Im a new smoker in retrospect (3-4yrs), and within the last 6-8months ive had some severe tunneling issues out of my humidor. I did alot of research on my own and am aware of most causes but figured i would try out a direct post to gather other smokers thoughts. I have a wytner fridge style humidor which consistenly stays between 75-85% full of mainly maduro cigars (alot of DE ligas and unicos) The humidity/temp is usually right around 70/70 but has risen to 75 once to twice after refilling my beads but quickly levels back out. Almost every cigar i pull out now tunnels immediatley. Im always cautious of lighting, have dry boxed several rounds of cigars for a weekish and still have the issue. I miss the days of consistent burns and building my ash up while smoking. Any insight is appreciated.
Tunneling - mostly maduros
- Thread starter Curlyhoward
- Start date
70% humidity is way too high. Way.
The ambient humidity could also be a factor so that might also contribute to the tunneling. Of course you can’t fix that but something to be aware of before you take a cigar out. But, like Cigary43 said, lowering your storage RH could very well be the answer. Good luck!
Buy yourself some 62% Bovedas and a travel humidor. Dry box your cigars for a week to ten days before smoking. Addresses both issues, humidor and ambient Rh.
Welcome to BOTL, why not tell us a bit about yourself in the Introductions forum!
Welcome to BOTL, why not tell us a bit about yourself in the Introductions forum!
It takes roughly a week for the internal RH of a cigar to drop one percentage point. About all dry boxing does is create more problems, the outside layers dry out but not the middle.
That is one of the very few negative opinions I've heard or in my case experienced about dry boxing. Regardless, it's a cheap easy option . If you feel a week to ten days isn't enough time buy a large enough travel humidor to hold what you will need for a longer period of time.
bwhite220
Brandon | BotM Jan 2038
You may be holding your mouth and esophagus incorrectly when you pulling on your cigar. If your mouth and esophagus are forming too perfect of a circle, then it concentrates too much pull on the middle of your cigars. This happens to most smokers who recently learn to blow really good smoke rings because it's effectively the reverse action (blowing vs. sucking). While blowing smoke rings is cool to most 5th graders, it is ruining your cigar smoking experience. Just relax and enjoy your cigar and the tunnelling will cease.
Hopefully you're using a calibrated digital hygrometer and not the analog ones that come with those Whynter units. If your hygo is accurate, there isn't really anything else to do but drop that rh. I run my wino unplugged with boveda 65%/75°, same as my coolidor and never a tunneling issue.