Storing Cigars in Arizona

M93 · January 20

Hello all,

I’m new here, and new to cigars. Had a few when I was younger and just recently started smoking cigars last month. I purchased a few from a store to celebrate a major milestone in my life and after a few online orders I now own over nice sticks.

My first online order was from Famous, my second from Thompson, and most recently Cigar Page.

I’ve been storing them in Rubbermaid brilliance containers, and I’ve also purchased a few Sistema containers from Amazon. I also purchased a few traditional wooden humidors that I am currently setting up.

My question: how do I store my cigars living in Arizona, in this desert, dry and hot climate? I’ve done extensive research on how to store cigars and I’ve quickly learned that I appreciate cigars store at lower RH levels of 65-68.

I would ideally like to keep my humidors/ tupperdores in a closet however it can be difficult to keep my temp in my home at that ideal 70 range. Even right now in these cooler months I’m usually at about 72-74 degrees, and in the summer it’s common for my home to be anywhere from 73-76/77. It’s expensive cooling my home in the summer time.
I’d like to know from the experience of others how to store cigars to avoid cigar beetles, etc.

I use boveda 65% packs in my plastic tupperdores, and will be using boveda 69% in my wooden humidors.
A lot of the cigars I purchased are high quality and all handmade premium sticks. Mainly Oliva, Cohiba, My Father, a few R y J’s, and I’ve been leaning towards Maduro type sticks.

Understanding the importance of stable humidity I am committed to keeping the RH stable and somewhere between 65-70, however the temperature is more of a concern, or should it be?

Would I be better off freezing my sticks to potentially avoid any cigar beetle outbreaks? I’ve been resting my cigars for a few weeks- a month now, because I’ve placed multiple separate orders.

I would greatly appreciate any help from as many people who live in similar climates and I would like to be assured that I am not being overly worried about my precious sticks so I can sleep better at night. I’ve definitely lost sleep over my concerns because I do appreciate a nice cigar store properly and I’ve experienced it when they’re not in optimal condition.

Thank you

M

Itsfine · January 20

Welcome brother! You're on the right track. There's a few desert guys on this forum. I live in Vegas. @dirtdude lives in Arizona. There are a few others also. We all understand.

Rubbermaid brilliance containers or other plastic with boveda is the place to go.

The temperature is another challenge all together for you. You're also still on the right track. I would just keep them in the coolest place in my house. If you're using this system, then the RH inside of your box is going to be in the '60s somewhere. In my experience, you don't get a lot of mold or beetles unless your cigars are both warm and moist, like 75/75.

Temperatures in the mid 70s never hurt anything that I've ever seen. If you're going to go long stretches with temperatures in the 80s, might be a different story.

My old lady keeps my house at igloo temperatures, and I don't get much of a vote, so temperature is not an issue for me.

ShawnOL · January 20

Hello @m93. You seem to have a pretty good handle on things. Two things: dump the wooden humidor (unless you like to worry) and use boveda 60g packs. Problems solved. Dont worry about beetles at your temps. Freeze your sticks if you want to, but not really necessary. The big names often freeze them before shipping.

Rdp77 · January 20

I have to agree with both of these guys. Beetles in new world cigars is pretty rare. Nearly every manufacturer freezes cigars before shipping. Just check your new sticks before putting them with the rest of them. As far as mold goes, leave the cello on any cigars that come with it. Most mold spores will come from the air or your hands. The cello helps protect from it.

Sealed containers like Rubbermaid brilliance are great to use. If the temp where you store them stays stable you don’t really have anything to worry about. It’s big fluctuations that can cause problems with the way your cigars smoke. Coolers are also good for long term storage because they slow any fluctuations that can take place.

Main thing is, this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby. Get it set…trust your system…and don’t fret over it.

silvermouse · January 20

Keep an eye on cigars wrapped in a cedar veneer or remove it. For some reason they are more likely to develop mold.

dirtdude · January 20

It sounds like you about have it figured, I don't know anything about insulating capabilities of Rubbermaid brilliance, I use a heavy 55 qt cooler with a few of the big boveda 65 and I am set. If you can get by with a 20 qt great. I throw cigars, wooden humidors, pipe tobacco, weed, whatever in there and never have to worry. If you have guest just drag the wooden humi out and throw it on the table, it will be fine til morning then back in the cooler

Itsfine · January 20

One quick aside. Don't think that because you live in the desert you can't have wood boxes. You can. And they can be just as easy as long as you have active humidification. Doesn't need to be two-way because you'll lose enough that you'll never need to absorb.

M93 · January 22

Thank you all for responses. I greatly appreciate all the support and advice. I couldn’t find a way to reply to responses individually, so I’m making this one reply LOL. I’m going to stick with the tubberdors for the time being, and I’m going to keep an eye on the wooden humidors I purchased because I like them and if they hold RH steady, I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes. The weather is much nicer right now so I might have to wait another month or two to really see how the summer is with a wooden humidor. I also purchased a modern acrylic humidor that has a Spanish cedar tray in it so it’s kind of like a tubberdor but it looks like a modern humidor. It’s the Felix and Felix pro from case elegance. Gonna give it a shot when it gets in.

Rdp77 · January 22

@Itsfine said:
One quick aside. Don't think that because you live in the desert you can't have wood boxes. You can. And they can be just as easy as long as you have active humidification. Doesn't need to be two-way because you'll lose enough that you'll never need to absorb.

You got too much dead space in there Frank 🤣
@M93 it the “quote” tab at the bottom of comments.

Itsfine · January 23

@Rdp77 said:

@Itsfine said:
One quick aside. Don't think that because you live in the desert you can't have wood boxes. You can. And they can be just as easy as long as you have active humidification. Doesn't need to be two-way because you'll lose enough that you'll never need to absorb.

You got too much dead space in there Frank 🤣
@M93 it the “quote” tab at the bottom of comments.

Nah. I have the right amount of space in each one buddy.

M93 · 3:32AM

Okay great thank you, now I’ll know how to reply to individual replies

Has anyone had or known anyone that has experience with storing cigars in clear acrylic humidors? I purchased a few which are really nice and have some questions and maybe concerns.

M93 · 3:35AM

I will also be using my desktop 100 count wood humidors and I’ll updated with how they hold. I’m still using my Rubbermaid brilliance container, and Sistema tupperdors. I purchased a few clear acrylic humidors which are really nice but they have a smell to them, don’t know if it’s the acrylic itself or the glue that was used to assemble them. All the acrylic humidors I purchased have very nice Spanish cedar trays in them which are nice. I have yet to test the seal on them and will be doing so this week.

Rdp77 · 4:47AM

@M93 said:
I will also be using my desktop 100 count wood humidors and I’ll updated with how they hold. I’m still using my Rubbermaid brilliance container, and Sistema tupperdors. I purchased a few clear acrylic humidors which are really nice but they have a smell to them, don’t know if it’s the acrylic itself or the glue that was used to assemble them. All the acrylic humidors I purchased have very nice Spanish cedar trays in them which are nice. I have yet to test the seal on them and will be doing so this week.

Serious question. Why go from Rubbermaid brilliance to acrylic humidors?

Itsfine · 5:06AM

Probably for the aesthetic? ↑

If they have a chemical smell to them, air them out for a few days. If that doesn't work, wash them out with soap and water. If that still doesn't do it, crinkle up some newspaper into some loose balls (settle down @memento_mori) and stick them in there with the lid closed for a few days. If that doesn't work, put a little ramekin of baking soda in there for a few days.

If that doesn't work, store your lighters and cutters in there.

Yakster · 5:14AM

Frank pretty much covered it, you can have the same sort of issues with coolers and wine fridges. Sometimes vinegar can help, but it leaves it's own scent.

I find a cotton ball with some vanilla added and placed on something inside the container can help cover stubborn smells.

Storing Cigars in Arizona

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