New sticks, time before you smoke one

Joined Apr 2013
10 Posts | 0+
Crazytown
Just curious as to what the general consensus is when it comes to how long you let your cigars rest/sit in your humidor before you smoke them? I just purchases a box, +10 other ones, and put them in a over humid humidor to compensate the dryness I assume they were. I typically purchase offline from CI, and they tend to arrive on the drier side.

Thanks
 
I typically try to let the cigar rest at least two weeks if they come in through the mail. If I buy locally, maybe just a few days.

You worry me a little, though. You are putting what you believe to be somewhat dry cigars into an overly humid humidor? Just how overly humid? You need to be careful. If those dry cigars start absorbing a lot of humidity, they are going to split. What RH is the humidor? For me a high RH is 70%. I prefer to run my Humidors 63-65%.


DL
 
I tend to keep my cigars in the humidor 5-7 days if I buy from the internet. If I buy locally or other shops I go to, I smoke them almost immediately.


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My general rule is to freeze incoming cigars for at least 24 hours, then at least a 24 hour thaw, followed by at least a couple of days in a humidor. On those rare times when they don't make it to the freezer, they usually get at least a few hours in a humidor.
 
Over humid at 75-80%, and I will, since it is over humid, frequently open humi to look at gauge.

Couldn't resist and ended up smoking a couple yesterday, ended up being perfect. I only smoked ones from the box purchases, Since the other 10 came from a deal where I got a free travel humi, I knew/could tell these ones would need some time.
 
Tony!! Why are you freezing your cigars?? Unless you have a commercial freezer, you are not going to kill any beetles that might be in there, and you risk damaging your cigars. With the advent of modern pesticides and fumigation techniques beetles are a thing of the past, and consumer freezing is not really necessary.

Nagano21, that humidity is much to high brother. Try just letting them rest at about 65-68 %, I think you will be quite satisfied with them. Contrary to what you may have heard CI tends to mail cigars over humidified so that they will withstand travel, and that is why it is a very good idea to let your cigars rest for at least a week, before you start to smoke them.
 
I have only seen one cigar with beetle infestation. Actually it was bore holes throughout the cigar. It was a Graycliff that I had received in a PIF. The cellophane was on the cigar and had not been compromised. That was two years ago or longer. I was paranoid for 6 months after. Nothing since. I am a firm believer in leaving cellophane on. Beetles or no beetles.

DL
 
Tony!! Why are you freezing your cigars?? Unless you have a commercial freezer, you are not going to kill any beetles that might be in there, and you risk damaging your cigars. With the advent of modern pesticides and fumigation techniques beetles are a thing of the past, and consumer freezing is not really necessary.

I do have a sub zero freezer and after I found a couple of cigars with bore holes, I decided to freeze them all before they went in the humidors. I know it may be overkill for 98% of cigars, but I don't want to take the chance.