (I think it's old news for many of you I'm sure), but it's very informative.

I posted a link and additionnal info on my blog : How to freeze cigars

[ohioldd]

Thanks for posting.

[KarlJ]

Great information! Nice to see an actual controlled study. I've been on the fence over the do freeze/don't freeze debate. I personally have trouble maintaining temperatures below 75F/24C in the summer months. As my investment grows I may turn to freezing as a preventive measure. Nice blog by the way!!

[kcheek]

Great info! I'm on the fence with this. I've never had an outbreak, but the investments we deal with warrant the extra insurance. Thanks for the link.

[CaptainQuintero]

I've been wondering about freezing recently (Even though I live in the UK, LOL high temps?) so contacted JJ Fox in London an they said they only consider freezing as a last resort when you know that you have an outbreak, and only then to isolate the infected box from the rest of the stock. They still confirmed that beetle is a valid concern for either a warehouse full of cigars or a 25 ct humidor but also that you can sbsolutely smoke a cigar with holes/weevils.

Obviously if you live in a country in which you get high temps then the advice is different, but yeah...England....sun/heat?

I think if the UK weather cycles change then I would think about it but this Summer my collection hasn't got over 70f, and if it did I keep everything in a wine fridge so I could give a quick blast to bring the temp down to acceptable levels.

I'm thinking, at least at the moment, that controlling the temp of my collection is easier.

Plus if the temp here ever does get above 70f I have an in-built early warning system; the piercing sound of 60 million people whining about being too hot

[tempbond]

Good info there, thanks Seb.

There are many variations on this. I've seen people do the fridge for 2 days, freezer, 3, then back to fridge for 2 more. I've seen people dry box in a cool place for 12 hours prior to starting and after finishing the process. I've also seen people just dump the boxes straight to the freezer with no ill effects.

Just keep your humi comfortably under 70 degrees and there should not be a problem of beetles.

You're welcome Shlomo. Yes, I agree, but why take the chance. 3 days of waiting compared to checking my humi's temp day in day out plus absolute peace of mind, the choice is easy for me.

[tempbond]

Great information! Nice to see an actual controlled study. I've been on the fence over the do freeze/don't freeze debate. I personally have trouble maintaining temperatures below 75F/24C in the summer months. As my investment grows I may turn to freezing as a preventive measure. Nice blog by the way!!

I do freeze my cigars but to find some real info, I was glad I did, as I too have a bit of difficulty regulating my humidor's temp as it follows the temp given by the AC/furnace in my house. Since the thermostat at my house is set for 21.5 celcius, or 71 farenheit, and that the temp has to go past 71 for the thermostat to activate the AC, the humi's just at the edge of safety (for beetles at least). So not having to worry about that is a big plus for me.

Glad to hear you like my blog, nice of you to say.

[tempbond]

Great info! I'm on the fence with this. I've never had an outbreak, but the investments we deal with warrant the extra insurance. Thanks for the link.

You're welcome. Better be safe than sorry, freezing isn't hard to do and protects your investment.

[Trevor2118]

Good info there, thanks Seb.

There are many variations on this. I've seen people do the fridge for 2 days, freezer, 3, then back to fridge for 2 more. I've seen people dry box in a cool place for 12 hours prior to starting and after finishing the process. I've also seen people just dump the boxes straight to the freezer with no ill effects.

Just keep your humi comfortably under 70 degrees and there should not be a problem of beetles.

I think this should be clarified.

1. The stated information is a scientific study....not opinion. ..........Full study here: http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/aez/41/1/87/_pdf

2. 70 deg F is too high. The tobacco beetle, Lasioderma serricorne, thrives in temperatures in excess of 18ºC / 65ºF.

[OZCUBAN]

Hi all

Just thought I would add my two cents worth in here,I have never in my 15 years + of smoking and keeping cigars ,have never froze one, and i live in a very Mediterranean type climate ,and gets stinking in the summer ,and have never seen 1 beetle or larvae,I honestly think that H.S.A freezing policy seems to do the job,or maybe I have just been lucky

Cheers OZ

[goalie204]

I have gone directly into the freezer and have also gone fridge to freezer. On the way out I've gone freezer to fridge and also I have gone freezer to countertop. I've never seen a cigar expand or crack using any. And they're all smoking great

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[tempbond]

I have gone directly into the freezer and have also gone fridge to freezer. On the way out I've gone freezer to fridge and also I have gone freezer to countertop. I've never seen a cigar expand or crack using any. And they're all smoking great

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know that a friend puts his boxes "directly from the mailbox" into the freezer and hasn't had any problems with his cigars. But like I said before, I like to be careful and since cigars aren't bone dry, ice crystals can form, however small they might be, damaging the tobacco.

Ok, it's not like you are freezing a green tobacco leaf : the result out of the freezer would be a limp, soft and fragile leaf which would loose a good part of it's water content. But if this phenomenon can occur in humid cured tobacco, even if it's very very very small, why take the chance ?

But there is something else to think about : the faster you freeze something and the lower the temperature, the smaller the ice crystal become. That's why frozen food produced in factories is flash-freezed or quick-freezed, not just frozen. It requires temperatures ranging from -36 to -196 celcius. I don't know if Habanos uses this method to freeze their cigars ... That would be the best way, but we don't all have an industrial freezer at home !

[Diamondog]

I have never frozen cigars and never had a problem, it surely exists but I just don't think I could bring myself to freeze cigars

[CaptainQuintero]

But there is something else to think about : the faster you freeze something and the lower the temperature, the smaller the ice crystal become. That's why frozen food produced in factories is flash-freezed or quick-freezed, not just frozen. It requires temperatures ranging from -36 to -196 celcius. I don't know if Habanos uses this method to freeze their cigars ... That would be the best way, but we don't all have an industrial freezer at home !

I'm not too sure about this, with making ice cream if you freeze your mixture too fast you get large ice crystals and you get crunchy ice cream. If you cool your mixture very slowly you get tiny ice crystals and a resulting smooth ice cream.

We need Sir Piggy to join the debate!

[SCgarman]

Since moving to Virginia where it was incredibly hot this past summer I have frozen all of my cigars and will freeze treat all new boxes that I purchase. We live in a newer house with central air conditioning but when it is in the 90s and 100s ouside, the best the AC can do is maybe 72 to 74 degrees farenheit. Even then our electric bill is outrageous. So for me, freezing all of the cigars in a stand up freezer for 3 days then the fridge for a day gives me the piece of mind that those little bugs will not be feasting upon my cigar collection. And I have not ever experienced any damaged wrappers or any other ill effects from freeze treating. It does not affect taste or any other aspect of the tobacco. This is only based upon my experience.

[Omskakas]

I have gone directly into the freezer and have also gone fridge to freezer. On the way out I've gone freezer to fridge and also I have gone freezer to countertop. I've never seen a cigar expand or crack using any. And they're all smoking great

I've stopped doing fridge-time because I've found out the same thing - it really doesn't matter. I usually throw cigars from room temp to freezer for 48 h and thaw them in room temp too. No maggots yet.

[tempbond]

I'm not too sure about this, with making ice cream if you freeze your mixture too fast you get large ice crystals and you get crunchy ice cream. If you cool your mixture very slowly you get tiny ice crystals and a resulting smooth ice cream.

We need Sir Piggy to join the debate!

This is not what I think, this is the reality of what goes on in the food industry. Even more striking, when doctors freeze sperm or embryos, they use liquid nitrogen which is -196 Celcius or -321°F, to freeze them instantaneously. That way there is little to no ice crystal formation, therefore not killing the cells.

A bit off topic, but if you want some info on ice cream chemistry, this a really interesting article : Structure of ice cream

[Trevor2118]

Wasn't arguing the validity, just adding info I have garnered over my own course of personal investigation. Yes my post is opinion, but where did you get the info about 65 degrees? MANY more knowledgeable people than myself have told me it takes several days of plus 70 in order for any potential larvae ot hatch. Again, their accounts are also opinion, but I ran a quick search and found nothing stating 65 is the hatching temp for the beetles.

From the quoted article:

Our results indicate that the reproductive cycle of the cigarette beetle can be blocked at 18°C.

At that temperature, the stored tobacco will never be infested, even if eggs are deposited by invading adults.

[Guest rob]

I'm with Oz in this.

One and a decades of buying, storing and smoking.... and I've never frozen one. Even living in an area where summer temps often crack 40 c (100 f) I've been ok... touch wood.

I'm sure if I ever found a beetle I'd be a new convert to freezing though.