water loggerd cigars

[wooly472]

Due to the ridiculous heat wave hitting va, I've been having trouble keeping my humidor cool. As a last resort to keep it below 80, I stuck it in the mini fridge last night to chill for a couple hours. I ended up falling asleep and forgetting about it. Some time during the ni gtt a storm rolled through and cut the power for five hours. When I checked the humidor today I found that the freezer had thawed and leaked water inside, soaking the bottom row. I have a.few limited edicion PDR's that are like sponges right now, but I mostly had filler cigars on the bottom. However I did have several premiums (including pdr's, oliva, undercrown, etc) that soaked up a little bit of water on the underside. I've lost about a dozen smokes total, but I want to save what I can. If I dry out those that are only damp, will they still smoke and taste ok? If I dry and re humidify the soaked ones, will they be good enough at least for lawn mower smokes? I'm pretty tore up about this right now, so if anyone has any advise it would be nice to hear right about now.

[Treinenwj]

There was another thread recently about this. I can't remember who it was, but another member had some soaked sticks. Lots of good advice in that thread, if you can find it or if someone remembers the name & posts a link here.

[JDog]

There was another thread recently about this. I can't remember who it was, but another member had some soaked sticks. Lots of good advice in that thread, if you can find it or if someone remembers the name & posts a link here.

I'm not sure if this is the link that you are thinking of Bill:
http://www.botl.org/community/forums...ighlight=water

There is some potential advice in there on how to hopefully save those sticks depending on how much water they did soak-up.

[owensaz]

Towel Dry.. Seperate different cigar types... Dry Box with sheets of dry cedar in between each layer.. Restore Rh gradually. < I just did this within the last 2 weeks. Everything smoked fine. "marginal foot damage on a couple" Take your time patience will reward you in the end.

[Treinenwj]

This was the thread I was thinking of: http://www.botl.org/community/forums...ars-and-drying

But owensaz' advice looks pretty good, imo.

[JDog]

This was the thread I was thinking of: http://www.botl.org/community/forums...ars-and-drying

But owensaz' advice looks pretty good, imo.

That's a better link... some good advice all around.

[owensaz]

I currently live in AZ so I'll say my info may not be applicable or out right WRONG to mostly everyone.. Read up make well informed decisions & pray for the best.

GL.

[wooly472]

And this is why I brougt this to the comitee. Great Intel so far.

[CO Smokes]

I just had the same issue and the link above is to the answers I got. So far I was able to save most of them. Good luck!

[wooly472]

I just had the same issue and the link above is to the answers I got. So far I was able to save most of them. Good luck!

I read your original thread. Pure gold in there! I left the damp ones out for a couple hours and they seemed to dry up enough to go back in the humi and readjust. I rigged up some tupperware with some cedar ripped thin on the table saw for the others, well see how it goes. The sticks that you dried, how did they smoke afterwards? Any change in taste?

[CO Smokes]

I've only smoked 2 of them and they were probably the worst 2 in there. They smoked fine and I didn't notice any difference in flavor. I had a few with slight discoloration in the wrapper and I wasn't sure if that could affect flavor but in the end it really didn't make a big difference.
Just don't throw any away, I was getting ready to chuck some of them and they are in much better condition now. Glad I didn't!