Question about placing cigars in a humidor after being shipped in the cold weather for 10-14 days

[Bambino68]

Good morning

I just received my box of PL LE Belicosos extra from Czar and am wondering how long or if I need to wait to place them in my humidor.

Thanks for all the help in advance & thanks to Czar for box #5!!

Cheers

David

[cottierm]

Dear David,

You can try one now if there are not too dry (although that may not proved a great experience!), then put the box away for a few weeks (better a month).

Best,

Michel

[Puros Y Vino]

Unpack them...let them acclimatize to room temp for a day...then put them in the humidor. If you really want to be careful, fridge first for about 12 - 24 hours..then room temp a day..then humidor. I get my stuff sent to a PO box so that it's not sitting on my doorstop freezing when I get home.

[Bambino68]

Thank you for the quick responses.

Have a great weekend all!

David

[DrunkenMonkey]

I put the whole box, unpacked, in the humidor for a day or two before unpacking it.

[maverickdrinker]

FREEZE EVERYTHING!!!

[stunod]

F it... smoke um frozen.

[Habanos2000]

Put them in your humidor, zip lock bag and all. Don't worry about freezing them, as long as your humidor isn't over 75 F the risk of a beetle problem is close to zero. you can leave them in the bag or take them out as you desire.

Personally, I have a hard time not trying at least one right away. Although your patience will be rewarded if you can hold off at least a month.

[Bunner]

Just stick it in the humi. I don't understand why anybody would wait...

^this.

Never have staged it to temp. What for it isnt meat AND do you think it was temperature staged when it was shipped?

this is just me.

[Geo17pip]

Just stick it in the humi. I don't understand why anybody would wait...

I agree. Just throw it in

[Puros Y Vino]

Just stick it in the humi. I don't understand why anybody would wait...

To each their own.

In general, to minimize the potential issues with contraction and expansion. Too much heat, too fast could lead to cracked wrappers. You place ice cold cigars in the humidor you run the risk of condensation buildup. Simple as that. Does it always end badly? Not sure. More likely to happen in larger cigars where more moisture is present as well.

People ask these questions because they've just spent their hard earned dollars on a box of cigars and want to ensure they're in good condition. Let them sift through the answers and decide for themselves.

[Lotusguy]

Straight into the humidor for me. Never had a single issue in well over 250 boxes so far...

[Puros Y Vino]

I don't see where it says the box was cold. When you get your boxes into a PO box, do you still do the fridge thing?

Do you think LCDH around the world get pallets of shipments of hundreds or thoursands of boxes and have the capability to stick them in the fridge for a day before sticking them in the humidor?

Your right, to each their own, I just don't understand why anybody would not put cigars in a humidor right away, unless the cigars were sitting on a doorstep in below zero temp for a few hours. Even then though, the internal temp of the cigars are very far from zero. They are far more resilient than many people think.

For me the PO box alleviates the issue. I assume the OP had a box of cigars on his doorstop on a cold winter day in Chicago. I'd say let em settle and then drop them in. It only needs a few hours to adjust to room temps. As for LCDH's around the world, I don't know, there's too many variables. Some go to countries with similar climates to Cuba..others go to colder ones. I doubt there are any serious issues. And yes, cigars are a little more resilient than we think they are, especially packed tight in boxes. And that resiliency includes being out of a humidor while in transit. Sure you can drop them in once you get them, but don't deny that extreme temperate changes do not induce risk. If that box took 4-6 weeks to get to you in can put up with 3-5 hours on your kitchen table before you put it in your humidor. Everyone here manages their collection differently and has their reasons to do so. Whether it's temps, or RH.

[Danston]

If anyone is in any doubt that their Cigars have been compromised through less than ideal conditions, send them to me and ill be the crash test dummy you can thank me later

[mk05]

I dont have a humidor. I just keep them open in the living room and smoke them as soon as possible.

[canadianbeaver]

I dont have a humidor. I just keep them open in the living room and smoke them as soon as possible.

Same. Frank, Tom, Art and I use them to heat our igloos.

[stogieluver]

I can never help myself. I wait two weeks, impatiently, for my order to arrive and when it gets here, I always try one that day and immediately put the rest of my babies to bed to dream sweet dreams for as long as I can possibly stand it.

[Cohiba Stevie]

Some overthinking in this thread if im honest. I just bung them in the humidor.

Leave them a week or two to settle down and thats it.

[perfectform]

How quickly we forget the "van" rule. 30 days in the humi then light up!

[LGC]

Use an infrared thermometer to measure their current temp. Start at that temp, and slowly raise their surrounding temp at a rate of 0.5 degrees per day.....

or you can just throw them in the humidor

[Puros Y Vino]

I'll take some "overthinking" over off the cuff remarks anyday. The OP received many answers, he can sort through them. If you don't agree with a line of thinking don't on it. Put your cigars in your sauna and your wine by your sunniest window I always say.

[sblevit]

Upon receipt I first store all boxes of cigars in a hypoberic chamber at a simulated altitude of 25,000 ft for exactly 36 hours. Next, I place them in hyperbaric oxygen bubble that I acquired for the estate of Michael Jackson for exactly one week. I find that that extreme oxygen deprivation and then reoxigenation of my cigars makes them smoke and taste better than anyone else's cigars and you're really missing out if you do not try it.

[Cohiba Stevie]

I'll take some "overthinking" over off the cuff remarks anyday. The OP received many answers, he can sort through them. If you don't agree with a line of thinking don't on it. Put your cigars in your sauna and your wine by your sunniest window I always say.

Really?

[El Presidente]

They are just cigars people

Theories/treatment of storage after receipt are a bell curve from "throw them in the humidor" to "Freeze everything" and bring them back slowly.

For my personal stock, I am one for the front end of the bell curve....."throw them in". I have great mates who go all out in prepping new stock for storage. Generalizing, I think the end decision comes back to ones personality. None are wrong or right.

I do hold to the minimum 30 day rule before smoking.

[Puros Y Vino]

Really?

What? FWIW I didn't directly quote your comment. But I am on the side of "ovethinking" on this matter and stated my case. If that's seen as a slight, rest assured that was not my intent. I responded with a bit of humor. Look to the smileys. The OP asked a question, we all responded. Some of us have different views and that's perfectly normal. However, IMO. The tone of some of the responses were a delivered with a bit of an "eye roll' as to denote that their opinion on the matter was more "right" than the other opinions.