Advice needed for storage

[dolly]

Hi there,

Just needed a little advice. Recently, I have been buying lots of cigars. I have 3 humidors and they are all overloaded. The locker for me in the retail shop is also overloaded. I ordered an aristocrat 48 but it won't be finish until the end of March. I currently have all newly bought cigars with original boxes stored into a vacuum sealed bag. I also threw 6 packs of boveda 69% in this bag. There are around 15 boxes of cigar in the bag.

Is storing the cigars the way I mentioned above a good short term solution? If not, any other good short term solutions? :-)

[Colt45]

» Is storing the cigars the way I mentioned above a good short term

» solution? If not, any other good short term solutions? :-)

I have no experience with the vacuum bags, but for another solution would suggest a one hundred quart

cooler and rh beads. Coolers are quick and easy to set up, and I've found that they are very good

for maintaining a stable climate.

[Guest josho2001]

I'm in the same situation, using a cooler until I set up something larger and more finite. They're inexpensive and can hold a lot of sticks. The most important thing to remember to do is wipe it down with some bleach or those clorox wipes first to get the new plastic smell out of there, you don't want that stink getting on your smokes. I'd say let it sit over night and then it should be ready to go. Igloo seems to be the most recommended type of cooler and since you'd be storing full boxes you probably won't need to worry about lining it with spanish cedar or anything, but if you do decide to keep singles in it you'll want to get some of those individual spanish cedar trays.

[trumpetchris]

Go with a cooler. You can always use it for camping or fishing when the big humidor arrives!

[gostgost]

So if the cigars were sealed in at 55% RH there is no way for the humidor humidity to get in and rehydrate to 60 or 65% rh.

Similarly if the smokes are fresh & wet. The humidity could not leave. Neither could any vented ammonia. Conceivably mould could develop. I don't know what happens to cigars that cannot riid themselves of ammonia.

This is my thinking anyway.

[Colt45]

» I don't know what happens to cigars that cannot riid themselves of ammonia.

In theory, ammonia and similar compounds should have been emitted during the fermentation process.

Cigars that reek of ammonia very possibly would have been rolled with improperly processed tobacco.

I do agree that without air movement, the humidification packs would probably be of little use.

[dolly]

Thank you all. reading all the recommandations, air circulation is really important to the cigars. I will go buy a cooler this weekend and make sure there is enough air circulation. I allowed some air in my bag for the time being for the boveda to take action for these few days. Is 69% boveda good enough for the cooler?

I bought these cigars during Christmas. I hope they are still fine.

Lucky guys, I checked the cigars, there were no mold.

[Mel39]

» Thank you all. reading all the recommandations, air circulation is really

» important to the cigars. I will go buy a cooler this weekend and make sure

» there is enough air circulation. I allowed some air in my bag for the time

» being for the boveda to take action for these few days. Is 69% boveda

» good enough for the cooler?

»

» I bought these cigars during Christmas. I hope they are still fine.

»

»

» Lucky guys, I checked the cigars, there were no mold.

Don't know Boveda, most here use RH beads which are now available from C-C at 65% or 70%

RH Beads 16 ounces / 65% RH Humidity Beads

RH Beads 16 ounces / 70% RH Humidity Beads

Price: $ 43.46 US ($ 104.30 AU)

Also from reading here, recommended storage is best at 65%RH.

[trumpetchris]

» » Thank you all. reading all the recommandations, air circulation is

» really

» » important to the cigars. I will go buy a cooler this weekend and make

» sure

» » there is enough air circulation. I allowed some air in my bag for the

» time

» » being for the boveda to take action for these few days. Is 69%

» boveda

» » good enough for the cooler?

» »

» » I bought these cigars during Christmas. I hope they are still fine.

» »

» »

» » Lucky guys, I checked the cigars, there were no mold.

»

» Don't know Boveda, most here use RH beads which are now available from C-C

» at 65% or 70%

»

» RH Beads 16 ounces / 65% RH Humidity Beads

» RH Beads 16 ounces / 70% RH Humidity Beads

» Price: $ 43.46 US ($ 104.30 AU)

»

» Also from reading here, recommended storage is best at 65%RH.

Good call with beads. You can transfer them to the humi when that comes in. I've found that my coolers seal really well, so you don't need a lot of humidification in there. I'll sometimes take all the humidification out for a few days if it rides a bit high, then put it back in if the hygrometer shows a drop below 60% As far as air circulation, just open up that cooler every couple of days- which I'm sure you'll be doing to get a smoke!

[Colt45]

» Good call with beads. You can transfer them to the humi when that comes

» in. I've found that my coolers seal really well, so you don't need a lot

» of humidification in there. I'll sometimes take all the humidification out

» for a few days if it rides a bit high, then put it back in if the

» hygrometer shows a drop below 60% As far as air circulation, just open up

» that cooler every couple of days- which I'm sure you'll be doing to get a

» smoke!

Agree completely. I've used the Boveda packs, and they work well enough, but I've found that in

the warmer more humid times of year, they become saturated and can no longer absorb moisture.

I think beads are a better solution - I actually use crystal cat litter in a cooler, and bead pucks

for desktops. If you do go the cooler route, as Chris has suggested, I would add water sparingly.

I actually don't add water directly to the beads / litter. In the very dry months, I put a very small

bowl of distilled water in each humidor as needed, and let the beads reach equilibrium in this fashion.

This way, as the weather becomes more humid, the beads are relatively dry and are ready

to take moisture out of the air.

Once a cooler is set up, they require a minimum of maintenance.