Boxes of cigars in chillers

[adic88]

I keep my boxes of cigars in a cigar chiller (converted from a wine chiller).

I was wondering, how does the humidity reach the cigars when all the lids are closed?

[Fuzz]

Unless I'm mistaken but wood is porous....

[cubanmule7]

I was thiniking the same thing but was afraid to ask. The wood being porous makes sense but what about cigars with the cellophane? how does the moisture get through the plastic?

[Fuzz]

I was thiniking the same thing but was afraid to ask. The wood being porous makes sense but what about cigars with the cellophane? how does the moisture get through the plastic?

Unless they are hermetically sealed, which they never are, then the moisture will get in there. Just as Rachel said, "It may not happen overnight, but it will happen."

[docbp87]

I was thiniking the same thing but was afraid to ask. The wood being porous makes sense but what about cigars with the cellophane? how does the moisture get through the plastic?

Cellophane is actually not made of plastic, but rather it is made of cellulose, which is porous.

[Fuzz]

Cellophane is actually not made of plastic, but rather it is made of cellulose, which is porous.

Good point!

Just from a quick google on cigars and cellophane:

Cellophane is the most popular material for manufacturing cigar packaging; its permeability to moisture makes cellophane the perfect product for this application as cigars must be allowed to "breathe" while in storage.

[adic88]

Yep, the boxes being wood are porous - the humidity will even out throughout the interior of your cooler over time. I'm not sure how long....mine took a few weeks to regulate to 65% (using RH65 beads).

Here's a link to a thread in the "Humidor Tutorial" section with some good points for a wine fridge (and coolidors too I think). Hope it helps mate.

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/inde...t=0&start=0

Thanks, Bster. The humidity in the chiller is great, i've got an Cigar Oasis XL Plus and a few bags of beads in there doing a great job keeping things at 66%RH.

I was wondering more about the boxes of cigars themselves. Since all the lids are closed, how does the humidity get to them.

[Colt45]

Aiz, the guys have pretty much explained it - typical cigar packaging is not air tight. If I can add, think about your cigars before they reach you.

Sealed boxes are stored in (hopefully) climate controlled warehouses, at the distributors, at your local shop. Even our desktop humidors are a

kind of cigar box - affected to a degree by outside climate conditions.

[cubanmule7]

Thanks for the explanations, makes sense now.

[Dbone]

If you where to drop a box of cigars into a tub of water, they would sink because as mentioned they're not air tight / sealed. The ambient atmosphere will gain access to the insides of your boxes much the same way. Even longer is the time it takes for the atmosphere within your humidor to live inside your cigars. Some say 30 days, some say 60. I believe 90 day rested cigars taste better than 30 or 60 rested.

[PigFish]

The Cuban cigar box is not exactly the vessel of choice for water storage when trekking in the Gobi Desert! If cigar boxes were airtight/water tight there would be no need for humidors at all. Wood is permeable.

Oh, for the record a cigar box dropped in water will float, its density is less than the surrounding water just as a cigar dropped in water will float. -Piggy

[bob25]

just as a cigar dropped in water will float. -Piggy

Did you have the chance to try it ?

[Dbone]

Oh, for the record a cigar box dropped in water will float, its density is less than the surrounding water just as a cigar dropped in water will float. -Piggy

I stand corrected

[PigFish]

Did you have the chance to try it ?

I have dropped a good cigar in a horse trough more times than I can count. Toss it... no way!!! You bet your ass I picked it up and smoked it! -LOL

Here is one that will make you laugh. Yesterday I was smoking a really nice RGCE; one of my usuals. This cigar was phenomenal. I did not mention that I was cleaning some filters for an airless sprayer at the time while sitting on the ground and set my cigar down on my driveway. Well, I stepped right on the son of a ***** and yelled God #%$^ it so loud my wife thought I hurt myself. "No, I just mashed a great effing cigar,"I said.

After inspecting it, it was not terminal... so WTF, I smoked the rest of it!!! Even the draw was better... that is after it stopped spitting sparks all over the place. -Piggy

[Colt45]

Oh, for the record a cigar box dropped in water will float, its density is less than the surrounding water just as a cigar dropped in water will float. -Piggy

Piggy, you are one of our more scientifically minded members - for the less so, like myself, perhaps you could take your box of Cohiba Gran Reserva

and test the theory. Let us know if they float, sink, or achieve neutral buoyancy.

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

C45

[joeypots]

The cigars should be moist before they are placed in the humidor.

The humidor does not moisten the cigars, the humidor keeps the cigars from loosing moisture..

[PigFish]

Piggy, you are one of our more scientifically minded members - for the less so, like myself, perhaps you could take your box of Cohiba Gran Reserva

and test the theory. Let us know if they float, sink, or achieve neutral buoyancy.

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

C45

Debunking smoking myths... one smoker at a time; it's a tough job mate, but someone's gotta' do it!

For you my friend, if I were foolish enough to buy such cigars I would be happy to float them in the bidet just to prove a point to you! -In lack of my presence, yours truly, Mr. Piggy

[Colt45]

Debunking smoking myths... one smoker at a time; it's a tough job mate, but someone's gotta' do it!

For you my friend, if I were foolish enough to buy such cigars I would be happy to float them in the bidet just to prove a point to you! -In lack of my presence, yours truly, Mr. Piggy

My Dearest Pigfish,

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I'd attempt the experiment myself using my box of Behike 56 or Petit Gigantors, but I'm unsure as to use

sea water or fresh. And of most importance, I'm sure you'd agree that the boxes are just too pretty to subject to such trauma.

As an aside, I commend you on your use of a bidet. Not only is it hygienic, but it is green, which is of so much import in this day and age - the trees

in the forest thank you.

Kindest regards,

C45

[Montaigut]

Deuce!

Pigfish to serve...

[jamie140]

The cigars should be moist before they are placed in the humidor.

The humidor does not moisten the cigars, the humidor keeps the cigars from loosing moisture..

That's not correct.

If your humi maintains a higher humidity level than the cigars you place inside it, those cigars will eventually reach that level of humidity.

[PigFish]

Deuce!

Pigfish to serve...

Done!

...already on the weekly photos thread!!! -LOL While not GR's this is a box I was foolish enough to buy!

Oh, and for the record Ross I don't really have a bidet! With the Delta Smelt taking all the fresh water we are back to outhouses and corncobs!!! Good call the specific gravity issue by the way!

I thought about floating a nice Colt Series 70 National Match on a box of Monte Especials for you but after doing the calculations I decided I did not want to spend the morning cleaning water out of the pistol. Cheers mate! -Piggy

[joeypots]

That's not correct.

If your humi maintains a higher humidity level than the cigars you place inside it, those cigars will eventually reach that level of humidity.

Get a grip. My cigars come moist from the vendor. I maintain humidity in my humidor. If the cigars are drier than my humidor, they will absorb moisture. If the cigars are too moist, the humidor will dry them out.

Fact is that most cigars I get from multiple vendors are too wet to smoke and need months at 65% RH to become smokable. I don't use my humidor to moisten cigars, I use it to keep them moist.

[Ginseng]

The cigars should be moist before they are placed in the humidor.

The humidor does not moisten the cigars, the humidor keeps the cigars from loosing moisture..

That's not correct.

If your humi maintains a higher humidity level than the cigars you place inside it, those cigars will eventually reach that level of humidity.

Get a grip. My cigars come moist from the vendor. I maintain humidity in my humidor. If the cigars are drier than my humidor, they will absorb moisture. If the cigars are too moist, the humidor will dry them out.

Fact is that most cigars I get from multiple vendors are too wet to smoke and need months at 65% RH to become smokable. I don't use my humidor to moisten cigars, I use it to keep them moist.

You're both right. but jamie140 a bit more so.

A properly sized, properly functioning humidor will "moisten*" cigars that are drier than its control setting but will dry out cigars that are more damp than its control setting. This is assuming the humidity control mechanism, whether an active system (Oasis) or passive (silica or propylene glycol solution) has the overhead to either give up humidity or absorb it.

Wilkey

* I put "moisten" in quotes because there isn't any bulk water involved. It's moisture in the air that's moving in and out of the cigars and the humidor.