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In a bag, in a box.

ckeller52

ckeller52

"All the Twitters. I know them."
Joined
Jan 1, 2006
Messages
319
How does the humidity have any effect on a cigar if it’s sealed in the box it was shipped in and inside a cello bag inside the box? Don’t seem like any moisture would ever make it to the tobacco.

I see pictures of beautiful humidors loaded with boxes of smokes on this forum and this aspect just baffles me.

Guess that's why I'm a newbie huh? :D
 
Hi CK,

Good question. The answer is basically this: wood and cellophane (which is a wood derivative) are far from impermable barriers to either moisture vapor or oxygen. I'll spare the chem-engineering-speak about diffusivities, diffusion coefficients, MVTR, OP and the like. The bottom line is that given sufficient time, the cigars will reach an equilibrium with the external environment.

As folks who age for the long term want their sticks to do so gently and gracefully, this slow approach to equilibrium and resistance to environmental changes is considered a beneficial thing. This is true for the casual cigarist as well except that aging is not as important a goal as is protecting the wrapper from the humidity fluctuations that occur when the humi is opened and closed.

Hope that helps.
 
Wow Wilkey......

You sound like you know what you are talking about

:sign: :sign:
 
Ginseng said:
wood and cellophane (which is a wood derivative) are far from impermable barriers to either moisture vapor or oxygen.
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Hi Ginseng

Well it raised my cigar IQ that's for sure. Thanks for the response.

I googled cellophane and found that Dupont managed to make a version that's moisture proof. I assume that the manufactures are aware of this and stay away from it.

Also, the ISOM sticks I've been in contact with don't come in cellophane. Is there a reason for this? Other than they don't know how to make cellophane on the ISOM?
 
BkCloud,

I did my undergrad and grad work in chemical engineering and I was a practicing engineer for 13 years. Now I'm trying to forget all that :p Let's talk cigars ;)
 
Ginseng said:
Hi CK,

Good question. The answer is basically this: wood and cellophane (which is a wood derivative) are far from impermable barriers to either moisture vapor or oxygen. I'll spare the chem-engineering-speak about diffusivities, diffusion coefficients, MVTR, OP and the like. The bottom line is that given sufficient time, the cigars will reach an equilibrium with the external environment.

As folks who age for the long term want their sticks to do so gently and gracefully, this slow approach to equilibrium and resistance to environmental changes is considered a beneficial thing. This is true for the casual cigarist as well except that aging is not as important a goal as is protecting the wrapper from the humidity fluctuations that occur when the humi is opened and closed.

Hope that helps.
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Wilkey, with this marvelous post you are now officially my favorite poster.
 
hey i got a question i fianlly got my tupperadore set up just waiting for the beads.... with loose cigars do you guys keep the cellophane or take it off??? thanks
 
and this is a really new question.... toasting the foot what does that mean
 
ckeller52 said:
Ginseng said:
wood and cellophane (which is a wood derivative) are far from impermable barriers to either moisture vapor or oxygen.
[snapback]272199[/snapback]​
Click to expand...

Hi Ginseng

Well it raised my cigar IQ that's for sure. Thanks for the response.

I googled cellophane and found that Dupont managed to make a version that's moisture proof. I assume that the manufactures are aware of this and stay away from it.

Also, the ISOM sticks I've been in contact with don't come in cellophane. Is there a reason for this? Other than they don't know how to make cellophane on the ISOM?
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i cant think of any isoms that are packages in cello.
 
hobbes1 said:
hey i got a question i fianlly got my tupperadore set up just waiting for the beads.... with loose cigars do you guys keep the cellophane or take it off??? thanks
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you can do a search and find this question debated to the point of exhaustion. the bottom line is that its a personal prefereance and either way is fine for aging.
 
hobbes1 said:
and this is a really new question.... toasting the foot what does that mean
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Hi Hobbes,

I think this question and the on eyou asked just above it were just recently debated. Plenty of good points either way. A quick search should turn these threads up.
 
I am going out on a limb and say that if you have a tupperdor, then you aren't really ageing sticks, just preserving them until you are ready to smoke 'em. Which also means you are probably in the tupperware at least once a day. My opinion is to leave them on so the wrapper isn't damaged from moving them around ot the tupperware being jostled.

As for toating the foot. I always do. I hold the flame far enough away so I am not charing the end, just slowly warming it until it starts to change color. Then I make sure the edge all the way around has an even toated color . Living here in South Florida, humidity can make it tough for some cigars to burn well.

Emo
 
In answer to the original post- If a box of cigars is sealed at the factory and put into a plastic bag, it will slow but not stop the drying of the cigars. However if that sealed plastic box and bag are put into a humidor, it will not lose its humidity for a long time. Here is the example i will give- any kind of plasic- not just cello- breathes. I owned a pet business for many years, and fish can live in plastic bags for a very long time, days even as long as they are well oxegenated. But take that same bag sealed at the top and put it in a tank to float and forget it for a couple hours=dead fish. There is gas exchange though the bag- as long as the humidity level is lower on one side. mmmmmmmmmm toasting...
 
Damn Ginseng! You keep posting like that and you're going to give the Master some competition!
 
emodx said:
Living here in South Florida, humidity can make it tough for some cigars to burn well.

Emo
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What is this 'humidity' you speak of, Emo? :sign:

It can be a pain sometimes...
 
Indeed many habanas come in cello. Some come even bundled in a cello packaging.
 
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