Questions. So many questions.

So, I have a ton of questions about cigars, and I have no idea where to begin. What are some tips that you more experienced smokers might have for me? Also, I don't have a humidor right now, and am currently a bit strapped for cash at the moment. Is there any temporary way I could store them? The guy at my local shop said I could put them in the refrigerator, as long as I don't keep them in for very long. Any truth to this? Thanks for any help, and the patience of answering my noobish questions, lol.

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Scrambler

Welcome. I'm still a bit noobish too, but I'll see if I can help...

The fridge isn't ideal, too cold and too little moisture. A much better option would be to use an ice chest. If you don't have a spare beer cooler laying around, pick one up at walmart for $10. That's what a lot of us use for overflow (If you see references to a coolerdor, that's what we are talking about). Tupperware will work as well, but won't insulate the sticks from fluctuating temperature very well.

A word of caution using either of these options, open the lid every couple days to let air circulate. Since the plastic won't breathe the way a wood humidor will, the air will get stagnant and you run the risk of mold. Some people like to line the floor and/or walls of the cooler with cedar taken from busting up empty cigar boxes. It's not mandatory, but is a nice touch, adds to the aroma and probably helps keep the humidity constant.

Matt Marvel

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I can get a cash flow going soon, and I can go about this proper. I'll definitely put what you said to use until that time comes though.

madurofan

First and foremost. Don't ever listen to that guy at your local B&M again apparently he is an idiot. LOL I'm just kidding but I would NOT store them in you fridge as typically the RH(relative humidity) is going to be way too low and depending on how cool you keep your fridge the temp may be too low too.

The quick and easy way is to get a piece of Tupperware big enough to hold a few cigars, get an old cigar box made of Spanish cedar(your local B&M should give you one for free or a couple dollars), buy a digital hygrometer($15) and either get a couple water pillows or if you can afford them buy some beads(about 10-15$ depending on size of tupperware). Now take that old cigar box and break it up and wipe all of that Spanish Cedar down with a clean rag soaked in DISTILLED WATER. Next line the floor and walls of the tupperware with the spanish cedar, calibrate you hygrometer(google salt test) and stick it in the humidor with the water pillows or beads and wait until it settles in somewhere between 65% and 72%. THen stick your cigars in and you a nice sized humidor for between 20 and 40 dollars. I understand being a broke college student so if thats to rich for your blood you can just take the water pillows and stick them in the plastic bags your B&M gives you your cigars in. 1 water pillow hydrates up to 20 cigars.

A few more tips first off when some say B&M it means Bricks and Mortar or a physical shop. Second smoke slow, one puff per minute is optimal. Finally go back and look at old threads on here, there is a lot of good info.

madurofan

Matt Marvel:
Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I can get a cash flow going soon, and I can go about this proper. I'll definitely put what you said to use until that time comes though.

I personally have a Tupperdor that I use along with my desktop humidor. I'll probably never spend money on a real humidor again, unless its a cabinet

. I'm making a fridgeador right now ... a wine fridge converted into a humidor bc you can set a wine fridge to about 65 degrees.

Matt Marvel

madurofan:
First and foremost. Don't ever listen to that guy at your local B&M again apparently he is an idiot. LOL I'm just kidding but I would NOT store them in you fridge as typically the RH(relative humidity) is going to be way too low and depending on how cool you keep your fridge the temp may be too low too.

The quick and easy way is to get a piece of Tupperware big enough to hold a few cigars, get an old cigar box made of Spanish cedar(your local B&M should give you one for free or a couple dollars), buy a digital hygrometer($15) and either get a couple water pillows or if you can afford them buy some beads(about 10-15$ depending on size of tupperware). Now take that old cigar box and break it up and wipe all of that Spanish Cedar down with a clean rag soaked in DISTILLED WATER. Next line the floor and walls of the tupperware with the spanish cedar, calibrate you hygrometer(google salt test) and stick it in the humidor with the water pillows or beads and wait until it settles in somewhere between 65% and 72%. THen stick your cigars in and you a nice sized humidor for between 20 and 40 dollars. I understand being a broke college student so if thats to rich for your blood you can just take the water pillows and stick them in the plastic bags your B&M gives you your cigars in. 1 water pillow hydrates up to 20 cigars.

A few more tips first off when some say B&M it means Bricks and Mortar or a physical shop. Second smoke slow, one puff per minute is optimal. Finally go back and look at old threads on here, there is a lot of good info.

Thanks for the info. Would you mind explaining why you like this method better than buying a humidor? Does it have to do with the price, or is this a better way to go about it? It sounds like you can control the results a bit better if you use Tupperware.

Markbb

Matt I also have two tupperdor and they work very good, they work as storage when humi. starts to get alittle low I replinesh from the tupperdor, but they maintain temp. and rh really well, The next humi. I buy will be a cabnet......also!

madurofan

Matt its purely price and size. My tupperdor hold around 250 cigars and cost me $10 not including the hygro and humidification because I would have had to buy those anyways. A 250 count real humi would cost how much?

madurofan

I have one 150 count humi that will always be my display humi but I'll age in coolerdors and fridgeadors.

Matt Marvel

madurofan:
Matt its purely price and size. My tupperdor hold around 250 cigars and cost me $10 not including the hygro and humidification because I would have had to buy those anyways. A 250 count real humi would cost how much?

That makes perfect sense. The humidors get very pricey. I could about $40 out of the cost of a humidor and make my own, and then spend the rest on cigars! Thanks the all of the help everyone. Oh, and madurofan, I just want to point out that I wasn't trying to denounce the idea of making a tupperdor, I was just curious. Just trying to learn as much as possible.

madurofan

I understand Matt. I didn't take it that way at all. Good Luck to you and feel free to keep asking questions. Somone on here should be able to help.

kaspera79

Matt Marvel:
So, I have a ton of questions about cigars, and I have no idea where to begin. What are some tips that you more experienced smokers might have for me? Also, I don't have a humidor right now, and am currently a bit strapped for cash at the moment. Is there any temporary way I could store them? The guy at my local shop said I could put them in the refrigerator, as long as I don't keep them in for very long. Any truth to this? Thanks for any help, and the patience of answering my noobish questions, lol.

I would also argue against the refrigerator for the reason of your cigars picking up the "scents of the container" your smokes will taste like onions or any other food stuff you are keeping in there. Plastic zip locks or Tupperware with a humidity source ( a wet sponge or towel in another plastic bag with the corner clipped off) just so that the cigars do not come in contact with the water source. also, don't let the same sponge stay long enough to get moldy.... that will work for now.. I did that for about a year until I decided I was getting serious about my collection..

madurofan

kaspera79:
Matt Marvel:
So, I have a ton of questions about cigars, and I have no idea where to begin. What are some tips that you more experienced smokers might have for me? Also, I don't have a humidor right now, and am currently a bit strapped for cash at the moment. Is there any temporary way I could store them? The guy at my local shop said I could put them in the refrigerator, as long as I don't keep them in for very long. Any truth to this? Thanks for any help, and the patience of answering my noobish questions, lol.
I would also argue against the refrigerator for the reason of your cigars picking up the "scents of the container" your smokes will taste like onions or any other food stuff you are keeping in there. Plastic zip locks or Tupperware with a humidity source ( a wet sponge or towel in another plastic bag with the corner clipped off) just so that the cigars do not come in contact with the water source. also, don't let the same sponge stay long enough to get moldy.... that will work for now.. I did that for about a year until I decided I was getting serious about my collection..

Good call on the "scents of the container".

LarryD

I'm amazed how easy it is for me to maintain humidity since I moved my smokes to the basement. Should have been a no brainer for me, but I was too lazy to walk downstairs!

madurofan

LarryD:
I'm amazed how easy it is for me to maintain humidity since I moved my smokes to the basement. Should have been a no brainer for me, but I was too lazy to walk downstairs!

LOL, laziness is the mother of invention. I'm just jealous of this basement thing you guys speak of. its downstairs and maintains temp and humidity. How do I get one of those? Oh yea thats right move away from the ocean to a place where the water table is lower than 6 inches, lol.

Smoke=Fire

LarryD:
I'm amazed how easy it is for me to maintain humidity since I moved my smokes to the basement. Should have been a no brainer for me, but I was too lazy to walk downstairs!

I have a basement, but am a little leary, as it has a noticeable musty odor. But it is a lot cooler down there. Should I be concerned about the smell finding it's way in to my cigars, or worry more about heat roasting them?

madurofan

Smoke=Fire:
LarryD:
I'm amazed how easy it is for me to maintain humidity since I moved my smokes to the basement. Should have been a no brainer for me, but I was too lazy to walk downstairs!
I have a basement, but am a little leary, as it has a noticeable musty odor. But it is a lot cooler down there. Should I be concerned about the smell finding it's way in to my cigars, or worry more about heat roasting them?

Good question Smoke. I'd be leary of both but I'm not sure.

Bad Andy

Hell, with the fridgador you won't need a basement. Basements can also be moldy. I'm gonna try to do the fridgador when i get home. Question: In a tupperdor/fridgador you use the cedar from old boxes but how do you attach it to the walls? Glue gives off fumes or is there anything else that you can use to not leave a smell that will ruin the cigars?

madurofan

I didn't attach it to the walls in my tupperdor. Its just laying in there but most people use food quality glue or double sided tape.

Speaking of interesting uses for things. Did you know NASA spent millions developing a pen that would work in zero gravity? The Russians used a pencil.

Smoke=Fire

madurofan:
I didn't attach it to the walls in my tupperdor. Its just laying in there but most people use food quality glue or double sided tape.

Speaking of interesting uses for things. Did you know NASA spent millions developing a pen that would work in zero gravity? The Russians used a pencil.

That is because they don't have millions to waste over there. But everyone knows that pens are so much better in zero gravity. No eraser nubbles floating around when you foul up

madurofan

LMAO

urbino

Smoke=Fire:
nubbles

I just learned a new word.

On the smell vs. heat issue, I'd think as long as your smokes are in a humidor or a cedar-equipped tupperdor, the smell of the basement wouldn't be a problem. You could always put 3-4 down there for a month and see.

Smoke=Fire

urbino:
Smoke=Fire:
nubbles
I just learned a new word.

On the smell vs. heat issue, I'd think as long as your smokes are in a humidor or a cedar-equipped tupperdor, the smell of the basement wouldn't be a problem. You could always put 3-4 down there for a month and see.

My other thought is that the smell comes from the presence of mold, and the spores they produce. That is my major concern, introducing mold spores to the humi. I agree Urbi that the cedar in my humis should be more dominant of an odor, since they obviously have the lid closed. Good discussion, thanks fellas

madurofan

Yea I'm with you on that smoke. Maybe if you kept the humi down there but never opened it down there? Course that'd be a pain in the old buttocks

Smoke=Fire

madurofan:
Yea I'm with you on that smoke. Maybe if you kept the humi down there but never opened it down there? Course that'd be a pain in the old buttocks

Especially since I love to open the thing from time to time and gaze lovingly at the contents, while inhaling a lungful of the Spanish Cedar scent through the nose

urbino

I say test it. Go to K-Mart and buy a pack of Hava-Tampas or something, stick 'em down there and see what happens in a month, 2 months, etc.

kaspera79

LarryD:
I'm amazed how easy it is for me to maintain humidity since I moved my smokes to the basement. Should have been a no brainer for me, but I was too lazy to walk downstairs!

LarryD ... where have you been. I just noticed you pop up .. Whatch been smokin ?!

Bad Andy

madurofan:
I didn't attach it to the walls in my tupperdor. Its just laying in there but most people use food quality glue or double sided tape.

Speaking of interesting uses for things. Did you know NASA spent millions developing a pen that would work in zero gravity? The Russians used a pencil.

Food quality glue, thats good to know. Thanks. As far as the Russians are concerned they were too broke and too cheap to develop a pen for zero gravity. We on the other hadn enjoy blowing millions of dollars on neat gadgets. Government usually just pisses me off lately, politicians pandering to every group to get themselves reelected. Forget 'flip-flopping', how about barefooting; like walking on glass and tip-toeing around every group and their issue so not to piss them off and get their votes instead of standing for something like...I don't know...the CONSTITUTION! The basements has an inherent odor but they can get their smell from the mold too. Thats only if they are damp and not sealed properly. A finished basement should be ok. Sorry for the rant, i saw something on the news that pissed me off yesterday.

Matt Marvel

Bad Andy:
madurofan:
I didn't attach it to the walls in my tupperdor. Its just laying in there but most people use food quality glue or double sided tape.

Speaking of interesting uses for things. Did you know NASA spent millions developing a pen that would work in zero gravity? The Russians used a pencil.
Food quality glue, thats good to know. Thanks. As far as the Russians are concerned they were too broke and too cheap to develop a pen for zero gravity. We on the other hadn enjoy blowing millions of dollars on neat gadgets. Government usually just pisses me off lately, politicians pandering to every group to get themselves reelected. Forget 'flip-flopping', how about barefooting; like walking on glass and tip-toeing around every group and their issue so not to piss them off and get their votes instead of standing for something like...I don't know...the CONSTITUTION! The basements has an inherent odor but they can get their smell from the mold too. Thats only if they are damp and not sealed properly. A finished basement should be ok. Sorry for the rant, i saw something on the news that pissed me off yesterday.

I see something in the news that pisses me off everyday, so I understand where you're coming from. And I have to say I agree with you on the points you made.

Bad Andy

See, I have faith that there is still enough smart people in this country to stop the fall of this republic. However, the pol's like to treat everyone like they are idiots and act all high and mighty as if they are the only ones who are smart enough to run this country. TERM LIMITS...thats the answer.

Matt Marvel

As do I. If I didn't have my faith, I would probably go off the deep end, especially with the ignorant people that I run into on a day-to-day basis. Just to keep this on topic though, here's a question. When you guys smoke, do you remove the bands first? I've never really been sure about this. What's the etiquette on this?