Cigar temperature questions

[the cigar kid]

Hi guys,

I have got a question about what temperature cigars should be kept at.

The situation
I went on holiday 15th and came back on 22nd. The weather had been warm before I left and I hadn't had to turn the central heating on in my house. My house when its warm seams to retain the heat really well and turns into a bit a sauna and when it gets cold it seams to freeze over. However, while I was away we had a cold snap and when I came back the temperature of the house had dropped by a lot.

I had a couple of cigars the week before I left and they tasted great. I had a Jose piedra and a Montecristo No2. When I came back I had another Jose piedra and a Montecristo No2, they tasted completely different and had quite a bitter/ foul taste (Both are from the same boxes). ( I don't smoke Montecristo No2 all the time, only on special occasions).

The cigars are stored at 70% humidity and I take them out an hour/ two hours before I want to smoke them to rest them a little.

The Questions
What is the best temperature to store my cigars at? I have got about 50 cigars in a 80 count humidor.
Has the temperature drop altered the flavours of my cigars?
Can I restore them to their previous flavours or are they lost forever?

[Golden Hands]

Hi, I am sure some more experienced smokers will give you their opinion on this issue.
I will tell you what I think.
Temperature is important for the cigars to maintain stable about +20 with a possible 2 degrees up or down, but humidity is crucial.
Some cigar companies like Padron for example freezes their cigars to kill some bugs.
So cold temperature with a stable humidity should not be the problem.
if the humidity is stable the change of temperature, in your case lower, should not affect the taste at all.
I did notice that there are one or two odd cigars sometimes in the box, so hope that is that kind of an issue you have.
Also your own healthy level or level of health does take cigars differently.
I noticed from my own experience when I am about to get a cold the taste of smoking cigar changes dramatically.
So there are a few factors can be locked at.
To restore the taste of cigars? Give it a few days or a week and try again, I hope you won't have any issues, if the difference in taste remains talk to the retailer there might be something else.
Hope it helped a bit

[the cigar kid]

Hi, I am sure some more experienced smokers will give you their opinion on this issue.
I will tell you what I think.
Temperature is important for the cigars to maintain stable about +20 with a possible 2 degrees up or down, but humidity is crucial.
Some cigar companies like Padron for example freezes their cigars to kill some bugs.
So cold temperature with a stable humidity should not be the problem.
if the humidity is stable the change of temperature, in your case lower, should not affect the taste at all.
I did notice that there are one or two odd cigars sometimes in the box, so hope that is that kind of an issue you have.
Also your own healthy level or level of health does take cigars differently.
I noticed from my own experience when I am about to get a cold the taste of smoking cigar changes dramatically.
So there are a few factors can be locked at.
To restore the taste of cigars? Give it a few days or a week and try again, I hope you won't have any issues, if the difference in taste remains talk to the retailer there might be something else.
Hope it helped a bit

Humidity wise, It hadn't changed while I was away. It was at 68% but then again I hadn't re-dampened the humidor until earlier today. Its now back up to 70%.

Its a two Jose piedra's from the same bundle and two Montecristo's from the same box. Might just be a coincidence but does seam like a pattern.

Well a cold might well be the cause otherwise. Everyone I went on holiday with got a cold including me, so I might well still be coming off of the cold.

Yeh, I will just leave them alone for a little while and try the cheaper ones in a few weeks. After tasting the Montecristo I didn't want to try another straight away. No one likes a bad tasting cigar, Especially the ones I save for good occasions!

[Emaresee]

Think more along the lines of what else could have affected your taste buds.... Food, drink, smoking quicker and harder etc....

[the cigar kid]

Think more along the lines of what else could have affected your taste buds.... Food, drink, smoking quicker and harder etc....

I had a meal a few hours before smoking the cigar tonight, I had the same drink I always have with my cigars (Peach Iced tea). I felt I smoked it around the same pace as normal, however there was less smoke output than normal coming from the cigar.

[Captain Quintero]

Temperature isn't really a problem unless you're going into extremes, as long as you freeze everything then it's pretty negligible as the beetle problem has gone. Temperature and humidity are obviously linked but for what we're doing and the set ups we run its not something that I generally think about.

Humidity is the main issue. Above 70% you're going to risk mould. 72% and you're almost guaranteed it.

Although taste is subjective, the drier the tobacco the more intense the flavour. I followed the famous 70/70 rule until finding out it was simply a marketing phrase. I dropped down to 65% and as a result I've has no plugged cigars in 7/8 years, don't have to ever relight cigars and the flavour of cigars has increased hugely.

I went down as far as 52%rh and the flavours continued to get more and more intense. I only stopped going lower as wrappers became fragile.


Id hazard a guess that your either had a bad run out dud sticks of you've a cold or something starting.

Id highly recommend trying to drop your rh% to at least 65% to see if you like it.

An important point to remember is your hygrometers; before messing about with humidity grab a 75% boveda pack and test your hygrometers. They will all lose accuracy over the course of a year. You may have a reading that is incorrect; you could be actually at something like 70% and have been adding more humidity unknowingly.

The lack of smoke might hint at you having an over humidified cigar. How do you cigars feel? Are they spongy or have a crackle when you roll one between your fingers

In my excitement the higher the humidity the more dull and hot/muddy a cigar will taste.

[the cigar kid]

Snip

I am running a digital hydrometer within the case. Its a Caliber III. That is currently saying they are 70%.

However I am going to take your advice on lowering the humidity. I was following what the guy from Cigar Obessesion was saying about what should be done. I am running 70% Boveda packs in there currently.

I think that they may be over humified as they are feeling a little squishy. I remember someone saying that the last third is hard to smoke with high humidity as the cigar will often go out. I have had this problem a couple of times before but only with Jose piedra cigars. I put it down to it being the cigars and not the humidity... Makes a little more sense now!

[Captain Quintero]

Ideally there should be a bit of bounce but also aa decent crackle so I'm guessing that's the issue. It probably can't hurt to test your calibre 3, the boveda testing kits are only a couple of quid. My calibre 3 runs 7% out after 8 years of use!

[TonyN]

In my opinion dry cigars will also lead to the evaporation of the essential oils in the cigar which impart the flavour If a cigar is consistently too dry, the wrapper can crack.

[the cigar kid]

Ideally there should be a bit of bounce but also aa decent crackle so I'm guessing that's the issue. It probably can't hurt to test your calibre 3, the boveda testing kits are only a couple of quid. My calibre 3 runs 7% out after 8 years of use!

I have ordered a 75% tester. I guess I should take all the cigars out the humidor again to do this?

In my opinion dry cigars will also lead to the evaporation of the essential oils in the cigar which impart the flavour If a cigar is consistently too dry, the wrapper can crack.

In your opinion, what is too dry? Humidity wise. I am interested to know as currently I think 70% is probably a little too much as I am think that the flavours and burn are being affected currently.

[TonyN]

Kid as you know we all have different opinions concerning humidity, I myself found over the years humidity that fell bellow 67%
started to shrink not that it matters but the bands were all sliding of the cigars, and the flavour wasen't as complexed
but since I raised my humidity to 69 to 70% the bands stay on all the cigars the cigars have that sheen to them
and none of the complexity in the cigars are lost.
Like I say this kind of humidity suits me but might not suit you give it a try see what you think
do a little test put 3 or 4 cigars say in a tupperdore at my humidity
and the same amount of cigars in another tupperdore with a lower humidity say 65%
give them a little time to sleep say one month if your in a hurry or longer if your not,
then try one from the 69 to 70% humidity and one from the 65% humidity and see which has more flavour.

[the cigar kid]

Kid as you know we all have different opinions concerning humidity, I myself found over the years humidity that fell bellow 67%
started to shrink not that it matters but the bands were all sliding of the cigars, and the flavour wasen't as complexed
but since I raised my humidity to 69 to 70% the bands stay on all the cigars the cigars have that sheen to them
and none of the complexity in the cigars are lost.
Like I say this kind of humidity suits me but might not suit you give it a try see what you think
do a little test put 3 or 4 cigars say in a tupperdore at my humidity
and the same amount of cigars in another tupperdore with a lower humidity say 65%
give them a little time to sleep say one month if your in a hurry or longer if your not,
then try one from the 69 to 70% humidity and one from the 65% humidity and see which has more flavour.

I will give that a try, I have got 25 Jose Piedras and 25 Vegafina Coronas which I can try it on. I will give it a go with three tests. 70%, 65% and 60% over the course of 2 months and see how the flavours change on those six cigars. I can then try the test again once I found the range I like the best 70-65% or 65-60%.

At least then I can know what my taste buds prefer. Thanks for your help! I was worried I might of destroyed my collection because of the temperature!

[TonyN]

Are the cigars you mentioned above your best smokes kid.
Reason I'm asking is if a cigar hasen't got complexity in the first place it's not going to improve with more or less humidity.

[the cigar kid]

Are the cigars you mentioned above your best smokes kid.
Reason I'm asking is if a cigar hasen't got complexity in the first place it's not going to improve with more or less humidity.

They arent my best smokes. The Jose Piedras are a semi regular smoke and are quite easy ones. I was going to try these as I have had a lot of these and want to see if I can taste any difference. This is the same case with the Vegafinas.

I dont have enough of a stock to try this with my other cigars as I usually only have twos of better cigars.

[TonyN]

That would be the only way I would do it kid in your shoes
for example get 2 partagas d4s one 69 to 70% the other lower say 65%
as for temperature I would move the humidor round to a slightly cooler place in the room away from radiators
and where the sun may shine oo it.