To freeze or not to freeze...

[TheMonk]

I brought some cubans back at christmas, no problems so far but in the freezer in the morning they go!

Better safe then sorry!

[Edamski]

I'm glad it's being used to help people protect their smokes, makes it all worth while!

One other tip though and I really wish I'd done this, is if you're buying a full box, inspect all the cigars properly, take them out and check them over. Can't remember if I said as much in the original thread. From the surface the cigars looked fine but once I went down to the second row only then did the problem present itself.

Enjoy Cuba though a truely great place!

[Edamski]

I brought some cubans back at christmas, no problems so far but in the freezer in the morning they go!

Freeze everything they've been in contact with, humidor and all! If in doubt just freeze everything, as said, better to be safe than sorry

[Krist]

To freeze or not to freeze...

Will it not affect the wood in the humi if it is seasoned? I thought seasoning was a slow process to prevent warping of the wood, whereas freezing would make the moisture expand (by about a third, if memory serves) pretty rapidly and I would of thought that this would cause damage?

Also [MENTION=13403791]Edamski[/MENTION], aside from the obvious damage, where there any more subtle signs on the cigars, after 4 months there are no signs that I can see, especially to your level and I have thoroughly inspected them all.

EDIT: it expands by 9% after a quick google,I would of still thought the rapid expansion would be detrimental.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Edamski]

I'm not entirely sure on how they fare as mine where Tupperware boxes, but saying that I think some people have used isopropyl alcohol to cleanse the humidor of any eggs that may be in there rather than freeze. Hopefully someone else can back this up [emoji4]

My first tip off to damage was a match stick size hole in one of my cigars.

Only thing I can think of more subtle than that is the popping of the eggs and larvae when smoking the cigar or the unpleasant aroma associated with the copious amounts of dung (by God they shit a lot) although I have experience of neither (thankfully haha) [emoji4]

[TheMonk]

I'm glad it's being used to help people protect their smokes, makes it all worth while!

One other tip though and I really wish I'd done this, is if you're buying a full box, inspect all the cigars properly, take them out and check them over. Can't remember if I said as much in the original thread. From the surface the cigars looked fine but once I went down to the second row only then did the problem present itself.

Enjoy Cuba though a truely great place!

Thanks for the tip. I'm thinking of buying a few full boxes, so I will need to check every individual cigar. I'm assuming there's no problem in asking the guys at LCDH to inspect the cigars before buying the box, right?

[Edamski]

Thanks for the tip. I'm thinking of buying a few full boxes, so I will need to check every individual cigar. I'm assuming there's no problem in asking the guys at LCDH to inspect the cigars before buying the box, right?

I don't see why not, the ones in the hotel where friendly enough and the boxes where open. In the airport the boxes where sealed and they couldn't comprehend why I wanted to open them and check haha airport stock tends to be young so no infestation will have manifested itself by then.

Although every box of Monte 1's I came across was curiously a 2008 box. So it's imperative you check aged stock

[TheMonk]

I don't see why not, the ones in the hotel where friendly enough and the boxes where open. In the airport the boxes where sealed and they couldn't comprehend why I wanted to open them and check haha airport stock tends to be young so no infestation will have manifested itself by then.

Although every box of Monte 1's I came across was curiously a 2008 box. So it's imperative you check aged stock

Will do, thanks again for your help. Also, and now that you mention different places where you bought cigars, do you know if the prices are always the same, whether you buy in the hotel, airport or LCDH?

[Edamski]

Yeah they're the same country wide [emoji4] it's da law [emoji61][emoji600][emoji601][emoji599]

[TheMonk]

Yeah they're the same country wide [emoji4] it's da law [emoji61][emoji600][emoji601][emoji599]

Nice, that'll make it easier to buy then, specially since I'll be spending a few days in Varadero. The hotel and airport range is decent, or quite limited?

[Edamski]

Nice, that'll make it easier to buy then, specially since I'll be spending a few days in Varadero. The hotel and airport range is decent, or quite limited?

I didn't go to varadero but I do believe it's a good selection over there! I suspect the airport over there is better a well.

Had a decent selection in our airport and it was a tiny airport so you should be fine [emoji4]

Hotel was quite limited but was enough to keep me entertained for the two weeks [emoji4]

[tippexx]

Do not, repeat do not put humidors in a freezer, unless they're Davidoff perspex ones .... they don't like it.

All Cuban cigars are now frozen after manufacture. Cigars older than 10 years will not have been. NC cigars are frozen after manufacture and many of the larger US distributors freeze them again before warehousing.

German BOTL freeze everything they buy on a 'take-no-chances' basis. Reason. Habanos may have frozen them and killed off everything before shipping, but that won't guarantee there isn't something flying about at a points of sale.

Cigars bought in Cuba will have been frozen, but there is no shortage of tobacco beetles in Cuba.

Tobacco Beetle is an industry name, the creature isn't confined to eating tobacco and nor does it live soley in the Caribbean. Spices, cereals pulses it will eat the lot and can be found in a neigbourhood cupboard anywhere.

[PeeJay]

Yeah they're the same country wide [emoji4] it's da law [emoji61][emoji600][emoji601][emoji599]

Didn't Wolfie have an issue at the airport where they tried to charge him more until he protested in a very loud voice? I'm sure someone did.

[Wigan]

Do not, repeat do not put humidors in a freezer, unless they're Davidoff perspex ones .... they don't like it.

All Cuban cigars are now frozen after manufacture. Cigars older than 10 years will not have been. NC cigars are frozen after manufacture and many of the larger US distributors freeze them again before warehousing.

German BOTL freeze everything they buy on a 'take-no-chances' basis. Reason. Habanos may have frozen them and killed off everything before shipping, but that won't guarantee there isn't something flying about at a points of sale.

Cigars bought in Cuba will have been frozen, but there is no shortage of tobacco beetles in Cuba.

Tobacco Beetle is an industry name, the creature isn't confined to eating tobacco and nor does it live soley in the Caribbean. Spices, cereals pulses it will eat the lot and can be found in a neigbourhood cupboard anywhere.

You saying this thing naturally lives in the uk and my cigars could become infected at any point?

[tippexx]

You saying this thing naturally lives in the uk and my cigars could become infected at any point?

They aren't indigenous but can come in with foodstuffs like rice and wheat etc. Our temperate climate won't kill them.