Microwaving Cigars to Destroy Beetles?

[Trevor2118]

I have been asked to review a cigar book for beginners.

I have a few concerns on several aspects but one caught my eye.......Microwaving Cigars to Destroy Beetles

I have never heard of this............comments please.

An extract follows:

Your microwave may be your best defense in destroying the tobacco beetle larvae.

Before using your microwave, remove and dispose of any infested cigar from your collection.

The rest of your cigars can be treated.

In order to rid the remaining of your collection of this pest, you should make sure to microwave your cigars together, never individually.

Microwave them for about three minutes.

After being warmed, immediately place the cigars into the freezer.

After freezing them for 24 hours, remove them and allow them to thaw at room temperature.

After they have thawed completely, place them in a humidor.

This treatment has proven effective in removing the presence of the tobacco beetle.

.

[SandmanTR]

I've heard about freezing but never nuking them for beetles. I think someone mentioned nuking an "empty" cigar box to kill mites but never cigar beetles.

Also. After freezing them they should go into the refrigerator, for a slow thaw.

[mkz]

Cant really see the point of toasting the cigars in the microwave and THEN freezing for 24h...

I freeze everything upon arrival for atleast 24h and then another 12 in the fridge. I would NEVER dare to try to put them in the micro.

[SandmanTR]

Check out the last 3 paragraphs...

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/html/cig101_14ymt.asp

[samb]

Ive heard of microwaving them, but sure never tried it myself.

[Ken Gargett]

trev, did you say a cigar book written for beginners or a cigar book written by beginners?

[mkz]

Check out the last 3 paragraphs...

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/html/cig101_14ymt.asp

"at a maximum setting of 350 watts..."

What year was this? 1980? My microwave is 900W which I guess is quite normal nowadays. If they were dried up by 350 then theyll will probably be ashes after 900.

"Of course, the cigars totally dried up. After being microwaved, the boxes are deep-frozen for 24 hours at a temperature of minus 20 degrees centigrade, and immediately thawed at room temperature. During this process, the cigars regain their moisture..."

I would NEVER do this to my cigars!! Sounds like childsplay to me!

"as Heinrichs says, in contrast to the cigars being thawed in the refrigerator, where the moisture would be withdrawn from them..."

Didnt he bag the cigars prior to freeze/fridge? I wonder why they dried up...

By the way at the risk of beeing ignorant... Who is this Heinrich-cigar-pro-guy??

[Trevor2118]

trev, did you say a cigar book written for beginners or a cigar book written by beginners?

[Omskakas]

FoH now has to do a blind taste test of microwaved cigars!

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

I don't use a microwave, for anything, especially food. There's something I just don't like about them. Microwaving my Stogies, there's just no way!

I concur 100%.

[dcse]

Sounds crazy.

Re other thread:

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/inde...howtopic=101752

[jdeese88]

Put your microwave on the broil setting. Those beetles will be toast

[BobLobLaw]

Absurd.

I just spray my cigars/humidors with a solution of pesticide, gasoline and bleach. Anything that survives the pesticide will really get torched by the gas when I light up.

[SethLG]

That is just crazy, but now I am fascinated about seeing a cigar in the microwave, I just cant get the image out of my head.

[LeafLover]

Will work if you use the popcorn setting.

[asmith]

Right I'm putting a couple of cigars in the microwave on high and we will smoke them later today, will report back later.

[mkz]

Right I'm putting a couple of cigars in the microwave on high and we will smoke them later today, will report back later.

Great call Smithy! Take one for the team!

How about some of Robs gran reservas?

Personally I was thinking of nuking an NC at home: 3 mins, 900 watts...

[Colt45]

How about some of Robs gran reservas?

I was thinking a couple of the custom roll prototypes......

[asmith]

I was thinking a couple of the custom roll prototypes......

I've made a selection of custom rolled, aged. LEs and anything else looks like it doesn't belong in a microwave

[cigcars]

Thank you for volunteering, all you brave souls, to test the taste out of a microe'd cigar! Upon hearing this method for the first time my only thoughts were Oh My God!!! I can't wait to hear your results!!! We'll all be saying a prayer for you! Better still, why don't you send a preliminary "1st Sacrifice" in there beforehand of a regular dominican or honduran that nobody cares about and test IT first!

[ahbroody]

Damn going to have to give this a shot when the next order comes in. I will sacrafice something small.

[asmith]

I only microwaved for 1 min, the office now smells like burnt toast, Lisa not happy.

[mkz]

I only microwaved for 1 min, the office now smells like burnt toast, Lisa not happy.

[Trevor2118]

I only microwaved for 1 min, the office now smells like burnt toast, Lisa not happy.

I've given the budding publisher the "thumbs down".

[StumpyJoe]

Lol!!! Gotta be one of the greatest experiments to date on the forum. Way to take the bull by the horns Smithy!