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Help, Please: I Keep Ruining Cigars

M

McPatrickClan

McPatrickClan
Joined
May 22, 2002
Messages
562
You will see that this is my first post, but believe me, I intend to contribute to this forum in a positive way.

I have a C.A.O. humidor that I have owned for about one year. I have a Credo hygrometer that is plenty big for my small humidor (maybe holds 50 cigars). I know better than to marry the tastes by putting a whole bunch of different cigars right next to each other so I use cedar to separate them. I have wiped the cedar in my humidor to start and I have a gauge to measure the humidity and temperature in my humidor. Right now the readings are about 62% humidity with a 76 degree temperature. My humidor has a glass top and I do my best to keep all the readings consistent. I attempt to fill my Credo hygrometer on a weekly basis. It never really gets that heavy though, since the technique I use is probably wrong. I basically fill a glass with distilled water and then gently pour it over the hygrometer and let the sponge soak it up. The thing is, the hygrometer never really gets that heavy so I don't think it's as full as it could be. I have tried deep-sixing the hygrometer in a container filled with distilled water, but it seems to just float. Even when I weigh it down it doesn't fill up to a reasonable level. I have attempted to contact Credo, but they have been no help.

All of my cigars are really bitter and harsh. I am a rookie, but I believe I know a bad cigar when I taste one. I am starting but not finishing these great cigars due to my spoiling them in my humidor. What am I doing wrong?

???
 
I realize now that I transposed hygrometer for humidifier. Sorry! I have a digital hygrometer and a Credo humidifier.
 
Well you have to look at it 2 fold. 1st the hygrometer/humidifer. Second the humidor. Assuming you have a properly calibrated hygrometer(you did do this didnt you?), fill the credo with 50/50, but not to the point of saturation. Does the 50/50 soak into it, or rather spill down the sides and float it? If it floats it, you have dry oasis, and no matter what you do, it won't hold water. Go to your local florist and buy a small bit of wet oasis. If the oasis absorbs some 50/50, but not not say 2/3 of it's volume it is probably clogged. Maybe you started with tap water, or the distilled was contaminated. Chuck it and get new wet oasis.

Next, put your dor in a nearly air tight igloo cooler. Put your gars in a big ziplock, and place them some where moist and safe. Put a fairly large dish of distilled in the humidor. Wipe down the inside cooler with water, then place a large dish of water in the cooler, close it up tightly(weight the lid if you have to) Come back 4 hours later. Check the humidity inside the humidor. I would aim for %80-90 RH. If you can't hit this mark, give it another 2-4 hours. By 8 hours, your dor should be able get to this point.

Fill it up with gars and the credo. You should be able to hit your mark of %65-70. If not, put the humi back into the cooler, this time with the gars. Take out the water from the cooler and seal it up. Will it hit the mark, if yes, then the humi need a better seal. If not, then borrow a friends hygrometer just to double check. Could be that the gars were pretty dry when you bought them, and they are trying to absorb the moisture. If this is the case, they might taste better after they hit the mark, but probably wont. I have had some cigars taste ok after being dried out, but most don't.
Hope that helps...And welcome to cigar pass.

Emo
 
*No, I have not calibrated my hygrometer.

*What is 50/50?

*What is oasis? And for that matter, what is wet oasis?
 
50/50 is a premixed solution of distilled water and propylene glycol. This is a good choice as the mixture will help maintain 70% humidity. You can get it at your local tobacconist.

Check this site, very good info on calibration and other humidor issues.
www.cheaphumidors.com.

You can get the wet oasis at your local floral shop. It's the green sponge material that is used in floral arrangements.

I would definately get a new credo, sounds like that is not working.

Hope this helps and welcome to CP!

Leebo :D
 
Thanks guys, I will try these things out. Pat yourselves on the back! I appreciate your welcoming nature!
 
No prop...Hate to see good cigars get ruined...Wait, they are good cigars right? LOL

Emo
 
Oh yeah, if you would like a second opinion on those cigars you think are ruined...........feel free to send them to me!

LMAO

Leebo ;)
 
LeeBo, you have surpassed me in number of post, but more importantly, in MOOCH Attempts :D

Welcome to Cigar Pass McPatrick!!!!!!!!!!


Somebody tell me, isn't MOOCHING off a wet newbie kindof like child molestation? LeeBo = Chester

:D :p :0 :p :D :)
 
Well that would depend if Lee has been smoking gars longer than McPatrick...And it isn't Lee's fault, he knows not of what he does...

Emo
 
Hey, I was just trying to give him a second opinion! LMAO

:sign: :sign: :sign:
 
Sounds like the Credo has too much PG (propylene glycol) in it. I don't believe in the 50/50 mix solution, especially for "beginners" as they tend to over saturate the humidfier with PG and it never goes away. If you do use a 50/50 mix I would recommend using it once every three to four months and just add distilled water at the other times. more humidity is needed. It could be that your hygrometer is off and a calibration is needed. As far as the cigars tasting bitter, could be just the cigars and have nothing to do with the humidity level. Also, at 76 degrees, you really need to cool the humidor down. try to get it under 70 degrees, closer to 65 if possible.
 
Keeping under 70 is quite a task...I use this formula...for every %1 over %70 I go, I try to keep it 2 degrees cooler using 70 degress as my reference point. So if I am at %72, I am at 66. I don't take any chaces with mold or beetles, as I can't afford to replace a buch of smokes at a time.

Once you get the box to %70 or so, let it stay there for a couple weeks before smoking one of the cigars...I tend to like my cigars on the drier side, so I rarely let my box get over %66-%67. But you may like them wetter.

Emo
 
IMHO:
Havanas age best at 65% or lower with temps near 65.
For smoking Havanas, temps closer to 68 and humidity 68%
Non-Havanas don't age well, prefer them young if I am smoking them and use the 70/70 rule for those particular smokes.

As far as beetles, freeze the smokes and you don't have to worry about that, for the most part. The eggs can hatch anywhere over 65 degrees and the humidity doesn't really come into play, though higher temps combined with higher humidity will speed the larval process. At least this is what a pest control person who researched this told me.
 
Matt...What do you consider ageing for non-Havana's? I go by the flavor/strength method...The stronger and more flavorable cigars I'll keep around longer than the lighter bodied smokes...Once a cigar starts to bloom, I usually won't hold on to them more that 3-4 months....After that point I find that they don't taste any better....

Emo
 
I guess the thing I like about the generally small line-up of Non-Havanas I smoke is the particular flavor of a young, full-bodied cigar. For example, I prefer the taste of a brand new Opus X over a 7 year old one. Same goes for the PAMs and PANs. I find they go flat and don't have much to offer after they sit for some time. It is relatively rare that I even smoke non-Havanas so, when I do, I know exactly what I am looking for. There are a few exceptions in that some cigar manufacturers change the blends over time and the actual cigar, though it has the same name and size, is really a totally different smoke. Old St. Luis Reys for example (non-Havanas). In this instance I don't know that it is the aging process or just the fact the blend is different.
 
Just buy a Paradigm. Uses only distilled water, and lasts much longer. :)
 
Or, you could contact brother Vern as I have a feeling he has something that would work great! LMAO
 
while you guys are on the topic of humidity/temp. how often do beetles show up? I've never had them. I keep my hum at a constant 70% but the temp varies up to 80 degrees do you see a problem. I've heard any temp as long as you have 70% hum. ??? ??? ???
 
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