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  • BOTL UPCOMING MAINTENANCE

    Hi Everyone, as mentioned in my introduction post, BOTL needs quite a bit of updating, patching and whatever else I might come across. Over the next few weekends BOTL may be unreachable on occasion as I do migrations or updates, etc. Just be patient - we'll be back! I'll generally try to keep these maintenances until later in the evenings.

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  1. Bruce T.

    Quick freezing your smokes question

    I used to use the fridge as an intermediary step coming out of the freezer. Then I got lazy and just went from freezer to winador. I've done this many times now with no problems. Maybe I'm just both lazy and lucky. I always go a minimum 4 days in the freezer for all cigars before they are...
  2. Bruce T.

    Show us your latest leaf purchase

    Most of my rolling is done over the winter when it is too cold to smoke, but I had an urge to do some summertime rolling.
  3. Bruce T.

    Pics of Your Sticks

    There is some great photography here. Wasn't there someone who was going to pick a monthly winner for best cigar photo?
  4. Bruce T.

    Seed to cigar: My journey to grow, harvest, ferment and roll my own cigars!

    I assume you are aware that you should cut off the seed pods so that the plant does not use it's energy to develop seeds. This is called "topping". You can let one plant develop seeds if you want to harvest them but they're so cheap to buy I never bothered. You should also be cutting off the...
  5. Bruce T.

    Wino Humidity Observation

    My guess is that the Bovida packs are too small and you're getting some condensation in the Newair. Is there any dampness on the bottom? I don't use Bodida packs so I don't know how much you need for that volume. I use kitty litter and I have a large tray of it in my winador.
  6. Bruce T.

    Great Story

    Thanks for the story. It's the first thing I read this morning and it made me think of my father, who has been gone for 5 years.
  7. Bruce T.

    Pics of Your Sticks

    Those are beautiful! I wish mine looked that good.
  8. Bruce T.

    Seed to cigar: My journey to grow, harvest, ferment and roll my own cigars!

    I grew my plants in 5 gal. pails. Here is a photo showing the roots after the harvest.
  9. Bruce T.

    Another fakes thread

    Besides all the other problems with these sticks, I don't think CC's have "Made in Habana" written in english on the box.
  10. Bruce T.

    Seed to cigar: My journey to grow, harvest, ferment and roll my own cigars!

    I can't help with the problem you're having with the leaves but I can offer a couple pieces of advice. One, water them often. Being in pots they will dry out very quickly so be aware of that. Second, tobacco is a heavy feeder so it needs lots of nutrients. The soil in those pots will not be...
  11. Bruce T.

    sand on the leaf

    On some leaf I've bought there is fine dirt/sand on it. It's not noticeable until I feel the cutting board I've been working on and it is full of grit. Have you guys noticed this and do you do anything about it? I have gone to the trouble of rinsing my leaf under running water to get the...
  12. Bruce T.

    Wall Hanging Humidor by Vigilant, Inc.

    Those are beautiful humidors. I saw a photo of one like that a few years ago. It was an old, ornate picture frame that was turned into a humidor. It would be quite easy to do if you're handy. I've been thinking about doing it for a while. Maybe someday.
  13. Bruce T.

    How to lower RH when using KL ?

    It sounds like a good idea but it does reinforce my belief that KL has a natural RH environment of around 69%. That is why the KL is recharging your Bovedas. If the KL kept the environment at 65% like the Bovedas then they would not be releasing moisture into the air for the Bovedas to absorb...
  14. Bruce T.

    How to lower RH when using KL ?

    In response.... Why change if I'm happy? That's very true. I guess I just want to find out what I might be missing. I assumed that my KL would always try to equalize at 69% but maybe I just have to dry it out like you guys suggested. I'll try the ideas put and see what happens. Thanks.
  15. Bruce T.

    How to lower RH when using KL ?

    Many of the experienced brothers here recommend an RH of 62-65%. I use kitty litter in my winador and it works amazing. It holds it at 69% and I add a spritz of water about 4 times per year. It is incredibly stable and worry free. I assume that this is the natural RH that this KL wants to...
  16. Bruce T.

    creating a smooth blend

    I did read through this. It is very detailed and interesting but in the introduction refers to cigar tobacco as being fermented but does not specifically refer to any additives. It seems to imply that additives (mojo) are used in cigarette, pipe and other types of tobacco products but not...
  17. Bruce T.

    creating a smooth blend

    Wow! I just watched this video from the Mojo thread ( ). This is news to me. I have read dozens of books and watched hundreds of videos on cigars and tobacco production. Never have I heard that "flavoring" the tobacco was part of the process. Is this common? Do farms do this to most...
  18. Bruce T.

    Rotate or Not???

    I believe there are two kinds of cigar aficionados. One loves the hobby and wants to be involved on a daily basis. These are the ones who rotate. The other kind also loves the hobby but is not interested in being involved on a daily basis. These are the ones who check the RH every few weeks...
  19. Bruce T.

    Making the next step, building a new coolidor

    Very nice! Now you can just glue some thin oak veneer plywood to the outside, add a bit of oak trim, and BINGO, you've got a piece of furniture.
  20. Bruce T.

    Making the next step, building a new coolidor

    I think we need a photo.
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