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Before buying the "Christmas Feast" sampler...What should I know?
aoreskovich
Posts: 6
in Cigar 101
So, this will be my first purchase from Cigar.com [and first step into non-supermarket cigars], if I go through with it. Seems like a reasonable deal; has everything I need to get started for only $80. Very excited about the endeavor, to say the least! However, I have a few questions that I thought up while making the decision to buy this:
-What do I do with the cigars while I am preparing my humidor?
-Is the included humidor decent, for a beginner? I hear complaints about the humidifier, and people buying other substitutes in its place due to mold.
-Are the cigars included [Graycliff 1666 and RP 1992] considered good cigars?
-Do the experienced people here see this is a good startup package, with cigars and accessories considered?
-If anyone knows, how long will the Christmas package be available for? Don't want to keep putting it off if it'll be gone tomorrow.
Thanks,
Andrew
-What do I do with the cigars while I am preparing my humidor?
-Is the included humidor decent, for a beginner? I hear complaints about the humidifier, and people buying other substitutes in its place due to mold.
-Are the cigars included [Graycliff 1666 and RP 1992] considered good cigars?
-Do the experienced people here see this is a good startup package, with cigars and accessories considered?
-If anyone knows, how long will the Christmas package be available for? Don't want to keep putting it off if it'll be gone tomorrow.
Thanks,
Andrew
0
Comments
Regarding the tupperware... should I somehow divide the cigars from the paper towel / water pillow? I would assume so, but just want to clarify! Cigars here typically ship with water pillows, if I am correct?
One2gofst is very right in saying the sticks are good, but it's all a matter of personal preference really. Like he said, there are people here that absolutely HATE Graycliffs. I on the other hand love them, especially the 1666. I think the the RP '92s are 'OK', but others love smoking them.
If you're worried about mold with the humidifier puck that comes with the humidor, you can probably take the puck apart and replace the oasis foam with beads. I use scent-free Ultra Pearls Cat Litter, made by Ultra Pet, and it works just as well as the Heartfelt beads that most people here use but at a fraction of the cost. I also second the tupperware with water pillow until you season the humi.
I would also suggest getting a digital hygrometer, but it probably wouldn't be absolutely necessary in a small-count humidor. However, it does provide good peace of mind.
More than anything though, welcome to the hobby:) Get ready to have a perpetually lighter wallet! Haha
I've been doing some reading up (I don't buy anything without doing research, haha), and I found two different approaches to season humidors. One involves wiping it down with a sponge soaked in distilled water; the other says to leave a shot glass to sit in the closed humidor for 3 days... can anyone offer their $0.02 or recommendations?
Some people like to wipe their humidors down in order to speed up the seasoning process and get some humidity into the wood at a faster rate. Others are concerned that this wiping might water stain the spanish cedar lining of the humidor or cause the wood to warp and make a poor seal. My opinion is that if you wipe evenly with a cloth that is only damp and not dripping wet and you do it in intervals (not over and over again in succession) you won't make any stains or warp the wood. I'd still put in the shot glass and give it some time to fully take on the humidity because if the wood is still absorbing moisture when you put in your cigars the humidor will continue to absorb humidity by taking moisture from the cigars (bad, very bad).
You should calibrate you hygrometer with the "salt test" which you can find out all about with this forum's search function.
I used just the foam puck when I started and now use both foam and beads together. Foam isn't bad but you can actually over-humidify with them whereas the beads, used properly, will give off moisture or accept moisture and therefore create a much more stable environment with much less effort.
I think this package is a great way to start. You'll find that ccom puts out a great product and offers great deals with excellent customer service. Enjoy.
For someone like you (just starting out), it's a great package. The humi will work fine(was my first as well) until you get a bigger one...which you will be wanting soon. The accessories are nice to have, and it never hurts to have duplicates once you buy nicer ones. As for the sticks - I LOVE Rocky's Vintage line, and the 92 is a great stick. The Graycliff 1666 is another favorite of mine, so as far as I see it, you can't go wrong.
As for seasoning - do NOT wipe down the inside. I made that mistake with the same humidor, and it took me two weeks to get my humidity stable. Just leave a shot glass of distilled water in it for 3 days or more - don't open it during this time - and you should be just fine. A digital hygro that's worked great for me and many others (though some have problems with it) is the Springfield Thermometer/Hygrometer for $7 at WalMart.
Above all, welcome again, and make sure to stick around! Good folks around here.
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
IMHO, wiping it down could introduce a moist environment for mold to germinate as well as risking warpage, depending on how wet the wood actually gets. Better to let the wood suck up evaporated water on it's own. A shot glass with distilled water will work, but I've found that a faster way to do it is to use one of those miniature aluminum pie plates with a little less than a ¼ inch of luke-warm water in the bottom.
And it doesn't matter at this point whether or not it's distilled or regular tap water, as long as the water never actually touches the wood. The evaporated water is essentially distilled water anyways. If you have chlorinated water though, I'd stick with distilled.
Just leave the pie plate and water in for about 24-48 hours and you should be golden. And like Hays said, you won't want to open it during this time... AT ALL. Just resist the temptation. I also agree with what he said about the Springfield thermo/hygro from Wal-fart. I have the same one, and it's pretty close to dead-on. The Max/Min feature is nice too.
Oh, and as to the question of "how do I stop buying these daily deals?", no one has come up with a workable solution to that, yet!
Enjoy your search for the perfect smoke, we're all on the same journey.
As for seasoning your humi, I would wipe it down, which is what I do w/ my humidors. But I don't use alot of water, just enough wet the wood. I then put in my digital hydrometer and wait for the humidity to stablize, usually takes 24-48hrs at the most.
Welcome to the boards and I hope you enjoy your new hobby.
"Long ashes my friends."
Question: once the humidor is seasoned and I go to put my cigars in, should I remove them from their plastic wrappers?
Also, though the pictures all showed the RP Vintage 1992, I received 5 RP Vintage 1990. Not quite sure if this is an upgrade or downgrade, but I'm happy regardless! Thanks everyone for your help, and I'm sure I'll be back with any other questions or feedback very soon!
Of course, do with your sticks what you wish, but the general consensus (I think) is to store them as they come to you - if they're in cellophane, leave em that way. If they're naked, leave em.
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
IMO...The Vintage 90 is above the 92, it ( the wrapper) is aged 12 years and 5 yr filler, vs 10 year old wrapper with 5 year old binder with the 92. The 90 also uses a maduro wrapper which adds more flavor, little milder on your palette too, better cigar to start out with in my book. 1990 just so happens to be my favorite smoke at the moment.
"Long ashes my friends."
4 inches tall
10.5 inches from left to right
8.75 inches from front to back
Very closely matches the one I linked to earlier, which is said to hold 40 to 50 cigars, and costs $60. Awesome! I've never had an incorrect order benefit me so much. If it it was intentional, then my gratitude to whoever made the decision =]
Seasoning process has started. Humidor will be closed until 5PM Thursday.
I re-arrange my cigars in their respective humidor(s) once every month to 2 months, and always store them naked (the cigars, not me..get that picture out of your head...I dare you, lol). With a smaller humidor, you won't need to rotate them, unless you find that some cigars sit at the bottom for a long long period of time. There will almost always be dryer sections in a humidor, so unless you have a fan and lots of room, it's a good idea to move them arround.
I'm glad you got a nice humidor and some good cigars. If you like Rocky Patel, either the Vintage 1990 or 1992 are good sticks, but they do taste different, and to each their own. It's worth trying both. I really enjoy the RP Sungrown and Decade as well as the Vintage line.