Freezing

I was just wondering will freezing your cigars kill those cigar beetles or not, I have two tupperdors with wide varity of nice cigars, and wondered if I put them in the freezer will that take care of the bug problem....I wasn't gonna leave them in the freezer I would put them in for a day or two and then put them back in the office, to regain back to a 70 degree with a 75rh...I alway keep my tupperdor higher in rh then my desk humi. which varieys between 65 and 68rh and approx. 72 degrees...

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pilot711

I wouldn't put my stogies in the freezer unless I actually had a beetle problem. If you have seen the signs of them then yes it will work but is hard on the cigars.

kaspera79

I thing you will find very few people have ever a had a problem with cigar beetles. I would toss any that I discovered with a bug problem and that would be bad. But freezing them still would leave the bugs or larva and I don't want to smoke that Sh** . Consider them misfortune, get replacements and try to forget about it.

ashmaster

Let me say this, since I started freezing my cigars I have never had another outbreak of "bugs".

I came home from work and was looking for a smoke and thought I saw a critter diving into a Padron 40th anni. Well with a little more research, yep I found that little "female dog". Saved the 40th, but lost some other top notch smokes, I was rather urinated to say the least!!!!!. It took a couple of weeks to freeze all the cigars but everything got taken care of. I will not take a chance anymore, every cigar I recieve gets frozen.

There is no way to tell 100% that freezing the cigars has stopped another outbreak, maybe I was just unlucky, but I will say I sure do feel a lot more comfortable.

kuzi16

i only freeze them when i have "questionable" cigars in the humi. and they get frozen before they hit the humidor. A reputable brand will fumigate before they even roll so it shouldnt make a difference.

madurofan

AHHH you guys are freaking me out. I hadn't even had a thought about cigar beatles until this post and I immediately went and searched through my humi and kind of freaked out a little. I'm kinda OCD when it comes to bugs in the house now I'm going to be OCD about bugs in my humi, thanks guys!

CastleCrest

Markbb:
I was just wondering will freezing your cigars kill those cigar beetles or not, .

2 things -

1-Most freezers aren't cold enough - but set it on high for the best odds.

2-Slowely warm the cigars - freezer to fridge & then to room temp.

The best way to prevent bugs is to never let the sticks get warm.

ashmaster

madurofan:
AHHH you guys are freaking me out. I hadn't even had a thought about cigar beatles until this post and I immediately went and searched through my humi and kind of freaked out a little. I'm kinda OCD when it comes to bugs in the house now I'm going to be OCD about bugs in my humi, thanks guys!

Don't mean to freak you out, for the most part the majority of us will never have a problem, I was just one of those unfortunate ones. Like kuzi said and he's absolutely right "A reputable brand will fumigate before they even roll so it shouldnt make a difference". The key word in that quote is "shouldn't", but all it takes is one. I lost some pretty nice smokes in my attack and will do my damndest to never let it happen again and at this point freezing is the best preventative alternative I have. Who knows for sure whether or not freezing has actually stopped further outbreaks, it just gives me that warm and fuzzy.

kaspera79

Guys you must be the unluckiest bunch of cigar smokers ever. I have bought thousands of cigars and know dozens of avid smokers who NEVER had a single beetle. I never think about it, worry about it, or expect it to happen. (that being said I will probably go to my humidor to pick one out and find a pile of labels and cello wrappers among 25,00 fat ass beetles.)

dep691

kaspera you better knock on some wood. lol

gott.des.feuer

madurofan:
AHHH you guys are freaking me out. I hadn't even had a thought about cigar beatles until this post and I immediately went and searched through my humi and kind of freaked out a little. I'm kinda OCD when it comes to bugs in the house now I'm going to be OCD about bugs in my humi, thanks guys!

Ha... I've never had a beetle problem, but I had a little trouble with my first humidor in terms of keeping an even RH. So I checked on it one day to find the RH had spiked to like 77%, so I freak and take one of the two humidifiers out for two days. I put it back the morning of the third day and go to check it in the evening... a nice 68%. I picked one out and lit it up only to find it had dried out enough during those two days it was like trying to eat ashes when I puffed on it.

Couldn't get that damn taste out of my mouth for almost a week. Now I'm super paranoid about the RH, and it doesn't help that it's summer and muggy as heck where I am.

CastleCrest

ashmaster:
I lost some pretty nice smokes in my attack

It seems they always go for the best cigars - Bastarrds!

kuzi16

CastleCrest:
ashmaster:
I lost some pretty nice smokes in my attack
It seems they always go for the best cigars - Bastarrds!

tobacco beetles have impecable taste.

kuzi16

CastleCrest:
ashmaster:
I lost some pretty nice smokes in my attack
It seems they always go for the best cigars - Bastarrds!

tobacco beetles have impecable taste.

madurofan

LOL If I ever see any I'll probably light the whole damn humidor on fire and then go cry. Find a nice dark corner and cry, you know one of those snot bubble creating, heading jerking full out bawl.

kaspera79

Hey Johnny Dep(p) 691 I have been accused of being a blockhead if that counts for wood. I guess maybe I have just been extremely lucky>

jlzimmerman

True or false: concern for beetles is only needed if the cigars are cuban? I read that one reason cuban's are highly coveted is because they do not fumigate or use pesticides on their plants.

My brother (doesn't live in the U.S.) may be at risk.

madurofan

Don't tell me that I got a bunch of cubans in the humi right now ahhhhh someone say thats not true

kuzi16

madurofan:
Don't tell me that I got a bunch of cubans in the humi right now ahhhhh someone say thats not true

...uhhhh... thats not true?

...thatdidnt sound so convincing. I have a few as well in my humi, however i am not to worried. all of them are higher end and i doubt that they wouldnt fumigate if the entire country is the "standard" that all other cigars are compared to.

i hope

kaspera79

Hey Guys .... Does anybody know maduros favorite band ? The Beetles !! (sic)

madurofan

Damn you guys!!!!

kuzi16

in all seriousness, dont let it bother you until you have a break out. things that may not happen shouldnt keep you up at night. ... i mean this hobby IS about relaxation.

Bsneed51

CastleCrest:
Markbb:
I was just wondering will freezing your cigars kill those cigar beetles or not, .
2 things - 1-Most freezers aren't cold enough - but set it on high for the best odds. 2-Slowely warm the cigars - freezer to fridge & then to room temp. The best way to prevent bugs is to never let the sticks get warm.

I've always thought the same thing about letting the cigars warm slowly, however recently I attend a Padron event, and a group of us were talking to Jorge Padron. He mentioned that they freeze all their cigars, in the boxes, prior to shipping them. We asked him about letting the cigars warm up and re-humidify slowly. After he got done laughing at us he told us we were trying to hard, and that they pull them straight from the freezer and ship them, and that he has smoked cigars straight from the freezer. My friend tried this experiment when he got home and it worked fine. Try it yourself sometime. Freeze a cigar(use a cheap one to ease your concerns) for 2-3 days, pull it out and lay in on the counter for 15 minutes, fire it up and smoke it. I don't claim to be an expert, but I consider Jorge Padron to be one so I'll take his word for it.

kuzi16

ive never heard that. You learn something every day. to CC's defence though, it does make sence that with the natural expanding and contracting of water inside a cigar there could be some cracking/swelling.

madurofan

kuzi16:
ive never heard that. You learn something every day. to CC's defence though, it does make sence that with the natural expanding and contracting of water inside a cigar there could be some cracking/swelling.

No crap you learn something everyday I knew nothing of this freezing idea until I got on here. What cc and kuzi said makes sense I'd think you'd experience some cracking as well. My thing is I don't know that freezing would even be worth it to me. I'm not willing to smoke a cigar beetle or its larva, dead or alive. So even if it died by being frozen, if I knew about it I couldn't bring myself to smoke that cigar. Just my opinion, like I said I'd probably burn the whole humi to the ground.

Bsneed51

I wasn't trying to say that CC was wrong, and I hope it didn't come across that way. Until two weeks ago I thought the exact same thing. I'm pretty sure each of us that was talking to him sat there with our mouths wide open when he was telling us this. I'm still not sure I would be 100% comfy smoking frozen cigars, but I thought it was interesting information.

FYI...Jorge Padron is one of the friendliest and honest people I have met, and he shared a lot of good information with us, and answered any questions we had. If you ever get a chance to attend an event that he is at, I would highly recommend doing so.

kuzi16

you would almost never smoke the beetle itself. they have a way of getting out of your cigars before you smoke them. if you see the hole they are probably gone. what you are doing is killing the eggs. the eggs are so small you will never see them. youve probably smoked some in your cigar career.

I like to think that when you hear a crackle in your cigar thats the beetle eggs going up. ... the little jerks.

kuzi16

Bsneed51:
I wasn't trying to say he was wrong, and I hope it didn't come across that way. Until two weeks ago I thought the exact same thing. I'm pretty sure each of us that was talking to him sat there with our mouths wide open when he was telling us this. I'm still not sure I would be 100% comfy smoking frozen cigars, but I thought it was interesting information.

FYI...Jorge Padron is one of the friendliest and honest people I have met, and he shared a lot of good information with us, and answered any questions we had. If you ever get a chance to attend an event that he is at, I would highly recommend doing so.

i wasnt saying at all that you thought he was wrong. I trust the maker more than myself. sometimes reality is stranger than you think. there is logic behind the warming slowly theory, but reality has proven it wrong.

ive heard that about jorge padron before. I also hear rocky patel is the same way. If you think about it, it makes sence: have you ever met a cigar smoker that was an @$$ hole ? ... i havent.

madurofan

kuzi16:
I like to think that when you hear a crackle in your cigar thats the beetle eggs going up. ... the little jerks.

DAMN IT! Now everytime I hear it crackle I'm going to be thinking about smoking beetle eggs lol. You are underestimating how easily I get grossed out by bugs. I'm slightly OCD about cleanliness.

Bsneed51

kuzi16:

ive heard that about jorge padron before. I also hear rocky patel is the same way. If you think about it, it makes sence: have you ever met a cigar smoker that was an @$$ hole ? ... i havent.

I don't know to may smokers that are that way, but I have experienced, or heard experiences about a manufacturer or two that were jerks. Rocky Patel is coming for an event in July and I'm curious to see how he is, since I've mostly only heard good things about him as well.

madurofan

kuzi16:
ive heard that about jorge padron before. I also hear rocky patel is the same way. If you think about it, it makes sence: have you ever met a cigar smoker that was an @$$ hole ? ... i havent.

Rocky is a good guy, a bit loud but a good guy. I've been to two events of his. Unfortunately I have been around a few @$$holes working in tobacconists. We have one in my local shoppe. This guy once decided to inform me I didn't know how to light a cigar because I was lighting it in my hand not my mouth. I just finished lighting my cigar and went and sat out front and smoked it.