Cause(s) of very bitter cigars

So, over the last couple months, have had 3 different cigars from the same 74qt tupperdor be bitter to the point that you couldn't even taste a hint of anything else.

All 3 were different marcas and ones I have had several of from the same boxes before and they were excellent with no bitterness.

All are 2019 or 2020 box dates, and have been in my steadily 65% tupperdor for about a year.

Seems like a little much for just being one-off bad smokes.

Any ideas on a possible cause for this?

I can only assume that its something particular to this tupperdor, as the other, newer one for nc's, has not had any issues with any smokes, but is set up identically with 10, 65% 60gr Bovedas spread throughout the container, and a quarter pound of dry 65% Heartfelt beads to absorb any excess humidity if it were to happen somehow.

99% of the time they read 65/65, so shouldn't be over humidified which I know can cause bitterness.

Forgot to check the 3 with my new Humidimeter which I've been trying to get into the habit of mainly for informational, "hell of it" purposes, but others around the same age in the same tupperdor have read 62% to 65%.

Would love to hear some ideas/suggestions from those more experienced, especially with storage of boxes, as I have only been able to buy and store boxes for about a year at most.

I have to assume that I'm doing something wrong with my setup as I can think of no other cause, but the rest from the same container, as well as the identically set up other container, have been fine, so I'm really at a loss

Thanks,
Sean

I friggin' LOVE cigars

High humidity is a common cause but it sounds like your setup should help rule that out. If your temperatures are high that could throw off the rh a bit. Cigars will also go through secondary fermentation at times and give off that ammonia smell. Is this tupperdor closer to a source of heat than your other storage containers or maybe in direct sunlight? Just to help rule out rh levels do you run a hygrometer? Maybe run your heartfelt beads through a drying cycle. Do they change color when saturated? I always thought about getting some but never did.

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Originally Posted by Tombstone

High humidity is a common cause but it sounds like your setup should help rule that out. If your temperatures are high that could throw off the rh a bit. Cigars will also go through secondary fermentation at times and give off that ammonia smell. Is this tupperdor closer to a source of heat than your other storage containers or maybe in direct sunlight? Just to help rule out rh levels do you run a hygrometer? Maybe run your heartfelt beads through a drying cycle. Do they change color when saturated? I always thought about getting some but never did.

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Humidity and temperature is definitely not a problem. They stay pretty steadily at 65/65, and I never turn on the heat in my room, and no direct sunlight either, so no issues there.

I use the Govee H5075 Bluetooth hygrometers in them and they are properly calibrated and tested to be dead on at 3 different rh's.

The beads definitely change color if I add water, i just dont need them for humidifying since the Bovedas have it more than covered. I just leave them in the containers dry to absorb any excess humidity if it happens for some reason.

Didn't smell any ammonia, but honestly didn't sniff them before lighting or after, so its what I was learning towards, but its 3 different marcas, in 3 different boxes, so seems unlikely all 3 would be doing it at the same time I would think.

Will use my Humidimeter to test one from each box and see what it reads out of curiosity. Maybe will give me more insight.

I friggin' LOVE cigars

Is there tar?

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Originally Posted by josh lucky 13

Is there tar?

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They were bitter from the very beginning, so tar buildup wasn't an issue. Pitched them after the first half anyway as they were just unsmokable

I friggin' LOVE cigars

Were they lower quality cigars?

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Originally Posted by chain_gang

Were they lower quality cigars?

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They are now…I only use Boveda it’s a two way product and the beads and or litter may be counterproductive


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by chain_gang

Were they lower quality cigars?

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QDO 54, Cohiba Coronas Especial, LFdC Elegidos

Others from the same boxes and container have been fine not long ago

I friggin' LOVE cigars

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AlanS

They are now…I only use Boveda it’s a two way product and the beads and or litter may be counterproductive


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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I only humidify with Bovedas too. The beads are dry, just to help absorb any excess humidity that may arise, and the containers read a steady 65/65 90% of the time at every level in the container.

The Bovedas are really plump, so I keep the dry beads in as the Bovedas may not absorb as well as if they were a bit drier.

Hasn't seemed to really change anything with or without the beads, just a little extra protection from too much humidity.

I friggin' LOVE cigars