Best way to freeze a LOT of cigars?

[Dr. Xikar]

So, I've had my first beetle spotting. It was on a single cigar - PDR Robusto from CI... However, this cigar has been in my wine coolers for the better part of a year. I checked every cigar within two drawers of this one's location - No damage at all... I can't come up with an answer as to how this one cigar hatched (all of my humidors run between 65 and 70 degrees... I think the record high was 72 this summer, so that may have done it) However, the cigar had a hole in the cellophane at the foot. The foot was butted up against a spanish cedar divider (and I mean, literally, pressed against it flat. If that beetle escaped, it did NOT escape through that direction.)

I couldn't find any holes in the cigar or cellophane (other than at the foot), but it was still very clear that this one was infected.

So, I tossed the cigar, lowered the settings on my wine cooler to 55-65 for a couple days... I now have it back to 65-70. I'm thinking freezing may be in order.

Now, I know the process of freezing (fridge first, then freezer, then fridge, then humidor)... How would you recommend dealing with this large QUANTITY of cigars? Would you even freeze them? I'm going to freeze anything I buy from now on, but I can't decide on freezing, or chancing my current ones in the wine coolers.

Input?

Thanks guys! Sorry if I'm rambling or disjointed, I'm a little distracted by my housemates right now.

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

[Herfin' Harg]

I couldn't find any holes in the cigar or cellophane (other than at the foot), but it was still very clear that this one was infected.

I'm gonna need more info here...

So, you had a beetle, but it didn't eat anything? Are you certain it was a tobacco beetle?

I analogize this to a fat kid locked in a candy store, and it doesn't make any damn sense.

 

[Dr. Xikar]

Okay, When I pulled the cigar out of my humidor, it had had it's foot pressed against one of the cedar walls. I pulled the cellophane around from the back of the cigar (it was folded over as almost all cigars are.) When I did this, I found a beetle hole running about halfway through the cellophane. This was at the foot. There were no holes in the side... My guess is that it must have dove back in, after finding nothing but cello and cedar.

Tapped it on a paper and that evil black/brown powder rained out... However, no nearby cigars have any damage that I could find, or any holes....

That's where I'm at.

 

[AlohaStyle]

The first thing to do is cut open the cigar with the hole to see if you can find the beetle. And do you know for sure this is a new hole? Any chance you put it in there like that? If you don't find the beetle, you might want to do another thorough inspection of all cigars... you would be surprised at how insects can squeeze through the smallest holes when you wouldn't think they could.

And I'm not so sure freezing would kill a live beetle, but freezing is meant to kill the larvae. I could be wrong and don't have the time to look it up, but freezing is generally meant to be proactive and not reactive.

Sorry to hear man...

Edit: I just re-read your post and saw you threw away the cigar already... oops. Now you might never know where that beetle went???

 

[smokinghole]

-80C freezer and you're good!

 

[jayro75]

-80C freezer and you're good!

-80C is -112 F Not sure he's finding a freezer capable of that.

I'm pretty sure you can just go down to 0 or a little under Farenheit for a few days to kill the beetle eggs and or larva.

 

[r3db4r0n]

DDT, problem solved.

 

[Zedman05]

Lol @ -80 comment. I work on refrigeration, and have never had the pleasure of dealing with ultra-lows of that temp...they are rather hard to come by.
I love when people say that putting cigars in your frezzer at home isnt going to kill anything because the cigars are being frozen in special freezers at the distributors level and their stuff is much better. I have seen their walk-in freezers...they are the exact same as we have here. No colder, no better. In fact, I was offered a job down in Nica if I ever wanted to work for really cheap haha. Your typical household DEEPFREEZE ( stand alone freezer) will get cold enough if turned down nice and low. Or you can just stick them outside for a couple days here (happens every time we get mail in the winter anyways) haha.
I will be of no help with the actual riddance of the bettle problem as I have been lucky enough to not have that problem yet. Hopefully that wasnt too boring that you fell asleep.

 

[Zedman05]

Oh yeah, the deepfreeze will also not dehumidify the sticks as fast as there is no air movement in the cabinet, but may take longer to penetrate to the center of the cigars. Would suggest keeping them in a bit longer than a couple days.

 

[AmericanSoldier1989]

Just send em' to me, I will keep them safe! :bangbang:

 

[falconman515]

Just send em' to me, I will keep them safe! :bangbang:

Ya I love beetles so If you send em' my way I can give it the torch lighter and smoke inspection! :cbig:

 

[Alwayslit]

-80C freezer and you're good!

^^^this^^^