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How long do tubes keep cigars?

Matt Rushmore

Matt Rushmore

New Member
Joined
May 30, 2012
Messages
47
I couldn't find any threads on this so hopefully someone can provide some info. I have a couple of cigars in tubes that come with cedar in with them (never opened/seal never broken) and one cigar in a glass tube with no cedar (never opened/seal never broken). If I am going to store these for a while before enjoying them what precautions should I take? How long will they normally last in the tubes before I need to take them out of the tubes and put them in a humidor. Thanks!
 
Just leave the tubes unopened and bury them deep in your humi to rest. They will last right up to the point that you smoke them, then I would suggest not putting the empty tubes back in your humi. :cool:

FYI - Empty tubes (not the glass ones) make a great cigar tube for your golf bag, if you are a golfer...
 
Matt, what a good question you have posed. Will have to tune in for the results.

2K6, you are correct, the empty metal tubes come in handy. I use them when I smoke solo or don't want to share. :p
 
2K6TBSS said:
Just leave the tubes unopened and bury them deep in your humi to rest. They will last right up to the point that you smoke them, then I would suggest not putting the empty tubes back in your humi.

FYI - Empty tubes (not the glass ones) make a great cigar tube for your golf bag, if you are a golfer...
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I agree, our even better is in your fly fishing vest.
 
Just don't put metal tubed cigars in a winodor. It seems like they're prone to mold, imho.
 
I'd always open the tubes before storing the cigars in a humidor. Cigars in tubes are prone to mold in my experience, so it is important to give them a quick inspection before storing them away. If you run a humidor with a higher rH. Say above 65%, and want to store the cigars in the tubes, I would take the cap off and leave the tube open to avoid the development of mold. If you keep your rH at 70%, I would recommend against storing your cigars the tube. As mentioned earlier...it seems that cigars in tubes are just more prone to mold.
 
If the seal is not broken, they'll last a long time. If some yahoo, in the cigar store, twisted the cap to take a look all bets are off. If you decide to store them in your humi, take the caps off.

Doc
 
I've had a Rocky Patel Decade tubo that a friend gave me down in my fridgidor for around 8 months now, which I cannot remember if I opened up or not. I figured that they are stored that way at the factory and at the retailer before we get them, so that should be the alright and proper way to store it in a humidor at home. I'm thinking I should go down and check on it...
 
kann said:
I've had a Rocky Patel Decade tubo that a friend gave me down in my fridgidor for around 8 months now, which I cannot remember if I opened up or not. I figured that they are stored that way at the factory and at the retailer before we get them, so that should be the alright and proper way to store it in a humidor at home. I'm thinking I should go down and check on it...
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I have 3 tubes of God of Fires I have stored for about 2 years! It will only make them better lol
 
I appreciate the opinions. I don't see the point of storing them unopened in a humidor when moisture wont be able to get in or out but I'm not always the sharpest knife in the kitchen so I may be missing something there. I can understand wanting to open them before storing to check for mold and leaving them open in a humi. I will be opening mine and putting them in my humi but now I'm really curious how long cigars will last with no humi unopened in a tube (at normal temps).

I know Devil Doc said "a long time" and 2K6 said "until you're ready to smoke them" but it doesn't sound like there is a definitive answer. I would guess that the size of the gar, whether there is a cedar insert, glass or metal tube, etc. etc. may all have an affect but there has to be an average or estimate, doesn't there? Maybe not. Do they last for an average of a year? 5? Even if the humidity never goes down because they are sealed, how long until mold is an issue on average? Maybe I need to google a different way than I have been. I'll post here if I find anything definitive.

I am also curious if I open them, store them in a humi, then take them out and put them immediately back in the tube how long will they last? Will a tube work just as well as a travel humi?

Thanks again for the points of opinions.
 
Man, you're killing me. Just smoke the fuggin' things. You're going to have a stroke stressing out over them. They're just cigars fer Christ's sakes.

Doc
 
Matt, there are too many variables to give you an average number. It send like you already understand this, but would like some arbitrary number. Are you talking about one particular type of cigar tube? We would all love to help, but not all tubes are the same.

Ian
 
Like Doc said, just smoke em. Once you take them out of the tube, they are the same cigar as the boxed version anyways. The best part, take the empty tube, put it in your pocket and stand behind hot chicks in the elevator.

*nasty looks preferred* :cool:
 
In all seriousness...the tube is just a container to hold the cigar and help protect it from damage when carrying it out for the night, or to present as a gift. It helps to keep the cigar humid for a short while longer than without a tube, so it's convenient if your giving a cigar to someone to smoke later, who may not have a humidor. Other than that...there isn't much to the tube. Tubes that have a cedar sheet lining do impart a stronger cedar aroma to a cigar that has been stored in it long term, but I haven't noticed it changing the flavor of the cigar, just the aroma pre-light.
 
Matt Rushmore said:
I know Devil Doc said "a long time" and 2K6 said "until you're ready to smoke them" but it doesn't sound like there is a definitive answer. I would guess that the size of the gar, whether there is a cedar insert, glass or metal tube, etc. etc. may all have an affect but there has to be an average or estimate, doesn't there? Maybe not. Do they last for an average of a year? 5? Even if the humidity never goes down because they are sealed, how long until mold is an issue on average? Maybe I need to google a different way than I have been. I'll post here if I find anything definitive.
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It is like asking "how big is a thing". There is no definitive answer because YMMV. Personally, I wouldn't keep it out of the humidor for more than a few days.
 
I'll chime in a friend had RyJ tubos for about 4 months in a drawer in his house. Since he was not a smoker he gave them to us (mes and buddys) at a superbwol party to smoke...Thing is they were so dry all the wrappers were badly damaged and barley smokable.

Now:
- what was the temp and RH% in the drawer?
-did he ever opened the tubes before?
-did someone opened the tube before he bought them?
-were they in bad shape before ?


You get the point I guess: comming to a defenite answer on something that is influenced by many variables and potentials manipulations is somewhat impossible if not a gross guessing prosses. So either I'd say like Doc Smoke'em or take em out of the tubes and drop'em in a humidor and be done ! That way you'll have less gray hair when you get old lol.
 
Much appreciated everyone. I guess I was curious to find an answer to a question that may have no answer.

On a side note, one of the gars I have is a Makers Mark 650 that I took out of the tube last night and saw that the tube actually had a sponge in the cap. The squeeze I gave it felt pretty good and the place I got it from was questionable at best so I guess that tube helped.

I wasn't stressing over the tube info, just curious. Hope I didn't aggravate anyone. I will be experimenting I'm sure. For some reason I am now really curious about humidity in an enclosed area with no humidifier and how long until the humidity drops, etc. Fun times ahead.

I'm off to find an elevator. ;)
 
Have questioned the Tube issue as well.
Recently purchased a pair boxes of HdM Coronations. Vendor suggested they where aged in their tubes as opposed to being placed in the tubes before distribution... if that happens I don't know. Can anyone clarify what is the "tube" process?

Box dates indicate Feb12 and considering their young age, they are some fine smokes. Also wondered if aging in such an enclosed atmosphere helps in the development of the flavor? IMO metal tubes are not perfectly sealed and allow some circulation. Have no experience with glass tubes. Do CC's come in glass tubes???

Dig the Upmann 46's and was gifted an '09 Tube from fellow BOTL, so I look forward to trying that one in comparison to the naked. It is looking good!!
 
4cbln3 said:
Like Doc said, just smoke em. Once you take them out of the tube, they are the same cigar as the boxed version anyways. The best part, take the empty tube, put it in your pocket and stand behind hot chicks in the elevator.

*nasty looks preferred* :cool:
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I guess some chicks dig the "petite corona" type of guy, eh?
 
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