Cigar life w/ no humidor

[The patriot]

Once a month or so, I have a smoke. I dont have a humidor.

Problem is, I dont live near any decent smoke shops, when I buy a smoke, it might sit for a few days w/o the benefit of a humidor before I can enjoy it.

How long do these "last" w/o a humidor?

TIA

Eric

 

[TPCDrafting]

I don't smoke, but a friend who does gave me a cohiba once and told me to put it in the freezer till I was ready to light up. It seemed to work, I smoked it a few months later and it seemed good still.

 

[The patriot]

I was at an event where they had a guy rolling them there.

I bought two.

1st one I smoked a couple days later. It was good... no EXCELLENT!!

2nd one I got around to about a week later. No good.

The deal was, you buy one factory smoke, and you get a hand rolled for free. They were supposed to be identical cigars, except the one was rolled in right there.

I'm not sure if that was the difference in the two, or if it had gotten stanky in that amount of time.

Eric

 

[pdolan]

Maybe you could write to Bill Clinton. I understand that he has a way of humidifying cigars with no humidor.



Sorry, couldn't resist.



I don't smoke anymore (31 years since Dad died of lung cancer), but when I did, cigars were among the choices. Putting it in the freezer will just slow down the rate of dessication. We used to use a bit of apple in a tobacco pouch for when pipe was away from humidor for some time. If I remember right, there were a number of good cigars that came in nice little aluminum screw-cap tubes that would preserve moisture for a very long time - kind of a one-cigar humidor. Those would seem to suit your very occassional use. A test tube with rubber stopper would make a good substitute.



Pat

 

[Gray Ghost]

Put it in a ziplock bag. You can even put a humidifier in there.

Been there done that.

 

[JSmith]

What Grey Ghost said. Put it in a ziplock bag with a slice of apple or orange. This will keep the moisture in the bag with the stogie

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Pat's Bill C. statement....

:-laf



That's hilarious!



Matt

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

The freezer is the worst place you could store your cigars - it will dry it right out. The perfect conditions for storing a cigar are 70 degrees and 70% humidity - the further you get from that the worse. Freezers are VERY low in humidity plus the defrost cycle will play havoc with your cigar. Your best bet if your only going to store for small periods is either what Gray Ghost said - use a zip lock baggy and you can take a small paper towel and dampen it (squeeze out all the water you can) and put it in the baggy with the cigar. Or an even better way is you can buy bags at most cigar shops that have humidifiers built into them and are specifically for storing cigars - they don't last forever though.



Last option is you can make a cheap humidor with a tupperware container. Go to your florist or local hobby shop and buy a chunk of wet oasis - that green foam. There are two kinds, wet and dry - you want the wet type. Cut off a chuck of it say around 2. 5"x2. 5"x1" and put it in a small container of some type with an open top (tupperware has a small container about that size available that works perfect) and then place that inside a double sandwich sized tupperware container. You can get humidifier solution at your cigar store and wet the oasis foam with that solution. Then ask the cigar store for a sheet of cedar - most will give it to you, they come in many boxes of cigars to seperate the layers - a piece of a busted cigar box will work too. Put that in the tupperware container as well. You've now created a humidor that functions fine but just doesn't look pretty . If you end up storing cigars in there for long periods then you'll need to "burp" the container every week or so to exchange the air out. You'll have to "recharge" the humidifer every couple of months with a small amount of distilled water - no need to add more solution, the PG doesn't disipate.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Not knocking Steve's cool Tupperware project, but.....



These guys have some cool stuff... prices aren't bad either: http://www.cheaphumidors.com/



I like Steve's idea, though..... his humidor won't look like one. Example: If you wanted to score a cigar from your buddy's collection and were looking for a humidor and ran your eyes across the room, it wouldn't stick out..... you'd just keep scanning the room.



Plus - a lot of folks would be more inclined to prominently display the really pretty ornate ones... . I guess some folks like to show off.



Matt

 

[TomGolden]

Since you said you don't live close to any good smoke shops, check this web site out for various needs. I buy cigars from them, and also the glycol humidification liquid.



JR Cigars



I'm glad Steve pointed out that a freezer is :{ for a cigar. My storage problem in northern California is keeping the darn temperature anywhere near decent. In the summer it hits 105*+ and in winter it will get to 25* at my house. I have a small desktop humidor, and cigars usually last only a couple weeks in the heat of summer or deep winter cold, so I can't buy in quantity



Steve has a very cool home made "igloo-dor" that he made from I think a 150qt Igloo cooler, lined fully with Spanish cedar. I very much want to make one like his



Tom

 

[The patriot]

Thanks for all the help guys.

It's pretty funny, we havent seen the sun since May here, and I'm worried about keeping the stoagie moist.

It's been a long day, I'm going to smoke it now. I've earned it.

Eric

 

[mimprevento]

FREEZER??????

NEVER put even a cheap cigar in the freezer. I smoke more than my diesel so I know. Wrap in saran wrap or one of the ziplock bags and keep in the crisper with the other agricultural products and it will be fine for awhile. In the summer humidity just keeping them in a cool dark place in the house is Ok for even a few days if they have the wrapper on them. Humidors are dirt cheap now- treat yourself to a small one and use a decent humidification system- Try Holts in Philly mail order or Cigar International and you would be surprised at the bargains.

 

[fkovalski]

Steve St L-

Did'nt you make a neat humidor from a cooler. I recall a member who posted a pic of one, kinda' thought it was you.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Yeah it was me and here's some info on it's construction, etc - http://www.deluxepokertables.com/stevest/dor.htm . Here's a picture of it right after putting it together. By far the best humidor I've ever had, I only use my desktop humidors for the road and for quarantine of new cigars before moving them into the big one (to make sure bugs don't hatch). It's sooooo easy to maintain it's unreal - I add a little water every 6-8 months and it maintains a perfect 70%.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

OMG! That rules!



Matt

 

[The patriot]

I'd have to be reincarnated 50 times to put that sucker to real use.

Eric

 

[The patriot]

OK I get to eat (or smoke) my words.

My 100-150 cigar humidor runneth over.

I'm going to try to build one of Steve's igloo-dor's.

I've recently found a brand that I like... no LOVE, and it's a closeout.

They were made for Pierre Cardan's restaurant Maxim's, that is the cigar brand.

I usually dont associate myself with fo- foo brand names, but whoever was building this guys smokes knows his I TRIED TO BY-PASS THE CUSSING FILTER.



Eric



PS Licenciado's, Maxim's, CAO gold, Fuente (cahteau Fuente) and just for a change of pace, Kahluha are now in my humidor.

 

[willyslover]

all donations accepted [Cigars that is]. . and I don't smoke 'em often. . but who said you have to do one a day to love them... just have to be a closet stoggy smoker as my wife would kill me if she saw me stok'in one. . I used to smoke 4 packs of Camel non filt. a day and quit 20+ years ago. . she gets a bit tense over it LOL

 

[JohnE]

Ziplock no go. I lost a premium Cohiba due to a bag puncture.

One of the best cheap humidors is a glass snap top jar from the kitchen store. Perfect seal. You can admire your possessions without opening the lid.

 

[DKayser]

What the Hell?

You own the finest in trucks, spend the c-note for a humidor! Life is too short to smoke bad cigars, drink cheap whisky, or chase fat girls! For a budget cigar, go to www.mikescigars.com I think is correct. If you read the catalog carefully, you will find cosmetic seconds of Major brands. Prince Phillip Macanudos for UNDER $2. I get 20 for $29. 99 + $7 shipping. I bought the bro in law a $30 humidor from some catalog the wife had, works great. But having tried all the above suggestions, the St. Laurent "Tupperdor" does a good job. I travel with one as it fits nicely anywhere. Enjoy, Don.