Scrubber Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I'm pretty new to cigars so I'm not sure what I'm experiencing. I've tried to find my answer but can't. I've purchased both NC and CCs and it seems to be affecting both. They have been in the humidor for about 2 weeks. I currently have 72% boveda packs inside. The cigars are very hard. There is no give at all or at least very little give when pinching. However, when pinching there is no cracking or crunching sound which makes me think they aren't dried out. They arrived like this and still seem the same. They were purchased from 2 different vendors. I've smoked a few and they seem to smoke ok but some time have some burns issues, usually tunnelling. Is it possible they could be over humidified? Any thoughts or help would be appreciated. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasabar Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I'd say overhumidified. Most stores keep cigars at 70% Rh and lots of Cuban cigar smokers prefer even as low as 62%Rh. I'd back the Rh down until the cigar smokes better and you enjoy the flavors the best. Find what you like, but I'd guess your sticks are a wee wet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrubber Posted August 20, 2015 Author Share Posted August 20, 2015 That's what I thought. I guess the only thing that confused me was that most articles I read said that overhumidified cigars would be very soft and dry ones would be hard. My thinking was the excess humidity causes swelling which makes them hard because the wrapper doesn't feel dried out. I'll try dropping the humidity and see how I go. I also put a few in a dry box last night to see if they smoke any better. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stogieluver Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 72 is way too high for Cubans. Separate them from the NC's and drop down to a 65 boveda for about 60 days and see how they feel/smoke. I keep mine around 62-63%. What is the temp in your humidor and what is the temp in the room where the humi is? Do you trust your source on the Cubans? You say you're new to cigars. There are plenty of fakes floating around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrubber Posted August 21, 2015 Author Share Posted August 21, 2015 I was thinking 72 was a bit too high but as it was a new humidor so thought I'd start with 72 and see what the actual RH would be and adjust down if I needed to. I only have an analogue hygrometer atm so don't know the temp but it's winter here in Sydney so temps are generally between 17 and 21 degrees (62 to 70degrees F). I have a digital hygrometer on the way so will be able to monitor more effectively soon. I trust the source on the Cubans but I don't think they are the highest quality cigars. So far I have only bought a 10 box of maduro genios and a 25 box of magnum 46s. I've only smoke a couple of the magnums so far and they seem to be smoking well. I have a box of BRC on the way and should have them in the next week or so. They are from a different source. I have done a fair bit of research on sources and I trust them but I am buying blind so I guess it will be hit and miss. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stogieluver Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 Temp is good. The only other thing I could suggest is to test your hygrometer when you receive it. I use the Boveda test kit, but you could also google the salt test. although I don't think it is as accurate as the test kit. Good luck and welcome to the hobby. Oh, one more suggestion: increase your credit card limits. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrubber Posted August 21, 2015 Author Share Posted August 21, 2015 Well I bought a boveda hygrometer which comes with a test kit so I will be using that to calibrate it. And I can already tell my credit card is going to be maxed out. Guess if the wife can have her handbags I can have my cigars, right. Thanks for the help. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 There is a lot of discussion on cigar forums in regards to optimal relative humidity and storage conditions for cigars. What is not often mentioned is the importance of temperature. This is just as important as the relative humidity, in fact the two go hand-in-hand. I know Ray (Pigfish) has been espousing this on our forum for a long time, but if you think of cigars smoking optimally at 9 to 12% moisture content, then it's not too hard to see the correlation. If you keep your cigars where there is a fluctuation in temperature, you will affect the moisture content of the cigars, even if the relative humidity is stable. I live in Sydney and I consider myself fortunate as the average ambient humidity in our city makes storing cigars fairly forgiving. In fact, so much so, I don't have a hygrometer, and I don't intend to get one. The average ambient humidity in winter is about 51%, whereas in summer is something closer to 63 to 65%. The most important thing about my cigar storage is that I keep my cigars in a dark, cool place, underneath my wet bar where I also have a wine rack, where the fluctuation in temperature year round is stable. I use boveda packs in tuppedors and I find that the moisture content of my cigars is similarly stable. I have a long-term storage container with a 69% boveda pack (but this will change to a 65% pack once the current 69% pack is used up) and a 'go to' container with a 62% boveda pack. I smoked a Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4 recently from my 69% container and it was very firm, but it smoked really well, no burning issues at all. (The RyJ Exhibicion No.4 cigar next to it was much more spongy, so that just proves that construction issues can influence how firm or spongy a cigar can feel when you squeeze the feet of your cigars) I've been mainly smoking from my 62% container and the only difference is that I get slightly more volumes of smoke per draw. I feel that because I keep the temperature controlled where I store my cigars, I'm not fussed about relative humidity anymore as I used to be. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrubber Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Thanks for your tips JohnS. I have read a few of your posts about you discovering the best storage techniques and they have been really helpful. I live in Sydney too so I'm going to start storing in a similar way to you and see how I go. Thanks heaps Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cris77 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 you have to datalog to see what's actually happening inside your humidor. the humidor that you have, how big is it? is it new? did you season it before placing the cigars in there? Also depends where in sydney you live there might be some variances, as i do too live in sydney but after last summer i decided that my desktop humidor just didn't cut it. Don't forget our fair city in the next few months will start to heat up and summer being on its way and the rains also, will bump up the air humidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrubber Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 I've started using 65% boveda packs and this has really helped already after only a week. They are feeling, smelling and tasting much better. It is a 100 count desktop humidor and the digital hygro inside is reading 64-65% and it usually stays at about 18degrees inside my house. I have a few boxes on the way so I'll be setting up my first tupperdor shortly. Just trying to find a good container to use. Thanks for your help everyone. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I've started using 65% boveda packs and this has really helped already after only a week. They are feeling, smelling and tasting much better. It is a 100 count desktop humidor and the digital hygro inside is reading 64-65% and it usually stays at about 18degrees inside my house. I have a few boxes on the way so I'll be setting up my first tupperdor shortly. Just trying to find a good container to use. Thanks for your help everyone. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Get one of these 106L watertight containers. About $80. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrubber Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 Get one of these 106L watertight containers. About $80. Do you know where you can buy them? Have you used them? How many boxes could it fix approx.?I had a look in big w the other day and could only find small airtight ones. All the larger sizes weren't airtight and looked like air would escape very easily. Edit: All good. Found them for sale on office works website. Thanks heaps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Don't go to Officeworks. Overpriced and they are not airtight. Check out the House website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrubber Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 Awesome. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 You should understand that 'hard' is a relative term... Buy some cigars from our host, you will lose the doubt about the cigars, however they will likely still be over-humified (by my standards). If cigars don't crackle, and feel light for their size (unless under filled) they will likely be too wet. Cigars from Cuba can be packed quite full and remain hard (relative) regardless of rH. Without experience, it is difficult to describe the 'spring' of a 'firm, dry' cigar verses the deflection from a firm, wet cigar! One of the best ways to tell is in cutting the head. A dry cigar will crack and possibly get damaged while cutting if not moistened. A wet cigar will deflect and typically cut cleaner, typically without breaking the tobacco surrounding the head. There will be many clues... You just have to have noticed them and categorized them in you noggin to recall them going forward. Welcome to the fight. Happy smokin'. -Piggy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btp1979 Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Only thing I would add is 2 weeks is pretty short for down time to let new additions acclimate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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