Smoke in a walk in humidor?

Bob Luken

My questions concern some of the cigar shops I have visited where the whole shop is humidified so basically, the whole place is a giant walk-in humidor. The indoor lounge areas are not separate and they allow smoking, so the cigars are on display (some naked) in what is, from time to time, a smoke filled room. I have asked the forum a similar question before but I didn't get much of a technical answer to the following question.

Will this type of setup at B&Ms affect the cigars?

My instinct tells me it's not a good idea but I don't notice any bad aromas or tastes. There was some empty boxes I got one time and they smelled ashtray type smokey but, I've never had any naked cigars or cellophane wrapped cigars from these places that I could really detect an offensive smokey smell to them.

Have any of you experienced B&Ms that are set up like this?

brianetz1

Bob Luken:

My questions concern some of the cigar shops I have visited where the whole shop is humidified so basically, the whole place is a giant walk-in humidor. The indoor lounge areas are not separate and they allow smoking, so the cigars are on display (some naked) in what is, from time to time, a smoke filled room. I have asked the forum a similar question before but I didn't get much of a technical answer to the following question.

Will this type of setup at B&Ms affect the cigars?

My instinct tells me it's not a good idea but I don't notice any bad aromas or tastes. There was some empty boxes I got one time and they smelled ashtray type smokey but, I've never had any naked cigars or cellophane wrapped cigars from these places that I could really detect an offensive smokey smell to them.

Have any of you experienced B&Ms that are set up like this?

Every B&M I have been in has a walk in where there is no smoking allowed and/or cabinets that house the cigars in the open areas that allow cigar smoking.

that seems a little odd to me to have them just sitting out where there is smoking allowed.

rsherman24

I have been in a small shop like you mention where the smoke was lingering a foot below the ceiling. Didn't notice anything different with the cigars, but I am sure there has to be some effect. One of the large retailers "superstore" as they call it was the same way, but they had massive humidifiers and smoke eaters.

Chemnitz

Great question. Also, I have often seen pictures of cigar factories in Nicaragua or wherever and the managers/blenders are smoking cigars as they walk around the workers or the cigars in the aging rooms, etc. I think just about every pic of AJ has him smoking as he works.

Gray4lines

There is a very nice shop in TN that is like this. However, it is very open and high ceilings... I would assume with proper ventilation, any "smoke damage" to cigars in minimal...

I think it's a little gross. I don't want someone's mouth smoke settling on the cigars I'm about to light up...

kuzi16

it really doesnt matter.

there are cigars constantly smoked in the cigar factories, fermentation rooms, aging rooms, and so on. the relative small amount of smoke in a walk in humidor deoesnt do much, if anything.

however, a common theme in all areas of cigar factories are signs about not smoking cigarettes.

jadelt

Gray4lines:

There is a very nice shop in TN that is like this. However, it is very open and high ceilings... I would assume with proper ventilation, any "smoke damage" to cigars in minimal...

I think it's a little gross. I don't want someone's mouth smoke settling on the cigars I'm about to light up...

Hard to mix good ventilation with stable high humidity needs. I cant figure out how they can do both.

Gray4lines

jadelt:

Gray4lines:

There is a very nice shop in TN that is like this. However, it is very open and high ceilings... I would assume with proper ventilation, any "smoke damage" to cigars in minimal...

I think it's a little gross. I don't want someone's mouth smoke settling on the cigars I'm about to light up...

Hard to mix good ventilation with stable high humidity needs. I cant figure out how they can do both.

good point, lol

jimmyv723

jadelt:

Gray4lines:

There is a very nice shop in TN that is like this. However, it is very open and high ceilings... I would assume with proper ventilation, any "smoke damage" to cigars in minimal...

I think it's a little gross. I don't want someone's mouth smoke settling on the cigars I'm about to light up...

Hard to mix good ventilation with stable high humidity needs. I cant figure out how they can do both.

My guess would be that the smoke is much lighter than the humid air and raises to the top and gets filtered out while the heavier humid air settles and stays near the bottom.

Gray4lines

jimmyv723:

jadelt:

Gray4lines:

There is a very nice shop in TN that is like this. However, it is very open and high ceilings... I would assume with proper ventilation, any "smoke damage" to cigars in minimal...

I think it's a little gross. I don't want someone's mouth smoke settling on the cigars I'm about to light up...

Hard to mix good ventilation with stable high humidity needs. I cant figure out how they can do both.

My guess would be that the smoke is much lighter than the humid air and raises to the top and gets filtered out while the heavier humid air settles and stays near the bottom.

Thats true. Smoke will "stratify" in the air depending on temps. Vents could suck out smoke up high and yes humid air falls.

Seems like a walk in is easier!

blutattoo

I visited a B&M in the French Quarter that didn't have a humidor just shelves and you could smoke inside. I bought a couple sticks, but didn't notice anything different with how they smoked.

jgibv

Bob Luken:

Have any of you experienced B&Ms that are set up like this?

yes
one of the b&ms near me has some very large "walk-in" humidor areas and allow smoking in them.

the other b&ms with smaller "walk-ins" do not allow smoking inside the humi though.

Bob Luken:

Will this type of setup at B&Ms affect the cigars?

i've never noticed any problems with cigars purchased at the b&m that allows smoking in the walk in.