Home Cigar 101

Would a cigar jar be good for aging?

WaterDemonWaterDemon Posts: 269
image So It might be the pain killers im on from my wisdom teeth being pulled but I had an idea. Would a cigar Jar be good for aging cigars? I was thinking of purchasing the AJ Fresh Rolled cigars and let them rest. But I saw the Cigar Jar and thought "Maybe if I put a Boveda pack in there with 20 of those cigars it will work....?" Any thoughts? Is the jar even good at keeping a seal? I don't plan on keeping it out in the open where sunlight can hit it. Anyone try this?

Comments

  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    Well to tell you the truth I wouldn't get a jar but I'd get a cooler. That way you can store more!! And if your worried about a tight seal and all that just put everything in a ziplock and toss in the cooler. Plus I like to keep my sticks on the side instead of standing up.
    Money can't buy taste
  • WaterDemonWaterDemon Posts: 269
    I was thinking of turning the jar on it's side after loading the sticks in it, so they can get a little better airflow/humidity can get to both sides fine.
  • Gray4linesGray4lines Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I found the rubber seal on the jar too airtight...combined with the acrylic sides that don't absorb anything, the rh will shoot up and turn into an exotic mold jungle! (Mine did at least) It was empty, but that cedar wood disk was all kinds of green and yellow.

    I have since cleaned it, removed the wood, and it's a jar for bagged pipe tobacco.

    Edit: If you opened the jar everyday to grab a smoke, it would be OK. But long-term aging with it kept shut might not be a good idea. That plastic just does not breath like wood, or even a bigger cooler does.
    LLA - Lancero Lovers of America
  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    Diamondog:
    I can't stop laughing when I watch this!!!!! Where did you find this?!?!?!
    Money can't buy taste
  • WaterDemonWaterDemon Posts: 269
    Hmmm, alright, I've been reading up on this. I think you are right about the air tightness. Also reading more in to it, it would probably be better for the sticks to be in a wooden box to help control the humidity. I would think, the cigars would need to breathe every once in awhile for aging right? fresh air and all? I might just put them all in my big 300 ct humi and move other sticks around...
  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    By crappy cooler!!!!!! Or Rubbermaid...cheap holds a ton and you can put stuff on top to deter you from opening it constantly
    Money can't buy taste
  • mmccartneydcmmccartneydc Posts: 3,413 ✭✭✭
    Lee.mcglynn:
    By crappy cooler!!!!!! Or Rubbermaid...cheap holds a ton and you can put stuff on top to deter you from opening it constantly
    Rubbermaid huh? never thought of that, is there a way to keep them airtight?
  • *Petey**Petey* Posts: 375
    Been away from the forums for a bit so I was just reading through the 101 forum and stumbled upon this thread. Two things.

    WaterDemon:
    Hmmm, alright, I've been reading up on this. I think you are right about the air tightness. Also reading more in to it, it would probably be better for the sticks to be in a wooden box to help control the humidity. I would think, the cigars would need to breathe every once in awhile for aging right? fresh air and all? I might just put them all in my big 300 ct humi and move other sticks around...


    First off . . . . Water demon . . . this would have been my feedback to your original question. I wouldn't think a jar would be a good candidate because it has too tight a seal. My understanding is that to get aging you need some air flow and thats why humidors are wood, they let some air in and out even when shut but keep the humidity nice and moist in there. I could be way offbase here, but a jar would hold them humid and fresh but I think it would be more preserving rather than aging. Hope this helps but it looks like you came to the exact same conclusion already.

    mmccartneydc:
    Lee.mcglynn:
    By crappy cooler!!!!!! Or Rubbermaid...cheap holds a ton and you can put stuff on top to deter you from opening it constantly
    Rubbermaid huh? never thought of that, is there a way to keep them airtight?


    Medic, you might already know this, but I just wanted to real quickly point out that I don't think "airtight" is the best option. Not that I have a cooler, so I might be way off here, but I think this is one of the downsides to coolers is that sometimes they have too tight a seal. I know alot of folks use em though so there is probably a good solution to make them mostly airtight. Anyway again, just pointing this out in case you didn't realize that already.
  • DiamondogDiamondog Posts: 4,171 ✭✭
    Gentlemen, the tighter the seal the better for aging....if you specifically want to age and not open, seal it....I know guys who vaccuum seal boxes...Here is a quote from MNR: An Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Post Revolution Havana Cigars - this is regarded as the cigar bible for many...

    Good ventilation gets rid of the ammoniac smell in no time so if you cannot wait and want to get rid of the smell in quicker time, storing cigars in the open if the atmosphere is not too dry, or opening your humidor or box of cigars for some time everyday helps.* Good ventilation also encourages fermentation, faster fermentation makes cigars more “flavorsome” quicker. Oxygen though, in large quantities, destroys some of the delicate flavors which may be a plausible explanation of why cigars packaged in varnished Cabinets, and in airtight glass gars age much more beautifully after a few decades. Slower fermentation, longer time raw materials are continuously supplied during aging, more time for the chemicals to react with each other to form more complex flavors thus better results. Good aging of Havana’s cannot be accelerated by any artificial means without loss of quality; this has been tried and failed. Whether you should breathe your cigars periodically depends on the time frame you wish to age newly purchased Havana’s before consumption. If it is just a few years, or even a few months, do breathe your cigars. If you want a beautifully aged cigar and time is no concern, never breathe your cigars
  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    mmccartneydc:
    Lee.mcglynn:
    By crappy cooler!!!!!! Or Rubbermaid...cheap holds a ton and you can put stuff on top to deter you from opening it constantly
    Rubbermaid huh? never thought of that, is there a way to keep them airtight?
    Yup buy weather stripping from hardware store
    Money can't buy taste
  • rzamanrzaman Posts: 2,650 ✭✭✭
    Some people think aging is a mystry. In reality it is not. Aging has a lot do do with the geographical location and the climate condition of a country.

    However, the fact is Habanos change dramatically with aging and time. many people enjoy fresh rolled cigar in Cuba rather than aged Habano. The same group of people do not like the same Habanos when they smoke the same cigar in another country. In Cuba freshly rolled cigars are openly stored because Cuba has the perfect temperature and humidity to store cigar in the open air.

    Ventilation allows the cigar to get rid of undesired ammonia and it also releases flavor quickly. At the same time loose the charm of the slow aging. During the slow age process, the flavors and aroma have more time to marry with each other for more complexity and better result.

    Just like a good wine, true Habanos(not all Cuban puros are true Habanos, I will talk about this some other time) should not be rushed for aging. Frequent breathing get in touch with more oxygen which effects the delicate flavors and aroma of a cigar. I am experimenting this in two different humidors over a year and will be able to share my experience within few years-:)
  • RhamlinRhamlin Posts: 9,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've got a couple of the jars. I use them for spill over and they work beautifully plus they look pretty cool sitting on a desk or what not.
  • WaterDemonWaterDemon Posts: 269
    I think I might have to do an experiment then. Thanks for all who commented, I'm going to go ahead with my 300ct humidor for aging, but I might buy a mazo of cigars and a jar on the side and see whats up.
  • mmccartneydcmmccartneydc Posts: 3,413 ✭✭✭
    WaterDemon:
    I think I might have to do an experiment then. Thanks for all who commented, I'm going to go ahead with my 300ct humidor for aging, but I might buy a mazo of cigars and a jar on the side and see whats up.
    I'm doing this with a box of bueso's I just bought!
  • WaterDemonWaterDemon Posts: 269
    What is exactly your setup? I'm thinking Cigar Jar + Some cedar + Bundle of cigars + Boveda + Meter = We will see.
  • mmccartneydcmmccartneydc Posts: 3,413 ✭✭✭
    WaterDemon:
    What is exactly your setup? I'm thinking Cigar Jar + Some cedar + Bundle of cigars + Boveda + Meter = We will see.
    That is exactly my set up, minus the meter, i just transfer my digi hygro if i wanna see, but as long as my boveda is soft, I trust it is doing its job!
  • WaterDemonWaterDemon Posts: 269
    Nice! yea I'm OCD like that, every humidor needs some sort of meter. Now I need to decide on what sticks to age. Hardest part, I'm not so sure, have to do some research...
Sign In or Register to comment.