joshhooper7 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I'm interested in getting a large container going for specifically unopened boxes of cigars to age. Right now I've got a wineador that I use to hold my current smoking rotation and a few tupperdors. I was thinking of going the coolidor route to store 40-50 boxes at a time for long term (5+) years of aging, what do you guys use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGipper Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Vacuum sealing machine + Rubbermaid Roughneck 31 gallon totes + 1-2 pounds of beads per tote (or crystal cat litter) is what I use. The Rubbermaids don't seal as perfectly as a cooler, but they hold the humidity nearly equally well in my climate (Oregon). Helps if you set something on top of the lid to improve the seal. Really only have to refresh the beads with distilled water once a month or so. Would work fine without the vacuum sealer also. If you want low/no maintenance, a cooler that seals well may be worth the extra initial investment. Won't require as much water refresh. I have a couple of coolers in the rotation and if I don't open them, they barely need any water added. Maybe only once or twice a year. Do not buy the Sterilite clear totes as a substitute. Too much plastic smell that doesn't dissipate. If you go with the Rubbermaid, wash it out after you buy it and let it air for a couple of weeks, and it will be good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMQQKIN Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I have used a marine cooler, beads & a remote temp/humidity monitoring system with great success. Put it in a cool closet or a stable temp area & only open it when you have to spray the beads. The smell is amazing when you open the cooler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metro_habanos Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 40 - 50 boxes at a time, in 1 containidor, will be a hell-uv-a container. I use the 41 quart weather-tight by IRIS. It holds about 12 - 14 boxes depending on your box size. It's like putting a puzzle together to fit as many as you can. I have 3 - 320 gram boveda's and run a wireless hygrometer / temperature monitor in it so I don't have to worry about opening the container. And it is not so heavy as to be a hassle to lift and not too big to be a pain to move. The 4 I have sit in a hall closet and are at a constant 65% rh and 65 degree f. I check on them every couple of month's, open the containers, make sure no mold or bugs popping up, then close um back up. I'd like to see some pics of your container when you get it figured out. It seams that everybody has their own set-up they like though. Good luck. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaDisco Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I use these big tuppers with a foam seal. They're packed full, and I use about 8-10 65% Bovedas. Haven't had to change Bovedas in 3 years. That could be a good seal, or it could be that my cellar humidity sits right at 60-65% rH year 'round. You need a stable temp location for this sort of storage, otherwise if you get little temperature wiggles (but nothing big or sustained) then you might want to go for a coolerdor that will even those minor swings out. https://www.containerstore.com/s/garage/storage-bags-boxes/clear-weathertight-trunk/12d?productId=10024301 You have to scrub these with baking soda and vinegar and leave them in the sun for a day to get rid of any plastic smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godpheonix Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 All i've ever done is stuck my aging cigars in my humi with everything else at 62-63% RH and at 18-20 degrees celcius. the aged cigars i've had have been FANTASTIC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrightonCorgi Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I am trying vacuum sealing on a few boxes in my wine cellar. Will open them up this spring to see how they fared over the winter. The winters can be on the dry side, but rest of the year is in the zone I would not be worried if the vacuum seal wasn't 100%. So far they have kept their seal 100%; using commercial level bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitzy Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I use the 74 quart container store weathertight containers, 1lb of heartfelt 65% beads and either a boveda sensor or the sensor push. I have one of each. Both sensors work well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivaylo Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Just age them at the FOH Locker. I do that and its much easier as far as maintenance and also I dont see them so i dont smoke them:) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toast & Taste Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Paging the, er, Mister, Pig Big Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monterey Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Aging 120 boxes in 8 New Air CC-300's. Not cheap, but this is not the right hobby to be cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt45 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 We've a number of members who use Zarges cases with seemingly great results. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshhooper7 Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 Thanks for all the tips guys I appreciate it. I would've responded sooner but I'm underway in the middle of the ocean somewhere right now. I keep ~500 cigars in my smoking rotation, about 20 boxes worth in my NewAir CC300. She's my baby and I can't think of where I'd put a few more but I could easily throw a big coolerdor in my guest room closet. I'd keep them in the FoH locker but what fun is owning a bunch of cigars that you can't drool over and look at when you're bored? I'll probably go the coolerdor route with 4-5 65% 320g Bovedas since it seems like a lot of you have success with large coolers. Thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbandz Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 I put boxes in ziplock bags, then into a plastic storage box. I put Bovedas in the box, therefore only a little space to regulate. Not in the ziplocks with the boxes. working great for years.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avaldes Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 When you get back, go to Costco and get a 150 qt cooler for a hundred bucks and call it a day. Been using them for nearly 20 years with some beads from a place that probably doesn't exist anymore. Anyway, it is a very low maintenance method of safely storing quite a few boxes of cigars. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfire Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 https://www.target.com/p/sterilite-174-storage-bin-clear-with-blue-handles-20gal/-/A-50245039 Literally the last humidor anyone here should be buying as far as totes/Coolers. I know about a dozen guys that use these and some have over 20 each. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownN7eveN Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 I’ve tried just about everything as a humidor, however, the coolerdor for me is the way to go. Stores plenty of boxes, keeps temperature fluctuations to a minimum, and keeps the boxes in darkness. I cleaned the inside of mine with baking soda and vinegar and more baking soda, and the plastic “smell” was Very dimished. I’ve also tried the clear plastic tupperdor types, cleaned and scrubbed them, but they kept developing a plastic “film” over time that would wipe off with your fingers, or anything that touched the box. I really didn’t like that the clear plastic type containers would do that, and the plastic smell would just not go away at all. Maybe I have had just bad luck with the clear plastic tupperdors, but I’m now very happy with my 125 quart coolerdor and boveda pack combination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SokaKiel Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 On 3/14/2018 at 9:03 AM, jfire said: https://www.target.com/p/sterilite-174-storage-bin-clear-with-blue-handles-20gal/-/A-50245039 Literally the last humidor anyone here should be buying as far as totes/Coolers. I know about a dozen guys that use these and some have over 20 each. That’s what I’ve been using successfully for years! I run two set ups, one in the cool basement in Germany where the temperature only fluctuates about 4-5 degrees over the year. Got around 100 boxes stored and only check on them once a year when I’m over there. Usually spend a few hours to check all boxes and pick a 100 sticks to take with me. Never had any issues! The second set of smokes is kept in a container in a wardrobe here in Japan. Between 10 - 15 boxes and maybe 50 singles. Keep a 69% Boveda in there and had no problems so far. This box goes from 10deg. C all the way up to 35deg. C (we don’t run the A/C in the whole house and have no basement) with humidity ranging from 20% in winter to 90% in the wet season and I never had mold or other issues. Been doing this for a good 5 years now. Fill up my travel cases before heading out to sea every few weeks and all the cigars smoke fine! I think some people worry way too much about the storage of their cigars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post awkwardPause Posted March 17, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted March 17, 2018 We've a number of members who use Zarges cases with seemingly great results.Absolutely love the two cases I have. Functional, bulletproof, very good seal, and I actually like how they look (though an Aristocrat would win that comp. hands down...). Keeps a very stable environment, but obviously will vary by user and the ambient temp, etc. A bit pricey but then again so is what I store in it! That said, a large marine Coolidor served me well for many years so certainly can’t knock that route either (or Tuppadors for that matter). I use several of the 320 gram Boveda packs in each of my Zarges and seems to work very well for my RH goals for long term storage. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSmoke Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Absolutely love the two cases I have. Functional, bulletproof, very good seal, and I actually like how they look (though an Aristocrat would win that comp. hands down...). Keeps a very stable environment, but obviously will vary by user and the ambient temp, etc. A bit pricey but then again so is what I store in it! That said, a large marine Coolidor served me well for many years so certainly can’t knock that route either (or Tuppadors for that matter). I use several of the 320 gram Boveda packs in each of my Zarges and seems to work very well for my RH goals for long term storage. Is that the 195L?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awkwardPause Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Is that the 195L?Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkExternal dimensions are 23x23x24in, so comes out to ~12700in^3 or 208L by my math. The company cites the useable (“clear”) internal dimensions as a fair bit smaller 20.5x20.5x22.8in or ~ 157 L.That said, honestly not sure how volume is reported on those large marine coolers, whether it’s based on external vs. internal useable dimensions. Hope that helps. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooseAMuffin Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 7 hours ago, awkwardPause said: Absolutely love the two cases I have. Functional, bulletproof, very good seal, and I actually like how they look (though an Aristocrat would win that comp. hands down...). Keeps a very stable environment, but obviously will vary by user and the ambient temp, etc. A bit pricey but then again so is what I store in it! That said, a large marine Coolidor served me well for many years so certainly can’t knock that route either (or Tuppadors for that matter). I use several of the 320 gram Boveda packs in each of my Zarges and seems to work very well for my RH goals for long term storage. I like the look as well. First time I have seen these. How often do you have to replace your boveda packs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monterey Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Bullet proof? Find a lot of occasions that you get so drunk that you start shooting up the house? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awkwardPause Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I like the look as well. First time I have seen these. How often do you have to replace your boveda packs?About every 6-8 months since I’ve had them. Pricier than beads in the long run, but a clean, convenient and reliable option. Got a really good deal on some recently. PM if you want details. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habana Mike Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Bonus on the Zarges - plastic melts and wood burns. These might save your stash in a fire! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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