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I am Eins and I have sinned.

E

Eins

New Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2004
Messages
254
Hi all,

I just found this forum and I already feel a lot better.

I have sinned. Thompson Cigar Co. led me into temptation and I bought a humidor and a sampler of cigars from them a few weeks ago. The good thing about all this is that they sparked my interest and got me started. Now that that's history, I'm prepared to change direction, with your help.

At this point, I have a few questions and further down, I'll let you take a peak into my humidor.

Question 1: All my cigars came in a cellophane sleeve or wrapper (how do I call i?). Am I supposed to take them out of it or leave them inside while I store them in the humidor?

Question 2: No matter what I do, the hygrometer shows between 80 and 82% inside the humidor. Only when I open it will the humidor go down (usually to around 70%). As soon as I close it and check later, it is back to the low 80s.
I prepped the hygrometer before I installed it, following the instructions.
Why is this happening?

Question 3: Yesterday, I smoked the first of five Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur 1066, which I liked a lot. Once lit, the tobacco wrapper started cracking which continued down along the entire cigar. What does that indicate?

Ready for a peak? Next to some horrible Thompson smokes, I had 5 each of (and like in this ranking):

Indian Tabac - Natural
La Gloria Cubana
Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur 1066
La Perla Habana - Black Pearl
C.A.O. Gold

Okay, work is calling so I need to close. I'll be checking in often and look forward to becoming a regular here. TIA for your help.
 
First off, Eins, welcome to our little spot on the 'net.

Now to answer a few questions with a mixture of bad logic and assumptions (as per usual)

1) There's no need to take the cello off, most people even prefer it on, myself included.

2) Tell me how you "prepped" it, It may just be poorly calibrated.

3) Cracking is often a sign over extreme dryness. I'd leave those smokes in the humi a while.
 
Cello - doesn't matter, whatever you want to do.
High humidity - take your cigars out, put then in ziploc bags, open humidor for 24 hours to dry out. Put cigars back in, recheck humidity levels. repeat if needed.
Cracking - cigars got too wet too fast (i.e. high humidity) or on the other end, were too dry.


I like the Hoyos and the CAO myself but there are better and worse cigars out there.
 
Welcome....

The FOGS can answer better than I so I will just say Hi and check out the Newbie Sampler to get some variety in your Humi.
 
Welcome to the group! :)

1. Your choice. However, if you leave the cello on, it's easier to toss one in the shirt pocket while heading to the grill and no rough up the wrapper :p

2. Do you have an analog hygrometer? If so, use the search function on this board and type in salt test.

3. Like AVB said. I've had this happen too!

Enjoy,
Brent
 
Welcome to the board and I second the Newbie Sampler trade thread idea.

I do recommend removing the cello before you light up, however :p
 
1. I'm a cello on kind of guy. That's a personal preference.
2. and 3. answers look good so far.

Definitely head on over to the Newbie Sampler Trade.
 
hello Eins, and welcome. Like ric said, using the search function and typing in a few key words will take you a long way! :D
 
Howdy Eins and welcome to CP from Sunny Central Florida. It looks like the other guys have answered you questions. In reference to the cello, I'm a leave it on kinda guy. When you get a cigar with an oily yellow cello, your about to have a well aged smoke....... :D :thumbs: :p
 
Wow, what a great welcome and a wealth of info and advice. Thank you all and sorry for the late response. I had the email notification checked but never got a notification. Hmmm.

Anyway, I'll follow your advice and leave half of the cellos on and take the other half off ;)
Also, I'll now empty the humi to dry it out some more. Maybe that helps.

This is how I prepped the humi:
First, I left it outside overnight to take in humidity from the cool night air. Then, I wiped it with a damp sponge and closed it after attaching the hygrometer and including the soaked humidifier. After 24 hours, I soaked the humidifier again and attached it. Waited another 24 hours and found the humidity steady at 80%. Added cigars (the cheap ones unwrapped, the good ones wrapped).

I prepped the hygro by wrapping it into a wet and warm towel, left it there for about 30 minutes, then adjusted it to 95%.

It is still at 80-81% inside the humi today, after about one month of use without adding any more water, and many days left open to dry out a bit.

Okay, I'll use the search function now ???

PS: Bonus question--will those cellos let humidity pass both ways or are they a good barrier for humidity?
 
1) I hate cello. Unless I buy it to trade or use in a pass, I won't keep it.

2) Answers seem fair.

3) If the humi is working right, it might be you are not letting it "ash" itself. I did this alot when I first started. Let the Ash build up and fall off. Maybe that'll help you. As for the sticks you listed, I'm a huge fan of La Perla Habana - Black Pearl. Black Pearls are awesome. Kinda strong for a new guy. I recommend Ashton. Smooth and not harsh at all. Go with a Classic Ashton. Good luck! :thumbs:
 
Eins said:
PS: Bonus question--will those cellos let humidity pass both ways or are they a good barrier for humidity?
Click to expand...
Cello will slow wet sticks from drying out and dry sticks from absorbing moisture but they aren't a barrier. For longer term storage it is more important to have the humidity level correct then to worry about cello.
 
Welcome from a fellow newbie, livin' in the Tater State!

-- Hawk
 
Hours later, I'm done reading the long FAQ. Very educating!

Will have to do the salt test next but I like analog (in any gauge). They are so much easier to read. One glimpse and you know. If my hygro turns out OK, I'll definitely keep it (or upgrade to a better quality analog).

Question about PG. How do I know if my credo was pre-charged with PG?

And how often do I need to use a 50/50 mix when watering my credo, vs. just adding DW? That was not clear to me after reading the FAQ.

KayakinBoy, I very much enjoyed my first Black Pearl. I smoked it down to the last half inch!
 
The salt test revealed that my hygro was off by about 10%. So the RH was good all along, I just didn't know it. Now it is too low and I need to fix it.

In the whole process, I learned about 'the beads' and I'm going to convert. Have to find an appropriate container for my 40-count humi and need to find a source for, say, 100 grams (3 1/2 oz) of 70% beads. Anyone? I heard Vern will only sell 1/2 lbs or more. I need much less.

That salt test was an eye opener! Thanks for pointing me to it.
 
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