Keeping the humidor temp down as summer approaches

[KB24]

Best advice would be to read up on the Humidor Tutorial section of forums. 460 topics with many topics covered multiple times. Also search "rH Pigfish" or "rH Ray" and see what comes up on the humidity topic. It will blow your mind.

[El Presidente]

Freeze and forget. It doesn't matter too much then what your temp gets to.

Put the cigars in Ziplock bags. Put them in your fridge for a day, your freezer for 5 days, your fridge for a day and then back into your humidor.

[Webbo]

Freeze and forget. It doesn't matter too much then what your temp gets to.

Put the cigars in Ziplock bags. Put them in your fridge for a day, your freezer for 5 days, your fridge for a day and then back into your humidor.

Rob the cigars we receive via Czars, have they been frozen prior to arriving to you or is it best to go belt and braces and freeze them ourselves when the order arrives?

[earthson]

Forgive my noobish ways. rH?

Brother, this is not like other cigar forums. You can ask any questions you like, and will almost always find the help you're looking for. You won't get flamed or rude responses except for maybe the occasional ****-in-the-punchbowl who typically gets straightened out real quick.

As an engineer, I learned RH like this:

http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/186/

[PapaDisco]

Rob the cigars we receive via Czars, have they been frozen prior to arriving to you or is it best to go belt and braces and freeze them ourselves when the order arrives?

All the Habanos stock leaving Cuba has spent time in their industrial warehouse size freezer, and it works pretty damn well. However you can imagine how freezing cigars in large master case blocks can be somewhat imperfect. I once found a beetle in a PSD4 Tubo from a German supplier, so bugs do slip through. That was one stick out of a couple thousand over the years, so your odds are good . . . but . . .

[jwr0201]

Not sure where the 70/70 thing came from, but it usually does not work. Cigars much too moist. Ever had a reliable cigar marka that has an impossibly tight draw or keeps going out? Odds are that it is too moist. As others have said, mid to lower 60's is much better for humidity level in your cigar storage of choice.

[TomF]

As an engineer, I learned RH like this:

http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/186/

That's great info. In the Clausius-Clapeyron equation there are two variables that are undefined, specifically LN (or even more specifically N), and J. How are values for these variables calculated?

I'm not that great at math; please, do tell...

[LukeC]

Freeze and forget. It doesn't matter too much then what your temp gets to.

Put the cigars in Ziplock bags. Put them in your fridge for a day, your freezer for 5 days, your fridge for a day and then back into your humidor.

Awesome info Rob! Much appreciated!

[earthson]

That's great info. In the Clausius-Clapeyron equation there are two variables that are undefined, specifically LN (or even more specifically N), and J. How are values for these variables calculated?

I'm not that great at math; please, do tell...

You've already taken it beyond the rudimentary lessons I received in school! I work in site (re-)development, not H & H, so I haven't had to use any meteorology. The article above is about as much as I know.

[PigFish]

Pig?

... yes, yes, yes... !

Not unlike many things in life, cigars and cigar culture can be summed up as a combination of facts and beliefs, truth and myth.

Cigar husbandry is not unlike any other aspect of cigar keeping. How you keep them is not much different than how you select them and what you believe about their taste...

I can ramble on for days about my beliefs about cigar storage. The membership, well trained, has already suggested it in some previous comments. As such, I prefer to try and help those with specific problems, and in defining facts about the temperature/rH relationship than just preaching my position.

My position therefore is not right, unless I am talking the facts of science. What is right for you, will be for you to decide for yourself. I do push people some if I think that they are risking their cigars by their actions. I feel compelled to do this as one witnessing the moment of a bad decision made by a friend, should do.

California can be a tough climate on cigars. The variations in temperature, and even humidity depending on the year, can vary 30 to 40 points in a day. Older homes without insulation can do damage to your mood, your electric bill and at least potentially to your cigars. I say potentially as a result of knowing something of material science.

Cigars are (can be) expensive. As such they should be protected. That is the place to start. The rest hinges on your own beliefs. The amount you spend on storage therefore must be rationalized by your belief system, or what you believe is happening, or could happen to your cigars.

I am firmly in the wine cooler conversion camp. I have been doing this for a long time now. I have taken such an interest in it that I have a small company (me) that makes specific conversions. You might say that I now have a vested interest in this topic. With that vested interest I now have to be very carful about separating myself, my fanatical views from that of the mainstream. I try very hard to separate my extremist views on the subject and specify them as such, as beliefs and not as facts when the difference exists.

Whether on this forum, or via email as a customer, I alway say the same thing. Spend the least amount that satisfies your wants and needs and spend the rest on cigars. On the other hand, I have to laugh at some who will spend tens of thousands on cigars, fret over them, and spend $20 dollars or less to protect them...

A lot of good advice has been given above. If you have been in your home for a while now, you should know your range in temperature and rH in your home though out the year. So, the first question is, has this event, summer, done damage to your cigars in the past? If yes, then something must be done about it. If not, why would that change this year? Have you experienced something, or are you blindly following someone without the experience? Prudence and diligent management of cigar storage I think can always be rationalized, but blind following of those on the fringe (people like me) can either be a revelation, or a disaster, depending on your situation and your beliefs.

If you are newish to cigars it is relatively easy to get you to worry about things and take you to believe ideas that might never affect you, if they never 'infected you and inflicted you' in the first place. I therefore don't really like to be the guy that fills your head with a bunch of my beliefs, whether I can rationalize them or not.

For the record there is a right and wrong way to store cigars (when viewed from the position of many and certainly from the perspective of extremes). Yet there exists the majority that while might agree with some, or all of it, manages to smoke cigars they like, doing their own things and doing them differently than I do. This means that there is not just one way to do it, right or wrong from any one person's perspective. Some of us will be better at it than others, our cigars will have better or worse storage, but the effects of same will be certainly debateable.

If you want my help, just ask. But with it, you are going to get put on the spot for knowing your conditions, what problems they have caused you in the past (why they need to change) and what are you willing to spend to make it go away?

As generic advice, as indicated above, lower your rH (consistent with a specific temperature). Generic "I store at XXrH is meaningless. It must be correlated to a temperature to be meaningful. The exact amount is debatable.

Don't refrigerate cigars. What do I mean by this? Cigars don't need low temperatures. As a matter of fact it makes them harder to keep consistent and therefore store properly. I tell everyone not to store below 70F. I have tried all sorts of temperatures and rH ranges and it is easy to get moldy, musty cigars (easier) as the temperature drops. I have lots of posts about the nature of temperature and rH and how and why it affects cigars posted on the site if you are interested.

Everything beyond these two simple rules will be a matter of personal opinion and taste. Whether the opinions are backed by fact, myth or empiricism will depend on whom you ask.

Best of luck on your project!

-the Pig

[LukeC]

... yes, yes, yes... !

Not unlike many things in life, cigars and cigar culture can be summed up as a combination of facts and beliefs, truth and myth.

Cigar husbandry is not unlike any other aspect of cigar keeping. How you keep them is not much different than how you select them and what you believe about their taste...

I can ramble on for days about my beliefs about cigar storage. The membership, well trained, has already suggested it in some previous comments. As such, I prefer to try and help those with specific problems, and in defining facts about the temperature/rH relationship than just preaching my position.

My position therefore is not right, unless I am talking the facts of science. What is right for you, will be for you to decide for yourself. I do push people some if I think that they are risking their cigars by their actions. I feel compelled to do this as one witnessing the moment of a bad decision made by a friend, should do.

California can be a tough climate on cigars. The variations in temperature, and even humidity depending on the year, can vary 30 to 40 points in a day. Older homes without insulation can do damage to your mood, your electric bill and at least potentially to your cigars. I say potentially as a result of knowing something of material science.

Cigars are (can be) expensive. As such they should be protected. That is the place to start. The rest hinges on your own beliefs. The amount you spend on storage therefore must be rationalized by your belief system, or what you believe is happening, or could happen to your cigars.

I am firmly in the wine cooler conversion camp. I have been doing this for a long time now. I have taken such an interest in it that I have a small company (me) that makes specific conversions. You might say that I now have a vested interest in this topic. With that vested interest I now have to be very carful about separating myself, my fanatical views from that of the mainstream. I try very hard to separate my extremist views on the subject and specify them as such, as beliefs and not as facts when the difference exists.

Whether on this forum, or via email as a customer, I alway say the same thing. Spend the least amount that satisfies your wants and needs and spend the rest on cigars. On the other hand, I have to laugh at some who will spend tens of thousands on cigars, fret over them, and spend $20 dollars or less to protect them...

A lot of good advice has been given above. If you have been in your home for a while now, you should know your range in temperature and rH in your home though out the year. So, the first question is, has this event, summer, done damage to your cigars in the past? If yes, then something must be done about it. If not, why would that change this year? Have you experienced something, or are you blindly following someone without the experience? Prudence and diligent management of cigar storage I think can always be rationalized, but blind following of those on the fringe (people like me) can either be a revelation, or a disaster, depending on your situation and your beliefs.

If you are newish to cigars it is relatively easy to get you to worry about things and take you to believe ideas that might never affect you, if they never 'infected you and inflicted you' in the first place. I therefore don't really like to be the guy that fills your head with a bunch of my beliefs, whether I can rationalize them or not.

For the record there is a right and wrong way to store cigars (when viewed from the position of many and certainly from the perspective of extremes). Yet there exists the majority that while might agree with some, or all of it, manages to smoke cigars they like, doing their own things and doing them differently than I do. This means that there is not just one way to do it, right or wrong from any one person's perspective. Some of us will be better at it than others, our cigars will have better or worse storage, but the effects of same will be certainly debateable.

If you want my help, just ask. But with it, you are going to get put on the spot for knowing your conditions, what problems they have caused you in the past (why they need to change) and what are you willing to spend to make it go away?

As generic advice, as indicated above, lower your rH (consistent with a specific temperature). Generic "I store at XXrH is meaningless. It must be correlated to a temperature to be meaningful. The exact amount is debatable.

Don't refrigerate cigars. What do I mean by this? Cigars don't need low temperatures. As a matter of fact it makes them harder to keep consistent and therefore store properly. I tell everyone not to store below 70F. I have tried all sorts of temperatures and rH ranges and it is easy to get moldy, musty cigars (easier) as the temperature drops. I have lots of posts about the nature of temperature and rH and how and why it affects cigars posted on the site if you are interested.

Everything beyond these two simple rules will be a matter of personal opinion and taste. Whether the opinions are backed by fact, myth or empiricism will depend on whom you ask.

Best of luck on your project!

-the Pig

Email sent sir!

[PapaDisco]

Not sure where the 70/70 thing came from, but it usually does not work. Cigars much too moist. Ever had a reliable cigar marka that has an impossibly tight draw or keeps going out? Odds are that it is too moist. As others have said, mid to lower 60's is much better for humidity level in your cigar storage of choice.

At my club they've finally gotten around to approving the installation of cigar lockers. The fellow leading the charge assured me that they will be kept at a "perfect" 72/72 Sheesh. And I was so looking forward to these.

[CaptainQuintero]

At my club they've finally gotten around to approving the installation of cigar lockers. The fellow leading the charge assured me that they will be kept at a "perfect" 72/72 Sheesh. And I was so looking forward to these.

But think of all the plume!!!

[Cohiba Stevie]

I follow the official HSA guideline which is 65% and 18C

[Ralphanator]

Haha! I already have one. The problem is how much it costs to run the AC all day.

Call your local power company and let them know what size unit you have 1-2-3 ton for central air or 5000-8000-10000 BTU's ect for window mounted Air.

They can tell you exactly how much it will cost to run per hour!