Stock Rotation

[AKDiscer]

How often do you rotate your stock?

I've been reading various things and I've heard this talked about a few times. It was mentioned that if you don't, some stogies will get over humidified and others might dry out.

Is the above a result of having too many cigars? For example, like having 89 cigars packed in a 100 count humidor. I'd figure you don't want it full as you won't get proper air/humidity circulation.

Is there a rule of thumb on a percentage of how full (max amount) you should have in your humidor?

[Smokestack Jack]

The last time I rotated my stock, I lost a chunk of money!


As far as rotating my cigar stock, yes I do. Usually rotate my stash about once a month or whenever I receive an order. I have found that the humidity amounts do change in the fridgedor. I keep all my cigars in boxes. It is easier to move them around. I usually move the boxes from the top shelf to the bottom in a clockwise rotation. Don't know why, I just do it that way. If I had a larger fridge or a walk in, I would install a small fan to move the air and humidity around. This would keep the temps and humidity more even throughout the fridge or walk in.

You can never have too many cigars! But, I do believe that you need a bit of air space in the humidor or cooler or whatever means you use to store cigars, to maintain a decent air space around the cigars. I don't think there is any rule of thumb on how many cigars you should keep in a humidor. Use your own discretion. But, then again, maybe someone else has an answer for that.

[Mad Dawg]

So many questions buried in a few "simple" thoughts.

How often do I rotate my stock? Never, at least not intentionally. I have a shiteload of cigars that I haven't touched in at least six years. I do not lose any sleep wondering if they're OK.

How many cigars is too many? I have no idea.

How full should you have your humidor? As long as you can close the lid so that it seats completely without mashing the cigars inside, you should be OK.

Here's a simple axiom: Common knowledge is wrong at least as often as it's right.

Here's a useful fact: Cigars are nowhere near as fragile and unforgiving as "common knowledge" would have you believe.

If you start with a stable environment inside a humidor (i.e., if the humidor and the cigars are all properly humidified) then the minor fluctuations that you may cause by opening and closing the humidor will not materially affect the cigars so long as you keep your humidification media adequately charged with water or water/PG solution. Small blips in RH will be quickly evened out, with no deleterious effects on the cigars.

In my opinion, air circulation is highly overrated where cigar storage and aging are concerned. Oxygen is one of the chief enemies of cigars. The aromatic organic compounds that are responsible for many of the flavor nuances that you get from a cigar are destroyed by oxygen. Why on earth would you encourage that? For a lengthy discussion of some relevant ideas and approaches, see THIS thread.

Just my

[macsauce13]

Good post, Doug.

[Briandg]

My only attempt at rotation is when I scramble them the hell up every time I get a new box and have to find a way to cram them in.

All of mine are packed in cedar boxes of some sort, and there isn't a single box that isn't crammed full of assorted cigars because I have too damned many to store half empty boxes. I had emptied all of my desktops a year or so ago, and a few months ago, I had to take out my tubes and load them into a desktop. Now I foolishly bought ten cigars on the 12 days, and hell if I know how I'm going to fit them in.

[Mad Dawg]

Originally Posted by Briandg

Now I foolishly bought ten cigars on the 12 days, and hell if I know how I'm going to fit them in.

Uh oh....

[spiridon]

Originally Posted by macsauce13

Good post, Doug.

Totally agree. Especially regarding the opinion that cigars are not nearly as fragile as we sometimes make them out to be.

[KatDad]

Originally Posted by macsauce13

Good post, Doug.

Originally Posted by spiridon

Totally agree. Especially regarding the opinion that cigars are not nearly as fragile as we sometimes make them out to be.

Yep!

I only rearrange my smokes in the humidors when I need to find space for new arrivals.

[Briandg]

Originally Posted by Mad Dawg

In my opinion, air circulation is highly overrated where cigar storage and aging are concerned. Oxygen is one of the chief enemies of cigars. The aromatic organic compounds that are responsible for many of the flavor nuances that you get from a cigar are destroyed by oxygen. Why on earth would you encourage that? For a lengthy discussion of some relevant ideas and approaches, see THIS thread.

Just my

What are your thoughts about filling long term storage coolers with either nitrogen or CO2?

A pellet of dry ice dropped into the bottom of a cooler, wrapped very well in cloth or paper, would slowly force everything but the heaviest of gasses upward and out of the container. Wrapping it in a cloth would slow down the sublimation and prevent any cold shock.

[grtrx]

my opinion is aging requires some oxygen, but I could be wrong. What you need is balance, I think, again, could be wrong. That said I don't rotate stock, and I have learned that cigars are pretty resilient too. I like smoking them quite a bit, that I know and that I know I am not wrong about.