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Posted: 9/28/2015 1:52:44 PM EDT
Hi,
I have spoken to both Gaspain and Echo in regards to the humidors FAQ section and they have given me the go ahead to bring it back to its former glory. Currently in the FAQ we have the following topics. -Cigar Terms authored by: Gaspain -Real or Fake ISOM? authored by: Gaspain (add something about the embargo still being in affect) -How to make a coolerdor and fridgerador. authored by: Gaspain -What's a Humidor? authored by: leungken -Humidor and hydrometer Setup authored by: leungken -Cigar Shapes and sizes authored by: leungken -Cutting Cigars authored by: leungken -Lighting a Cigar authored by: leungken -Cigar Health authored by: Cold (will require updates) -Bloom or Mold? authored by: LancerMc -Storing Flavored Cigars authored by: LancerMc -Build a custom travelador authored by: W3ap0n-X If you have any suggestions for more topics, updates and general changes please let me know and we can add it to the list. The current topics will be staying with minor edits, formatting changes and to add the photos that no longer work. As far as photos go we will need to have new ones taken to replace the old ones. If anyone has a spare bit of time and would be willing to take on snapping a few photos, I would appreciate it. I will create a dream sheet for photos shortly. Thank you, -Andrew ECHO APPROVES OF THIS MESSAGE.....this thread will replace the pinned thread above with current information and pictures. |
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[#1]
The Humidor FAQ
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[#2]
Cigar Terms
AROMA - The smell of a burning cigar. BAND - Label around the cigar. BARREL - The body of the cigar. BEETLES - Beetles that eat tobacco. They thrive at temperatures above 75f. BINDER - A single leaf of tobacco wrapped around the filler to hold it together. BLOOM - Specks on the wrapper caused by oils in the tobacco rising to the surface. Also, called Plume. May look like sugar crystals. Often confused with mold. Plume will uniform across the surface, and mold grows in patches. BODY - The body of the cigar. Also may be a descriptor of smoke density and flavor intensity. BOUQUET - The smell of an unlit cigar. BOX PRESS - Square cigars. Made by using a square mold. CAP - The circular piece of wrapper leaf placed at the head of the cigar to secure the wrapper. CELLO - Cellophane cigar packaging. Much debate exists as to storing cigars with the cellos on or off is best. CIGAR OASIS - Electronic active humidifier. Set it and forget it. COOLERDOR - Humidor made from a new soda cooler and inexpensive parts. Features active or passive humidity controls, and passive temperature control. CURING - The process of removing moisture from harvested tobacco. CUT FILLER - Filler tobacco consisting of chopped pieces most common in machine-made cigars. CUTTER - A device for clipping the end off a cigar. Ex: scissors with curved blades; guillotines, V-shaped notch. DRAW - The flow of smoke from a cigar. It can be too easy (hot) or too tight (plugged) FILLER - The tobacco that makes up the center of the cigar. There are two main types of filler, short and long. FINISH - Aftertaste. FOOT - Also called the "tuck," it's the end of the cigar that is lit. FRIGERADOR - Humidor made from a wine cooler or mini-frige and other parts. Features active or passive temperature and humidity controls. HAND-ROLLED - A cigar made entirely by hand with high quality wrapper and long filler. HEAD - The end of the cigar that is placed in the mouth. HOT - A cigar which has a quick, loose draw. This is caused by the cigar being under filled or under-humidified. It is usually accompanied by harsh flavor or mouth feel. HUMIDITY BEADS / CRYSTALS - Beads that when charged with distilled water slowly releases humidity. HUMIDOR - A box traditionally comprised of Spanish Cedar and other woods. Also humidors are also available as home made "Coolerdors" and "Frigeradors". The ideal environment should be 69°F and 69% relative humidity +/- 2. HUMI - (see Humidor) ISOM - Island South of Miami. LONG FILLER - Whole leaves selected and rolled by hand to create a looser and easier draw of smoke. MACHINE MADE - Cigars made entirely by machine. MOLD - An evil fungus that forms on cigars when they are stored at too high a humidity. Mold will grow in colonies or patches that are usually white/grey. Also a device used in making cigars that gives it shape. OTTER BOX - A hard plastic portable humidor that holds either 5 or 10 cigars. PALIO - A brand of cigar cutter. PECTIN - Used to glue the band and the tobacco cap of a cigar. PLUME - (See BLOOM) PLUG - A knot in a cigar that prevents a proper draw. PUCK - Small humidifier that looks like a hockey puck. PUNCH - A round cigar hole cutter, used instead of a standard cutter. Also a cigar brand. PURO - A cigar whose filler, binder and wrapper come from the one country. RING GAUGE - The diameter of a cigar. 1 gauge equals 1/64 of an inch. SHADE GROWN - The wrapper leaf is grown under tents and is not exposed to direct sunlight. SHORT FILLER - Chopped scraps of leaves, the result is a tight draw. SPLIT - A crack down the side of a cigar, usually due to over humidification or rough handling. SUN GROWN - Tobacco which is grown in direct sunlight. This creates thicker veins and a thicker leaf. TUBO - A cigar that is packaged in a metal or glass tube. VEIN - The rib of the tobacco leaf. WRAPPER - The outermost tobacco leaf of the cigar, not the cellophane. XIKAR - Manufacturers or cutters and lighters. |
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[#4]
Cigar Shapes and Sizes
Cigar Sizes A cigar is measured by length and ring gauge (diameter). In US, the length is measured in inches and the diameter or ring gauge is measured in units of 1/64th of an inch. (Both length and diameter are measured in mm internationally) A 64-ring cigar would be one inch in diameter. Most cigars are between 32 and 52-ring size. For example, classic Churchill are 7 X 48, which means the cigar is 7 inches in length and 48/64 (3/4) inches in diameter. In general, the larger the ring gauges, the slower, “cooler” a cigar smokes, and the more room for the cigar maker to blend in different flavors. Also, the longer the cigar, the “slower” the flavors would build up, but tend to hold the flavors longer, and let the cigar maker blend in more complexity into the cigar. The size of a cigar has NO bearing on its body and strength, just the amount of time the smoker willing to “burn”. Cigar Shapes In general, cigars can be categorized into two basic shapes: Parejo and Figurado (irregular shapes). Parejo are straight cigars with a round cap. There are some basic shapes that that share common names. These shapes are given names, so that there is some degree of universality in the industry, but lately, the cigar makers are trending away from the standard names. Also most manufacturers uses these shapes as loose guidelines more than strict rules, for example, you can find Churchill ranges from 47 X 7 (standard Cuban Churchill size) to 52 X 7 (Gurkha’s Churchill size, larger than a Cuban Double Corona). These following descriptive dimensions are approximate, but here are some guidelines: Short is less than 5.5 inches, long is greater than 6.5 inches. Thin is less than 42 ring size and thick is greater than 47 ring. Manufacturers also add common adjectives to the shape name. Gorda, grande, gran, larga, extra, doble, or double means they are adding on to the size. Petite, slim, finos, or demi means some sort of reduction to the size. - Parejo, Belvedere, Ascot, Demitasse: Less than 5 inches in length with a ring gauge between 30 and 36. - Petite Corona: Between 4 1/2 to 5 inches in length and a ring gauge between 40 and 42. - Robusto or Rothschild: Approximately 4 ½ to 5 ½ inches in length and a ring gauge of 48 or higher. - Corona: Approximately 5 1/2 inches long and a ring gauge of around 42. - Corona Extra or Corona Royale: 5 3/4 inches in length and a ring gauge between 44 and 46. - Panatela: About 6 to 6 1/2 inches in length with a ring gauge between 34 and 39. - Lonsdale: About 6 inches in length and a ring gauge of approximately 43. - Corona Grandes, Toro: 6 to 6 ½ inches in length and a ring gauge between 44 and 46. - Churchill: Named after Sir Winston Churchill (rumor to be his favorite size cigar and have RyJ Habano specially made these cigars for him) is 7 inches in length with a ring gauge of 47 to 48. - Double Corona, Long Panatela: 7 1/2 to 8 inches long and a ring gauge of 49 to 52. - Gigante, Presidente, “A”, Giant or Immensa: At least 8 1/2 inches long and a ring gauge ranging from 48 to 54+. - Figurado Diademas: At least 8+ inches long with a closed head and foot. The ring gauge increases towards the foot. - Belicoso: Approximately 6 inches long and a ring gauge of 48 with a pointed cone shaped cap. - Petite Belicoso: Less than 5 inches long and a ring gauge of 40 with a pointed cone shaped cap. - Pyramid: 6 to 7 inches long and tapers down from a ring gauge of 52 at the foot and 42 (~7/10 inch) at the head with a pointed, cone shaped head. - Perfecto: Varies in length and ring gauge. Has a rounded shaped head, bulge in the body, and a closed foot. - Torpedo: Varies in length and ring gauge. Has a pointed cone shaped head, bulge in the body, and a relatively flat foot. - Culebra: Three cigars each 5 to 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 34 (~1/2 inch) that are intertwined. The cigars have to be unwound to be smoked. In order to avoid breakage, cigars must be very well humidified. There are other special made Figurados (for example Opus X BBMF, LMMF, Shark) that are not one of the “standard” sized for special releases that is beyond references of this text. Another confusing point, the numbered cigar like Monticristo #2, Anejo #77, Siglo VI, these are numbers used exclusively by the individual cigar maker. There are no standard numbering system that describes sizes and shapes. Here are some examples: Monticristo #1 is more or a Petite Corona but a Davidoff Anny No. 1 is a “A” size cigar. Anejo #77 is a Pryamid with a ring gauge of 77 at the foot. Just about the only “uniform” number is #2, which is basically a Belicoso. In the Cuban world, most #2's are Pyramids. Such as the Monte 2, Diplomatico 2, and PSP 2. (added by: djsmiles) Reference: JR Cigars, Cheaphumidors.com, and cigar.com |
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[#5]
In the Cuban world, most #2's are Pyramids. Such as the Monte 2, Diplomatico 2, and PSP 2.
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[#6]
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[#10]
Real of Fake ISOM?
What’s an ISOM? More appropriately the question should be Where, not what. ISOM; Island South of Miami, so use your imagination where it is. The reason people use the term ISOM as a code word for cigars that have an embargo on them and are illegal in the states, and they think that by referring to them in code it will not attract the attention of the law. Whether or not this code employment is effective is unknown to me, perhaps it was effective before publishing this faq. If that’s the case, I apologize to every ISOM cigar smoker across the USA. Lets talk about that embargo and how it affects cigar economics. An embargo is a ban on goods coming from a country. Its purpose is to change behavior and/or reduce capitol from entering the embargoed country. It is essentially a ban or a prohibition, and we all know how ineffective those can be. People will still get the goods they want from the embargoed country, but it will be though black market avenues and the cost will be driven up because of risks the seller has to take and due to the smaller market. So this high price and black market with little controls opens up a new market, the counterfeit cigars market. It is now profitable for persons to fake ISOM cigars and sell them at the higher price that the embargo made. So what happened? The embargo drove up the price on cigars, it then made a new market for fake cigars of which the quality of the cigars may be as high as the original or it may be very low, and could possibly contain ingredients other than tobacco because there are no controls or oversight in place. A good analogy is the moonshine from the 1930’s. Some of it was bad stuff and could kill you due to the high content of lead in the shine because some folks used old lead soldered auto radiators for their distillate cooling. Now, you are not going to die or go blind by smoking an ISOM, but who knows what else may be in the cigar? Now, on the other side of fake ISOM’s is that some of the fakes can be actually quite good. This is speculated because some poor cigar rollers may take some cigar leaves or cuttings at the end of the day and roll up some cigars and resell them, some even have real bands. It’s not only ISOM’s that have been counterfeited; I have heard reports of Opus-X’s and Padrons being faked. Basically it comes down to; any cigar of questionable lineage worries me. I want to know that I am smoking 100% tobacco, not some mix of tobacco and whatever the fake maker decides to throw in to give it some Cuban like kick, er…I mean ISOM kick. Thus, I stick to reputable brands and retailers and present this FAQ so that you can (usually) tell the difference between a fake and the real deal. I am not telling you how to engage in violations of the Trading with the Enemies Act. That is up to you to decide. This is for informational and health concern purposes only. Check out these links for identification and examples: http://www.vitolas.net/thumbnails.php?album=19 |
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[#11]
Relative Humidity and Dew Point
A pretty common topic on most cigar forums is: "What Relative Humidity (RH) do you store your cigars at?". People who respond say what RH they store at but the information is useless without knowing the second part of this question The better and more appropriate question is: "What temperature and RH do you store your cigars at?". The reason that the second question is the more important question is RH is relative to something... and that something is temperature. Why is this important though? When you smoke a cigar or pipe, what you are actually tasting is the oils contained within the tobacco (assuming that the tobacco is not cased with flavorings ). The tobacco heats up and the oils are released. When you draw on your cigar or pipe, the oils are carried with the smoke over your palate. Maintaining an acceptable humidity level is essential to maintaining those flavorful oils. When a cigar drys out, those oils are lost forever. At the other end of the spectrum, when a cigar becomes overly humidified, mold can form and tobacco beetles can hatch. So, what is an acceptable humidity level and temperature for me to store my cigars at? That is a good question, without 1 correct answer and which will depend on what tools you have available to you. If you're using a regular humidor or anything that you cannot directly control the temperature, you should ensure that the humidor is in an air conditioned space away from windows so that it will not be in direct sunlight. If you have a temperature controlled cabinet or wineador, you have much greater control over how much water will be in the air within your humidor. For those who are familiar with cabanas, you already know this and for those who aren't familiar... Habanos S.A. (The Cuban owned distributor of cigars) includes an internal notice in every box, with recommendations on how to care for your cigars. The important sentence is the last one: Please keep them in a humidor well away from products that emit strong odors and in the correct conditions of temperature (16dC-18dC) and relative humidity (65%-70%). Cuba is widely recognized as the authority when it comes to cigars. How many other countries have scientific research laboratories dedicated to nothing but tobacco? As far as I know, there aren't any other countries besides Cuba. I don't know about everyone else, but if you have a decent cigar collection, this is incredibly important information from the worlds leader in cigar knowledge and I do my best to follow it. So lets look at what's recommended but first, since this is 'Murica, lets convert C - F. 16dC-18dC converted is 60.8dF-64.4dF. For simplicity, lets just say 61dF-65dF. Relative humidity is defined as: The ration of the partial pressure of water vapor (H2O) in the mixture to the equilibrium vapor pressure of water at a given temperature. What does that mean to us? To me, it means nothing other than the actual amount of water in the air is a variable depending on the atmospheric pressure and temperature. The chart below illustrates how much water is actually suspended in the air at given temperatures and RH. What I've concluded is this: The more important aspect for cigar storage is, how much water is necessary to maintain the oils within the cigar? By just eyeballing the above chart and using the ideal storage conditions, the answer is around 7-9 grams of water per kilogram of air. If you were to store your cigars in a desktop humidor in direct sunlight, it is not unrealistic to think that the temperature of the air in your humidor and your cigars could be 40dC (86dF). If you store your cigars at 70%RH, the amount of water will be around 20g/kg of air! Yes, you're at 70%RH but there is way too much water. You're likely to have burn and draw problems with your cigars and have drastically increased the chances of tobacco beetles hatching. Experiment around a little bit and figure out what works best for you. If you're using a desktop around the 70dF mark, consider using a much lower RH than you would normally use. For example, at 70dF (21.1dC) at 62%RH, you're around 10g/kg... Not too far off the mark. Another common thread is "Help! I have condensation in my wineador!" Dew point calculator: http://andrew.rsmas.miami.edu/bmcnoldy/Humidity.html Dew point is the temperature at which water vapor in air turns in to liquid water at the same rate at which it evaporates. At temperatures below the dew point, water will leave the air. The condensed water is called dew when it forms on solid surfaces and is called either fog or a cloud, depending on it's altitude, when it forms in the air. So, why does dew or condensation form inside a wineador? Simply enough, there is too great of a temperature difference between the environment the wineador is stored in and the temperature inside the unit. For example, the glass will be hotter than the set temperature because of the ambient air and sun warming it up. Example 1 - Wineador in room with poor circulation is usually warmer than rest of the house
Room temp: 76dF Wineador RH: 62% Calculated dew point: 62.06dF You cannot set this wineador below 62dF without risking condensation View Quote Example 2 - Wineador in room without air-conditioning or is heated by sunlight
Room temp: 80dF Wineador RH: 65% Calculated dew point: 67.18dF Most wineadors will only go as high as 66dF so you almost cannot avoid getting condensation in this example. View Quote Pretty easy, right? This is all how I've understood it and may not be 100% correct. If you have a better grasp on this or notice something wrong, please share! What's a Humidor
There are two purposes of a humidor. The primary purpose is to store the cigar in an environment similar to when the cigar is rolled and aged, which ideally is 70/70 (70 degree F and 70% humidity). The second purpose is to age the cigars, and with aging, any cigar gets better with aging. Why 70/70 70 degree F and 70% humidity is a close approximation of the weather in cigar producing countries like Cuba, Dominican Republic…etc. At that temperature and humidity, the oils of the cigar tend not to evaporate and surpress the hatching of the tobacco bug, and the cigar stay good for extended period of time (years to decades). So a humidor is basically a mini weather chamber in which your cigars are stored. There are other temperatures and humidity settings, which will be addressed in the Humidor and Hydrometer section. Types of Humidors There are several types of humidors, including coolerdors, traditional Spanish Cedar humidors, fridgerador, cabinet humidors and walk-in humidors. Coolerdors and Fridgedors were addressed in another posting, so this post mainly addresses Spanish Cedar box type and cabinet type humidors. Box Type Humidors Box type humidors are designed to hold up to 500 cigars, and some of them are large enough to hold boxes. The price range goes from $0 (giveaways) to several thousand dollars, depending on where the humidor was made, workmanship, details, and exterior finishes. For example, JR Cigars routinely gives away 50 count humidors for free when you place an order with them, where-as a presentation grade 25 cigars DuPont, Davidoff, or Ashton humidor starts over $1,000. Cabinet Humidors Cabinet humidors are designed to hold up over 500 cigars, and most are intended to hold complete boxes with drawers for individual cigars. The price range goes from several hundred dollars to over ten thousand dollars, depending on where the humidor was made, options, workmanship, details, and exterior finishes. For example, Cheap Humidor sells a tower cabinet for several hundred dollars, where-as high end cabinets like Aristocrat cabinet humidors with active humidifier, coolers, circulating fans, and electronic controllers can cost more than $2,000 each. Walk-in Humidors These are large humidors that can accommodate hundreds to thousands boxes of cigars. Chances are, your local cigar shop should have one. These are a custom build humidor that require a skilled builder(s), and is beyond the discussion of this FAQ. Selecting a Humidor Here are some guidelines for selecting a humidor: -Count Humidors are sized with counts, from 5 cigars to thousands, but the counts are not standardized. For example, a 50 count box humidor can accommodate 50 corona or robusto size cigar, and might contain maybe 35 or less churchills, double coronas, and much less if it comes to size “A” cigars. Rule of thumb, always purchase a larger size humidor than you think you wanted -Finish What finish does the buyer want, if the humidor is going to be displayed like a piece of furniture, then the good finish is required. Good wood finish requires quality wood, and hours of skilled work. A genuine piano gloss black or polish walnut finished 50 count humidor can command thousands of dollars. On the other hand, if the humidor is not going to be displayed, then a plain laminate finish like the Chinese made humidor should do well. -Seals and Joints It is very important a humidor have very good seals and joints. Joints can be inspected by looking at the internal finishing details (gaps in the Spanish cedar are signs there are potential problems). To check for gaps in a humidor, place a flashlight (we all have Surefire) in the humidor, close the lid and turn off the light to look for any light leakage. The lid seal of a desk top humidor need to be examined carefully. Pieces of Spanish cedar protruding into the inset of the lid might not do seal very well, as compared to machined matching grooves between the lids and box. For most cabinet humidor, a good quality door seal is required, plus how true the door was hung. A thick foam seal will do a good job, but the best cabinet humidors have “D” or “P” type seals. -Construction Details Look for construction details like well deburred and rounded corners, which are signs of how much attention the manufacturer paid when putting together your humidor. Other details to pay attention to are the hardware, make sure they are either brass or stainless steel, due to the elevated humidity. If your humidor have glass, pay attention to the joint of the glass and wood, which are potential leakage points. Other details like paint overspray inside the humidor will guarantee that your cigars will have a paint chemical smell. |
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[#13]
How to make a coolerdor and frigerador.
Why build a coolerador or a frigerador? Because they are airtight and thermal insulated and can be made really huge! To reduce “swings” in your cigars, you need those features. Swings in humidity and temperature are what stresses cigars and reduces their full potential. Think of a cigar as a controlled decay of organic cellular plant matter. Plants are made of cells and binding material, and every time you have any humidity in the cells and the temperature changes the cells expand and contract. You want to minimize this expanding and contracting, because each time it does this it literally tears itself apart on a microscopic level and pumps out its vital oils. If the plant was alive, this would be good for the plant because this is how it breathes. Not so good when it’s a cigar and you need it to stay together and tasty. ADD PIC (initial humidor fluctuations) Here is a chart describing swings. I used a logging temp/humi meter for the data. The graph is approximated. Coolerdor build instructions: Step 1: Buy new cooler at a store. Don’t go cheap and get a used one. Used coolers have mold spores and bacteria that may be impossible to remove and can ruin your cigars and your day. Step 2: Wipe down cooler with soap and water. Rinse well. Step 3: Leave the lid open for a week for the plastic to gas off. Prop up the lid with a stick and tape, so that if a house pet or child gets in there the lid wont trap them. Step 4: (optional) Line the interior with Kiln Dried Spanish Cedar. You can get it on ebay.com or use old cigar boxes for the wood. /warning/ Spanish Cedar dust is a toxic irritant to your lungs. USE A PARTICULATE MASK. Glue the sanded ¼” or 1/8” Spanish cedar boards or cigar box wood. Use Elmers PROBOND water activated / water proof poly glue. Use clamps because it foams to 5x its size. Leave it to air out for a week, then season the humidor wood (see humidor care FAQ). If you use any metal hardware to attach things, use stainless steel or brass because they don’t corrode. Step 5: Install an automatic Electronic Cigar Oasis or Humi-beads for humidification. Don’t use small green “pucks” because they are inadequate for a coolerdors size. Step 6: Install a humidity and temperature monitor. You can find nice electronic ones at cigar stores online or at Radio Hack. Step 7: Fill with boxes of cigars! ADD PICS of coolerdor Frigerador build instructions: Steps: Same as the coolerdor instructions but with these additions: A glass front wine cooler is a good choice because you can set the temp to 65, and they usually look quite nice. If you use a fridge with a lower thermostat, you will have to replace the thermostat with an external Johnson model that adjusts up to 65 degrees, they run about a hundred bucks. Or you can do like I do and just leave the fridge unplugged. I choose to do this to save on my electrical bill. My frigerador is in effect a nice looking coolerdor. ADD PICS of frigerador |
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[#14]
How to Make a Travelador
Indestructible traveldor from a Pelican 1200 Pelican case for $60. After adding a humidity stick I can safely carry 23 Churchill sized cigars! My Pelican case is orange, though (which costs about $4 more on Amazon) Using this: Case $38 with free shipping. And three of these: Foam Inserts $20 after shipping. If you would rather buy one look into a herf-a-dor. No mess, no fuss...if you are patient, you can find them for the same "build this" price.They come with a nice gel humidifier too...cut into the lid, mounts on a magnet.(added by:Echo) |
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[#15]
Storing Flavored Cigars
Flavored cigars in recent years have grown leaps and bounds not only in popularity but also in quality. When I first started selling cigars nearly a decade ago what few flavored cigars that were available were of dismal quality and production. Most were soaked in flavor syrups, but burned poorly and didn't last long. Today with companies like Drew Estate (ACID's, Java, & etc...) & CAO flavored cigars have begun to become a mainstream item at most cigar shops. The quality of some of the newer cigar companies is far ahead of their predecessors (especially Drew Estates) though there has always been a major draw. Storing them with other cigars. This is my opinion and others may have their own advice these are the rules I follow for storing flavored cigars. 1. Never store flavored cigars with regular cigars unless completely sealed in glass tube. Glass is really the only method a cigar can truly be stored in and not influence other cigars. Flavored cigars are often produced with flavor syrups, oils, spices, and other ingredients. These can easily be transferred to other cigars in a humidor. 2. My personal method is to buy a fairly large cigar box and a humidifier that matches its size. A cigar box is essentially a mini humidor. Don't use a flavored cigar box because if you store other types of flavored cigars in that box they will become flavored to that type of flavor as well. 3. If you have purchased multiple types of flavored cigars store them in separate ziplock bags in the humidor. Since I don't know anyone who ages their flavored cigars this mostly keep the different cigars from mingling with each other. If you age your flavored cigars you'll need to really only keep one type of cigar in the box. |
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[#16]
Cigar Recommendations
Here are a few recommended cigars, from the forum members. Flavored 1. Java 2. 3. 4. 5. Mild 1. Cohiba Siglo VI 2. San Lotano Conettecut 3. ERDM Choix Supreme 4. Ashton Prime Minister 5. Man O' War Virtue Med 1. Partagas Serie P 2. Montecristo Platnum 3. Partagas 4. Gran Habano Vintage 2002 5. Oliva Serie G Maduro Full 1. Padron Family Reserve No. 45 2. Liga Privada Feral Pig 3. Liga #9 4. Camacho Triple Maduro 5. Liga Privada UF13 |
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[#17]
Where to Buy Cigars and Related Items
Below are a few recommended vendors. www.cigarsinternational.com/ cigarbid.com jrcigar.com www.famous-smoke.com/ lilbrown.com Phone your order in rather than order online. bestcigarprices.com |
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[#18]
Cigar Use and Your Health
Heath Effects - Regular cigar smoking is associated with an increased risk for cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx (voice box), and oral cavity (lip, tongue, mouth, throat). - Cigar smoking is linked to gum disease and tooth loss. - Heavy cigar smokers and those who inhale deeply may be at increased risk for developing coronary heart disease. - Heavy cigar smoking increases the risk for lung diseases, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Current Estimate's - 55.2 million people (20.8% of the population) were current cigarette smokers. - 12 million (4.5%) smoked cigars. - 8.7 million (3.3%) used smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco and snuff). - 2.2 million (0.8%) smoked tobacco in pipes. - The rate of past-month tobacco use among 12- to 17-year-olds declined from 15.2% in 2002 to 7% in 2014. The rate of past-month cigarette use among 12- to 17-year-olds also declined between 2002 and 2014, from 13% to 4.9%. - Among youths aged 12 to 17 who smoked cigarettes in the past month, 56.3% also used an illicit drug, compared with only 7% of youths who did not smoke cigarettes. Sources & References CDC.gov - Cigar Info CDC.gov - Cigar use and young adults Cancercontrol.cancer.gov - Cigar Health Effects and Trends SAMHSA.gov - Tabacco This info was updated Oct 2015, with the most current data at that time. |
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[#19]
Image Sources
Below are the sources for the images used in this FAQ. If you would like your images removed from here please contact EchoAngel17 or myself. http://www.cigaraficionado.com http://www.cigarsinternational.com http://www.cigars4dummies.com http://cubancigarwebsite.com http://www.cubancrafters.com http://www.davidoffmadison.com http://www.heartfeltindustries.com http://www.humidorswholesaler.com |
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[#22]
A pretty common topic on most cigar forums is: "What Relative Humidity (RH) do you store your cigars at?". People who respond say what RH they store at but the information is useless without knowing the second part of this question
The better and more appropriate question is: "What temperature and RH do you store your cigars at?". The reason that the second question is the more important question is RH is relative to something... and that something is temperature. Why is this important though? When you smoke a cigar or pipe, what you are actually tasting is the oils contained within the tobacco (assuming that the tobacco is not cased with flavorings ). The tobacco heats up and the oils are released. When you draw on your cigar or pipe, the oils are carried with the smoke over your palate. Maintaining an acceptable humidity level is essential to maintaining those flavorful oils. When a cigar drys out, those oils are lost forever. At the other end of the spectrum, when a cigar becomes overly humidified, mold can form and tobacco beetles can hatch. So, what is an acceptable humidity level and temperature for me to store my cigars at? That is a good question, without 1 correct answer and which will depend on what tools you have available to you. If you're using a regular humidor or anything that you cannot directly control the temperature, you should ensure that the humidor is in an air conditioned space away from windows so that it will not be in direct sunlight. If you have a temperature controlled cabinet or wineador, you have much greater control over how much water will be in the air within your humidor. For those who are familiar with cabanas, you already know this and for those who aren't familiar... Habanos S.A. (The Cuban owned distributor of cigars) includes an internal notice in every box, with recommendations on how to care for your cigars. The important sentence is the last one: Please keep them in a humidor well away from products that emit strong odors and in the correct conditions of temperature (16dC-18dC) and relative humidity (65%-70%). Cuba is widely recognized as the authority when it comes to cigars. How many other countries have scientific research laboratories dedicated to nothing but tobacco? As far as I know, there aren't any other countries besides Cuba. I don't know about everyone else, but if you have a decent cigar collection, this is incredibly important information from the worlds leader in cigar knowledge and I do my best to follow it. So lets look at what's recommended but first, since this is 'Murica, lets convert C - F. 16dC-18dC converted is 60.8dF-64.4dF. For simplicity, lets just say 61dF-65dF. Relative humidity is defined as: The ration of the partial pressure of water vapor (H2O) in the mixture to the equilibrium vapor pressure of water at a given temperature. What does that mean to us? To me, it means nothing other than the actual amount of water in the air is a variable depending on the atmospheric pressure and temperature. The chart below illustrates how much water is actually suspended in the air at given temperatures and RH. What I've concluded is this: The more important aspect for cigar storage is, how much water is necessary to maintain the oils within the cigar? By just eyeballing the above chart and using the ideal storage conditions, the answer is around 7-9 grams of water per kilogram of air. If you were to store your cigars in a desktop humidor in direct sunlight, it is not unrealistic to think that the temperature of the air in your humidor and your cigars could be 40dC (86dF). If you store your cigars at 70%RH, the amount of water will be around 20g/kg of air! Yes, you're at 70%RH but there is way too much water. You're likely to have burn and draw problems with your cigars and have drastically increased the chances of tobacco beetles hatching. Experiment around a little bit and figure out what works best for you. If you're using a desktop around the 70dF mark, consider using a much lower RH than you would normally use. For example, at 70dF (21.1dC) at 62%RH, you're around 10g/kg... Not too far off the mark. Another common thread is "Help! I have condensation in my wineador!" Dew point calculator: http://andrew.rsmas.miami.edu/bmcnoldy/Humidity.html Dew point is the temperature at which water vapor in air turns in to liquid water at the same rate at which it evaporates. At temperatures below the dew point, water will leave the air. The condensed water is called dew when it forms on solid surfaces and is called either fog or a cloud, depending on it's altitude, when it forms in the air. So, why does dew or condensation form inside a wineador? Simply enough, there is too great of a temperature difference between the environment the wineador is stored in and the temperature inside the unit. For example, the glass will be hotter than the set temperature because of the ambient air and sun warming it up. Example 1 - Wineador in room with poor circulation is usually warmer than rest of the house Room temp: 76dF Wineador RH: 62% Calculated dew point: 62.06dF You cannot set this wineador below 62dF without risking condensation View Quote Example 2 - Wineador in room without air-conditioning or is heated by sunlight Room temp: 80dF Wineador RH: 65% Calculated dew point: 67.18dF Most wineadors will only go as high as 66dF so you almost cannot avoid getting condensation in this example. View Quote Pretty easy, right? This is all how I've understood it and may not be 100% correct. If you have a better grasp on this or notice something wrong, please share! |
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