Dry boxing?

[oooo35980]

So I cut a cigar earlier and the draw was a bit too tight for me usually when i try to draw and my cheeks collapse i know the stick is going to frustrate me. I was going to try dry boxing the stick, but my coolidor sits at 69rh, and when i open it to look around or rearrange my sticks it jumps to 74 or 75, I don't think that it would qualify as "dry" boxing if i just left them out. I use bovedas but they only go to 65% and I don't think that would qualify either.

I think I'm going to have to actually make a dry box, but I'm not sure what RH to go down to or how to get it there. Anyone else have this problem and how would you recommend I go about this?

[cjhalbrooks]

i would dry box. whats the worse that could happen

[oooo35980]

I agree, I'm just not sure how to go about it when the humidity in my house is higher than in my humidor.

[MurphysLaw]

I use an old cedar cigar box with no humidification at all if I feel dry boxing will help.

[cjhalbrooks]

I use an old cedar cigar box with no humidification at all if I feel dry boxing will help.

good thinking

[CigarNut]

You want to drybox in something that will absorb moisture and also seals well. An old (wooden) cigar box inside a ziplock bag or tupperware container should work well for you in your high humidity environment.

[thecatch83]

So I cut a cigar earlier and the draw was a bit too tight for me usually when i try to draw and my cheeks collapse i know the stick is going to frustrate me. I was going to try dry boxing the stick, but my coolidor sits at 69rh, and when i open it to look around or rearrange my sticks it jumps to 74 or 75, I don't think that it would qualify as "dry" boxing if i just left them out. I use bovedas but they only go to 65% and I don't think that would qualify either.

I think I'm going to have to actually make a dry box, but I'm not sure what RH to go down to or how to get it there. Anyone else have this problem and how would you recommend I go about this?

Whenever I open my cooler, my RH drops.....It must be Hawaii?

[oooo35980]

Whenever I open my cooler, my RH drops.....It must be Hawaii?

The humidity tends to be pretty high here, my fear is that even a cedar box will just go to ambient humidity, since it will have been sitting around absorbing moisture in my house. Which would mean I'm actually wet boxing my cigars. I'll do a test with one of my hygrometers and see what develops.

[thecatch83]

The humidity tends to be pretty high here, my fear is that even a cedar box will just go to ambient humidity, since it will have been sitting around absorbing moisture in my house. Which would mean I'm actually wet boxing my cigars. I'll do a test with one of my hygrometers and see what develops.

You might want to try dropping your levels to around 60% with beads or the BOV packets.....from my experience with higher ambient humidity, cigars smoke significantly better, and you wouldn't have to worry about dry boxing!

[OLS]

I like to leave it out on the counter for two days. BUT sometimes that kills too much moisture.
And right NOW, and during the summer, sometimes it take ON moisture. Hard to go wrong with
the empty cedar box plan, have used it a lot.

[LigaPrivadaT84]

I have a few extra smaller humidors that I use for dryboxing. Used to buy one every year when CI has their humidor plus smokes for $20 deal. Much fewer split wrappers since the humidity around here is usually less than 20%. For your situation, they have humipacks set at much lower Rh (45% for guitars) that you could toss in as well.

[dwoodward]

I think it would be pretty much impossible for you to dry box in your environment, everything in your house is around 70-80% already, so your humidors are probably already seasoned just from being in the humidified ambient environment for so long.

Unless you can buy a small dehumidifier and place your cigar near it, maybe that would work.

[trendo]

Hi Isaiah, the rh in my house is usualy around 75, and my coolers are at 67. If I have something that is too wet, I clip the end and let it sit in the cooler for another week. You can also buy a small amount of 60% beads and have a seperate tupperware for the sticks you are trying to dry. Personaly, I find that nothing smokes well ROTT after being shipped to hawaii. I usualy keep my recent purchases in a coolidor which does not get opened very often, and after about a month they are dry enough to smoke.

[oooo35980]

I've actually had decent luck with the shipped ones, it's the b&m ones that are always a bear to smoke, relights, tight draws, and whatnot, I'm definately going to buy some low RH beands and commit a humidor to dry boxing.

I'm fighting with a viaje tnt as we speak, got it from toh and if the sumbich goes out one more time I'm gonna throw it out the window. I'm having to smoke it a bit fast to keep it lit and it is kicking my ass. If it wasn't so delicious I'd have pitched it already. Never should have started it with only 2 days in the humidor, but couldn't resist.

[IndyRob]

I totally entered this thread with the wrong intentions, but I have learned some good tips. Thanks for keeping me honest. ;)

[wayner123]

I know of a couple of BOTL's in Hawaii that use damprid in their coolers. It works for them with no ill effects.

[dwoodward]

I've actually had decent luck with the shipped ones, it's the b&m ones that are always a bear to smoke, relights, tight draws, and whatnot, I'm definately going to buy some low RH beands and commit a humidor to dry boxing.

I'm fighting with a viaje tnt as we speak, got it from toh and if the sumbich goes out one more time I'm gonna throw it out the window. I'm having to smoke it a bit fast to keep it lit and it is kicking my ass. If it wasn't so delicious I'd have pitched it already. Never should have started it with only 2 days in the humidor, but couldn't resist.

I would say since you live in a high humidity environment that you use a hair dryer to dry your low RH beads out and then only add a small splash of distilled water to them. You're beads will soak up enough RH just from the ambient environment and should make it easier to dry box if they are not already wet.

Of course,I am just guessing, this is just what I would do... It's 20% humidity this time of year here, so it's pretty easy to drybox. lol

[14holestogie]

Anything wrong with throwing the stick in the refrigerator, with or without a box? I would imagine that should be a much drier environment and would work in a pinch. :2

[Brutus2600]

I've not tried this because I haven't had the need, but with the ambient RH that high, perhaps a small humidor (good seal) and a couple of those small silica gel humidity absorbers would make a nice dry box?

Just did a quick search and found these:

http://www.amazon.com/Gram-Silica-Gel-Desiccant-5-Pack/dp/B006LMDBS4

I honestly have no idea how quickly they would suck the humidity out of a cigar, but instead of leaving in there over night, if it works too quickly maybe just leave it in there a few hours. Might take some experimenting.

Seems like building a separate 60% humidor wouldn't really dry box them and stabilize them quick enough to get the "overnight" dry box effect.

[oooo35980]

Putting them in the fridge has crossed my mind, I'm a little afraid of them picking up weird flavors though. I'm also a bit afraid of just using dessicant gel because I don't want to turn them into kindling.

So far I'm on the fence about it but considering a 50% or so humi.

[dwoodward]

Putting them in the fridge has crossed my mind, I'm a little afraid of them picking up weird flavors though. I'm also a bit afraid of just using dessicant gel because I don't want to turn them into kindling.

So far I'm on the fence about it but considering a 50% or so humi.

If you can keep a humi at 50% in your environment, that would be the best way, but I can say it's probably going to be pretty tough... Does any company make 50% beads? You need something that can remove RH from the air.

[oooo35980]

If you can keep a humi at 50% in your environment, that would be the best way, but I can say it's probably going to be pretty tough... Does any company make 50% beads? You need something that can remove RH from the air.

I know the Shilala beads are programable. I don't know how well they'd hold that low RH though.

[chippewastud79]

I believe Cigarmony also offers lower humidity beads that are for guitars and photographs. :tu

[CigarNut]

I know the Shilala beads are programable. I don't know how well they'd hold that low RH though.
HCM beads can bet set to 50% RH. As the RH creeps up over time they can be reset. It will take a bit of time in your refrigerator to reset them.

[oooo35980]

So this is my latest awful idea, I'm going to get a Tupperware, put in some baking soda, put a hygrometer in the Tupperware and stick the thing it the fridge, when the humidity stabilizes I'll put a cigar in it and pop the lid on. Then I'll take it out of the fridge and as long as it's air tight I should have a nice little dry box until I open the lid. The baking soda is to absorb funky fridge smells.

I want to try this first because I don't want to go out and build a low RH box for Hawaii when I'm leaving here in April anyway.

[dwoodward]

So this is my latest awful idea, I'm going to get a Tupperware, put in some baking soda, put a hygrometer in the Tupperware and stick the thing it the fridge, when the humidity stabilizes I'll put a cigar in it and pop the lid on. Then I'll take it out of the fridge and as long as it's air tight I should have a nice little dry box until I open the lid. The baking soda is to absorb funky fridge smells.

I want to try this first because I don't want to go out and build a low RH box for Hawaii when I'm leaving here in April anyway.

If your tupperware seals, there should be no need for the baking soda. It won't get any "funky fridge" smells in a sealed environment.

[oooo35980]

If your tupperware seals, there should be no need for the baking soda. It won't get any "funky fridge" smells in a sealed environment.

Better safe than sorry I always say, bakng soda is cheap anyways and I'm thinking it might even help to regulate the RH.

[CigarNut]

Baking soda will not help you with RH. It probably won't hurt anything but I don't think it will help either...

[thecatch83]

I would not use baking soda......who knows how that would change the flavors!

[oooo35980]

I'm not actually putting it in the baking soda.. Baking soda just absorbs smells. I'm trying it with a black market, the wife bought me 2 and the first one was unsmokeable, so seeing what happens. If it screws with it not like it's a huge loss.

[dwoodward]

I'm not actually putting it in the baking soda.. Baking soda just absorbs smells. I'm trying it with a black market, the wife bought me 2 and the first one was unsmokeable, so seeing what happens. If it screws with it not like it's a huge loss.

I think the thing we are getting at is Baking soda absorbs smells, cigars have oils in the wrapper that have their own unique smells, I imagine the baking soda might suck that right out of the cigar.

I wouldn't do it... But it's your call.

[thecatch83]

I think the thing we are getting at is Baking soda absorbs smells, cigars have oils in the wrapper that have their own unique smells, I imagine the baking soda might suck that right out of the cigar.

I wouldn't do it... But it's your call.

:xxx