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Cigars lost their aroma

estebansuarezestebansuarez Posts: 7
in Cigar 101
Hi everyone

This is my second time posting on the forum. I have been enjoying cigars for a few months now, but I just purchased my own humidor a few weeks ago. Lately, I have been noticing that when I open my humidor the cigar smell is almost non-existent, there is just a plain wood aroma. I have a Yukon 40 count humidor with 30 - 35 cigars and a humidity pillow along with a puck. Humidity ranges from 64% - 72% and temperature from 70 - 75 using a digital hygrometer. Right now, I am performing the salt test and waiting for the results, for I read in another forum that the lack of aroma is due to dry cigars. In addition, due to the constant changes in humidity I open the humidor an average of 4 times per day. I would really appreciate if anyone could tell me if this is normal and if the smell will ever come back or if I need to do something different. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance.

Comments

  • catfishbluezzcatfishbluezz Posts: 7,000 ✭✭✭
    i assume you are using an analog hygrometer. I would buy a digital one, and I would also use 2 65rh boveda packs for that humidor as well. Not sure why the aroma is leaving, but it very well could be from fluctuation or instability, but I think it is hard to judge unless I know you are using a digital. A humidity pillow and a puck will not humidify them properly IMO, and I would think you may need to season properly if you have not.
  • estebansuarezestebansuarez Posts: 7
    Hi

    I do use a digital hygrometer.
  • catfishbluezzcatfishbluezz Posts: 7,000 ✭✭✭
    Then my guess is you do not have stable humidity
  • Gray4linesGray4lines Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Everything cat said is great advice. Also, if you take your cigars out of the cello, you get that great aroma at first, but it can fade over time. Leaving the cello on, in my opinion, helps keep the aroma stronger (although you cannot smell it when opening the humidor). As a general rule, the rh you mentioned doesn't seem too dry.
    LLA - Lancero Lovers of America
  • CigaryCigary Posts: 630 ✭
    Cigar should not lose their own aroma,,,esp. if you put your nose over the length of the cigar...you should get the aroma of something. If you are talking about the 'aroma' of the humidor itself esp. the cedar smell then you need not worry about that either. Some humidors just don't have a strong scent of cedar to them while others pretty much hit you in the face with it. I have a lot of tupperadors where I've placed cedar sheets in them and I get a nice aroma of the wood but I can't say that I get a "cigar smell" to all of the 35 humidors I have. As far as your RH and temps go...you're well in the range of both but having a digital hygro is one of your best tools. You will find over time that as your cigars are in the humidor they will give off a slight aroma but it will take more than a couple of months. While you're in your humidor next time...take out two different cigars...run them under your nose and see if you don't get a scent from the wrapper..if you don't then I'm baffled.
  • The3StogiesThe3Stogies Posts: 2,652 ✭✭✭✭
    May want to stop opening humi up so much too. Was it seasoned before you put cigars in? Take one out of cello and gently roll it and listen, you will know if it is dry.
  • wwhwangwwhwang Posts: 2,878 ✭✭✭
    Gray4lines:
    Everything cat said is great advice. Also, if you take your cigars out of the cello, you get that great aroma at first, but it can fade over time. Leaving the cello on, in my opinion, helps keep the aroma stronger (although you cannot smell it when opening the humidor).
    As far as the cigars losing their aroma, this is what always happens to me with the un-celloed cigars in my humidors. They smell great at first, then after a few months, they smell like the humidor itself. My humidors are always between 65 to 67 rh too.
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The3Stogies:
    May want to stop opening humi up so much too. Was it seasoned before you put cigars in? Take one out of cello and gently roll it and listen, you will know if it is dry.
    Yes he seems to be opening his humidor too often, and proper seasoning is a concern too. But, I must respectfully disagree with that last point of advice that you offered. Asking a newbie to determine good humidity levels by rolling cigars between thumb and fingers and listening to the cigar's sounds under slight pressure of the fingers to determine good or bad humidity levels is not something I would advise. The reason I say this is even a properly humidified cigar will make some crackling sounds when rolled between thumb and forefinger so it may be unreasonable to expect new guys to "know" the difference between "normal" sounds and "too dry" sounds by employing this test until they have had more experience. And they may not know how much pressure is too much to apply until they've cracked an otherwise good wrapper. Plus if they keep a properly humidified humidor they may not experience a truly dry cigar "sound" for quite awhile. So while this "test" by sound can be a valid indicator for an experienced smoker, in my opinion, newbies should keep it simple and learn to properly calibrate their digital hygrometers and base most of their actions on the readings from them.
  • RhamlinRhamlin Posts: 9,033 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bob Luken:
    The3Stogies:
    May want to stop opening humi up so much too. Was it seasoned before you put cigars in? Take one out of cello and gently roll it and listen, you will know if it is dry.
    Yes he seems to be opening his humidor too often, and proper seasoning is a concern too. But, I must respectfully disagree with that last point of advice that you offered. Asking a newbie to determine good humidity levels by rolling cigars between thumb and fingers and listening to the cigar's sounds under slight pressure of the fingers to determine good or bad humidity levels is not something I would advise. The reason I say this is even a properly humidified cigar will make some crackling sounds when rolled between thumb and forefinger so it may be unreasonable to expect new guys to "know" the difference between "normal" sounds and "too dry" sounds by employing this test until they have had more experience. And they may not know how much pressure is too much to apply until they've cracked an otherwise good wrapper. Plus if they keep a properly humidified humidor they may not experience a truly dry cigar "sound" for quite awhile. So while this "test" by sound can be a valid indicator for an experienced smoker, in my opinion, newbies should keep it simple and learn to properly calibrate their digital hygrometers and base most of their actions on the readings from them.
    I agree, that's a method I like to use but I takes time to know the sound your looking for. I always do this at a shop when I'm getting something to smoke right then.
  • The3StogiesThe3Stogies Posts: 2,652 ✭✭✭✭
    Rhamlin:
    Bob Luken:
    The3Stogies:
    May want to stop opening humi up so much too. Was it seasoned before you put cigars in? Take one out of cello and gently roll it and listen, you will know if it is dry.
    Yes he seems to be opening his humidor too often, and proper seasoning is a concern too. But, I must respectfully disagree with that last point of advice that you offered. Asking a newbie to determine good humidity levels by rolling cigars between thumb and fingers and listening to the cigar's sounds under slight pressure of the fingers to determine good or bad humidity levels is not something I would advise. The reason I say this is even a properly humidified cigar will make some crackling sounds when rolled between thumb and forefinger so it may be unreasonable to expect new guys to "know" the difference between "normal" sounds and "too dry" sounds by employing this test until they have had more experience. And they may not know how much pressure is too much to apply until they've cracked an otherwise good wrapper. Plus if they keep a properly humidified humidor they may not experience a truly dry cigar "sound" for quite awhile. So while this "test" by sound can be a valid indicator for an experienced smoker, in my opinion, newbies should keep it simple and learn to properly calibrate their digital hygrometers and base most of their actions on the readings from them.
    I agree, that's a method I like to use but I takes time to know the sound your looking for. I always do this at a shop when I'm getting something to smoke right then.

    Very good point, you could crack the wrapper even on a seasoned cigar. I am still a newb too and have cracked a few.
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I should have mentioned this before, I'm a newb too. There's just soooo much out there to learn. I figure I'll always consider myself a newbie :)
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