Some general cigar help please

I just found this forum and thought that it could help me with a bunch of questions that I have. There aren’t any cigar stores near by so I have to get all of my information from the web. Since I have a lot of questions and want to see if this forum can help me, I would like to start with just a few.

#1 my wife works for an airline. Due to the cold weather, they have to deice the planes. The substance they use to do this is propylene glycol/ water mixture. Is this the same substance that they use for humidification devices in humidor?

#2. A little over a months ago I went to a man’s house because his brother had died. The brother was a collector of many sorts. Cigars were one of the items he collected. I purchased a cooler full of cigars from the man. I recognized all of the brands of cigars that were in the cooler. 80% of the boxes had not even been opened and are still with the plastic wrap on the box. The humidification device that was in the cooler was a wet sponge on a cool whip lid. The guy said that is how his brother always kept them. When I got the cooler home I put a digital hygrometer into the cooler. It read 78% humidity. I took the sponge out of the cooler. The humidity has finally gone down to 71%. The majority of the cigars that I bought are from 1997 -2000 (written on the bottom). Some are new and 3 boxes are opened and the ages are unknown. Was there anything wrong with lowering the humidity that much over a month I had just heard that they should be around 70%? Were they ruined when I bought them?

Any and all help on this is appreciated!
Happy new year

1. No
2. Open the boxes and check the cigars. They may have some mold at that high rh.
3. Post an introduction.

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Originally Posted by Wingman1

I just found this forum and thought that it could help me with a bunch of questions that I have. There aren’t any cigar stores near by so I have to get all of my information from the web. Since I have a lot of questions and want to see if this forum can help me, I would like to start with just a few.

#1 my wife works for an airline. Due to the cold weather, they have to deice the planes. The substance they use to do this is propylene glycol/ water mixture. Is this the same substance that they use for humidification devices in humidor?

#2. A little over a months ago I went to a man’s house because his brother had died. The brother was a collector of many sorts. Cigars were one of the items he collected. I purchased a cooler full of cigars from the man. I recognized all of the brands of cigars that were in the cooler. 80% of the boxes had not even been opened and are still with the plastic wrap on the box. The humidification device that was in the cooler was a wet sponge on a cool whip lid. The guy said that is how his brother always kept them. When I got the cooler home I put a digital hygrometer into the cooler. It read 78% humidity. I took the sponge out of the cooler. The humidity has finally gone down to 71%. The majority of the cigars that I bought are from 1997 -2000 (written on the bottom). Some are new and 3 boxes are opened and the ages are unknown. Was there anything wrong with lowering the humidity that much over a month I had just heard that they should be around 70%? Were they ruined when I bought them?

Any and all help on this is appreciated!
Happy new year

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1. Purchasing a 55 gallon drum of Propylene Glycol from the airport probably is not the best way to humidify your cigars. Many have tried, none have succeeded.

2. 78% humiudity is way too high. Dropping it to 70% is what needed to be done. Not only the potential mold issue, but I doubt seriously you'll be able to keep any of those cigars lit. You'll need to keep them at 70% (and even a bit lower) for several weeks to get them in smokeable condition.

Keeping them in a cooler is a great way to store them - it will maintain a very stable humiidity. The fact they're still in their boxes is also good. Look into humidification beads - that'll keep the rh very stable.

I use anti-freeze in my humidor. it's the same shit as PG and it's much cheaper. Peak is the best I've found. A gallon will last all year. :smiley20:

Thanks for all of your information. I'll post an introduction.

The forum won't let me post because my tolken expired? so here this will have to do:

I am a 36 year old with a wife and two awesome children. Oh the wife’s awesome too. (she might see this post) I was born and raised in Colorado. I met my wife in Nebraska and will probably stay here. The hunting and fishing is incredible here. In the summer I miss riding motorcycles in the mountains but it’s not too far from here. I am a drug investigator for a drug task force. I’ve been a police officer for 11 years and can’t imagine doing anything else. (I joined this forum to talk about and learn about cigars not talk about being a cop, just giving some background)

In my humidor: Mostly Perdomo, Partagas and some Drew Estate and some throw down cigars (to give to friends who don’t care what they smoke)

In my newly acquired “cigar cooler”: boxes of Partagas, Macanudo, Punch, A. Fuente, LGC and Don Tomas.

I'm a cop too...Shift Sergeant on the evening shift at the local Sheriff's Office. Please don't take the anitfreeze stuff I posted seriously. It's an inside joke with a few of us.

Welcome...

Very nice intro!

Welcome from Westminster, Colorado

Your cigars should be fine as long as they have no mold on them. Take them down to 70% for a while then down to 65%. Use beads available from cigarmony.com or heartfeltindustries.com.

Welcome from CO.

Welcome from NW PA.
nice intro.

Keith

Welcome from AZ. I use 65% beads from heartfelt and they work great.

-Buzz

I'm a retired wiseass cop, living north of Chicago. Spent a few years west of Omaha. Never hunt or fished Nebraska, and spent most of my times about a mile from a pig farm... :smiley11:

The only thing I thought they grew in Nebraska was corn and huge military antennas! :smiley36:

Welcome! :smiley20:

Hey man, welcome to the forum!

I've got enough friends that are police to know not to ask ..... I've heard stories, so be glad you're in Nebraska and not California (used to live there, thank God I don't now).

Oh and bt the way ..... you need to post some pics of that stocked coolidor you picked up. This thread is worthless without pics.


Kris

welcome to the boards from Oregon, I hope you enjoy the board! Roger.

Welcome to the form from Germany!

Welcome to the board from Tx

Here are pictures of the cooler and the contents. I have a have read that the ideal rh is 70%. Whats the deal with 65% is one better than the other.

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Originally Posted by Wingman1

I have a have read that the ideal rh is 70%. Whats the deal with 65% is one better than the other.

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Search it!

Nice find, btw.

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Originally Posted by Wingman1

Here are pictures of the cooler and the contents. I have a have read that the ideal rh is 70%. Whats the deal with 65% is one better than the other.

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From what I have read here (via searches) 65% is better for smokability, and 70% is better for long term storage.

-Buzz

65%. 70%. It's just personal preference. Many brothers here prefer smoking a cigars a little less moist, myself included. At 65% they tend to have less burn issues. But whatever you like better is what you should do.

Welcome from NY.