My dad did something goofy with my travel humidor ...

[Coolhand]

Just got back from a trip with my father, who enjoys cigars but really has no interest in refining his palette or anything of that sort. I buy him Cusano M1's, he smokes them, enjoys them, and that's that. All well and good.

Well, I took my travel humidor (one of those X-Tremes, the waterproof boxes converted to a humi) and loaded it with some M1's for him and an assortment of sticks for myself, and told him to help himself to the M1's.

While I was out photographing some stuff on the last day of our trip, he got himself an M1 and started to smoke, but apparently, about halfway through, started feeling ill (nothing to do with the cigar, of course). So his solution was to take his cutter, snip off the lit portion, and stick it back in the box.

I didn't catch this until getting back home well over 24 hours later. When I opened the humi to take the sticks out and put them back in my cabinet, I noticed the smell of burned cigar right away. Is this going to affect the taste of the other sticks inside? Because there's a couple I haven't had a chance to sample yet and now I'm not sure I'll get the right flavor out of them (I might wind up getting a bad taste off a cigar that's actually good).

Also ... the box stinks. Is there a safe way to clean it out without leaving any odor in it? Or do I just pop it open and let it air out thoroughly?

 

[dpricenator]

WOW that sucks. I don't know what to tell you to do, A mild soap and air dry might help the box, but I'm not sre on the smokes. I would store them seperately.

 

[Broadway Joe]

That's a tough call, I've never had to deal with that issue but I've heard stories...I'm sure someone here can give you some good advice. I would be doing the same thing that you're doing if that happened to me

 

[RigilKent]

clean the box the smokes might be a goner.

 

[jwintosh]

i'd keep 'em separate from your other stash and smoke em!,,, they shouldn't acquire the burnt taste (maybe if they were rubbing against each other). as for the odor, i'd let it air dry!

 

[caudio51]

I would do a couple things.

1. Do not put those sticks into your humidor. Get some tupperware and put them in there. I would still smoke them, just know there might be some flavor issues.
2. Try airing out the otterbox/extreme caddy before cleaning it. If a few days of fresh air does not get rid of the smell, I would take some mild soap to it and rinse very well.

The foam trays might hold the smell and need replacing. If so, see Ron at Cigar Solutions.

Hope this helps.

Good luck with the smell.

 

[dpricenator]

i'd keep 'em separate from your other stash and smoke em!

Yep these smoke in particular would be my rotation from now until they are gone. Just smoke em up.

 

[Volusianator]

Trash the sticks, they can be replaced.

Wash the box with mild detergent and let it dry good.

Replace the foam.

Lesson learned.

 

[dpricenator]

No trashing the sticks,:nono: I'll smoke them if that's the route you're taking

 

[Coolhand]

Oh, heavens no. I'll smoke 'em; I'll just be aware that they may be a bit tainted. I'll start with one of the M1's - I'm familiar with the way they smoke, so if it's off, I'll notice it.

I cannot detect any of that burned aroma on any of the cigars - all I can smell is the cigar itself - and the Trilogy exotic maduros smell completely differently from, say, the M1's -- so maybe I'm safe. Perhaps the fact that I kept the cello on saved 'em.

The humi itself, however, reeks. I cannot remove the foam from the lid without simply ripping it out - glued on. As arid as it is here, I think I can run the other layers of foam through a mild soap and water bath, rinse the hell out of them, wring 'em and let 'em air-dry and they should come out pretty good ...

But if not, where does one get replacement foam for these things, and any suggestions on the foam in the lid?

 

[dpricenator]

Ron at Cigarsolutions can help you with all of that, but he's on vacation at the moment, try to fget it claen by washing and see what happens. if al is not cool in a week ask ron.

 

[RigilKent]

the sponsors should have some sort of foam inserts for you. good luck man

 

[Benzopyrene]

If you leave the humidor opened in a well ventilated area the smell should go away. Its akn to taking your herfador or whatever you use into the smoke shop for the day. It gets smoke in it, but that goes away. The cigars... Well, if you let em sit long enough you wont taste a thing! Set em down for a year or so, and come back to them. That way they are not wasted, and you have another reason to buy some more smokes for the moment!

 

[jmatkins]

i'd keep 'em separate from your other stash and smoke em!,,, they shouldn't acquire the burnt taste (maybe if they were rubbing against each other). as for the odor, i'd let it air dry!

What he said.

 

[CWS]

Ouch. The suggestions here are good. After cleaning your might try a little baking soda for a while to absorb excess oder. Cigars absorb anything close to them, cedar, plastic, ash smell. If they taste OK smoke em but keep them separate. AT least they were not uber expensive. A buddy of mine was house sitting and clled my to join him for a cigar. He mentioned the owner had a 50 count humi and did not mind smoking in the house. We got curious so checked out the humi and there right next to 24 beautiful cohiba esplendidos was a partially smoked one. When you opened the humi all you could smell was the acrid waft of stale burnt cigar butt. WHat a waste.

Count your blessings.

 

[Volusianator]

Oh Chuck, why even post such a horrific story? I'm probably gonna think of tht as I lay down for bed tonight, agreed, what a waste.

 

[RigilKent]

wade is right now im going to have nightmares

 

[Coolhand]

Yeah, I had some $7 cigars in there but nothing worth more than that. I didn't want to take any really pricey cigars on the trip since I had no idea where / if I'd really be able to smoke - I wasn't even sure of the smoking laws in MS.

Found out it's legal in bars in MS, but the town I was in (Greenwood) has a ban in place.

 

[Moglman]

As tragic as this sounds, it's still pretty funny, as long as the lesson is learned (you did tell him that's a no-no and why, right?). It's not funny if you GF puts a half toasted 'gar in your desktop while you're out of town. Sounds like you are fixing it.

 

[earnold25]

i'd separate the smokes from the rest of your stash. keep em in some tupperware. and let your travel-dor air outside for a few days. hopefully the smell is not in the little green foam part too bad.

My girlfriend made this mistake with a half smoked Acid and it made the beads i had in my tupperdor stink like the dickens. luckily i let them dry out and the smell went away as well. thus, she was allowed to live.