Complete beginner here- Humidor help

Hello I'm brand new here and really to the world of Cigar smoking.

A bit about me- I'm a 37 year old TV writer/ director/producer living in LA.

I have smoked cigars before- mostly one or 2 a year- when I go to Vegas or something.

I recently was given a few nice Cohibas as a gift. Including a few 2004 special edition ones from Havana. (wait is that still illegal? ha)

Anyway, I want to be able to obviously keep these fresh and ready for the next special occasiion. So I need a humidor. I don't want to spend to much and I did see this one listed on another thread: http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/280

Is this good enough for my 5-10 cigars?

And once I buy this what do I need? I have also read about beads?

Bascically lets pretend I don't know anything. (and I really don't)

What do I need to buy and how do I store them? (Do I leave them in their own box that they came in? Do other cigars in the humidor affect the quality of these cigars?) All sorts of quesions like that.

Thanks for your help.

welcome.....your choice of humidors is fine...yes,get the beads and a digital hygrometer....enjoy your cigar smoking experience...you may want to try a few more cigars each week...as long as you have time to really enjoy them.....then,start thinking about more humidors and coolerdor's.....

post often and don't pee in our sandbox.......let's see that writing talent and wit!!!....

I'm a new cigar smoker, and obviously new to this forum as well. I have purchased a humidor and have had it stocked for about a month now and everything seems to be fine. I do have 2 questions:
1. How full should you "stuff" your humidor?
2. If cigars are bought in full box quantities, and the box is sealed with cellophane, do the full boxes need to be kept in a humidor?

I ask this because I got lucky and caught an auction of a local tobacconist that went bankrupt. I obtained 2 full boxes of Macanudo and 1 box of Cusano 18's as well as a huge quantity of partial boxes...some 300 cigars in total. My humidor is only a 125 count, so I have put the premiums in the humidor and am using tupperdores with crystals for the overflow but still don't have any room for the boxes.

Thanks for any advice.
Ashauler

don't overflow your humidor...make sure the inside was seasoned properly...yes,sealed boxes need to be in a humidor...give the macanudo's to friends...they're shit!!!

for the short term, the boxes can go into large zip lock bags but a better solution would be a cooler with a tight fitting lid.

Thanks for the replies!! I have an old cooler or two lying around so I will put the full boxes in them.

Bigpoppapuff, haven't tried the Macanudo's yet but from what I have read it surprises me that you have a low opinion of them. They sure ask a premium price for them at the local cigar store. I got these for 50 cents each so maybe I didn't get hurt. I spent overall 62 cents a cigar and got the following brands: Romeo y Julieta, Punch, Roly, Cohiba, Cuba Aliados, Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur, Cusano 18 and Corojo 97, Flor de Oliva gold/meduro/corojo, Victor Sinclair legacy, Gispert box pressed. Of these which do you recommend that I try first?

Welcome to the both of you from the UK!

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Originally Posted by bigpoppapuff

don't overflow your humidor...make sure the inside was seasoned properly...yes,sealed boxes need to be in a humidor...give the macanudo's to friends...they're shit!!!

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Never tried a Macanudo, but there seems to be a consensus here.

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Originally Posted by nhcigarfan

for the short term, the boxes can go into large zip lock bags but a better solution would be a cooler with a tight fitting lid.

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Completely agrre with the coolidor suggestion. It works for me anyway.

I have found that as long as no cigars get crushed it is fine to pack a humidor tightly, however when you want to find a certain cigar it can be a pain and when moving them around it might cause damage. A smaller humidor for the regular rotation is good when you can refresh it from the cooler (full of boxes) at need.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bigpoppapuff

welcome.....your choice of humidors is fine...yes,get the beads and a digital hygrometer....enjoy your cigar smoking experience...you may want to try a few more cigars each week...as long as you have time to really enjoy them.....then,start thinking about more humidors and coolerdor's.....

post often and don't pee in our sandbox.......let's see that writing talent and wit!!!....

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Thanks- but what is a hygrometer? And how do these beads work? I just put them in the humidor? And therefor don't use whatever humidification system comes with this humidor?

Sorry, again I am totally new. :)


and I also saw this deal- same deal different cigars: Anyone have a pref over which cigars are a better deal? Since I am new- I try to stay at mild.

http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/2634

or

http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/280

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bigpoppapuff

post often and don't pee in our sandbox.......let's see that writing talent and wit!!!....

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I thought your advice to newbies was to read more and post less BPP?

macanudo's are the most noticable name in the industry...they're too expensive for what you get....an incredibly well made cigar that tastes like you're smoking a #10 envelope....there are hundreds of cigars that are less expensive and are terrific to smoke and enjoy....start with your HdM,then try the cusano's and oliva's...the best part of cigar smoking is the hunt for enjoyable smokes.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by StarWait

Thanks- but what is a hygrometer? And how do these beads work? I just put them in the humidor? And therefor don't use whatever humidification system comes with this humidor?

Sorry, again I am totally new. :)

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Not sure if this has ever been stated directly, but a hygrometer is a device for measuring humidity. The aim is to have a relative humidity somewhere between 62 and 70 %. Try searching on this site using "beads" or "heartfelt" for the bead information.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by StarWait

Thanks- but what is a hygrometer? And how do these beads work? I just put them in the humidor? And therefor don't use whatever humidification system comes with this humidor?

Sorry, again I am totally new. :)

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digital (not analog) hygrometer tells you what the rh is....for the info on how the beads work,you're invited to try the search function...all you need to know should be there....

Check out http://www.cigarsmokers.com/showthread.php?t=3814 for a good guide to seeting up your humi

That is a good post for seasoning your humidor. I've made a few minor modifications though. I do things a little different after wiping down the wood, placing the wet sponge inside, and leaving it overnight so the wood can absorb water. The next day, I take out the sponge and place a shot glass inside about 3/4 of the way full. Then I put the beads in, where only a little bit of water has been added to the beads. The beads work to keep a constant humidity by absorbing or releasing water vapor. If you have 65% rh beads, then the humidity will stay at approximately 65%. It above 65, the beads absorb water. If below 65, the beads release water. This is why beads need to be activated prior to use, which means some of the beads are dry, while some of the beads are holding water. If all the beads are all dry, no water can be released into the humidor. If they are all wet, they won't be able to absorb any water from the humidor. The shot glass is put inside the humidor with the beads so that the humidor will have a high humidity and the beads will not absorb all the water from the wood. The wood also acts like a humidification device, because the wood can absorb and release water. Only a small percentage of the beads are activated initially with water, maybe 10%, so that the beads will absorb all the water they need from the shot glass. This prevents over or under activation. Leave the beads and shot glass full of water overnight. The next day, remove the shot glass but leave the beads inside. Your humidity will most likely be too high, or just right. If above 80% rh, the cigars should not be put inside. It is also important to note that the cigars will absorb water. If the humidity is around 75%, it is ok to put the cigars inside, and it will facilitate dropping the humidity to the level of the beads. In about a day or a matter of a few days, the humidity will drop down to where it needs to be, depending on the rh value of your beads.

welcome to the forum - when you get the beads, you can almost chuck the hygrometer.

as for stuffing the humidor - after you season it properly - put your sticks in gradually - if you stuff it all at once, you're going to notice a fluctuation in your humidity. your humi will be truly seasoned when you've kept it 75% full of sticks for a couple months - won't have any fluctuations after that, providing you keep the rh constant.

good luck

Thanks everyone!

When I put in the cigars- if they are in individual boxes- so I leave them in the boxes or take them out to put in the humidor?

I'll go look at the beads posts as well to see how to put them in the humidor.

leave them in their boxes...no big deal,either way..

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Originally Posted by bigpoppapuff

leave them in their boxes...no big deal,either way..

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same goes with cello, tubes, etc. so long as the box or the stick is in a controlled environment, you're all set. :smiley2:

Wow, everyones got pretty much has everything covered. As for which one would i recommned you try thr RyJ. That was my first one and I was very pleased. Which one(s) did you get btw?

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Originally Posted by Evillepaintball

Wow, everyones got pretty much has everything covered. As for which one would i recommned you try thr RyJ. That was my first one and I was very pleased. Which one(s) did you get btw?

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The RyJ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by StarWait

Thanks- but what is a hygrometer? And how do these beads work? I just put them in the humidor? And therefor don't use whatever humidification system comes with this humidor?

Sorry, again I am totally new. :)


and I also saw this deal- same deal different cigars: Anyone have a pref over which cigars are a better deal? Since I am new- I try to stay at mild.

http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/2634

or

http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/280

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I wouldn't worry about buying a combo package with cigars in it.

Here is one a buddy of mine recently purchased and it is well worth the money...

http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/260

I wouldn't buy anything smaller than this if you plan on sticking around here for very long.

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Originally Posted by StarWait

The RyJ?

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sorry, Romeo y Julieta

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Originally Posted by StarWait

The RyJ?

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now you're scaring me.......you actually had to ask and couldn't figure it out??...

memo to others....... "ISOM" question coming soon...

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Originally Posted by bigpoppapuff

now you're scaring me.......you actually had to ask and couldn't figure it out??...

memo to others....... "ISOM" question coming soon...

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Well, considering I never mentioned Romeo Y Julieta... Yeah! Although that was one of the first cigars I ever smoked and I loved it. But I was too busy searching for the RyJ humidor- so I was a tad bit confused.

I ended up ordering the $29.99 humidor with the Don Kikkis.

25 sticks is plenty for me. Considering I smoke maybe 2 cigars a year.

But glad to be on here- thanks!

we're here to help........and to lure you into the enjoyment of more than 2-3 cigars a year...we'd like to see you increase that to...oh...around 3-4 EACH WEEK.....now get busy....




cuban crafters humidors are very nice for the money...make sure you season it before using it...

apology to you,starwait...it was the other noob (ashauler) who mentioned RyJ on YOUR thread....sorry...

My apologies to all for not understanding that I should not have replied to someone elses' thread with my own question. Not only am I new to cigars, I am new to using forums as well. This is my first. Any confusion created was certainly not intended.:smiley6:

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Originally Posted by ashauler

My apologies to all for not understanding that I should not have replied to someone elses' thread with my own question. Not only am I new to cigars, I am new to using forums as well. This is my first. Any confusion created was certainly not intended.:smiley6:

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not a big deal....start your own...tell us who you are,where you're from,what do you do...all that stupid stuff...but it's all about YOU!!!...and it keeps the rest of us on our toes...most of us have no lives or we wouldn't be on a cigar bb...:smiley2:

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Originally Posted by bigpoppapuff

not a big deal....start your own...tell us who you are,where you're from,what do you do...all that stupid stuff...but it's all about YOU!!!...and it keeps the rest of us on our toes...most of us have no lives or we wouldn't be on a cigar bb...:smiley2:

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Speak for yourself lifeless buddy of mine, I find plenty to keep me busy at http://www.pimpthatsnack.com and organising my baked nean label collection. :smiley36:

Well, my Cuban Crafters humidor came in. I set it up- used the humidification system that came with it and it's keeping a steady 65%

Mu beads humi tube just came in. The directions aren't clear on how to fill it- so i just open it up and put in the teaspoon of distilled water? And its hard to see the color of the beads through the tube.

Thanks for all your help!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by StarWait

Well, my Cuban Crafters humidor came in. I set it up- used the humidification system that came with it and it's keeping a steady 65%

Mu beads humi tube just came in. The directions aren't clear on how to fill it- so i just open it up and put in the teaspoon of distilled water? And its hard to see the color of the beads through the tube.

Thanks for all your help!

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I use the lid from my 1 gallon distilled water jug. One capful for each end of the tube. The beads will change from white to clear. It may be more obvious once you have added some water.

Hi, I am new here as well. I was also thinking of buying a humidor from Cuban Crafters.
http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/331
That one to be specific. The reviews dont seem to bad on it and everyone here pretty much agrees Cuban Crafters is not to bad correct? What does everyone else think? Thanks in advance :smiley4:

Yeah it looks like a nice humidor. I personally would go with the Savoy dome found here, http://www.holts.com/cgi-bin/ncommer...ow_acc_bar=yes

It is a little bit more expensive, but I have a Savoy and from personal experience I can vouch for them.

I like the cherry better but whatever floats your boat: http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/259
and then pick up this little package instead of the cutter in your post:
http://www.famous-smoke.com/cigars/s...ampler_special

I hope I am not committing a violation or Hi-jacking this thread again, but I wanted to follow up on BPP's suggestion:

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Originally Posted by bigpoppapuff

macanudo's are the most noticable name in the industry...they're too expensive for what you get....an incredibly well made cigar that tastes like you're smoking a #10 envelope....there are hundreds of cigars that are less expensive and are terrific to smoke and enjoy....start with your HdM,then try the cusano's and oliva's...the best part of cigar smoking is the hunt for enjoyable smokes.....

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I have managed to try at least one of each of the "major" brands that I picked up at the auction. You are right BPP, the Mac's are basically tastless..even the maduro's. I think I will ditch them on the Bro in Law instead of my friends.:smiley15: since they are expensive, he will luv them and think I am being a swell guy and I'll get a chuckle every time he lites one up.

The HdM is very good, right along with the Cusano 18's and all of the Flor de Olivas, I like the maduro and corojo better than the gold. Habanos Puros Fuerte and Cuba Aliados Doble Fuerte are lip-smacking good, and my very favorites so far. Both are fantastic with the after dinner beer.:smiley20:

Victor Sinclair Legacy box pressed I like as well, but the flavor seems to change quite a bit during the smoke and dries out my mouth towards the end, which is good for the beer drinking, but not too comfortable.

I only got to try one of the RyJ Cedro Deluxe no2 that I had 8 of....when I went to get another one and removed the cedar wrap it was covered in mold spots!!:smiley21: Really nasty looking white and green stuff so I immediately removed the cello and cedar from the rest and they were ALL like that, but only under the cedar. I emptied my humi and investigated every stick in it and found no others with mold, and no stains on my humi...weird. In searching here, it does not seem to be a common problem with cedar wrapped sticks, but I am at a loss as to why only the RyJ's and nothing else. I suspect that they were bad when I bought them and I just happened to pick the only good one for my first smoke. I tossed the rest of them.