Coolerdor help needed!!!!

[Herfules]

My coolerdor has been registering about 80% lately. Yea, I know that's high, but I thought it was just the stupid hygrometer.

Well, today I decided to fondle, I mean air out and check my stash and check the hygrometer against other known good ones when I noticed a few sticks felt kind of wet and somewhat heavy. I thought I was imagining things until I saw one stick with a slice down the wrapper- sure enough it swelled and split. Now understand that this only occurred to a few sticks in one box I was using to "age" smokes. I typically take 5 smokes out of each new box, log them, pack them away in an "aging" cabinet-style box, and put a thin sheet of cedar on top of them to seperate them from the next 5. In this particular box, I decided to undress the babies for their long nap. I have other boxes where the cello stayed on and no noticeable problems there. I also have other new full or semi-full boxes that I have unwrapped the outer wrapper from but stashed into the cooler until there is room in the humi's- no problems with them either.

I have since gone into general quarters and am taking emergency measures to correct this and protect my babies!

Let me give you the stats of my coolerdor and see if you can help me. My coolerdor is a 50 quart, lined with spanish cedar sheets (not taped or glued in- just freestanding and lying on the bottom). Boxes are all inserted in the cooler. I used a shallow disposable tupperware dish (about 6 inches by 4 inches) with a piece of florist foam cut to fill almost the entire dish and doused with pg 50/50. This humidifier was placed in the tray. The cooler was kept in my closet and opened occassionally for brief periods. I usually leave the drain plug closed.

I suspect the foam I was using was too large (too much surface area) and have corrected that- I threw it away, cut a new piece that is about 1/3 the tray area and re-doused (lightly) with pg 50/50. I have cracked open all the singles storage boxes to release moisture and I am also leaving the lid of the coolerdor cracked until the moisture can escape. I also opened the drain plug.

I am concerned about drying these too quickly as I have heard that wrinkling may occur if the wrappers were stretched too far. I don't know if this is a real problem as I will only be dropping the humidity to 65-70%. Is this a potential problem?

Are these smokes gonna fair ok, or should I smoke 'em quick and start the aging cycle over? for these few?

Should I take the box of "over-moist" cigars out of the cooler completely to dry out?

Anything I'm overlooking here?

Anyone have this situation before and what was the outcome?

I guess I'm hoping for reassurance that everything will be fine and the world is just as it should be. Hope you can give it.

Anything I should do in the future?

This has me concerned about the extremely good seal and air-tightness of a cooler- I may just have to buy, build or refurbish some type of hutch or cabinet. I don't have to tell you what an investment a cigar stash turns out to be over a period of time.

And by the way- Anyone I've traded with recently should not fret. As you can see by the smokes I sent (or am sending) they came from my humidors, not the cooler, and are not affected.

tia

Peace,
NDinNC

"I don't want Fop dammit. I want Dapper Dan. I'm a Dapper Dan man!"

Edited by - NDinNC on 03/23/2002 9:30:49 PM

Edited by - Duffer on 03/23/2002 9:45:30 PM