FOG Advise... or FAQs with attitude... or how to coolerdor

[grtrx]

What qualifies me? 24 coolers, 7 humidors and multiple years of storing cigars with every mistake having been made... and survived...

First: R-e-l-a-x - cigars rarely call the IRC when they are abused.

1. Trust your senses as much or more than any gauges... a well stored cigar has a smell, feel/touch, look and sounds that are different from either over or under humidifed cigars - learn them and trust your senses. I have very few gauges and the ones I have I use to track trends, not absolutes.

2. Some cigars smell like crap - really. And it is a good thing.

3. Temps and humidities are ranges not absolutes. If you like the way a cigar tastes then trust that and accept that. So what if it was at 73 degrees and 62.9%?

4. Coolers work very well (Iglooidors, Colemanidors, coolerdors) - so do tupperware, rubbermade, sterilte, they are tighter sealing and not temp resistant, though - so open regularly and think cool places in the summer.

4a. buy one, clean it out with soap/water, rinse, dry
4b. use old cigar boxes for storage - cedar is overkill (and Spanish Cedar trees aren't as common as they once were)
4c. humidification is easy - floral foam (there are 2 kinds - one is DRY - avoid t!) or a sponge (get the ones treated to resist microbe growth). Put the material in a plastic container - those chinese carryout containers work, so do the disposable thngs from Glad, or rubbermade, or....
4d. dampen sponge/foam with 50/50 PG/Water - then remoisten when it dries with water (distilled prefered).
4e. place cigars in cooler
4f. open once a week or so to let air in/out
4g. relax - you can adjust humidity as needed

5. there are no absolutes in cigars - trust your own senses

6. expert is a term given too easily and has little value to you

7. opinions are commonplace

8. relax

Thank you. Now go enjoy a cigar.