What's new

Is this a problem?

StogieNinja

Derek | BoM June 2014
Rating - 100%
223   0   0
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
6,466
Location
WA
It's beetles. You probably want to freeze the stash now that you know they were/are in there.
 
Rating - 100%
29   0   0
Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Messages
13,720
Location
Long Island, New York, USA
Yup, beetles. I saw the hole in a cigar of mine a while back and immediately took it out and smoked it anyway. And I must've killed the little bastard because he fell out of one of the holes he created when I smoked it.

Check your stash though and freeze the smokes.


Sent from my cellular device via tap to talk
 
Rating - 100%
29   0   0
Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Messages
13,720
Location
Long Island, New York, USA
What about my humidor?
I'd check the drawers and shelves too. Maybe take a dry cloth to them??

I took all the drawers out one by one and inspected my cigars that were in them to make sure none of the little bastards were still around. I gently cleaned off the drawers with a dry towel and rotated the stash then put them back in humidor.

Others might have suggestions or something they do when this happens to them.


Sent from my cellular device via tap to talk
 

StogieNinja

Derek | BoM June 2014
Rating - 100%
223   0   0
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
6,466
Location
WA
Most recommend wiping down with isopropyl alcohol. If it's one of the smaller, wooden humidors, I would just bag it freeze it separately as well, then re-season. I wouldn't trust just wiping it down to remove any larvae.
 
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Joined
Mar 12, 2017
Messages
472
Location
Miami
Thanks, all, for the information and advice.

I have put all of the cigars from the humidor into a gallon ZipLock bag and they are currently chilling in the refrigerator. I'm going to put the humidor into the freezer as well once I get it wrapped in plastic wrap (my wife was freaked out about the idea of bug eggs and larvae in with our food so the plastic wrap is mostly to mollify her) and figure out how to make enough room for it.

Though I haven't yet gone over all of the sticks with a magnifying glass to look for pinholes, the only holes I saw were under the band and I am still holding out hope that the band stopped them.

Fortunately I have a bunch of cigars in a airtight Lexan container that were never mixed in with the infested stick. (Though I'll inspect those as well.) That's more than enough to get me past the rehab time.

If I understand the issue properly the best way to avoid experiencing this in the future would be to get a wineador. The investment makes sense considering the replacement cost of the sticks currently chilling in the refrigerator. I'm hoping that my wife's reaction to the very idea of bugs will remove any objections to the purchase!

2017-07-10 17.44.00.jpg
 
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
Joined
Jun 6, 2014
Messages
2,403
Location
Joplin, MO
Thanks, all, for the information and advice.

I have put all of the cigars from the humidor into a gallon ZipLock bag and they are currently chilling in the refrigerator. I'm going to put the humidor into the freezer as well once I get it wrapped in plastic wrap (my wife was freaked out about the idea of bug eggs and larvae in with our food so the plastic wrap is mostly to mollify her) and figure out how to make enough room for it.

Though I haven't yet gone over all of the sticks with a magnifying glass to look for pinholes, the only holes I saw were under the band and I am still holding out hope that the band stopped them.

Fortunately I have a bunch of cigars in a airtight Lexan container that were never mixed in with the infested stick. (Though I'll inspect those as well.) That's more than enough to get me past the rehab time.

If I understand the issue properly the best way to avoid experiencing this in the future would be to get a wineador. The investment makes sense considering the replacement cost of the sticks currently chilling in the refrigerator. I'm hoping that my wife's reaction to the very idea of bugs will remove any objections to the purchase!

View attachment 98254
I suggest you get some gallon FREEZER bags and put about 10 cigars per bag. Remove as much air as possible and then double bag with another freezer bag. They have to go in the freezer for at least 72 hours. Remove from freezer and roll bags in a bath towel and I put them in a cooler for 24 hours to slowly bring them back to temp and then they are ready to go in a clean humidor. I have never heard of freezing a humidor. It may be fine, but I would be worried such a rapid change of temp and humidity might damage the seal. I would shake and wipe it out real good and take a shop vac to it really good focusing on the nooks and crannies.
 
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Joined
Mar 12, 2017
Messages
472
Location
Miami
I suggest you get some gallon FREEZER bags and put about 10 cigars per bag. Remove as much air as possible and then double bag with another freezer bag. They have to go in the freezer for at least 72 hours. Remove from freezer and roll bags in a bath towel and I put them in a cooler for 24 hours to slowly bring them back to temp and then they are ready to go in a clean humidor. I have never heard of freezing a humidor. It may be fine, but I would be worried such a rapid change of temp and humidity might damage the seal. I would shake and wipe it out real good and take a shop vac to it really good focusing on the nooks and crannies.
It's a freezer ZipLock, but your suggestion to double up sounds wise. Thanks.
 
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Joined
Mar 12, 2017
Messages
472
Location
Miami
Can you tell me how you think you got the STD of the cigar world? Did you co-mingle with infected cigars or do you think you got careless with your protection?
How? It was a La Aroma de Cuba, and, yes it was mixed in with a bunch of other brands in my humidor. I think it's fair to say that I got careless with my protection because the humidor is at room temperature: generally 73 - 76 degrees.
 
Rating - 100%
12   0   0
Joined
Jul 6, 2016
Messages
545
Location
Bethlehem, PA
I never put cigars in my home humidor without freezing them first, unless theyre super HTF. Padron and LAdC are the worst for beetles, never had one in a fuente or AJF. Ive never noticed a difference in flavor from freezing when done properly, and I like the peace of mind (not having a wineador, my humi gets up to 80 degrees sometimes)
 
Rating - 100%
35   0   0
Joined
Apr 6, 2016
Messages
538
Location
Lucedale
I need to freeze some sticks. Just as a precaution. Can you leave them in the freezer too long? Going out of town. Thought about doing it then. Is 5 days too long?
 
Rating - 100%
12   0   0
Joined
Jul 6, 2016
Messages
545
Location
Bethlehem, PA
I need to freeze some sticks. Just as a precaution. Can you leave them in the freezer too long? Going out of town. Thought about doing it then. Is 5 days too long?
Since 72 hours is recommended, and theyd probably be frozen by then, I think 5 days is a bit of overkill but they should be alright, as long as you thaw them real slow
 
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Joined
May 21, 2017
Messages
1
It's a freezer ZipLock, but your suggestion to double up sounds wise. Thanks.
When I get new sticks of any kind, from any source ... I always vacuum seal the sticks with a FoodSaver, then place bag in a gallon Ziplock freezer bag, place them in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then throw it in the deep freeze chest for 4 days, then into the fridge for 24 hours, then in the tupperdor ... which is at a constant and monitored 64* in my office's server room. I have too much $$ devoted to the lifestyle to warrant risking the sticks to a preventable demise.
 
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
771
Location
Almonte, Ontario
I also freeze every cigar before it goes into my humidor. It takes about 1 minute to put the cigars into a zip-lock and drop them in the freezer for a few days, but the piece of mind lasts forever.
 
Top