I another post StogieJim was asking about how to store leaf between rolling sessions. For those of us living in cold climates where our houses are heated in the winter, the RH in the house is usually around 30%. It can be difficult to keep full leaves even close to a proper RH for rolling. Since it is often weeks between my rolling sessions this is the method I use.
I strip out any veins and cut all my leaves in half. I lay them out into stacks so that they can be separated after they dry and become brittle. If they are not carefully laid out then they can't be separated. I then get a cardboard box large enough for the leaves to lay flat and I store them and let them dry out. I have some leaf that has been in storage for a few years, since I got away from rolling for a while and just recently started again (photos soon).
When it is time to use them I gently take what I need the night before and spray them with distilled water. I then carefully place them in a clean plastic garbage bag to sit overnight to rehydrate. The next day they are ready to go. I may need to give another spritz to the wrapper or binder when I start my rolling. If the leaves are a bit too damp then I lay them out and the dry air in my house will dry them up in about an hour.
My only concern with this system is that I know if a cigar is left to completely dry out then it cannot be brought back to its original glory. I wonder if that is true with the leaf. I have never noticed a problem but then again, my cigars may be much better if I didn't let me leaf dry out.
Opinions welcome.
I strip out any veins and cut all my leaves in half. I lay them out into stacks so that they can be separated after they dry and become brittle. If they are not carefully laid out then they can't be separated. I then get a cardboard box large enough for the leaves to lay flat and I store them and let them dry out. I have some leaf that has been in storage for a few years, since I got away from rolling for a while and just recently started again (photos soon).
When it is time to use them I gently take what I need the night before and spray them with distilled water. I then carefully place them in a clean plastic garbage bag to sit overnight to rehydrate. The next day they are ready to go. I may need to give another spritz to the wrapper or binder when I start my rolling. If the leaves are a bit too damp then I lay them out and the dry air in my house will dry them up in about an hour.
My only concern with this system is that I know if a cigar is left to completely dry out then it cannot be brought back to its original glory. I wonder if that is true with the leaf. I have never noticed a problem but then again, my cigars may be much better if I didn't let me leaf dry out.
Opinions welcome.