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I've seen it mentioned that it's ideal to keep your cigars at 70* or below. I've been storing mine in my fermentation chamber at 64*, but these are in Tupperware. There's no way I'd set the thermostat for 70* for a desktop humidor. My house is generally 73-75*.
How do you fellas who aren't using a refrigerated container keep yours? Is it merely a beetle issue for the cooler temp? If so do you place them in the freezer for a few days or trust the higher cost cigars were taken care of?
I keep mine on the floor of my master bathroom which is marble. It stays at 71-72 F there.
I'm thinking of a desktop humidor, something nice to display, which I suppose would likely either be on the desk or entertainment center.
Do you freeze them first? Or are you not concerned with beetles?
I've read some feel higher quality smokes are taken care of by the manufacturer. True? And when does one feel confident or not?
I have a trust issue so I always quarantine new sticks as a safety measure. I have been told by a couple of manufacturers the primary reason for the below 70 is to hinder hatching of the beetles. But too high of temperatures will also cause damage to the aging process and cause bitterness/sulphur tasting smokes. After about 10 days at 75 to 80 and no beetles then they graduate to the main humi. I keep both quarantine and main humi at 65 to 67% RH.
whats most harmful during the Hot summer months is the RH spikes. Temps really aren't an issue (70-80). I know not everyone can run an AC all day long (neither can i) but you have to remember where most cigars are made and stored before they get in your hands (typical hot climates ).
My go to summer plan during the hot summer months is more RH control and i do that by not using my HF beads at all and use almost dry Kitty litter in my cooler instead. NYC summers are as humid as Barbara Walters thighs while watching a Matthew Mcconaughey movie so the dry KL soaks up all the extra humidity. Been doing this for Years. never had an issue.
Aren't the beetle larvae too small to see? Are you looking for their damage?
I freeze all my cigars before they are allowed to be with the rest of my stash. I have been freezing every cigar I've had for over 5 years with not one cigar affected by the freezing process.
I don't have much issue with high temps where I live but for the couple of warm months I just turn the wineador on and let it keep em cool till the temps outside go back down.
Heck, I set the AC at 76* during the summer. I agree with the idea of simply letting your media dry out and recharge itself statically. No need to spray beads or charge Boveda packs during a Virginia summer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shemp Jizzle
I keep my coolerdor, desktop and tupperdor sitting in a corner of the bedroom where an A/C vent comes out during the summer months and temps inside read in the upper 60's most of the time. We keep the house at 73 year round.
It is my understanding that most NC companies take measures to try to kill beetle larvae. CC's? Not so much.
First of all, I do not, nor have I ever subscribed to the whole "home freezing" theory. "Flash freezing", which is what manufacturers do, is vastly different than placing products into a consumer grade freezer. The first takes minutes to accomplish and retains 99.?% of present essential oils and virtually no oxidation. Conversely, freezing and thawing slowly allows for comparatively extensive oxidation and the loss of oils. I've tried it by doing A/B comparisons and I can taste a slight difference.
I personally prefer to store my cigars at ~62*. Doing so slows the aging process, which renders a more delicate, nuanced result. It also slows the exchange of oils and gasses, inhibiting the "marrying" effect you get when storing cigars on top of one another. I find that storing at lower temps renders a better end product. I learned the practice from the Fuentes at Tampa Sweethearts who store their back stock and private inventories at 58* and relatively low RH. Seeing 3 commercial kitchen shelves full of Don Carlos 20-30 year old cigars was enough to convince me ;)
I wonder what they are gonna do with those Don Carlos? Smoke'm? Sell? Gift? Continue to age and show them off?Quote:
Originally Posted by Herf N Turf
My humidor is in our living room. We have a programed thermostat.
Our house varies from 65-69 in winter and 72-78 in summer. My cigars have suffered no ill effects that I have noticed.
In the tropics where cigars are made, the avg monthly temps range from 70 to 80.
My cigars live in my basement, stays about 65 year round down there. The cabinet is tucked in a corner away from the windows and air vents. I have a wireless hygrometer that I check when I leave for work in the morning and when I go to bed a night. Obsessive? Yeah a little bit... :stogie:
They weren't all Don Carlos, but were all his personal stash. There was literally everything there, Don Carlos by the bundle from the late 80's, OR Opus X and bundles of Forbidden X and God Of Fire. Curiously, I didn't notice any Anejo. I could have just missed them since I was so awestruck at seeing Forbidden X by the bundle.Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Smokey
I, too, have decided against home freezing my cigars. The vast majority of my stash resides in a wineador with the temp kept in the low 60s. While I may have some beetle risk, I figure at that temp it is pretty minimal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herf N Turf
The temps here in so cal are nice so the home stays pretty constant all year. I do have a beverage cooler, but it doesn't get plugged in since the my temps in the home are not too hot and not too cool. I use 65 rh beads and have been using them for close to 15 year now without any problems. Never freeze since I've never had a probably with beetles. I think that was a big issue back in the late 90's bend I believe vendors have taken precautions again beetles since then.