"Flavoring a couple sticks
I decided to try adding a Cognac flavor to a couple sticks. I've got a round air tight metal container with a glass top and good seal. I put some Cognac in a small glass bowl (really small!) at the bottom. Over it is a screen-like strainer I got from a loose tea thingie. I set the two cigars on top of that, put a digital hydrometer in there, and closed it up - yesterday. Now, I knew the humidity would go up, but to my distress I noticed this morning the hydrometer shows 85%! Gasp! I opened it up and blew some air in to try to reduce the humidity. I know this is folly, but what should I do about this? Obviously 85% is unacceptable, but I don't know how to reduce it given the small size of the container and the open liquid right beneath the cigars.
Any help or suggestions? Here I thought I had this great idea....
Any help or suggestions? Here I thought I had this great idea....
Comments
You're in a bit of unknown territory as far as general cigar humidification goes. All the values we talk about for relative humidity are based on water vapor. Throwing Cognac in there is going to change things since ethanol (drinking alcohol) has a higher vapor pressure than water. That means that at the same temperature, ethanol will have a higher concentration in the vapor phase than water will.
Since the main concerns with high humidity are cigar expansion and mold, you really need to know what the relative concentrations of ethanol and water are that are making up that 85% reading. A digital hygrometer will not be able to tell the difference. All it measures is the amount of liquid condensing on some internal circuitry. So while your RH is 85%, you may not have any actual water vapor condensing out of the air which would cause you the dreaded mold. You may still be shocking the cigars with how much liquid they're taking on, but I don't see how you can avoid that as that's the intent here.
Since you're only working with 2 cigars you've got some freedome to experiment (unless they're something VERY pricey). I would say keep going with it as you were and let the humidity play out. Once the cigars are infused, turn your infusing container into a mini humidor and let them sit for awhile at proper water-only humidity. If there's no mold: Smoke em!
Just don't go putting them back into your general cigar population after the infusion process. Losing 2 cigars to mold is tolerable, but to let them get your whole collection is a tragedy.
If you're looking to get rid of most of the alcohol content and use the sugar base of an alcohol such as rum or cognac, you could start with a larger portion in a wide pan, set it on fire to allow most of the alcohol to burn off. What you'll be left with will be a concentrated alcohol flavor with a very low percentage of actual alcohol. Use that straight or cut with some water in place of your normal humidification device in a small tuperware container. Good luck and have patience.
Hmmm, seems to be an "insert joke here" type of moment.
Freud would be so proud.
I was going to say around a year...... Not what you want to hear huh......... well try for 6 months.
that sounds tasty ! I think the alcohol will stop the mold so I think the RH shouldn't matter. But I may be WWAAYY wrong on this. Joe or Kuzi needs to chime in on this one