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Last post 22 months ago by Sunoverbeach. 89 replies replies.
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Humidor help
cacman Offline
#51 Posted:
Joined: 07-03-2010
Posts: 12,216
Stogie1020 wrote:
Picked up an Iris 19qt on sale at the container store and got a couple of the Spanish cedar trays off of amazon. MUCH better than the cramped little Tupperware I was using. Plus, now my wife can fill the old Tupperware with cookies for me. Win win.

Currently getting the humidity all settled. I was over humidified in the cramped Tupperware (around 72%, @70 degrees) so, using beads and 65% Bovedas, I should be able to keep the Iris where I want it.

The cedar trays will help give the tupperware a nice aroma. Congrats on the upgrade.
USNGunner Offline
#52 Posted:
Joined: 05-17-2019
Posts: 4,402
Stogie1020 wrote:
Picked up an Iris 19qt on sale at the container store and got a couple of the Spanish cedar trays off of amazon. MUCH better than the cramped little Tupperware I was using. Plus, now my wife can fill the old Tupperware with cookies for me. Win win.

Currently getting the humidity all settled. I was over humidified in the cramped Tupperware (around 72%, @70 degrees) so, using beads and 65% Bovedas, I should be able to keep the Iris where I want it.



So you know this is simply a stop on road? I was there once. Now I'm here.

https://imgur.com/gallery/yoG1wvC

Hang on and enjoy the ride.

Beer

Cathcam13 Offline
#53 Posted:
Joined: 01-11-2018
Posts: 1,264
Just wait, bud, eventually you will have 2-3 humidors and multiple coolerdors going. I am just starting to fill my second humidor again.
Stogie1020 Offline
#54 Posted:
Joined: 12-19-2019
Posts: 5,231
Mmmmm. You can't have hamster without ham...

Cathcam13 Offline
#55 Posted:
Joined: 01-11-2018
Posts: 1,264
Ham, Mmmm! I like smoking my own Hams.
tonygraz Offline
#56 Posted:
Joined: 08-11-2008
Posts: 20,175
Don't eat a ham sammich that Stogie makes for you.
Stogie1020 Offline
#57 Posted:
Joined: 12-19-2019
Posts: 5,231
tonygraz wrote:
Don't eat a ham sammich that Stogie makes for you.

You know you want some secret sauce...
Cathcam13 Offline
#58 Posted:
Joined: 01-11-2018
Posts: 1,264
Let me tell you where the flavor is at. Take a Cook’s whole ham, they’re salty, properly brined but not smoked. Take it and put it in your smoker and use A MIX OF HICKORY AND PECAN WOOD TO SMOKE IT. The finished product is to die for.
USNGunner Offline
#59 Posted:
Joined: 05-17-2019
Posts: 4,402
Cathcam13 wrote:
Let me tell you where the flavor is at. Take a Cook’s whole ham, they’re salty, properly brined but not smoked. Take it and put it in your smoker and use A MIX OF HICKORY AND PECAN WOOD TO SMOKE IT. The finished product is to die for.


Hickory and pecan are the heat for pork! ThumpUp
Stogie1020 Offline
#60 Posted:
Joined: 12-19-2019
Posts: 5,231
USNGunner wrote:
So you know this is simply a stop on road? I was there once. Now I'm here.

https://imgur.com/gallery/yoG1wvC

Hang on and enjoy the ride.

Beer




rofl, yup. Very nice looking setup!

The two cedar trays I bought to put in the box are basically full, and I have cigars inbound...

I just need to find more time to smoke.
jjanecka Offline
#61 Posted:
Joined: 12-08-2015
Posts: 4,334
Speaking of ham smoking, this past Thanksgiving I did a Prague style ham. Took a whole leg and did 10% brine injected and let set for 25 days. Then boiled till well on the thermometer. Once it was fully cooked I let it cold smoke for a day in the smoker. It's a ton of work but the result was near perfect.
USNGunner Offline
#62 Posted:
Joined: 05-17-2019
Posts: 4,402
Stogie1020 wrote:
rofl, yup. Very nice looking setup!


Thanks. There's more in it now. That was pre-AF releases. d'oh!
USNGunner Offline
#63 Posted:
Joined: 05-17-2019
Posts: 4,402
On topic update. After reading about someone separating rows with straws, I found a package of bamboo skewers that were the same length as my tuppadore. AHA!

I re-organized it separating the layers with the skewers so there is free air flow between the layers. I would think it has to help. But what the hell, it can't hurt. I'm actually thinking about getting some sushi rolling mats and cutting them to fit. That would be even slicker and I could take the whole layer out at once. Think
Stogie1020 Offline
#64 Posted:
Joined: 12-19-2019
Posts: 5,231
Mmmmmm.... Sushi.
jjanecka Offline
#65 Posted:
Joined: 12-08-2015
Posts: 4,334
If you're running a tupperdor I wouldn't worry about adjusting humidity. All that air circulation junk is for large humidors like walk-ins and warehouses.
Pudding Mittens Offline
#66 Posted:
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
cacman wrote:
The cedar trays will help give the tupperware a nice aroma. Congrats on the upgrade.

They will also greatly help regulate humidity and reportedly will also ward off beetles. Bonuses!

Some company should make a device that works to separate and break up groups of beetles. They could call it the "Yoko". (rimshot!)
.
Pudding Mittens Offline
#67 Posted:
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
jjanecka wrote:
If you're running a tupperdor I wouldn't worry about adjusting humidity. All that air circulation junk is for large humidors like walk-ins and warehouses.

Bingo, exactly right.

I use multiple 116-quart Sterilite tubs and have for years. Inside each I have jars of the superabsorbent polymer balls/gels soaked in 50/50, some 69% Boveda packs, some random Spanish cedar sheets, hunks and pieces, and piled-up boxes, Ziploc bags (open-topped not sealed) and 5-packs of cigars. Just piled up on top of each other. No fans, no trays or shelves or dividers, no meticulous efforts to create air channels for air circulation, etc. They're all just thrown in there up to the brim of the container. There is one hygrometer near the top, in one location only. I generally never "rotate" the cigars and change their positions, they stay wherever they are in the container, typically for years.

Result, from many years of experience -- Cigars from ALL areas in the containers perform identically. All (except for badly-rolled ones, of course) burn great and taste great. There are zero differences based on where in the container a cigar is from, from the very bottom to the very top, from nearest to the humidification devices to the furthest away from them, from right next to the hygrometer to the furthest point away, etc. None of it matters. At all.

From this we can conclude that the humidity in these containers stays relatively uniform throughout.

So I agree completely with what you said. Worrying about 'air circulation channels' and battery-powered fans and such is an unnecessary waste of space, money and time, at least up to and including containers the size of 116-quart Sterilites.

Beyond that size, I can't comment, and it probably becomes necessary at some point on the size spectrum. But not until after the size tubs that I use.

Hope this helps!
.
USNGunner Offline
#68 Posted:
Joined: 05-17-2019
Posts: 4,402
My spacers are an experiment and a hail mary. One of my Stolen Throne's that has been in the humidor for several months ghurka'ed on me the other day. Not just loose, but splitting, peeling, the whole nine yards. It burned pretty evenly considering, but I have never had a lick of trouble with those. The Ollie MB3, which has been there just as long but in the cello (trimmed off at the foot(Thanks CB!)), I smoked today was a perfect burn, and very nice to smoke.

The only thing I can think of is the wooden humidors I was using really went low when we got that brutal cold snap awhile ago which is when I switched back to the tuppador. The Crooked Crowns aren't in cello so I'm now looking at the naked cigars in there with suspicion and thinking they need some humidity love. So I'm making sure they get an equal chance to breath if you will.

Naturally all the naked ones are the higher end stuff. Some gifted Tat's and such. I figure it can't hurt, and if it helps them any I'm good with it. That's my ready service stash so capacity isn't really a thing with it. I've got a lb of HF beads in there and it's lined with spanish cedar veneer on the bottom, sides and lid. I figure it can't hurt.
corey sellers Offline
#69 Posted:
Joined: 08-21-2011
Posts: 10,338
I have a 300 count for 5x50 and such and a 400 count for bigger sizes.They have been hanging around 57% to 59% so the other night I opened the 400 count up and left it open all night and the whole next day . The moisture was in the air I would check the hygrometers and they would be in the 70s%. So they have been closed now for 2 days and are hanging in the mid 60s%. Which is where they seem to smoke the best out of them.


The 3 116qt tupperdores and 105 qt coolerdor I have 60% beads in them with some bovedas mixed around. They hang around the low 60s% and everything smokes fine out of them. There is no room in any of them I have done tetris so much I can't fit another box in them. I put 3 lfd la nox in one earlier and it's full. Everything smokes the same from top to bottom in the except the coolerdor it seems to smoke a little on the dry side to me.
Stogie1020 Offline
#70 Posted:
Joined: 12-19-2019
Posts: 5,231
Wow, I gotta hand it to you guys. I took your advice and dropped the humidity down in my new tupperadore and so far I am really liking the results.

I live in Arizona where the usual rh is about 10%, and I always tried to keep the cigars around 72 or 73%. I mean, isn't that the humidity in Nicaragua?

With the new tupperadore, I am holding at 68%, and so far I feel like my smokes no longer have the 'sour' undertone they used to.

I have always assumed that in the 10-20 minutes between me taking the cigar out of the humidor and actually lighting it, I lost about 5%, but it seems that starting at 68% is a better sweet spot.

Thanks gents!
clintCigar Offline
#71 Posted:
Joined: 05-14-2019
Posts: 4,682
USNGunner wrote:
Hickory and pecan are the heat for pork! ThumpUp

I smoke my briskets with pecan. Better than mesquite imo.
clintCigar Offline
#72 Posted:
Joined: 05-14-2019
Posts: 4,682
Pudding Mittens wrote:
Result, from many years of experience -- Cigars from ALL areas in the containers perform identically. All (except for badly-rolled ones, of course) burn great and taste great. There are zero differences based on where in the container a cigar is from, from the very bottom to the very top, from nearest to the humidification devices to the furthest away from them, from right next to the hygrometer to the furthest point away, etc. None of it matters. At all.

Good to know. I do something similar with 60qt Ziploc WeatherShield containers. I've had some in for 7+ months and have never noticed any issues with smoking out of them. I've found one 320g Boveda is good for one of these containers. Way less hassle than messin with multiple 60g packs.
Cathcam13 Offline
#73 Posted:
Joined: 01-11-2018
Posts: 1,264
@ClintCigar, I like to mix mesquite with Pecan for beef. Just my own personal taste on that.
clintCigar Offline
#74 Posted:
Joined: 05-14-2019
Posts: 4,682
^I have mixed those before and didn't notice a difference but it was kind of random b/c I ran out of pecan.
USNGunner Offline
#75 Posted:
Joined: 05-17-2019
Posts: 4,402
clintCigar wrote:
I smoke my briskets with pecan. Better than mesquite imo.


I grill with mesquite, never smoke with it. Shame on you
delta1 Offline
#76 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
agreed...mesquite is too strong if you're planning to do a low and slow smoke...unless you like a very mesquitey smoke flavored meat...
Stogie1020 Offline
#77 Posted:
Joined: 12-19-2019
Posts: 5,231
Anyone see an issue with using a sharpie to write the date of purchase on the cello of cigars?

If I have two five packs of a particular cigar aging for months, and buy a few more fivers, I don't want to accidentally grab a new one to smoke instead of a nicely aged one.

If I let the sharpie dry before sealing everything up in the tupperadore, there shouldn't be any chemicals affecting the tobacco should there?
tonygraz Offline
#78 Posted:
Joined: 08-11-2008
Posts: 20,175
I put self stick cut small labels on some unbanded cigar cellos for identification. You might try that instead.
Palama Offline
#79 Posted:
Joined: 02-05-2013
Posts: 23,461
Stogie1020 wrote:
Anyone see an issue with using a sharpie to write the date of purchase on the cello of cigars?

If I have two five packs of a particular cigar aging for months, and buy a few more fivers, I don't want to accidentally grab a new one to smoke instead of a nicely aged one.

If I let the sharpie dry before sealing everything up in the tupperadore, there shouldn't be any chemicals affecting the tobacco should there?


Use what works for you but sometimes the writing is hard to see if the wrapper is dark (...assuming you’re using black or dark blue...). Additionally, although sold as “permanent”, some of the lighter colors such as red, medium blue, etc., can fade over time.

I normally use small cut out paper, taped to the cello. Easy to see and read. For naked cigars, I use a longer piece and wrap it around the stogie and then secured with tape.

Never heard that the fumes from the ink affected cigars but maybe you should Google that question.
Sunoverbeach Offline
#80 Posted:
Joined: 08-11-2017
Posts: 14,586
I did the self stick labels before I got lazy and decided to rely on my wannabe photographic memory
Pudding Mittens Offline
#81 Posted:
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
Stogie1020 wrote:
Anyone see an issue with using a sharpie to write the date of purchase on the cello of cigars

I've been doing exactly this for about 11 years now on... let's just say a very large number of cigars. Use a black Sharpie to avoid fading. I've seen zero detrimental effects.

I also Sharpie boxes and the cellophane of bundles for intact boxes/bundles, then later when I remove a cigar from them for immediate smoking, I of course don't Sharpie it (I just saw the date it was from on the box/bundle), but if I remove it for smoking later (where I might forget what bundle/box it came from) or for gifting, I write the box/bundle's date on the cigar's cellophane. Bonus for gifting: the recipient knows the age.

I do a simple MM/YY.

It's a great dating system. Decentralized, no ledger or Excel spreadsheet or any of that nonsense. Directly on the product permanently. Readable by anyone including gift recipients, and also your heirs if you suddenly die. If the collection is broken up (you do big-time gifting or you die and your heirs split it among multiple people), the dates are on every individual cigar or bundle/box. Zero effort needs to be made in resolving some ledger/spreadsheet with all the sub-sections of your collection.

Also, if you do it from day one on everything you get, it's near-zero effort as the effort is widely spread out over time. I highly recommend it.
.
Palama Offline
#82 Posted:
Joined: 02-05-2013
Posts: 23,461
Pudding Mittens wrote:
I've been doing exactly this for about 11 years now on... let's just say a very large number of cigars. Use a black Sharpie to avoid fading. I've seen zero detrimental effects.

I also Sharpie boxes and the cellophane of bundles for intact boxes/bundles, then later when I remove a cigar from them for immediate smoking, I of course don't Sharpie it (I just saw the date it was from on the box/bundle), but if I remove it for smoking later (where I might forget what bundle/box it came from) or for gifting, I write the box/bundle's date on the cigar's cellophane. Bonus for gifting: the recipient knows the age.

I do a simple MM/YY.

It's a great dating system. Decentralized, no ledger or Excel spreadsheet or any of that nonsense. Directly on the product permanently. Readable by anyone including gift recipients, and also your heirs if you suddenly die. If the collection is broken up (you do big-time gifting or you die and your heirs split it among multiple people), the dates are on every individual cigar or bundle/box. Zero effort needs to be made in resolving some ledger/spreadsheet with all the sub-sections of your collection.

Also, if you do it from day one on everything you get, it's near-zero effort as the effort is widely spread out over time. I highly recommend it.
.


Well, see there Pudding, you’re not afflicted with the dreaded Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that MAKES YOU create a spreadsheet that lists:

Manufacturer
Frontmark
Color
Origin
Wrapper
Binder
Filler
Strength
Shape
Size
Where purchased / Who gifted or traded
Date of acquisition
Date smoked
Cost
Notes

Just gotta do. I can’t put away any new cigars until I log them into my database. My life is “incomplete” until they’re labeled and inputted. Yah, I know, seems like a total waste of time so count yourself lucky that you’re not compelled to do all of that. Anxious
USNGunner Offline
#83 Posted:
Joined: 05-17-2019
Posts: 4,402
Palama wrote:
Well, see there Pudding, you’re not afflicted with the dreaded Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that MAKES YOU create a spreadsheet that lists:

Manufacturer
Frontmark
Color
Origin
Wrapper
Binder
Filler
Strength
Shape
Size
Where purchased / Who gifted or traded
Date of acquisition
Date smoked
Cost
Notes

Just gotta do. I can’t put away any new cigars until I log them into my database. My life is “incomplete” until they’re labeled and inputted. Yah, I know, seems like a total waste of time so count yourself lucky that you’re not compelled to do all of that. Anxious


I don't feel so bad about my vitola xcel spreadsheet now. LOL
Palama Offline
#84 Posted:
Joined: 02-05-2013
Posts: 23,461
USNGunner wrote:
I don't feel so bad about my vitola xcel spreadsheet now. LOL


Slacker.
Pudding Mittens Offline
#85 Posted:
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
Palama wrote:
Well, see there Pudding, you’re not afflicted with the dreaded Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that MAKES YOU create a spreadsheet [...] count yourself lucky that you’re not compelled to do all of that. Anxious

I was compelled to do far, FAR more than that back in the day, not by OCD but by my software architect/engineering career.

I don't have OCD but it probably would've helped! It can cause one to have extreme amounts of attention to detail, which can be very advantageous in that line of work, and in some others.
.
Goose7 Offline
#86 Posted:
Joined: 11-02-2019
Posts: 20
No one has ever ruined their collection by maintaining a stable 65% RH. 70+ on the other hand... ;)

If you enjoy a nice even burn from your quality cigars, then don't over saturate them with too much RH!
izonfire Offline
#87 Posted:
Joined: 12-09-2013
Posts: 8,642
Goose7 wrote:
No one has ever ruined their collection by maintaining a stable 65% RH. 70+ on the other hand... ;)

If you enjoy a nice even burn from your quality cigars, then don't over saturate them with too much RH!

Alright already!!!
Quitchyer squawkin'!
Palama Offline
#88 Posted:
Joined: 02-05-2013
Posts: 23,461
Pudding’s disappeared too. Gonz
Sunoverbeach Offline
#89 Posted:
Joined: 08-11-2017
Posts: 14,586
Brief appearance Dec of '20, but nothing consistent since the previous Aug.

I enjoyed his endless detailed sharing of knowledge
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