To Tube ...... Or Not To tube........

[Lok17]

To answer your original question @Nacho Daddy my experience is cigars age very well in sealed tubes. When a shipment of tubos arrive I check each one for mold and wipe off any I find. Then they go back into the tubes with the caps off and into the humi at desired rh. After a few days at desired rh the caps go back on and they get forgotten for a year or two or three. I have had some fantastic smokes from this technique. R&J Churchills come to mind.
But I have never tried sealing up smokes that didn't start in tubos. Might have to give that a go. There is one CC source that has a reputation for sending moldy cigars. I have put those in the freezer after inspection.

That's an idea, I'm going to open up mine let them sit a few then close them back up, thanks bolt

 

[Moro]

Now, I'm merely hypothesising here, but considering even closed tubes allow humidity flow, yet obviously restrict it, wouldn't this fact allow for a much more stable maintenance of the cigar in question, where humidity spikes (due to opening the humidor and the humidity pack compensating is the first example I'd think of) would have much less of an impact on a tubo, thus resulting in a different result after aging? Not necessarily better or worse, just different. I never remove from tubes or cello, nor do I put cigars into them, so I've not experimented, but it's a thought.

I got some tubed petit edmundos and im thinking about taking them all out because its not a cap tube like chuck refered too. Rather it is two piece where it meets in the middle and seals.

Tubes don't properly seal; they both allow humidity in and out (thus tubes will never be a substitute for a humi), so, while you can take them out, keeping them inside the tubos isn't a problem.

 

[Nacho Daddy]

this came about when a member of a long dead forum mentioned his cigars lost a lot of aroma when he opened the boxes.
I decided to see what affect tubing some cigars would have after a couple of years.
Turns out it was well worth the effort, and I am going to tube up a bunch more soon.

 

[JZBdano]

I always leave in tube, check once or twice a week for a month or two then forget about them. I've never had mold grow once they have settled in. I think it's important to note that temperature fluctuations can cause condensation inside the tube which will most likely cause mold on the wrapper.
Others with way more experience and knowledge than myself have stated that less air exchange will slow the fermentation process which results in better flavors in the long term. I have jarred cigars in Mason style jars for a long term aging trial. I'll let you in on the results in a decade or two or three.

 

[Master Shake]

I'm late to this party, but if you're worried about aroma being lost and the potential for additional flavor that has dissipated, I would recommend wrapping your boxes in glassine or vacuum sealing your boxes after resting for a year or two so that they can off gas first. Are you just putting singles or fivers you've acquired into tubos? I'm not getting the point otherwise.

 

[Nacho Daddy]

I am tubing up whole boxes in order to age them in a tube environment.
I find flavors and aromas are much more intense from a tubed cigar.
The age process is different in a tube I find.

 

[ChuckMejia]

I am tubing up whole boxes in order to age them in a tube environment.
I find flavors and aromas are much more intense from a tubed cigar.
The age process is different in a tube I find.

Would you get the same effect if you just threw a few boxes into an airtight container and forgot about it for a few months?

Could get more stuff aged without having to buy so many tubes?

I mean, as long as u didn’t open the container at all for a while

 

[Nacho Daddy]

" Could get more stuff aged without having to buy so many tubes? "
( or I could just clean out a drawer so full of tubes it won't shut all the way. )
I have plenty of tubes.
The effect of tubes also gets the cigars away from each other, gives each one even air contact, and there is cedar in the tubes for another dimension of aroma.
Some of my 2007 tube cigars are sensational, I am shooting for similar results with newer stock.

 

[ChuckMejia]

Interesting. Eventho the caps on most Cuban tubes really aren’t airtight at all


So you think that cigars in drawers or boxes that make contact which each other don’t age as well as tubes?

How would the 2-3 points of contact affect the aging

 

[navyvet]

I think the only way to settle this. Is to do the experiment on someone who isnt in the know. I select wasz to determine which of the same brand of cc one that is aged in the box one that is aged in a tube. I honestly dont think if the cigar was from the same box that the diffrerence would be all that diffrent. But anytime there are diffrent variables there could be diffrences. I always atleast take the lid off if not get rid of the tube.

 

[ChuckMejia]

I think the only way to settle this. Is to do the experiment on someone who isnt in the know. I select wasz to determine which of the same brand of cc one that is aged in the box one that is aged in a tube. I honestly dont think if the cigar was from the same box that the diffrerence would be all that diffrent. But anytime there are diffrent variables there could be diffrences. I always atleast take the lid off if not get rid of the tube.

I mean everything is personal preference. I’m sure there might be some who even prefer to age in drawers and not boxes or Tubos

I was just curious

 

[Glassman]

Interesting. Eventho the caps on most Cuban tubes really aren’t airtight at all


So you think that cigars in drawers or boxes that make contact which each other don’t age as well as tubes?

How would the 2-3 points of contact affect the aging

I think if there is an effect, it would have to be from the limited amount of air exchange. And possible the limited amount of cedar to absorb oils.

Possibly unrelated, but I've noticed in the same batch of cigars, ones making direct contact with wood having less surface oil than others not making contact.

 

[ChuckMejia]

I think if there is an effect, it would have to be from the limited amount of air exchange. And possible the limited amount of cedar to absorb oils.

Possibly unrelated, but I've noticed in the same batch of cigars, ones making direct contact with wood having less surface oil than others not making contact.

Interesting

Even in the habanos Cigar tubes there is a little slack in the cedar insert. The cigars would have to be constanrly rotated so each side makes contact during the length of the aging process ....

And as far as air exchange, I think you would get the same amount in an airtight container if you didn’t open it.

 

[SurfnSafari]

Just lit up a '13 Upmann pc, I put this one in a tube 2 plus years ago, along with several others.

The flavors and aroma are stellar,much improved over what I recall when these were new.

The wrapper is oily and smooth,I do not see many like this from '16 and '17.

Have you tried tubing your cigars?

A simple image (photo) of what you call a "tube" would stop the confusion. Or to make it simpler, a picture = 1,000 words.

 

[Glassman]

Interesting

Even in the habanos Cigar tubes there is a little slack in the cedar insert. The cigars would have to be constanrly rotated so each side makes contact during the length of the aging process ....

And as far as air exchange, I think you would get the same amount in an airtight container if you didn’t open it.

I think, the cedar cedars being so thin and close, that it would stop pulling much oil after reaching a certain saturation point.

Well, it would be getting more exchange than something truly sealed. But less than some other situations.

It might create a particularly good aging environment, but it would be hard to know for sure.

 

[boltman]

A simple image (photo) of what you call a "tube" would stop the confusion. Or to make it simpler, a picture = 1,000 words.

@SurfnSafari I'm guessing Tom just grabs any available tubes he has similar to the ones pictured above.
Is is possible you guys are overthinking this? Toms experience is that his smokes are improved after tubing for a couple years. So he is doing more. He probably doesn't care why.



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[StuffedSloth]

 

[SurfnSafari]

@SurfnSafari I'm guessing Tom just grabs any available tubes he has similar to the ones pictured above.
Is is possible you guys are overthinking this? Toms experience is that his smokes are improved after tubing for a couple years. So he is doing more. He probably doesn't care why.



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I had 3 - 4 Dozen of those stored away, finally dumped them in the recycle. Mine were from Perdomo.

 

[bwhite220]

 

[Nacho Daddy]

here is a pic so everyone can see what a tube is.
Poor Chuck got derailed at the word "drawers",and has not gotten past it.......