Box Storage

[pistolpete85]

Because of limited space in my cooler, after receiving boxes in the mail I have been storing them in a large ziplock back with box sealed and a 69% humidipak, as well as another ziplock bag over the first one. I am now wondering what are the pros and cons of this method for short term and long term storage over at least 6 months. I don't know if ziplock bags are completely air tight so I put on another one to slow down any transfering. I am a complete newbie when it comes to this stuff so any help would greatly be appreciated.

[El Presidente]

That will do fine.

I am of the school of thought that likes fresh air circulating. There is another school of thought that believes in the sanctity of an airtight storage.

I will leave it for others to debate ;-)

[pistolpete85]

Im waiting for some Bolivar PC from Czar so would you guys recommend 65% or 69% humidity. I will take 5 out of the box to smoke and keep in my desktop humi and will keep the rest in the box in the bag and TRY not to touch them at all for about 6 months.

» That will do fine.

»

» I am of the school of thought that likes fresh air circulating. There is

» another school of thought that believes in the sanctity of an airtight

» storage.

»

» I will leave it for others to debate ;-)

[harwellplant]

rob frames the two theories well. there are some i know who literally shrink wrap boxes for long term storage. although i have never heard any horror stories, i personally don't see the benefit of this type of ageing. primarily, i would think it very hard to ensure a constantly optimum humidity for long term storage - it seems you may find yourself either too wet or too dry.

i prefer a deep sleep without any special wrapping. i can't help but think air flow and transferability plays SOME role, if not in flavor at least in environmental balance.

as for the 69% humi pack you mention, that is too wet for me. i prefer habanos at 62-65% for flavor and burn. of the limited nc's i keep, i tend to store them at that 69% level, however. 65 degrees farenheit for both. a 65-65 split is optimum for me with habanos.

[Ginseng]

» Because of limited space in my cooler, after receiving boxes in the mail I

» have been storing them in a large ziplock back with box sealed and a 69%

» humidipak, as well as another ziplock bag over the first one. I am now

» wondering what are the pros and cons of this method for short term and

» long term storage over at least 6 months. I don't know if ziplock bags

» are completely air tight so I put on another one to slow down any

» transfering. I am a complete newbie when it comes to this stuff so any

» help would greatly be appreciated.

Hi PP,

Ziploc bags are fairly permeable to air gases like oxygen and also to moisture vapor. So, whatever humidifiying elements you put in along with your cigars will be fighting to maintain humidity equlibrium harder than if they were inside a wooden humidor, tupperware or cooler.

That said, double bagging will help slow down diffusion. I would feel comfortable doing this for the short term (a month perhaps as long as you check the status of the cigars and humidifying element) but your better option would be to get a tupper or another cooler.

I tend not to like leaving nude cigars in plastic bags simply because these are produced by the extrusion process. Extrusion-grade plastics require fairly significant amounts of lubricants and other additives to aid in the processing and these can and do leach out onto anything the plastic is in contact with.

Wilkey

Note: I used to develop extrusion and injection-grade plastics for Monsanto and Tyco so that's where I'm getting my information from...and not the internet. :-D

[The Privateer]

Very interesting to know, Ginseng!

I personally have experienced cigars feeling soft and spongey when wrapped in Ziplocs for extended periods of time. This seems to have nothing to with overall humidity. I may be just imagining things, but I find that cigars stored in a proper wood-lined, ventilated environment seem to feel better.

[pistolpete85]

» Very interesting to know, Ginseng!

»

» I personally have experienced cigars feeling soft and spongey when wrapped

» in Ziplocs for extended periods of time. This seems to have nothing to with

» overall humidity. I may be just imagining things, but I find that cigars

» stored in a proper wood-lined, ventilated environment seem to feel better.

As I said though I just put the whole box sealed inside and they are mostly made of cedar as well right? So wouldn't that have some benefits since all cigars would be close to each other in a cedar box enviroment that they came in?

[Taino]

The main problem with that arrangement is the limited amount of boxes you can store that way.

I would suggest you to buy a cheap cooler and start putting your boxes there.

[Ginseng]

» » Very interesting to know, Ginseng!

» »

» » I personally have experienced cigars feeling soft and spongey when

» wrapped

» » in Ziplocs for extended periods of time. This seems to have nothing to

» with

» » overall humidity. I may be just imagining things, but I find that

» cigars

» » stored in a proper wood-lined, ventilated environment seem to feel

» better.

»

» As I said though I just put the whole box sealed inside and they are

» mostly made of cedar as well right? So wouldn't that have some benefits

» since all cigars would be close to each other in a cedar box enviroment

» that they came in?

Sure,

That'll help. It's not a horrible thing to do. Just not the best thing to do. And in this case, the best thing is pretty cheap and accessible. The box itself should provide a bit of reservoir for the migrating compounds. Bare sticks on plastic though...not so good.

Wilkey

[Mel]

No bad advice given here, these guys know their stuff. Short term storage is different than good aging conditions.

However

I do not like plastic of any kind. Call me a purist but I think cigars should be protected by spanish cedar and overframed with exotic hardwoods. If you commision me to I will build you a one of a kind super expensive humidor, any size you desire.;-)

69% for long term storage and maturation

63-64% for immediate consumption

[Well Armed]

» I would suggest you to buy a cheap cooler and start putting your boxes

» there.

Yeah, just get another cooler. And get some Climmax 65% beads and never think about it again. If you are just looking for storage, it is the optimal way , I believe. Later you can worry about super expensive custom humidors capable of holding 150 cabinets of DC's!

[pistolpete85]

Yea Ill just buy another cooler for my new shipments coming but in the mean time until I get more beads and another one I'll just try this method as an experiment, but so far so good its been a 2 weeks for a box of rafael gonzales PE's this method at 69 and they taste and feel great. I just feel comfortable knowing I can just recieve a box in the mail toss it in a bag with a pre set himidity level pak and rush back to my job and not worry about anything going wrong.

» » I would suggest you to buy a cheap cooler and start putting your boxes

» » there.

»

» Yeah, just get another cooler. And get some Climmax 65% beads and never

» think about it again. If you are just looking for storage, it is the

» optimal way , I believe. Later you can worry about super expensive custom

» humidors capable of holding 150 cabinets of DC's!

[Well Armed]

Your current mthod certainly will work just fine for that purpose.

» feel comfortable knowing I can just recieve a box in the mail toss it in a

» bag with a pre set himidity level pak and rush back to my job and not worry

» about anything going wrong.

[Loki]

» If you commision me to I will build you a one of a kind super expensive

» humidor, any size you desire.;-)

»

» 69% for long term storage and maturation

» 63-64% for immediate consumption

Mel I think that you shall be inducted into the Friends of the Friendless

Club, that'll make 2 members.lol

If you really want to keep everything out you may want to try food service quality plastic bags. These are recommended for use in grizzly country to keep food odors from leaking out.

[swl]

» Because of limited space in my cooler, after receiving boxes in the mail I

» have been storing them in a large ziplock back with box sealed and a 69%

» humidipak, as well as another ziplock bag over the first one. I am now

» wondering what are the pros and cons of this method for short term and

» long term storage over at least 6 months. I don't know if ziplock bags

» are completely air tight so I put on another one to slow down any

» transfering. I am a complete newbie when it comes to this stuff so any

» help would greatly be appreciated.

What you are doing should be fine. The only thing is you will probably have to change the humidipak a little bit more often than keeping the boxes in a well sealed Igloodor.

[kingfisher59]

» » I would suggest you to buy a cheap cooler and start putting your boxes

» » there.

»

» Yeah, just get another cooler. And get some Climmax 65% beads You can get a 120 qt cooler at wallmart for about 40 dollars....Plenty of room for future growth....

[Trevor2118]

» No bad advice given here, these guys know their stuff.

» If you commision me to I will build you a one of a kind super expensive humidor, any size you desire.;-)

Hi, Where are you?? I'am in Australia !.

Regards