If you are one of the unlucky cigar smokers that have ran into cigar beetles you know how much damage they can do to your expensive cigars. Also known as the tobacco beetle or cigarette beetle, these are tough insects to fight and once they start they can ruin every cigar in your humidor very quickly if not found.
What is a cigar beetle:
The official name of these pests is Lasioderma Serricorne though most people in the cigar hobby call them cigar beetles and cigarette smokers call them the cigarette beetle or tobacco beetle. They grow between two and three millimeters and only live up to six weeks.They thrive in humid conditions and females lay about 100 eggs at a time. They can fly making it easy to make it around to a large area of tobacco in the aging process.
How can you tell if you have them:
Depending where you live will depend on your chances of getting them. People living in hot humid places like Florida should take extra time to keep an eye on their stogies when adding to the humidor. Go through your humidor and look at the cigars for small pin holes like you poked it with a small sewing pin. You may also be able to see the beetle moving around itself.
Ok, I have cigar beetles, now what:
So you ask, ok, they are basically to small to see and they only live 6 weeks, are they really going to do that much damage? The answer is yes they can and yes they will if left untreated. If you do have these nasty little things I truly hope they didn’t do much damage. If there is not a pile of dust just sitting your humidor then you should be able to save most or at least some of your collection. The tobacco beetle cannot handle the cold.
The first thing you want to do is to look at every cigar in the humidor closely. Pull all the cigars out of beetle infested humidor and place them in zip locks.
I know this may be hard but throw out the cigars that will not be able to be saved (large holes, torn up). You should be able to save the cigars with just small pin holes.
Make sure to zip the bags tight and squeeze out as much air as you can without hurting your stogies worse than they already are.
Place the zipped bags in the freezer.
Wipe your humidor down and clean it very good to get rid of any eggs or cigar beetles that might have been left.
At seven days take the cigars out of the freezer and move them into the refrigerator.
After 48 hours in the fridge you can place your cigars back into your cleaned humidor.
Repair any mildly effected cigars with this trick I posted about a while back. If you are asking the question “can cigar beetles get you sick” the answer is no. You might not want to hear this but if you smoke any kind of tobacco you have smoked many cigar beetles Kind of like if you only knew how many bugs you eat while sleeping lol
This picture makes me sick to my stomach.
The cigars have made a long trip from the hot fields to the humid aging piles to your store, and then to you giving those trouble makers plenty of time to settle in and to feel at home. Just about all major manufactures treat for the Lasioderma serricorne before the smokes are even sent your way, unfortunately not all do and other make it through the process. Though cigar beetles can hatch in lower humidity and temperature you can slow the process down a lot by keeping your humidor at or below the 70/70 set up (70 degrees and 70% humidity). I personally try to keep my cigars between 65%-68% humidity and just “cool” as they are in the basement.
Like stated above the tobacco beetle thrives in humid condition. Though it is possible to get them with lower RH it is a safe bet that your humidor relative humidity was high when the breakout happened. It is always a good idea to keep you humidor out of direct sun light, it is even better to keep it in a darker place like the basement. But most importantly just watch out for your prized collection and check them every so often.
Last but not least I have found an informational video from Cigar Aficionado that shows the beetles in action and what was done to clear up the issue.
Incoming search terms:
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Every new aficionado will need a way to store their cigars. Doing it the correct way is important to protect your treasured stogies. In this article we will answer the question, how to store cigars. We will go over multiple ways and price ranges so you are sure to find an option that works for you.
Desktop Humidor:
The most common way to store cigars is a desktop humidor. These come in different price ranges and is small enough to fit on a desk. These are normally decorative to match the surrounding room. These types of humidors usually hold between 25 and 100 cigars depending on what size you purchase. We put up an article a while back called Your First Humidor that you might want to check out. If you are looking for tips on purchasing a desktop humidor. Here is an article on personalized humidors if you are looking to have one customized.
Coolidor:
If you are wanting to start mass collecting or aging cigars then a coolidor makes a good choice. A coolidor is made out of a cooler giving you a lot of room to store and age cigars. With the tight lid, these make a great option as a large humidor. Here you can find our post Building a Coolidor for your Cigars. The price for building a coolidor to store cigars is fairly cheap and a basic one can be made for under $50. This will give you enough room to store boxes upon boxes of cigars.
Cedar Chest:
If do not mind taking on a larger project you can create a large humidor out of a cedar chest. This will be a lot more work than building a coolidor but they are well worth it. This nice furniture piece will come with a large $500+ price tag if you do it right. If you have the money this will make a very nice addition to your house.
Humidor Cabinet:
Humidor cabinets are another choice to store a large amount of cigars. These are usually another expensive option but again worth the price. These come as furniture pieces (end table) and cabinet style with a see through glass front. A good option if you want to display your cigars.
Other Options:
There are a couple other cheap options for people just beginning in the cigar hobby. One is to use Tupperware and another is a glass jar. With a tight secure lid they do a better job then you would think. This is recommended for people that only keeps a couple cigars at a time that doesn’t plan on ageing them.
Reading the title of this post you are probably thinking, what the hell kind of question is that! You might be surprised that this question gets asked by new comers of the cigar world more than you think. I have had countless emails asking me what is the best cigar or what is the best cheap cigar. So I’m going to take the question and answer it once and for all. If you are new to the cigar hobby and was thinking about this question you might be a little surprised but then it will make sense.
The Best Cigar? Some people automatically think that Cuban cigars are the best cigars because shouldn’t they be, right? I mean they are Cuban! The answer here is maybe and maybe not lol. Before the trade embargo Cuban cigars were considered the best cigars in the world. Since then other countries have started to make premium cigars that in some opinions are just as good or better than today’s Cuban cigars.
Many countries today produce top premium cigars including Honduras, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua from mild, medium and full in strength. So which is the best cigar? Some websites and cigar magazines put out a list every year naming the best cigar of the year, does that make it the best? I mean if every site lists a different cigar as the best then which is it?
This is where my favorite cigar related quote comes into play that I think answers the question what is the best cigar. “No one can tell me what is a good cigar – for me. I am the only judge. People who claim to know say that I smoke the worst cigars in the world. They bring their own cigars when they come to my house.”
No one is the same, some might like the same flavor profiles but no one is the same. Only you can decide what is the best cigar in your opinion. The sites and magazines that post the top cigars of the year are releasing their opinion on what the best is. I hate to say it but I think that some decisions even have to do with advertising. I’m not saying to not read reviews and due some research. You can find if cigars have a reputation of burning good/bad if they are more mild or strong, etc. I’m just saying what the person writing the review thinks of the flavor and what you might think may not be the same.
So my suggestion to you is if you are new to the cigar hobby to smoke, smoke, smoke. Find a cigar that you really enjoy and then by a box. Smoking different cigars is part of this hobby. Maybe find a reviewer that mostly lines up with what you like. If you can find someone that shares the same profile liking as you the chances are better that you might agree with their review.
You can of course let people know what you think of a cigar if you would like to post a cigar review of your own. If you would like to learn more about cigars you can visit the Cigar Tips section or the cigar reviews posted by everyday people like you.
Daily cigar deals is a good way to find great cigars at bargain cigar prices. You have to act fast since each deal is only good for 24 hours.
How Daily Cigar Deals Work:
A cigar shop creates a new cigar deal every day and some do it every hour. A daily cigar deal site is like the famous woot site. The main difference is that cigar daily deal sites are all cigar related. You will mostly find cigar deals on these type of sites but you will also see humidors deals and other cigar accessories from time to time. This keeps people coming back to see what the next cigar deal will be. At times these sites will put up crazy good deals that are just to hard to pass up. At other times it might not be the deal you were looking for. So the secret is to keep going back and waiting. It will be well worth it and can get a little addicting.
Cigar Heist is ran by Stogie Boys which guarantees the lowest price. Along with the daily cigar deal they also offer a daily cigar accessory deal. Not being as big as the ones below they push the limit with prices and have great “small shop” customer service.
Being one of the most popular cigar deal sites Cigar Monster offers a new cigar deal every hour. The also offer a humidors and accessories deal every couple of hours. Cigar Monster is owned by Famous Smoke which is a large online cigar shop.
This daily cigar deal site is owned by Cigar International. Like Famous Smoke this is a large online cigar shop. I think of Cigar International as the cigar Walmart.
There are a couple other daily cigar deal sites but these are the top three in my books. The key is to check often and buy early. I will say this again, be warned, it get addicting!
Do you keep track of daily cigar deal sites? Which ones?
To get maximum pleasure from your cigar the lighting procedure must be carried out conscientiously.
First of all the cigar tip must be cut. This is best done with a tool well adapted to the task as a pair of cigar scissors or a guillotine cutter. Do not cut to much but not little either. About 1/6″ would be just about right to get the right draft.
Before cutting it make sure that the cigar is moist enough. Ideally you would have taken the cigar from you humidor where the conditions are perfect for keeping cigars.
If you have not got your humidor in place yet, you should put the cigar in your mouth and moist it gently with your saliva. This is to prevent the cigar from crackling.
When lighting the cigar use a gas lighter or – even better – a wooden stick. Ideally a stick of cedar wood. Make sure you do not use a gasoline lighter or matches that are treated in any way. This could severely affect the taste of your cigar.
Hold your cigar in an angle pointing downwards to the flame keeping it just above the burning flame. Keep it there and rotate the cigar gently until the cover leave starts glowing in all around the perimeter of the cigar. There is no need to puff the cigar while lighting it.
Now your cigar is lit and all that remains is exquisite pleasure.
You do not need to inhale the cigar to your lungs. Just take a slow drag and let the smoke stay in your mouth for a while before exhaling. Allow the cigar to rest 15-20 sec. before taking the next puff. You should avoid getting the cigar to hot. The cooler the smoke the better.
Make a point of keeping the ash on the tip of your cigar as long as possible. This will tell you a bit about the quality of your cigar. The finer quality the longer the ash will stay. When finally getting rid of the ash pillar roll the tip gently against the ashtray.
When about one third of the cigar is done then your cigar is at its peak, the so called “Golden Third”. Enjoy!
When shall I quit my cigar? The simple answer is to stub it out when it does not taste good any longer. You can also take a break from the cigar by simple leaving it in the ashtray until it goes out. When resuming simple follow the lighting tips above.
Have a cigar!
Håkan Lothigius is a writer and passionate cigar aficionado. Please visit El Cigar Humidor [http://www.elcigarhumidor.com] for more information on cigars.
Many of you who have just joined the cigar revolution may wonder if you need to purchase a cigar humidor, quietly mumbling to yourself, “I already had to buy a lighter, now this!” While some people do believe that keeping cigars in a plastic bag with a damp towel is sufficient enough to keep them suitable, nine out of ten cigar lovers likely splurge on the humidor. And, of course, nine out of ten dentists would probably agree.
This is because cigars adapt to their surroundings, absorbing their environment like a sponge. If they are kept in an ill-suited environment, they will age to be ill-suited cigars, disappointing both their parents and the person who bought them. On the flip side, however, is the fact that if cigars are placed in a well-suited environment, they will age to become well-suited for even the most seasoned connoisseur.
For those who have yet to purchase a humidor for your cigars to call “home,” you might be confused as to what a humidor is and whether or not you should buy one. They may seem confusing, like there are a lot of types and brands, each one begging for a chance to age your cigar. However, they are really pretty simple; a humidor is what it sounds like: a box or a room that contains constant humidity. Basically, it’s the cigar’s version of Florida.
While many cigar shops have room sized humidors, a walk-in humidity closet where patrons can shop for cigars, when purchasing a humidor for personal use the size doesn’t need to be comparable: you don’t need to turn your spare bedroom into a humidor, replacing your bed set and angering your spouse. A small wooden or glass humidor box will suffice, holding a few dozen cigars, keeping them at the perfect temperature and helping them to grow old gracefully.
Humidors all contain hygrometers, a device used to monitor humidity levels. This helps cigar lovers to keep their humidors around the ideal humidity of 65 to 70 percent. When the humidity in the humidor falls above or below this level, the hygrometer will tell you, as if tapping you on the shoulder with its thermometer. Ideally, it’s best to fill the humidor as much as possible, packing in the cigars to the very top: the more empty space the more likely a drop in humidity. And, more importantly, the more empty space the less cigars in your collection.
Humidors are made with wood that is particularly good for aging cigars; it’s like wrinkle cream for the tobacco world. Constructed with Spanish-cedar, this wood holds in more moisture, sheds its magnetic aroma onto the cigars, and repels tobacco beetles, tiny bugs that eat the tobacco, potentially ruining cigar collections and providing an undeserved luxury to the insect world.
Once a humidor is purchased, it must be prepped prior to use, placing your cigars in too soon will result in a waste of time and a waste of tobacco. To prep the humidor, take a damp cloth or towel and remove any dust by wiping down the interior. Next, place a small bowl of water inside the humidor and allow it to remain there for 12 hours with the lid to the humidor closed. After 12 hours, if the majority of the water has evaporated, fill another bowl of water and keep it inside the humidor for 24 hours. It’s when the water quits evaporating that your humidor is ready for use. In a nutshell, when your humidor is no longer thirsty, give it your cigars.
Every few days be sure to check your humidor to make sure it’s not in need of a refill. If you live in a particularly hot climate, you may need to check your humidor more frequently, making sure the water hasn’t all evaporated or that your parched dog hasn’t drank from it in an act of thirsty desperation. When filling it, only use distilled water or half distilled water and half Propylene Glycol.
Humidors are essential to a good cigar collection. Not only do they keep cigars fresh and preserved, but they keep them enhanced with the essence they are meant to showcase. Having a cigar collection and not a humidor can be compared to owning a classic car, and keeping it outside the garage where any element of weather can attack. Most true connoisseurs, and novices who hope to become connoisseurs, advocate the use of a humidor. If you don’t use one, your cigars may spoil or, if they don’t, you will only come close to true luxury. Close, but no cigar.
Jennifer Jordan is an editor and staff writer for http://www.whatsknottolove.com. At home in a design firm in Denver, Colorado, she writes articles specific to the finer things in life.
Many of you, for different reasons, are having a love affair with cigars, rendezvousing in sidewalk cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants for a few joyful moments. Perhaps you like the flavor, perhaps you like the aroma, or perhaps you just like to tell people who smoke skinny cigarettes, “My cigar can beat up your Marlboro.” For whatever reason, the cigar is a luxury many of you choose to use.
However, for some of you, the above statement might not be true. You may, never having gone beyond the pink or blue bubblegum cigars handed out in hospitals after the birth of a child, be a little leery of cigars. They might seem scary, or intimidating, and you might find yourself with a variety of questions: How should I hold a cigar? How should I cut a cigar? How do I know which cigar to choose? Do I need to take some sort of Lamaze class to learn how to puff?
What’s What
Some say, “Potato,” some say “Po-taught-o,” some say, “Filler,” some say, “Huh?” If you’re not used to having a cigar in your mouth, some of the jargon – the Filler, the Binder, the Wrapper – may have you scratching your head in confusion.
In sum, the Filler is the cigar’s soul, stuffed in the middle; it is essentially what the cigar is filled with. The Binder is made up of thick tobacco leaves and used to bind the Filler together. The Wrapper is the outside leaf of the cigar. Basically the cigar’s wardrobe, the Wrapper is an extremely important outfit for two reasons: it holds everything together and it provides a lot of the cigar’s flavor.
Stogie Selection
Buying a cigar from a reputable dealer, such as What’s Knot to Love, will guarantee your purchase is premium. Once you’ve chosen a dealer, the art of cigar buying becomes a bit free form: there are very few set rules. It is, however, good to keep in mind that the darker the tobacco, the stronger the flavor.
Make the Cut
There are a million different ways to cut a cigar – use a knife, use cigar scissors, use a V-cutter, or, if your cigar has been found guilty of crime during the French Revolution, use a guillotine cut. It’s your cigar, so cut it anyway you want – even use a circular saw or your teeth, just make sure no one is watching.
After deciding how you’re going to cut your cigar, you need to know where to cut it. Cutting off the cigar’s head, the general rule is to slice the cigar just past the shoulder (where it stops being round).
Puff, the Magic Dragging
To light a cigar, simply hold it out and allow the flame of the match or the odorless lighter to meet its end. Turn the cigar, rotating it so that the end becomes evenly charred.
Once the cigar is lit, and take off has commenced, let the smoke wallow near your mouth, drinking in the aroma and the flavor. Gently puff on the cigar, instead of inhaling like a cigarette.
Holding Time
Most people recommend that you don’t hold your cigar like a cigarette, unless you are European (I know, it doesn’t seem fair that the Europeans got sexy accents, the Spice Girls AND cigar holding). For the rest of you, a cigar should be held between your index finger and thumb.
Size Matters
When it comes to cigars, the length of the ash is important. You should allow your ash to grow to around three quarters of an inch long, which will inevitably turn into two feet during locker room talk. A lengthy ash is vital to a good smoking experience. The ash creates an air block, which helps decrease the temperature of the smoke and results in a slower burning cigar. These factors intensify the taste and make the experience more enjoyable.
Once a cigar is smoked halfway, let it die: it’s served its purpose so bid it a fond farewell with a tip of your hat and a “It’s been nice smoking you.” Then, go on your way.
Now rest, and smoke, assured, just knowing these few tips will have you looking like Groucho Marx in no time, except with better trimmed eyebrows.
Jennifer Jordan is an editor and staff writer for http://www.whatsknottolove.com. At home in a design firm in Denver, Colorado, she writes articles specific to the finer things in life.
Did I get your attention you cheap freaks (kidding). I’m writing this post to thank a sponsor of Cigar Beat and yes, giving a little link love back by showing off some of the cheap cigar lighters they offer. Besides that I think Butane Lighters Wholesale provides some pretty darn good prices on cigar torch lighters.
This is just a couple options they offer out of a lot of cheap cigar lighters. So I ask you to check them out and let us know what you think here. Maybe if they get some clicks from us they will give a couple lighters away. Just to get things going I will set a rule. If we end up giving one away you must have a comment here on this post letting us know what you think of their site to be able to win.
Kind of like if you only knew how many bugs you eat while sleeping lol
