Need "Duct Tape & Zip Tie" Humidor Advice

[DanLW]

I'm 32 years old, and until yesterday was a non-smoker who had never used a tobacco product in his life. Yesterday, I tried a JC Newman Brickhouse Robusto, and the experience far exceeded my expectations!

So, on to my problem. I am currently stationed on a forward base in Afghanistan. I went ahead and acquired 4 more cigars from the shoppette, thinking it would be ok to just keep them in the cellophane. But after researching, looks like I was wrong.

So, I need a ghetto-rigged humidor. Now, keep in mind, my resources are extremely limited. Basically limited to what amounts to a poorly stocked convenience store. They do have zip lock bags, and they do have a tupperware container, although it is a bit larger than what I think would be ideal. However, they don't have any actual humidification devices. Also, ordering something will not work as it takes about 3 weeks to get anything out here, and there is a possibility I will be moved to a different base by the time three weeks pass.

Currently, I have them still in the cellophane. I took a travel mug I have, and a folded up facial tissue. I slightly wetted the tissue so that it was damp in the center, but not on the edges. I put that into the bottom of the mug, and put the four cigars in, foot side up so that the part in contact with the tissue was protected by the sealed side of the cellophane. I then put this assembly into a small trash bag and twisted up the top to try to keep it fairly sealed. (Hey, it's what I have on hand) Also, the room I'm in is air conditioned, so temperature is probably somewhere around 70 degrees.

I don't plan to keep more than 4 on hand (at least not until I get home and can get a proper humidor) So if I can get my "travelmugador" to work, it will be fine.

So, is there any way for me to tell if my humidity is anywhere near where it should be without a hygrometer (which I don't have access to)? I figure if that tissue stays slightly damp I should be good, but I figure I should err on the side of too dry rather than too moist.

As far as the condition of the cigars themselves, the shoppette just got them in yesterday, but according to their humidor hygrometer, their humidor is in the low 50% humidity range. The humidor read this when it was empty also, so I don't think it's dry cigars sucking up moisture.

If it's any help, my first cigar I had to re-light 4 times. But I think that may have been me not drawing firmly enough or often enough at the start. Also, I think it started tunneling a couple times. What was happening is I would draw, get smoke, but the outer wrapper didn't seem to be burning. So perhaps they are too moist?

Any advice appreciated! Thank you!

 

[twenty5]

They might be a bit over humidified judging by the way they smoked.. I would take the wet tissue out of the travel mug and use the mug as is. The best way to tell if they are keeping a good humidity is to give them a little pinch (this gets easier as you start to know how you like your cigars). Pinch the cigar, you dont want to hear a lot of cracking (too dry) and you dont want it to be very squishy (too moist), you are looking for something in between.

Another thing you may want to consider (besides using the travel mug I mean) is to let them store the cigars for you.. If its easy for you to get over to the shop when you want a cigar (or a couple hours to a day before) then you might as well buy them 1 by 1 and let them worry about humidity.

 

[Jwrussell]

What Justin said, especially the last part. You really don't have the tools necessary to keep things for very long, though I have to give props to the MacGyver-ish way you went about things. :thumbsup:

If you are only going to keep them for a short period of time, say less than a week, just toss them in a ziplock bag (or two, one inside the other). The tupperdor would work great as well, but as you say, may be bigger than what you need. And without any real humidification system or hygrometer, you are pretty much stuck with the condition they come to you in. As Justin said above, it sounds like they may have been a bit overly humidified. That, and the humidity within the cigar itself may have not been even (the tunneling). The fact that the shop had just gotten them in kind of leads me in that direction. If they are coming in slightly over humidified, then leaving them in a ziplock for a few days might help even things out and allow them to dry out just a tad (ziplocks are somewhat permeable and you are in an arid environment-I assume).

Good luck! Perhaps someone here will have some better idea on how to MacGyver-up a more reliable humidification system for you.

 

[Herfin' Harg]

Tunneling and relighting is is something you generally see when you're overhumidified or if the outer layers of a cigar are substantially more humidified than the interior. The latter problem occurs most usually when cigars are "shocked" by exposing them to particularly moist environment when they've been kept relatively dry previously. (Coincidentally, I had the misfortune to try to light a Joya De Nicaragua Antano 70 last night about 15 minutes before some unexpected rain, and had much the same problem.)

It doesn't really sound like temperature is a problem, so that suggests that the tissue you've soaked is allowing much more moisture into the bag than you'd like. This makes sense given that, if a substance prone to absorption, it will be similarly prone to transfer of moisture back into dry air.

If anything, you might try adding an extra bag into the mix. Bagging the cigars in an almost-completely-sealed inner liner/bag and placing whatever humidification device you are able to come up with inside of a "shell" bag or tupperware container may slow the absorption of moisture and keep your cigars humidified evenly.

The other thing you might be adventurous enough to try is using saltwater instead of tap water to soak the paper. Saltwater tends to maintain a relative humidity very close to 70% at 70 degrees, so a lot of folks will use that to test/calibrate their hygrometers. I'm not sure how its properties might interact with the tissue paper, but it might be worth a shot.

 

[LoneSmoker]

Hey DanLW, send me your mailing information and I'll get you all set up. No worries. you have a nice little go anywhere humi for a few sticks and room for a bit more. It won't be fancy but it will get the job done. Improvise, adapt, and overcome, right?

 

[D Quintero]

The solution is to exhale into the tupperware, if the smokes are dryer , exhale a 3/4 blast, if their good, go half.
the air you exhale is saturated (100% relative humidity) or
very close to it and is still at a temperature that is usually warmer
than ambient. So as the exhaled air cools to the ambient temperature, it is supersaturated.

 

[dpricenator]

ziplock bag inside the coffe mug would be good. moist napkin on the outside of the ziplock.

 

[DanLW]

Wow, thanks for all the quick replies! Lots of great advice here. And thanks for taking me seriously - I had to laugh at myself when I realized what I was typing... cigars... in a travel mug... in a trash bag... Seriously, I generally like to do things right, but out here, ingenuity has to be utilized at times. In fact, I actually did make a fly swatter out of duct tape and zip ties (really big thick zip ties)

@twenty5

Yeah, I thought about having the store store them, but there are two caveats. First, I decided over a week ago that I wanted to try a cigar. Several days before we all got the news about Bin Laden. However, the shoppette was out of cigars. Well, ok, they had "Black n Mild"s, and "Swisher Sweets", but I knew enough to know that these were crap. Probably every day for over a week I peeked in, only to see that empty humidor. Well, now they're in, but the problem is, a place like this fosters the hoarding instinct. I want to have cigars available so that I'm not stuck waiting another several weeks when they run out again. That and their digital hygrometer reads about 50%. I'll continue to monitor the shoppette's supply, and will try to not go crazy again.

I'll continue to monitor by feel. I have squeezed them some, but I have been careful. They do have a little give to them, but I wouldn't call them squishy.

@jwrussel
According to the weather page, we are at 25% humidity. We've been getting afternoon thunderstorms, and the days have been uncomfortably humid at times. Hard to believe considering everything around here is brown. But I will definitely get a ziploc tomorrow and store the "humidification device" outside the bag. As of now, I unwound the bag around the mug, and have it loosely draped over. I felt the tissue and it feels barely moist.

@Herfin' Harg
It may be overhumid, but I'm not sure. My first cigar was before the travelmugador. That one I purchased, and it set within the cellophane for at least an hour before I smoked it. As far as transport, it arrived here in a "Jingle Truck" which the Afghan version of a cargo truck. So it's history is suspect.

For the tunneling, perhaps I should describe more how I lit and smoked it, and perhaps we can narrow down if it is an overhumid cigar or bad technique. I did toast it, and was able to eventually get the whole end lit. I blew on the end to assure that the whole end glowed. However, I'm pretty sure my draws at first were too light. It was my first time, after all, and I wanted to make sure I didn't inhale. That and I was talking with a friend, so I may not have been puffing on it often enough.

After the first relight, I did probably get a good 3/4 to 1" of ash before it started again. And when I relit, I didn't do it the proper way, which is to cut off the end and start over (learned that tonight when I researched tunneling), but I just got the ring burning again until I could see a cherry over the whole end. So my re-lighting technique is also suspect.

I will follow the advice I have seen echoed, and buy some zip lock bags tomorrow, and will keep my "humidification device" outside the bag.

@LoneSmoker
Wow, thanks! However, I'd be worried it won't make it here in time. I'm at a point in my deployment where I may or may not get moved somewhere else in the coming weeks, and I'd hate to have somebody go through the expense of shipping only to get the package back return to sender after a couple months.

I do have an idea, though. There are some cigar boxes there, and I talked with the manager a couple days ago when I asked him when I could expect some cigars. He seemed pretty cool, and he's a cigar smoker also, so I'll see if he can hook me up with one of the boxes.

@D Quintero
The breath trick makes a lot of sense, and now that I think of it, I do recall reading it somewhere before. Too bad my travel mug isn't big enough for me to get the lid on. I have a couple long sticks that are a tad too tall. I'll look again at the shoppette, but all they had tonight were casserole size tupperware containers. Can't imagine what anybody would need something that size for out here... unless they really want to hoard cigars!

@dprecinator
Thanks, looks like everybody is in agreement with the cigars on the inside, "humidifier" on the outside.

Thanks!

 

[danthebugman]

Have access to a Pelican Case?? Seems I recall another guy a little while back that posted a pic of a bunch of unused ones and managed to score a few. Also someone on here managed to find a "humidor bag" at one of their command post shops which would be an option, but also contains a Boveda (or similar) packet. Toss the Boveda in the Pelican and you're set.

Dan

P.S. Get over to the Intro section and tell us about yourself!

 

[tobii3]

Seems I recall another guy a little while back that posted a pic of a bunch of unused ones and managed to score a few.

That was me Dan.

Don't know why our newest member here is using a "travelmugador" when we have so many better options within arms reach...even on a FOB...

Let's see....Ammo cans....a la "La Finca Ammo-dors" from JR Cigars. Airtight and good grief, they multiply during hours of darkness...:grin:

Not hard to find one, clean it up, wash it out and POOF! Voila! Instant humidor!

Pelican cases, Storm Cases, PVS-7 cases...seen ALL of them converted throughout my career.

The PX/Shopettes even sell the mini Pelican cases as well out here.

What we need Dan to do is become friends with his unit's Armorer. Then he will understand!!

:thumbsup:

 

[DanLW]

Have access to a Pelican Case?? Seems I recall another guy a little while back that posted a pic of a bunch of unused ones and managed to score a few. Also someone on here managed to find a "humidor bag" at one of their command post shops which would be an option, but also contains a Boveda (or similar) packet. Toss the Boveda in the Pelican and you're set.

Dan

P.S. Get over to the Intro section and tell us about yourself!

I was told by somebody that they did have humidor bags at one point in the shoppette. I'll keep an eye out for those to come back in.

Checked the cigars this morning, and the tissue was still mildly damp. The cigars themselves do have some give to them. I'm going to smoke one tonight, and I'll report on how the cigar feels and burns.

I will be typing up my first experience for the intro section soon.

 

[DanLW]

SCORE!!!

The shoppette had two boxes of the Brickhouse cigars, but just 4 left in one box. So I asked if I could have the box, and they gave it to me for free! So now I have upgraded from my travelmugador to a decent cedar (I assume it's spanish cedar) cigar box! It also has two cedar blocks in it, but not humidity gauge.

The wood is darker, not a really light tan. So it would seem the wood is already "wet". I put my 3 remaining cigars in it, minus the cellophane. Any tips on how to keep this set up right?

BTW, the cigar I smoked tonight smoked much better. Canoes a tiny bit near the end, probably because I was puffing more often than I should have. But the burn was perfect at the start, and the ash held on for over an inch. This was a Cuesta Rey Centenario Pyramid #9 which is a 6 1/4" x 52.

 

[Jwrussell]

Stick the box in a large zip-lock or tupperware container. Cigar boxes are not meant to work as humidors, they will 'leak' like crazy. But in a sealed environment (ziplock/tupperware) the spanish cedar will help to control the humidity to some degree.

 

[Danilo]

You gotta find yourself a pelican box! there must be one that is not in use.
That would be your best bet.

 

[DanLW]

Ok, here's my current setup:



What I have done, twice so far, is to coat one of the cedar blocks with water, just rubbing the whole block with a wetted finger until the whole surface is dark, then I put it in, with the dry block against the cigars so that they don't get wet. It doesn't seem to take very long before the wetted block is the same color as the unwetted one. Not sure if there is a way to guestimate humidity based on this or not.... I may just have to risk buying a calibratable hygrometer from Amazon. It's looking like I will not be moving until I go home in August, but the details of my deployment have changed at least a dozen times...

 

[SuprHasan]

Ok, here's my current setup:



What I have done, twice so far, is to coat one of the cedar blocks with water, just rubbing the whole block with a wetted finger until the whole surface is dark, then I put it in, with the dry block against the cigars so that they don't get wet. It doesn't seem to take very long before the wetted block is the same color as the unwetted one. Not sure if there is a way to guestimate humidity based on this or not.... I may just have to risk buying a calibratable hygrometer from Amazon. It's looking like I will not be moving until I go home in August, but the details of my deployment have changed at least a dozen times...

Along with digi hygro, get a Boveda calibration kit and a couple of Boveda pack to your % liking. That'll be completely worry free storing. Forget Amazon, Ron @ Cigar Solutions sells them and he's a BOTL brother here.
PM Ron here: http://www.botl.org/community/forums/private.php?do=newpm&u=60
or go to http://www.cigarsolutions.com

 

[DanLW]

Ok, I put an order in. Sorry, went to Amazon. I would have gotten them from Heartfelt, but I guess he is on vacation until June, and I kinda need some sort of stable control now.

I ordered a Humidistat hygrometer, the tiny digital one with the adjustment knob, and two Drymistat tubes. I also ordered a Cuban Crafters cigar cutter. It should all be here sometime in the first half of June.

For now, I've soaked the two cedar sticks in my humidor, and I am checking the cigars daily. They pass the pinch test fine, so far. They compress, and immediately spring back. So they aren't hard, and they aren't spongy.

Once I get home, I do intend to go to Heartfelt and get some beads, and maybe a nice lighter. Probably also a travel pouch so when I go to a friends place, I can keep the cigar(s) humidified. That's what I'll use the drymistats for once I get the beads - they're cigar shaped, so they're perfect for a 2-3 cigar pouch.