I have watched countless videos on cigar production from many of the major manufacturers. One thing they almost never mention is if they freeze or fumigate to remove the risk of beetles. I have often read the Habanos S.A. does this to all their cigars and I'm sure other do as well. My question is "who is doing this?" Can someone enlighten me regarding how common this is and maybe how exactly is is done? It is the one part of the cigar process that I can't find much info on.
freezing and fumigating ??
- Thread starter Bruce T.
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I put mine in doubled freezer bags and remove as much air as possible. Put them in the freezer for 72 hours. Remove and leave in the bag and wrap them with a towel and put the towel in an ice chest for 24 hours to come back to temp slowly. After 24 hour they go into my coolidor. I usually let them rest at least a month before smoking, but I don't think it's necessary.
Nacho Daddy
Irrepressibly Irreverent Inveterate Ignominy
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double plastic bag
fridge for 12 hrs
freezer for 72 hrs
fridge for 12 hrs
let come back to room temp
back into storage
there is a chart floating around specifying how long to freeze based on the temp of the freezer,less time for colder temps,etc.
have been freezing in a standard home freezer for years with zero beetles
freezing is particularly important for any cigars sourced from Cuba, (esp. customs)
they do not freeze home sale sticks....
fridge for 12 hrs
freezer for 72 hrs
fridge for 12 hrs
let come back to room temp
back into storage
there is a chart floating around specifying how long to freeze based on the temp of the freezer,less time for colder temps,etc.
have been freezing in a standard home freezer for years with zero beetles
freezing is particularly important for any cigars sourced from Cuba, (esp. customs)
they do not freeze home sale sticks....
I've heard a few times that there are a few manufacturers that freeze their cigars but I have never had any of that information confirmed from the sources. I take the approach of freezing every cigar I receive just as some extra insurance. I would still do it even if I knew the sticks I was buying were treated by the manufacturer. If nothing else it makes me feel better at night knowing I have done something to try and prevent a dreaded beetle outbreak in my very hard earned stash.
I would love to hear some facts about what manufacturers do if anyone has any.
I would love to hear some facts about what manufacturers do if anyone has any.
I've read that tobacco beetles are very common in the fields. They thrive in tobacco growing areas as you would expect. If producers or manufacturers didn't do something about the problem I think we would see beetles much more often then we do. If you Google the subject you will find many people casually mention that manufacturers freeze their cigars but there are no details and no info directly from the manufacturers.
BTW, I freeze all cigars before they are allowed into my humidor. 3-4 days in the freezer in a zip-lock and 1 day in the fridge when they come out. I've never seen any affect on the cigars and I've never had a beetle problem.
BTW, I freeze all cigars before they are allowed into my humidor. 3-4 days in the freezer in a zip-lock and 1 day in the fridge when they come out. I've never seen any affect on the cigars and I've never had a beetle problem.
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I was always under the impression if your temperature and RH are under 70s, beetles shouldn't be an issue but I haven't been doing this as long as others here.
I've frozen once just because the conditions at a B&M I bought from were questionable and I my humidor was fulled up so figure try it out. I didn't see any difference in smoking them. I did 72 hours in the freeze then a day in the fridge. But I haven't done it since then since my temperature and RH are kept in the mid-60s.
I've always been told that beetles are not a problem if the temperature is kept below 70 ...... but I won't risk it. I have too much money invested in my inventory. What if for some reason the temperature gets too high for a few days. It's not like I can go back in time and correct it. I've also heard of some very fancy environmentally controlled humidors becoming infected. Don't know why but it scares me. Freezing is so simple. I just got into the habit as my inventory grew.
Speaking of people who should not have had a problem, here is a video of Gordon Mott, editor of Cigar Aficionado talking about his beetle problem http://video.cigaraficionado.com/play/id/799454672001/name/Cigar_101:_Tobacco_Beetles . If he can have a problem then I figure anyone can, unless they take precautions beforehand.
Speaking of people who should not have had a problem, here is a video of Gordon Mott, editor of Cigar Aficionado talking about his beetle problem http://video.cigaraficionado.com/play/id/799454672001/name/Cigar_101:_Tobacco_Beetles . If he can have a problem then I figure anyone can, unless they take precautions beforehand.
I had the same opinion when I watched that video, Gordon Mott knows what he is doing and if he can get beetles anybody can, so I freeze everything. Maybe it's the second time they have been frozen or there were no beetles at any stage of their life in there, but it's a better safe than sorry attitude for me.
The problem with this is if your vendor let conditions become favorable for hatching, and you took delivery right after the hatch, you wouldn't know you had a problem until after they were in your humidor. I freeze everything except CCs purchased outside of Cuba. Never noticed any differences in flavor or condition of the wrappers etc.
Why don't you freeze the CC's ? DO you know that the retailer does?
I've read in several places that Cuba freezes everything it sends to retailers and distributors located outside of Cuba, but that it doesn't freeze anything sold locally in Cuba.
Hey a topic I can actually answer in great detail.
For non-Cuban production most factories employ anti-beetle fumigation at almost every stage of the process. The moment the tobacco comes out of the curing barn it is fumigated, and then at staged intervals along the process it continues to be fumigated, even when it's in the escaparate they have strips up to detect beetles and they do periodic fumigation. The escaparates are also climate controlled to control not just for beetles but for mold as well. Then many larger factories will put their boxes in a cold or frozen room prior to shipping to make sure there are no beetles hatching in the long hot journey to the US.
In Cuba, things are a bit different. There is no fumigation employed at any stage of the production process. There is no climate control in the escaparate, but they do employ a giant walk in freezer (I've had the opportunity to tour it, massive) at factories for products designated for exportation.
I don't freeze any product I get that is Non-Cuban, whether I'm bringing back custom rolls or product from Nicaragua. I do absolutely freeze cigars I bring back from travels to Cuba, by double zip lock bagging them, bringing them down to around 0 degrees Freedom for at least 3 days.
For non-Cuban production most factories employ anti-beetle fumigation at almost every stage of the process. The moment the tobacco comes out of the curing barn it is fumigated, and then at staged intervals along the process it continues to be fumigated, even when it's in the escaparate they have strips up to detect beetles and they do periodic fumigation. The escaparates are also climate controlled to control not just for beetles but for mold as well. Then many larger factories will put their boxes in a cold or frozen room prior to shipping to make sure there are no beetles hatching in the long hot journey to the US.
In Cuba, things are a bit different. There is no fumigation employed at any stage of the production process. There is no climate control in the escaparate, but they do employ a giant walk in freezer (I've had the opportunity to tour it, massive) at factories for products designated for exportation.
I don't freeze any product I get that is Non-Cuban, whether I'm bringing back custom rolls or product from Nicaragua. I do absolutely freeze cigars I bring back from travels to Cuba, by double zip lock bagging them, bringing them down to around 0 degrees Freedom for at least 3 days.
Haha I was worried someone was going to ask. I was just down there a few weeks ago and I asked and was told the name but never bothered to write it down. It's a gas and the explanation I've been given is it doesn't absorb into the tobacco, but it displaces all the oxygen and simultaneously destroys the lining of the tobacco beetle egg.
I was told that the number one concern about the fumigant they use is whether or not it impacted the tobacco flavor or combustion in any way.
Just curious so did a quick search.
Some companies burn tobacco stems during curing, releasing nicotine into the air to kill bugs and mold. They also extract extra nicotine from stems and unused tobacco, mix it with water and use it to wet the tobacco during fermentation. At the factory many companies use aluminum phosphate that when exposed to humidity releases the gas phosphine (hydrogen phosphide). Phosphine is approved by the EPA as a fumigant to protect food grade agricultural products.
Oh well, so much for trivia.
Some companies burn tobacco stems during curing, releasing nicotine into the air to kill bugs and mold. They also extract extra nicotine from stems and unused tobacco, mix it with water and use it to wet the tobacco during fermentation. At the factory many companies use aluminum phosphate that when exposed to humidity releases the gas phosphine (hydrogen phosphide). Phosphine is approved by the EPA as a fumigant to protect food grade agricultural products.
Oh well, so much for trivia.
OK, so what I have read about CC's being fumigated and frozen has been confirmed by Cigar Surgeon. I guess that's one of the advantages of being part of a huge organization like Habanos S.A.
I still find it strange that nobody has any information on NC manufacturers. I would think it would be a selling point that they would want to make known. It leads me to believe that NC manufacturers don't have any beetle mitigating strategies. One more reason why I freeze all my cigars.
I still find it strange that nobody has any information on NC manufacturers. I would think it would be a selling point that they would want to make known. It leads me to believe that NC manufacturers don't have any beetle mitigating strategies. One more reason why I freeze all my cigars.
...what? You've got it completely backwards. All non-Cuban manufacturer's fumigate at all stage of production, and then freeze before shipping. Habanos SA only freezes for product that is being exported, just before it's exported. Habanos SA does not use fumigation.
OK, maybe now I've got it. When you originally said "Non-Cuban production" I thought you were referring to CC's made for export rather than for domestic consumption. Thanks for setting me straight.
So all CC's are frozen and all NC's are fumigated and frozen. That makes sense but I still find it odd that none of the companies mention that step in their various write ups and videos. And are you sure that "all" NC manufacturers freeze their product? There are so many factories across central america, I find it hard to believe that they all have the capability to freeze there production inventory.