Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger T
I buy cigars on line, and I've found some great deals (JR cigar, CI Cigars etc) and these were really great tasting smokes. But after about 6 mo. (I've got quite a few in my humidor) the great tasting ones become pretty vial tasting and unsmokable. I use a mixture of Propoline Glycol and distled water (1 to 5 parts water) in the humidification bars, to prevent mold, and wonder if that has anything to do with it. I also have left the celophane sleeves on them, and am told that isn't a good idea either. Is there just a time limit on how long you can keep your sticks in limbo even if the humidity is maintained before they develop this vial tasting charictaristic? After a while does the oil just turn bad or dry out etc...I'm at a total loss here.
My humidor is the kind with 8 pull-out drawers and a plastic window type front opening door on hinges that doesn't really have a tight sealing door. I'm told that this is not a good type humidor for maintaining a proper level of humidificaiton, but the digintal humidity meeter says it's alwyas about 60 - 65%.
THEN...I have gone for periods of a week without lighting up, so I wonder if it's just my taste buds have gotten too sensitive without smoking.
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Let me guess, by vile, you mean bitter and tar like?
I'm thinking that you might be dealing with over humidification. The timeline is about right and water/pg combo likes to sit around 70% when you mix it 50%/50%. You are mixing 80% water, 20% PG, so it's basically unregulated water which will go to in the 80's or 90's for humidity.
You can take a few cigars and put them in an old wooden cigar box and leave it on the counter for a few days or more, or even just leave them on the counter and let them dry out a bit, see if the flavor comes back. If they are really wet, it could take a week, or longer if you live in a higher humidity area.
I would look into beads from HCMbeads.com, and check the calibration on your hygrometer. Also, your humidor might just leak like a sieve, so it appears to be 65% where the hygro is, but the cigars are soaking up a lot of moisture.
Lastly, cello doesn't really harm the cigars. If anything it affords them protection from being damaged by handling, moving around, mold spores, can serve as a buffer against humidity changes etc.