Humidor seasoning/bead question

[PCR]

I have a humidor on it's way to me, my first. I also have an order of beads on it's way to me. Should I season the humidor first with distilled water without the beads in it? Or should the beads be placed in the humi while seasoning?
Thanks everyone. :)

[dwoodward]

Season first, I usually season for a 7-10 days before adding the beads.

I find the Boveda Seasoning Packs work great. You can get them from Amazon with free shipping very cheap. If you don't have any you can just fill a couple bowls with distilled water and put a clean sponge in the bowl, roll the sponge around so its nice and soaked. Place in your humidor and close it. Repeat daily, rolling sponge in distilled water, for a week.

[T.G]

I have a humidor on it's way to me, my first. I also have an order of beads on it's way to me. Should I season the humidor first with distilled water ...

I'd recommend Lawry's Seasoned Salt, fresh ground black pepper, a little granulated garlic and some ground chipotle, then water.

[dwoodward]

I'd recommend Lawry's Seasoned Salt, fresh ground black pepper, a little granulated garlic and some ground chipotle, then water.

:r :dr

[Bigwaved]

Either will work as long as you contain the potential fluid build up in something. All you are really going to be concerned about is when it maintains the humidity at the level you want with consistency, imo.

[bobarian]

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=620

[PCR]

I'd recommend Lawry's Seasoned Salt, fresh ground black pepper, a little granulated garlic and some ground chipotle, then water.

Raise some dough, add a bit of olive oil and you'll have a great pizza! :dr

[PCR]

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=620

Yep, read this! Perfect.

[T.G]

Raise some dough, add a bit of olive oil and you'll have a great pizza! :dr

Spanish Cedar pizza?

I was thinking more like some salmon fillets and a grill that's fired with mesquite and oak.

[Bill86]

I'd recommend Lawry's Seasoned Salt, fresh ground black pepper, a little granulated garlic and some ground chipotle, then water.

:dr:dr:tu:tu Definitely gotta have fresh ground pepper and decent salt. MMMMM lawry's

[mosesbotbol]

I do not believe in wiping down the wood with water, but each to their own. A small cup with distilled water sitting in an empty humidor should be enough until you get the beads and cigars.

In general, a full humidor regulated humidity the best and just use the the "squeeze test" to see if you are cigars are where they should be. You drive yourself crazy if chase the hygrometer readings...

[PCR]

In general, a full humidor regulated humidity the best and just use the the "squeeze test" to see if you are cigars are where they should be.

Meaning firm but with a little give? (btw hope you get to ride today Moses) :D

[mosesbotbol]

In general, a full humidor regulated humidity the best and just use the the "squeeze test" to see if you are cigars are where they should be.

Meaning firm but with a little give? (btw hope you get to ride today Moses) :D

Basically. The cigar's head should not crack and they smoke the way you like them to. Having a number reading is good, but if it is off yet the cigars seem fine, it is ok.

Certainly a nice day for a ride. Perfect temp's out.

How many cigar humidor did you buy?

[dwoodward]

I do not believe in wiping down the wood with water, but each to their own. A small cup with distilled water sitting in an empty humidor should be enough until you get the beads and cigars.

In general, a full humidor regulated humidity the best and just use the the "squeeze test" to see if you are cigars are where they should be. You drive yourself crazy if chase the hygrometer readings...

Ugh... another squeezer... I see too many cigars at B&M's that are ruined by people whole have sqeezed them a little too much. Besides, the squeeze test is flawed from the get go. Some cigars are more or less packed than others and wont squeeze the same as another at the same RH.

[pnoon]

Ugh... another squeezer... I see too many cigars at B&M's that are ruined by people whole have sqeezed them a little too much. Besides, the squeeze test is flawed from the get go. Some cigars are more or less packed than others and wont squeeze the same as another at the same RH.

I'm curious. How many years have you been smoking cigars? And how old are you?

[mariogolbee]

Basically. The cigar's head should not crack and they smoke the way you like them to. Having a number reading is good, but if it is off yet the cigars seem fine, it is ok.

So if the test fails then you have a cigar with a cracked head? And if the test fails a lot, you have many cracked cigars?

[pektel]

I squeeze test cigars to check if they are too dry/wet all the time, or to check for soft spots/voids. The only reason they would get damaged is if they were dry and cracked. Or if you were really squeezing the isht out of them.

[mariogolbee]

I squeeze test cigars to check if they are too dry/wet all the time, or to check for soft spots/voids. The only reason they would get damaged is if they were dry and cracked. Or if you were really squeezing the isht out of them.
I can understand checking for soft spots/voids, and if it's too wet after observing that it looks too wet. If you squeezed a bunch of heads and they were too dry wouldn't you have a bunch of cracked cigars though? I know this question implies some sarcasm but I am really curious. My way is not necessarily the best or only way.

[dwoodward]

I'm curious. How many years have you been smoking cigars? And how old are you?

Smoking 4-5 months. And I am 23. Not sure how that matters with this thread. Everyone around here squeezes cigars, and you have no idea how many ruined cigars I see, next time I go to a B&M i'll snap some photos with my camera phone, I bet I can find 3-4 cigars in the humidor each time I visit that have been squeezed too hard.

[LostAbbott]

I do not believe in wiping down the wood with water, but each to their own. A small cup with distilled water sitting in an empty humidor should be enough until you get the beads and cigars.

In general, a full humidor regulated humidity the best and just use the the "squeeze test" to see if you are cigars are where they should be. You drive yourself crazy if chase the hygrometer readings...

I agree that you do not need to wet the wood in this way, but I have seen many Humi's that come with wood dust in them and on their sides, this definitely needs to be wiped out.

[pnoon]

Smoking 4-5 months. And I am 23. Not sure how that matters with this thread. Everyone around here squeezes cigars, and you have no idea how many ruined cigars I see, next time I go to a B&M i'll snap some photos with my camera phone, I bet I can find 3-4 cigars in the humidor each time I visit that have been squeezed too hard.

It has general relevance in that it puts your posts into perspective based on your experience.

And just to play devil's advocate, how do you know the damage you observe at your B&M is from squeezing? Cigars can sustain damage in many ways. :2 Now if you have observed customers squeezing cigars and then see the damage, that is a different story.

[dwoodward]

It has general relevance in that it puts your posts into perspective based on your experience.

And just to play devil's advocate, how do you know the damage you observe at your B&M is from squeezing? Cigars can sustain damage in many ways. :2 Now if you have observed customers squeezing cigars and then see the damage, that is a different story.

Well, I suppose I just assume its from the squeezing, almost everytime I am there I see someone squeeze the cigars. There is this one older fellow who is a regular there that will squeeze almost a whole box before he buys the cigar he wants to find the perfect one. He will also bring a cigar to his ear to listen while he squeezes it, not sure why, just something I have observed.

I see a lot of cracked heads and torn wrappers, it just seems squeezing would be what causes them. I really don't see the point tho, the B&M has a hygrometer in there and it always reads somewhere between 68-72% RH... that should be good enough for most people.

[CigarNut]

Not a squeezer myself. Not to say that I haven't done so, but I do not find it to be a reliable test for me. I am also not one to shove a cigar in my nose at a B&M either :)

At good B&Ms all the cigars should be well-kept (well humidified), otherwise I go elsewhere...

[mosesbotbol]

Ugh... another squeezer...

Not all. Once the humidor is up running, a squeeze in not necessary every time. Once you have a feel for your cigars and know the humidor it is not needed. Quite often the hygrometer is correct and everything is good.

At a B&M, I look toward construction & appearence; not humidity. Any knots and if it is too tight at foot is basically it. I respect the B&M’s stock, but I do feel one should be able to handle a cigar. The tobacconist should take them out of the box.

B&M's stock is usually too humid for my taste.

[PCR]

Basically. The cigar's head should not crack and they smoke the way you like them to. Having a number reading is good, but if it is off yet the cigars seem fine, it is ok.

Certainly a nice day for a ride. Perfect temp's out.

How many cigar humidor did you buy? 75 give or take. Gotta start somewhere :).

[dwoodward]

75 give or take. Gotta start somewhere :).

That is sooooo not big enough... You will outgrow that within a month easily.

[mosesbotbol]

That is sooooo not big enough... You will outgrow that within a month easily.

Let's hope he doesn't fill it with cigars he'll out grow first.

Be careful with what you buy, especially with NC's.

[pektel]

I can understand checking for soft spots/voids, and if it's too wet after observing that it looks too wet. If you squeezed a bunch of heads and they were too dry wouldn't you have a bunch of cracked cigars though? I know this question implies some sarcasm but I am really curious. My way is not necessarily the best or only way.

Honestly, I just do it out of habit. And it normally is a very light squeeze/roll.

Teh stupid thing is, there are such varying levels of firmness between different cigars, that it isn't really all too informative a test.

[pnoon]

Honestly, I just do it out of habit. And it normally is a very light squeeze/roll.

Teh stupid thing is, there are such varying levels of firmness between different cigars, that it isn't really all too informative a test.

Yep.