Tropical cigar

[Joncon]

So a friend of mine went on holiday to cypress and brought me back a present.



The only information I can find was here.

http://www.katsafados.com/handmade-cigars-3.html

It will more than likely end up with some years on it as I have others I want to sample first. I have no idea what it will be like but for now it's off to the freezer.

[PeeJay]

Freezer?!

[Joncon]

Yes my friend freezer, could be all sorts living in it.

[PeeJay]

Seems ironic when its bloody freezing out, any colder and the fridge in my garage stops working.

[ValeTudoGuy]

Never heard of the freezer treatment, but it makes perfect sense. Are there any potential adverse effects to be aware of?

Re-the cigar and to totally judge a book by its cover, it certainly looks the part! Hope it smokes as well.

[ValeTudoGuy]

Scratch that, some simple reaserch suggests that Lasioderma serricorne (Cigar Beetle) and their eggs die within 6 days at 4 degrees C.

Freezing Cigars, changes the oils in the sticks on a molecular level.

So no offence meant but, not a chance any of my sticks are getting frozen + due to the beetles basic inability to survive at even above freezing temperatures neither is it necessary.

Marc

Edit: I wrote 6 degrees instead of 4

[Joncon]

Have a look at this thread it's quite a common practice for cigars that come to you from unknown sources.

http://www.ukcigarforums.com/showthread.php?t=12516

[Joncon]

Any one know anything about this stick.

[butternutsquashpie]

Any one know anything about this stick.

don't think so.... too many NCs to keep track of. especially when they're in the area in the Mediterranean where not many big names come from......

Scratch that, some simple reaserch suggests that Lasioderma serricorne (Cigar Beetle) and their eggs die within 6 days at 4 degrees C.

Freezing Cigars, changes the oils in the sticks on a molecular level.

not to any large extent. had this talk on another forum a while back. virtually everyone i know freezes (incl. me). abide by the 1 day in refrigerator, 3 days in freezer, 1 day in refrigerator and back in the humidor.
mate of mine even goes as far as putting a week in the freezer, then 6 months in a new arrives coolidor and then to one of his various 15 coolidors for organisation after the 6 months is over.

[ValeTudoGuy]

don't think so.... too many NCs to keep track of. especially when they're in the area in the Mediterranean where not many big names come from......



not to any large extent. had this talk on another forum a while back. virtually everyone i know freezes (incl. me). abide by the 1 day in refrigerator, 3 days in freezer, 1 day in refrigerator and back in the humidor.
mate of mine even goes as far as putting a week in the freezer, then 6 months in a new arrives coolidor and then to one of his various 15 coolidors for organisation after the 6 months is over.

While I am not doubling anyone's knowledge, this process does not sit well with my (bedroom) science thinking, which is thus:
The flavour compounds of a cigar are an emulsion of oils and water, hence the requirement of humidification to maintain as constant a state as possible otherwise irrevocable damage can (and will) eventually be sustained.

Now freezing, by its nature turns water (and in many cases, oil) molecules into crystalline structures. Once crystalline structures form, demulsification takes place.

You are effectively running the risk of flash dehydrating your cigars and seperating the flavour components into a state that they will never again be able to be re-absorbed.

You will be able to re-hydrate the stick. But to make things worse, you will effectively be adding more water and in effect diluting any remaining oils.

I come back to the fact that the specific creature that this process is trying to kill, is proven to die at above freezing temperatures.... Meaning that there is surely no logical or scientific benefit to subjecting ones cigars to such treatment, as above freezing temperatures most certainly WON'T produce crystaline structures and cause demulsification.



Like I said, my science is purely ameture (arguably psudo). If anyone would like to prove me totally wrong with sound scientific knowledge, them my nose won't be put out of joint.

until then, I see no good reason to adopt this practice... And in fact would worry about others conducting this procedure on expensive or otherwise important cigars.

[Joncon]

Luckily I am not too worried about this little stick even if it all went south.

If memory serves I think all imported Cubans are frozen to protect them from bugs probably not in domestic freezers though.

[butternutsquashpie]

VTG: you're right. there is the risk of flash dehydration and de-emulsification. noting your "bedroom science knowledge" i'm generally impressed you know that!!
what happens is that there is an equilibrium (balance) that occurs between the liquid and gas state of substances. solids are not counted in this statement. that being said, what simply happens is (what you mentioned) the water freezes whilst the oils remain liquid. this then causes the oils to evaporate off faster than they normally would because water no longer is evaporating (solids do not count in equilibrium). but the thing is, the water can then sublimate and give off what we see in our freezers as the ice around the sides. this is water escaping the organic material to cling onto the freezer.

this can all be avoided by one thing: blocking off access to the outside atmosphere. in other words: putting the cigars in a freezer bag this allows the airbourne amount of water and oil IN the bag to be very very high compared to outside of the bag.. so cigar liquid will not evaporate and cigars remain fresh. given time, this can diffuse outside the bag or cling to the bag walls, but 3-5 days will definitely not make that happen.

If memory serves I think all imported Cubans are frozen to protect them from bugs probably not in domestic freezers though.

nope. commercial freezers if they are even frozen. between -10 and -15 degrees centigrade


geez, this reminds me of my general chemistry exam all over again

[ValeTudoGuy]

Ok, so what your saying Jeremy (at least, I think you are) is that: By creating an environment where the partial pressure of the water in the air is greater than the vapour pressure of the ice in the cigar, you are removing a requirement for sublimation to take place due to equilibrium already being kept..... Hence, no sublimation will take place?

[PeeJay]

Good reply, well constructed argument.

[Joncon]

nope. commercial freezers if they are even frozen. between -10 and -15 degrees centigrade

Found this.

In addition to fumigation, freezing of the finished cigars is used to kill the tobacco beetle Lasioderma serricorne.

Freezing of cigars commenced around early 2005. It is carried out in the Habanos main temperature and humidity controlled storage and distribution building. This, combined with fumigation, is intended to kill all eggs, insects, and lava within the tobacco.

Some regional distributors had their own freezing facilities, predating the Habanos plant.

Here.

http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/info-production.htm