Dry boxing?


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I spend part of the year in an extremely dry environment where the RH is regularly in the 20-30% range. If I dry boxed cigars there they would be crumbling to dust in just a few hours. Part of the year I am in a moist temperate climate where cigars smoke perfectly right out of the humi, and part of the year I live in a humid tropical place. Cigars there have to sit out on the shelf for 4-5 days to acclimate to the high humidity before they will actually burn instead of smoldering. So, is it really "dry boxing" or is it about letting the cigar adjust to the ambient conditions in which it will be smoked?

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Thank you for the links. I am liking what I have read and will give it a try.

How long should you put it in the freezer and do you wrap it or bag it?

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lately I leave a bag of sticks to dry in the console of my car a few hours. So much better than right out of the humi.

Carolinas are variable humidity these days.

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Put your next cigar in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before you smoke it and you tell us. After all, it's personal preference.

More times than not I'm doing some kind of activity when I'm smoking so I do not have the opportunity to savor the flavors for it to matter.

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Whether you should or not, as stated earlier, is a matter of personal preference, but I drybox my cigars about 24 hours in advance. I have found that they tend to burn a lot better that way. I don't know if it has anything to do with the climate here along the gulfcoast, but it works for me.

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Keep mine around 64% so most smoke fine right out of the humi.

If they're a bit tight I'll toss them in a dry box for a couple days to see if that helps.

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I dry box for a few days but lately I've just been putting them in the fridge about 20 minutes before I smoke and that's been working just as great.

All personal preference. I store at 60% and still drybox everything just cause I like the way they burn.

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Should you dry box your CC's prior to smoking? Why or why not.

Probably not in Florida unless your humidoor is wetter than ambient rh in your home. I found that finding the humidity that they smoke best to me and keeping it as close to that as possible, then I can smoke them right out of the humi. For instance humi at 62% now. Room RH was 65% this am so no need to put them in a box they will get wetter here this time of year. I use 60% beads at 68- 70 ° F

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Probably not in Florida unless your humidoor is wetter than ambient rh in your home. I found that finding the humidity that they smoke best to me and keeping it as close to that as possible, then I can smoke them right out of the humi. For instance humi at 62% now. Room RH was 65% this am so no need to put them in a box they will get wetter here this time of year. I use 60% beads at 68- 70 ° F

Thanks. I keep my coolador at 69f and 65rh constant.

I find that they smoke perfect in these conditions.

I just finish one and put it in frig. for 20m and it is a little dryer. Found it is a little harsh for me but smoked great.

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Thanks. I keep my coolador at 69f and 65rh constant.

I find that they smoke perfect in these conditions.

I just finish one and put it in frig. for 20m and it is a little dryer. Found it is a little harsh for me but smoked great.

You should drybox one to try out and see what you think.

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Unless you are part of the few that believe that storing cigars at higher rh is good for aging, store them at the desired rh for smoking. ...on a side note, I sometimes wet the cigar for a couple seconds under the tap , but that is an entirely different topic

sent while mobile....

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I smoke mine right out of the humi. If it's one that's too wet, I let it acclimate for a few weeks.

I've found that if it's wet, dry boxing is rushing it and the performance is hit or miss. If I just wait until it's acclimated to the right rh, no issues.

If you think it's wet, smoke something else.

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My coolerdor is set at 68-71% RH.

Desktop Humidor at 64-65% RH

I find it for best smoking experience (for me) is to bring what i want to smoke and leave it in the lower RH humidor for a few days - a week. Somehow I perceived the color is oilier, sheen is brighter and burn in better. In turn i rarely have a plugged cigar and the flavors is constant to what i expect to be or better.

Mind i live in a 88-92% humidity and 25-35 degrees celcius country lmao.gif

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just tested this theory with 3 different cigars last weekend. Used three of each SLR pacifico, JL 4 and PL beli. Smoked 3 Friday a few hours out of my humi 65/65 and they were decent. Saturday about 24 hours in the dry box smoke all 3 again and they were noticeable more flavorful. Sunday 48 hrs later it was a whole different ball game. The SLR pacifico was utter bliss the flavors were so profound I did not want it to end! The last JL 4 and PL beli were the same way. Have dry boxed for ages and now I remember why

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Just tested this theory with 3 different cigars last weekend. Used three of each SLR pacifico, JL 4 and PL beli. Smoked 3 Friday a few hours out of my humi 65/65 and they were decent. Saturday about 24 hours in the dry box smoke all 3 again and they were noticeable more flavorful. Sunday 48 hrs later it was a whole different ball game. The SLR pacifico was utter bliss the flavors were so profound I did not want it to end! The last JL 4 and PL beli were the same way. Have dry boxed for ages and now I remember why

How do I proceed with this.

I live in a very humid region, I keep my humi at 69f and 62 rh.

All my sticks are in original boxes and of PSP quality.

How long should they stay in the dry box?

Am u trying to reduce moister and if so when I take them out to smoke won't the ambient humidity take over?

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I routinely place the majority of all my smokes in a old cigar box and leave out to room temperature and RH.

I store most of my smokes around 63 RH, however if I go outside especially after a rain her ein the south my cigars do one of two things, seize up and very difficult to draw or they begin splitting down the middle ahead of the burn line which is a losing proposition as well.

I find by acclimating my smokes I am able to adapt to humidity outside during late spring and Summer. Come winter and Fall I smoke directly out of my humidor on most cases depending on what I am smoking both CC and NC cigars.

Just my .02.

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I have lately been putting them in my freezer for about 15min before smoking does taste better as for some who put them out 24/48hrs how do you plan your smokes that far ahead I barely know what im going to eat in 4 hrs let alone smoke in 24/48

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I have lately been putting them in my freezer for about 15min before smoking does taste better as for some who put them out 24/48hrs how do you plan your smokes that far ahead I barely know what im going to eat in 4 hrs let alone smoke in 24/48

Good point. Going into a weekend I pull out a bunch of sticks I want to try but during the week I have no idea what I am going to smoke. Depending on the mood or type of day it was. Rob mention something about throwing them in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Have tried that and it has worked nicely when I do not plan ahead.

I keep boxes of RASSC and HUHC always on hand and they seem to smoke fine if I just want something to grab right out of the humi and smoke it. Have not tried freezing for 15min, will have to test this out.

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