Vacume sealing Box

[Raralith]

The problem with vaccum sealing is that it seems to screw with the cigar. Cigars need oxygen, they need to breathe, and while most NC's are already well aged, they still age a bit more. If storage is your problem, and you want to keep your cigars properly humidified, I might suggest start smoking, gifting, stop buying, or figure out how to store more; I would go for the last option. Got room under the bed? Buy one of those large, flat, plastic containers that can fit under there. Sure, it isn't air tight so you'll need to actively work on keeping the humidity up by rehydrating beads or adding more water, but it sure would be a hell of a lot better than what you are thinking.

Would it be good for the long term? Probably not.

[DocLogic77]

Originally Posted by Raralith

The problem with vaccum sealing is that it seems to screw with the cigar. Cigars need oxygen, they need to breathe, and while most NC's are already well aged, they still age a bit more. If storage is your problem, and you want to keep your cigars properly humidified, I might suggest start smoking, gifting, stop buying, or figure out how to store more; I would go for the last option. Got room under the bed? Buy one of those large, flat, plastic containers that can fit under there. Sure, it isn't air tight so you'll need to actively work on keeping the humidity up by rehydrating beads or adding more water, but it sure would be a hell of a lot better than what you are thinking.

Would it be good for the long term? Probably not.

Are you sure cigars need oxygen? I have heard that before...but I'm not so sure it's true. I believe there is a theory out there by a well known, and well respected aficionado that cigars age best (long term) by reduction reactions rather than oxidative reactions. You would obtain this by properly sealing the cigars in an oxygen free environment. I wouldn't recommend vacuum sealing...but some sort of large ziplock should work. After the initial oxygen is used...the aging process would be a slow reduction process...which is supposed to give a better, more refined aged product.

But, like I said I believe this is all theory and I have no first hand knowledge. I have set up some of my stock...so that I can compare and contrast. I have some cigars sealed with zip lock...then the same ones from that year just in regular storage. All stored in the same humidor on the same shelf. At 10,15 and 20 years I want to pull out 5-10 from each box...and have 5-10 well respected BOTL sample and give opinions. I think that's the only way a debate like this will be settled.

[bobarian]

Originally Posted by DocLogic77

Are you sure cigars need oxygen? I have heard that before...but I'm not so sure it's true. I believe there is a theory out there by a well known, and well respected aficionado that cigars age best (long term) by reduction reactions rather than oxidative reactions. You would obtain this by properly sealing the cigars in an oxygen free environment. I wouldn't recommend vacuum sealing...but some sort of large ziplock should work. After the initial oxygen is used...the aging process would be a slow reduction process...which is supposed to give a better, more refined aged product.

But, like I said I believe this is all theory and I have no first hand knowledge. I have set up some of my stock...so that I can compare and contrast. I have some cigars sealed with zip lock...then the same ones from that year just in regular storage. All stored in the same humidor on the same shelf. At 10,15 and 20 years I want to pull out 5-10 from each box...and have 5-10 well respected BOTL sample and give opinions. I think that's the only way a debate like this will be settled.

This was my understanding as well. Long term aging is based upon a slowing of the fermentation process not acceleration. But there are also two clearly divergent schools of storage as well. In the Far East the tendency is toward low temp/low Rh, whereas many Europeans recommend a much higher rh and temp.

[DocLogic77]

Originally Posted by bobarian

This was my understanding as well. Long term aging is based upon a slowing of the fermentation process not acceleration. But there are also two clearly divergent schools of storage as well. In the Far East the tendency is toward low temp/low Rh, whereas many Europeans recommend a much higher rh and temp.

That's $$$. I know the French like their CC at 70%+...even some breaking into the high 70's. The aficionado I spoke of keeps his stock in the low 60s F and at 58% rh. That's why I don't believe we know the right answer. Being a man of science and still fairly young I figured if I'm blessed with a long life I could set up a very subjective study. I think it would take many studies like this one to convince most of the smoking world that one particular style of aging is better than others.

As for slowing down the process that's absolutely correct. And that's why it makes more sense to me to lower temp, rh, and seal the cigars. The three things that speed up aging are temperature, room humidity, and oxygen.

[Clampdown]

Originally Posted by DocLogic77

Are you sure cigars need oxygen? I have heard that before...but I'm not so sure it's true. I believe there is a theory out there by a well known, and well respected aficionado that cigars age best (long term) by reduction reactions rather than oxidative reactions. You would obtain this by properly sealing the cigars in an oxygen free environment. I wouldn't recommend vacuum sealing...but some sort of large ziplock should work. After the initial oxygen is used...the aging process would be a slow reduction process...which is supposed to give a better, more refined aged product.

But, like I said I believe this is all theory and I have no first hand knowledge. I have set up some of my stock...so that I can compare and contrast. I have some cigars sealed with zip lock...then the same ones from that year just in regular storage. All stored in the same humidor on the same shelf. At 10,15 and 20 years I want to pull out 5-10 from each box...and have 5-10 well respected BOTL sample and give opinions. I think that's the only way a debate like this will be settled.

I think we can agree, theory or not, the guy knows what he is talking. That alone makes me follow that theory.

[DocLogic77]

Originally Posted by Clampdown

I think we can agree, theory or not, the guy knows what he is talking. That alone makes me follow that theory.

Absolutely.