Popular Post El Presidente Posted July 31, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted July 31, 2014 I had a distraught e-mail from a member earlier this week who found a beetle infestation in his Ramon Allones Specially Select. The box was from 2012 and purchased in Cuba. The box was placed at the back of his cabinet humidor for aging. It was one of 20 boxes of cigars and customs in the humidor. 4 of his Custom sticks were also decimated with others affected. They were closest to the RASS. For all of us who love Custom cigars, a timely warning. They are not frozen in the HSA freezing facility (this has been occurring with HSA boxes since 2005). The risk of beetle larvae in Custom cigars is much the same as the pre freezing period of HSA. It is not a rare occurrence. If you are bringing back custom cigars from Cuba, give serious consideration to freezing them before introducing them to your humidor. I know I have raised it before but sometimes I think we forget. I have come across the issue of beetles and Custom cigars too often over the years. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanislaw Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Thanks for mentioning this rob... I actually had been gifted a custom a few months ago but when it arrived it came with a little visitor... I immediately let the gifter know to check his sticks and freeze his cigars which took some coaxing because he didn't want to hamper quality by freezing... To those afraid of ruining their stock by freezing, take it from me, if done correctly there is no real loss in flavor or aging potential... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Good piece of wisdom Pres. When in doubt, the good ole' freezer is there for peace of mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Good advice, Prez I had a few bundles come in and ended up putting them in a seperate tupperware container for a couple of months before putting them in the humi I wasnt concerned about beetles (mainly cause I didnt think about them) it was more a space issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDD Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I always freeze my customs. I'm not willing to take any chances at all. I also spot check the humidor several times a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andysc83 Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Thanks for the advice! I'm getting some Johnny-Os in the mail soon so I will be freezing them for sure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
targa88 Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 How long should they be frozen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamondog Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 How long should they be frozen? I typically put them in the freezer for 72 hours...have never had a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDD Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 How long should they be frozen? It depends on your freezer and how low it can go. I usually go 5-7 days at 1* f which is more than enough time at that temp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajgagnon Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Reminds me to dig up some boxes and check/rotate. Especially in this heat wave in western Canada. Now that my humidor is effectively in the crawl space, it stays cooler (that's where I keep my wine too). On the main floor, it was a breeding ground as the indoor temp soared into the high 20s and much higher when the sun shone on it. Some farmies were suspect. I've had a few beetles over the years. Luckily not many. I think I still only freeze about half of what I buy. Maybe I should rethink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airtrade Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Wow this reminds me I need to freeze some new boxes. Good insurance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUBANO Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Freezing is the way to go with all cigars to be safe. About 18 mths ago had beetles on a RA Superiores Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nishdog007 Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 never thought of this! Great suggestion..thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordAnubis Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 WHat about if you bought cigars from the early 90's? Would they be too delicate to handle being frozen now? or would the fact they haven't broken out in beetles now indicated they don't have any anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Yep, gotta watch out for those beetles... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplepie Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Damn British invasion. Canada would be beatle-free if it wasn't for those gits Sent by the Enigma on BlackBerry. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laynard Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Thanks for the advice! I'm getting some Johnny-Os in the mail soon so I will be freezing them for sure.I just got some Johnnys and I asked if he froze. He told me he freezes his stock, but by all means freeze again if you want.Edit to add quote: Here is his answer when I asked if I should freeze: "...these have been frozen, but if you feel like freezing the again there is no harm in that. The leaf is factory leaf and it has been cured/aged/processed by factory standards." But this is only Johnny, this does not apply to all customs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stigmata Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 does that mean we should freeze our cigars before summer sets in? or just our customs? ive never done that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallclub Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Yep, gotta watch out for those beetles... This illustration is nice but completely inaccurate: the larvae eat tobacco and punch holes. The adults (as pictured) fly away - if they're not stuck inside a box or humidor… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duxnutz Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Tough crowd! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anacostiakat Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I keep all my customs in a seperate humi. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Tough crowd!Haters' gonna hate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro2486 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 This illustration is nice but completely inaccurate: the larvae eat tobacco and punch holes. The adults (as pictured) fly away - if they're not stuck inside a box or humidor… Dude, Seriously? BRB checking all cartoons and comics for factual inaccuracies 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftimatic Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Reminds me to dig up some boxes and check/rotate. Especially in this heat wave in western Canada. Now that my humidor is effectively in the crawl space, it stays cooler (that's where I keep my wine too). On the main floor, it was a breeding ground as the indoor temp soared into the high 20s and much higher when the sun shone on it. Some farmies were suspect. I've had a few beetles over the years. Luckily not many. I think I still only freeze about half of what I buy. Maybe I should rethink. Speaking of heat waves in Western Canada been having a hell of a time with heat and humidity control this summer. Finally got it down to 21ish with 68% and going through picking out a smoke and noticed a hole in one. Double checked all the rest and nothing. Put them all in the freezer anyway. Thank god I don't have a big collection... yet. That was with it in my basement too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthson Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Dude, Seriously? BRB checking all cartoons and comics for factual inaccuracies We. Must. Maintain. Accuracy. At. All. Times. Whimsy. Is. Verboten. (In my best K-9 voice a la Dr Who) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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