My first time with beetles...

[BTWheezy]

No freezing, but there was serious discussion of shaving her head.  Not sure we could’ve pulled that off, unless the family was moving to a commune. 

[Tollickd]

Omg this thread has freaked me out I am a anew collector and just bought a few boxes and here it’s starting to get warm 25 plus will be 30-35c soon. Need to get a wine cooler ASAP I have seen one it’s not thermal but a compressors I will just put them in tupper with a Boveda bags and boxes on zip bags too! What do your guy/girls think?


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[WABOOM]

are you asking about putting tuppies inside of a wine cooler?

[Tollickd]

I am asking if this plan would work? Also I hear that compressor ones dry out the humidity so either tupper or feeezer. This should keep the humor sealed in the bags and cool in the cooler !

 

 

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[El Presidente]

3 hours ago, Tollickd said:

I am asking if this plan would work? Also I hear that compressor ones dry out the humidity so either tupper or feeezer. This should keep the humor sealed in the bags and cool in the cooler !

 

 

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Just Freeze them.

I have seen both thermos and compressor fridges work. You just need to be prepared to tinker with them. I prefer thermos as they are cheap and work easily at 16-18 degrees C.

I you are OCD then save yourself the pain, freeze and forget. 

[Tollickd]

I was thinking of freezing not sure how to but here it gets up to 38c in my room so I still want them in a good temp!


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[thedame007]

57 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Just Freeze them.

If you are OCD then save yourself the pain, freeze and forget. 

Yup. This. All of this. 

I have been having cold sweats for over a year now, and my anality finally overcame my laziness and I have been freezing my entire collection; two weeks in, and I’m nearly there ...

 

Though trying to explain to some uncultured ruffian why the fridge and freezer are full of cigars (and why the milk is warm, and the ice cubes are back to their embryonic liquidity) is quite a thing... 

[luv2fly]

37 minutes ago, Tollickd said:

I was thinking of freezing not sure how to but here it gets up to 38c in my room so I still want them in a good temp!


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Do a search for Freezing Cigars.  There is a lot of info on the process including time in freezer depending on the temp.  

 Bottom line is the colder your freezer, the less time they need to stay in the freezer.

I froze some cigars by putting them in a zip lock freezer bag and the another freezer bag. (no box)  Pulled all the air out I could using a straw.  1 day in the fridge, then 5 days in the freezer (based on the temp of my freezer).  Then 1 day in the fridge and 1 day on the counter.  Then back in the humidor.  I left them in the humidor for 60 days before smoking one so they could return to my preferred humidity level.

 

 

[Tollickd]

I am worried I would mess it up and destroy say a box of siglo vi

 

 

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[luv2fly]

1 minute ago, Tollickd said:

I am worried I would mess it up and destroy say a box of siglo vi


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You won't.  Never had an issue and has been said here many times, the cigars for export from Cuba have been frozen already.  Never noticed an issue with that.

[Tollickd]

You won't.  Never had an issue and has been said here many times, the cigars for export from Cuba have been frozen already.  Never noticed an issue with that.

How do we still get out breaks then if they have already been frozen?


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[luv2fly]

13 minutes ago, Tollickd said:

How do we still get out breaks then if they have already been frozen?


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As El Prez has said, they may have come into contact with unfrozen cigars (customs or cigars purchased on the island) in a vendors or personal humidor. Also, the holes or other evidence one finds may have happened before the freezing process.

 I would also say that it is not an exact science.  Stuff happens.  But it is a good preventive measure.  

In 20 years I have never had an issue (knock on wood) now that I just jinxed myself.....

Great questions!

[Ethernut]

1 hour ago, luv2fly said:

You won't.  Never had an issue and has been said here many times, the cigars for export from Cuba have been frozen already.  Never noticed an issue with that.

I’d simply caution and state that assuming that Cuba might be that consistent as to freeze all cigar exports is likely fallacious. They can’t even produce tampons or sanitary pads for their people right now.

Was there a few weeks ago and they can’t even shut off the pumps to their water towers. It rained on the houses below for hours.

 

 

 

[luv2fly]

7 minutes ago, Ethernut said:

I’d simply caution and state that assuming that Cuba might be that consistent as to freeze all cigar exports is likely fallacious. They can’t even produce tampons or sanitary pads for their people right now.

Was there a few weeks ago and they can’t even shut off the pumps to their water towers. It rained on the houses below for hours.

 

 

 

True that!  As I said, not an exact science and I would not trust the process 100%.  I love the tampon thing!  

You sir are right in my train of thought. (Much to my wife's dismay)   

I am a sick SOB!!!!

[El Presidente]

2 hours ago, Tollickd said:

How do we still get out breaks then if they have already been frozen?


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You need to use the search button. 

 

Cigars for export are frozen before they leave Havana.  if you don't trust the Cuban side of the operation, trust the Spanish/English side.  I haven't seen a live beetle in a shipment since 2005.  That is about  5 million cigars ago. 

Cigars purchased in Havana are notorious for beetles. You can see beetles in the stores/LCDH. Custom cigars are also basically beetle buses. Put them into contact with your boxes at home and it doesn't matter if your previous boxes have been frozen or not, the beetles will feed and breed. 

Freeze everything if your temp is over 18C. 

[SCgarman]

4 hours ago, Tollickd said:

I was thinking of freezing not sure how to but here it gets up to 38c in my room so I still want them in a good temp!


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100 degrees F in your room? This is not ideal for storing cigars! If you don't have air conditioning, you need to store your sticks in a wine cooler. 

[Ethernut]

2 hours ago, El Presidente said:

 

Cigars purchased in Havana are notorious for beetles. You can see beetles in the stores/LCDH. Custom cigars are also basically beetle buses. Put them into contact with your boxes at home and it doesn't matter if your previous boxes have been frozen or not, the beetles will feed and breed. 

Freeze everything if your temp is over 18C. 

I have absolutely seen beetles in Havana.. Different world for sure!

[Tollickd]

Wincooler purchased

 

[PhilB]

I freeze absolutely everything.  NC and CC.  I got lots of stuff from the Canadian distributor, who also claims they freeze everything that comes from Cuba, even though it's allegedly frozen there.

I freeze theirs too.  They can't control all the storage and transport.  All it takes is one beetle from elsewhere to make its way in.

It costs nothing, takes a few days, doesn't appear to affect anything negatively (after all, the sticks from the Canadian distributor have allegedly already been frozen twice before I get them) a buys a little peace of mind.

Overkill?  Perhaps.  I just happen to believe that overkill is just the right amount of kill...specially when it comes to critters eating through many hundreds of cigars worth many thousands of dollars.

[Tollickd]

I freeze absolutely everything.  NC and CC.  I got lots of stuff from the Canadian distributor, who also claims they freeze everything that comes from Cuba, even though it's allegedly frozen there.
I freeze theirs too.  They can't control all the storage and transport.  All it takes is one beetle from elsewhere to make its way in.
It costs nothing, takes a few days, doesn't appear to affect anything negatively (after all, the sticks from the Canadian distributor have allegedly already been frozen twice before I get them) a buys a little peace of mind.
Overkill?  Perhaps.  I just happen to believe that overkill is just the right amount of kill...specially when it comes to critters eating through many hundreds of cigars worth many thousands of dollars.

Yes my collection small but is in the freezer! Had them in the fridge for about 12 hours! I will leave them at -18c for 24hrs back in fridge then in the wincooler!


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[PhilB]

4 minutes ago, Tollickd said:

Yes my collection small but is in the freezer! Had them in the fridge for about 12 hours! I will leave them at -18c for 24hrs back in fridge then in the wincooler!
 

That's the right time to do it!  I started freezing when I had maybe about a hundred cigars or so...Now it's easy to freeze everything that comes in by the box instead of having to freeze a huge backlog.

[Fugu]

On 9.5.2018 at 4:01 AM, Ethernut said:

I have absolutely seen beetles in Havana.. Different world for sure!

Original habitat for beetles, where else if not there to expect them.... 

[Tollickd]

That's the right time to do it!  I started freezing when I had maybe about a hundred cigars or so...Now it's easy to freeze everything that comes in by the box instead of having to freeze a huge backlog.

Well I am sitting here worried to death that they will come out damaged my winecooler is at 18c so the plan is 24hrs take them from the freezer in the fridge then to the cooler still in the ziplock bags for a day or so then back in the original boxes!


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[PhilB]

20 minutes ago, Tollickd said:

Well I am sitting here worried to death that they will come out damaged my winecooler is at 18c so the plan is 24hrs take them from the freezer in the fridge then to the cooler still in the ziplock bags for a day or so then back in the original boxes!
 

 

They'll be fine!  Members in this forum have probably frozen hundreds of thousands of cigars with zero damage.  Add all the other forums, and every single box of Cubans for export, some of them at least twice.

Unless your freezer violates the laws of physics, you'll have no issues!

[pdxcigarguy]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but here it goes fellas. How on earth does freezing help with the beetles. If you have beetles you have beetles and to me it seems the cigars would be ruined. Freezing them may kill the beetles but then dont you still have dead beetles in your cigars you would be smoking? Its not like freezing the cigars would make the beetles come out of the cigars and die in the bottom of your container or baggie you froze the cigars in is it? 

Thanks

-pdx