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Freezing cigars

How often do you freeze cigars you just received?

  • All the time. Every cigar that enters the house does time in the freezer.

    Votes: 1 50.0%

  • Sometimes. It depends on a number of variables.

    Votes: 1 50.0%

  • Never. Why would I freeze my cigars?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    2
khari

khari

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2007
Messages
3,640
Location
Southeast
I found a beetle hole in a Padilla 1932 Limited Oscuro once. It really sucked because it's an expensive (and tasty!) cigar, but it made me realize that I couldn't just assume the tabacaleras were doing all they needed to do to keep the tobacco beetle-free. I needed to do as much as I could to protect my collection. After that, I started freezing every cigar that comes into the house.

Now, I've read many posts on here about people who buy temperature controlled devices for storing their cigars. I myself have an Aristocrat THC. It all makes me wonder, though. Is there anyone else out there who freezes all their new cigars? I wish I'd thought of it sooner, because it's cheaper to buy freezer bags and aluminum foil every couple months than it was to get the Peltier fans on the Aristocrat. I could have gotten a bigger humi for the price! :laugh:
 
I had one incident of beetles and soon after converted a wine fridge to regulate the temperature of my sticks below 70 F. At that time, I had about 20 sticks which I froze after the beetle sighting but never have since. It has been a few years and have had no issues since storing my sticks in the fridge.
 
I have had beetles emerge even with a wine cooler but it has always been due to incubation during shipping. Sometimes it's very hot here. It could be very nice here, but very cold in the area the sticks are being shipped from. That particular mail truck, mail station, UPS truck etc etc etc you name it, could have the heat running big time. There are just too many variables in shipping/transit.

If a larva incubates in shipping, putting the sticks into a winodor will only SLOW the maturing process. I had a hole show up a few weeks after shipping and it took nearly 6 months before I had the actual beetle. The cooler temp in my wine cooler slowed it's growth. Good thing he didn't have any friends to screw!

My advice is always to quaranteen a shipment for a few weeks and watch them carefully. If weeks pass with no holes, you should be fine. If I find a hole from the time I receive them to the first 2 months, they go into the freezer. Otherwise I do not freeze.
 
I keep a fairly close eye on all my smokes and haven't had any beetle issues. I've not frozen any cigars as yet.
 
I'm with Greg on this one. I inspect all the smokes I get to the point of OCD before I put them to bed, and then check them every now and then. I also haven't had any issues yet. (keeping fingers crossed though)
 
If I pick them up at a B&M I don't. If they come from a BOTL I don't, but if I ordered them from an online retailer I do. There is no science in any of the decisions made here at all it just makes me feel better that I do when I do.
 
Sometimes. If it's from the island, usually... cause hey, it's Cuba. Also, if I get any Graycliffs from now on, I'm DEEP freezing 'em.
 
jlada said:
Sometimes. If it's from the island, usually... cause hey, it's Cuba. Also, if I get any Graycliffs from now on, I'm DEEP freezing 'em.
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I just read a report from someone that was just in Havana stating that:

"Habanos does now freeze all cigars. Capacity is 4,600,000 per week. They freeze cigars for 5 days at -23 to -25 degrees celsius before bringing them back in a second chamber slowly."

I think that alot of the beetle problems coming from the island will now be eliminated. That being said I have never frozen any sticks and have up til now benn lucky. My humi is in my basement which holds a steady 65 all year long.
 
I look incoming smokes over very closely, and check on them from time to time. My cabinet keeps things at a very steady 68F. Never had an issue (knocks on wood)......
 
Before I got my Vinotemp I found a beetle hole in one of my smokes (J21 from Holts, bought in the shop). I froze everything for four days to be safe, went out the next day and bought the Vinotemp. Since then I've had no issues and don't freeze anything.

So if there were an option on the poll for only freezing if I find a beetle hole, that'd be me. I quarantine most incoming smokes though for at least a month. They'll stay in a seperate bag or tray and I'll keep an eye on them before I transfer them to the general population :)

During the colder months I trust most stuff coming in... but anything from someone I don't know, or from a pass, or from the island.. etc. stays separated for a bit.
 
Freezing cigars at home is a waste of time, according to my cigar smoking biology teacher friend. You need access to a commercial freezer. Beetle eggs have no problem surviving in the relatively warm temps of your home freezer.

Doc.
 
Devil Doc said:
Freezing cigars at home is a waste of time, according to my cigar smoking biology teacher friend. You need access to a commercial freezer. Beetle eggs have no problem surviving in the relatively warm temps of your home freezer.

Doc.
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Not necessarily true, Doc. I have one of those lame little beer fridges in the garage and when set to it's coldest setting, I was able to get it below -20.
 
rectifythis said:
Devil Doc said:
Freezing cigars at home is a waste of time, according to my cigar smoking biology teacher friend. You need access to a commercial freezer. Beetle eggs have no problem surviving in the relatively warm temps of your home freezer.

Doc.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily true, Doc. I have one of those lame little beer fridges in the garage and when set to it's coldest setting, I was able to get it below -20.
Click to expand...
Did you measure this temp with a laboratory grade genuine mercury thermometer? -20 is pretty damn cold. I have my doubts about any home appliance being stout enough to reach those temps

Doc.
 
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