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Do you freeze?

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There is lots of discussion regarding whether to freeze cigars after you buy them and before they go into your humidor, but I'm wondering about this home-rolling community. Do you freeze your sticks before they go into the humi?

Personally, I freeze every cigar I purchase and every cigar I have rolled in the past. I just about to start some rolling again after a couple of years hiatus and I'll be freezing them before they get to move in and live with my other sticks.
 
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There is lots of discussion regarding whether to freeze cigars after you buy them and before they go into your humidor, but I'm wondering about this home-rolling community. Do you freeze your sticks before they go into the humi?

Personally, I freeze every cigar I purchase and every cigar I have rolled in the past. I just about to start some rolling again after a couple of years hiatus and I'll be freezing them before they get to move in and live with my other sticks.
Nope
 
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Wow, 3 no's so far. Doesn't anyone share my fear of beetles? I see freezing as a simple insurance policy..... or maybe it's the price they have to pay to live in the climate controlled luxury of my beautiful humidor.
 

sofc

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Wow, 3 no's so far. Doesn't anyone share my fear of beetles? I see freezing as a simple insurance policy..... or maybe it's the price they have to pay to live in the climate controlled luxury of my beautiful humidor.
Many people on here freeze just to be safe. In decades of keeping cigars, I've only had beetles on 2 sticks that I've received from someone on BOTL. Nothing wrong with freezing but I don't worry about my sticks so much.
 

sofc

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This...a large number of manufacturers freeze already before shipping. I have other shit to worry about...
I had not heard that but I imagine they must do something as I do not think the shipping containers have AC.
 

BigSkySmoke

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https://www.cigarworld.com/education/tobacco-411/quality-assurance-and-deep-freezing/

Quality Assurance and Deep Freezing

BY: JHONYS DIAZ, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS - GENERAL CIGAR DOMINICANA
We mentioned that each cigar is draw tested to ensure that it is not rolled too tightly. This is only part of the story. Our tobacco is inspected at various stages throughout its processing, by people who are devoted to ensuring the quality and consistency of the products we bring to our consumers.

We also conduct humidity tests on our cigars, to ensure that they are at the required moisture level (13-15%). This ensures that the cigars will have an even draw and that their flavor is optimal.

Every single cigar is also inspected several times to ensure that it is filled with the proper amount of tobacco, and that it is made to our high standards of aesthetics.

To me and to the people who are involved in making our cigars, every cigar that is brought out to the market is a reflection on us. We take great pride in our work. And it is of the utmost importance to us that we give the best of ourselves to the people who buy our cigars.

After the cigars are banded and placed in their tubes, the cigars receive one final inspection before the box is sealed for the final process of deep freezing.

The last step of the process is the deep freezing chamber which is used to ensure that the finished cigars are free from the dreaded lasioderma, aka the tobacco beetle. Cigars are packed in shipping cartons and placed in this specialized freezer for a total of six days. During this time, their internal temperature is brought all the way down to minus 20° F. The cigars are then left inside the chamber for another 48 hours, to warm up until their internal temperature reaches 40 ⁰F. This is the absolute last step of the process. The product is then ready to be loaded in the container and shipped by air or sea, in accordance with the requirements of customs requirements at their country of destination.
 
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I am expecting a shipment of leaf in the next few days so I looked back at this thread. It amazes me that none of the rollers here seem to freeze their leaves. Many manufacturers recognize the potential for beetles and therefore freeze everything before it leaves the factory. I understand that Cuba doesn't freeze cigars (probably too expensive) but they use lots of pesticides (Yuk).
I assume the leaf we are getting has had no special processes to avoid the common tobacco beetle so I drop the vacuum sealed packages into my freezer for 4 days. Then I never have to worry about it. I guess those who don't worried about it have never had a beetle problem. It may not be a common problem but personally, I don't want to wait until it happens to me.
 
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I believe deep freezing (-40 F or so) kills larvae and beetles not the eggs. not sure about our freezers.
The key to produce larvae and beetles is above 80 RH and 80F temperature.
 
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I'm not a stickler at exact details. I can't reference where I read eggs are not effected by freezing but, it had to do with the lack of moister in them. I was able to produce beetles in commercial sticks as well as leaf though.
 

Dominican56

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I freeze my raw leaf as it comes in. The new package of leaf goes into the freezer for a few weeks. When I started this rolling thing I didn't freeze leaf. Then, while rolling some I had a beetle run across the cutting board. So, now I freeze all raw leaf as I get it.
 
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