Storing in Ziplocs

[cajunblaze]

I did some searching, and I found that its ok to store your smokes in the cellophane wrapper they come in(they tend to breathe). Can you then put the cellophane wrapped and naked cigars in ziploc bags for coolider storage?

I have the quart sized bags that are divided into sleeves to hold five cigars.

Any help would be appreciated.

Rich

Edited for spelling.

 

[junkman_56]

For short periods of time it's ok to store cigars in zip lock bags.
For long term storage it's not so good.

Cigars need to breath to age.
Air exchange is vital to the proper aging of cigars.

 

[The Green Monkey]

Throw in a Boveda pack and you've got a Fuente Humidor Bag (click) minus the mawkish picture on the front.

 

[Ginseng]

For short periods of time it's ok to store cigars in zip lock bags.
For long term storage it's not so good.

Cigars need to breath to age.
Air exchange is vital to the proper aging of cigars.

This is actually sort of in contradiction to what many serious Habanophiles regard as ideal long term storage.

1. Ziplock storage bags slow down the transpiration of gases and moisture from the cigars within to the environment outside the bag.

2. Reducing exposure to oxygen will slow down oxidative chemical processes integral to tobacco maturation (i.e., aging).

3. Air exchange is a given for any storage system other than airtight, impermeable containers (e.g., glass jars, sealed metal tins). As such, air (or specifically the oxygen contained therein) is implicit in the aging of cigars.

So for long term storage (years to decades), ziploc bags (or any other container that cuts down the oxygen access) are actually beneficial in terms of minimizing degradation over long stretches of time.

However, since aging is slowed, that means that if one enjoys the profile of cigars that have some age on them, then one would have to wait that much longer to enjoy them. For example, if you prefer cigars with 5 years of age, then for cigars stored in an airtight container, you might have to wait 10-20 years (I pulled these numbers out of thin air) for the same profile.

Wilkey

 

[Infinity]

For short periods of time it's ok to store cigars in zip lock bags.
For long term storage it's not so good.

Cigars need to breath to age.
Air exchange is vital to the proper aging of cigars.

This is actually sort of in contradiction to what many serious Habanophiles regard as ideal long term storage.

1. Ziplock storage bags slow down the transpiration of gases and moisture from the cigars within to the environment outside the bag.

2. Reducing exposure to oxygen will slow down oxidative chemical processes integral to tobacco maturation (i.e., aging).

3. Air exchange is a given for any storage system other than airtight, impermeable containers (e.g., glass jars, sealed metal tins). As such, air (or specifically the oxygen contained therein) is implicit in the aging of cigars.

So for long term storage (years to decades), ziploc bags (or any other container that cuts down the oxygen access) are actually beneficial in terms of minimizing degradation over long stretches of time.

However, since aging is slowed, that means that if one enjoys the profile of cigars that have some age on them, then one would have to wait that much longer to enjoy them. For example, if you prefer cigars with 5 years of age, then for cigars stored in an airtight container, you might have to wait 10-20 years (I pulled these numbers out of thin air) for the same profile.

Wilkey

This is a debatable subject, as there are equally as many "Habanophiles" that do not advocate zip lock bags.

Why would someone want to wait 10-20 years, as per your example, albeit a guess, when the same aging results will happen in 5 years?

We have discussed the cello on cello off many many times on CP. In each example it it always noted that cello breathes and is fine whereas, plastic (zip lock bags) do not.

Personally I would not store my smokes in zip lock bags for short term use, which I guess is what you do say within your post.

Brian

 

[ironpeddler]

For short periods of time it's ok to store cigars in zip lock bags.
For long term storage it's not so good.

Cigars need to breath to age.
Air exchange is vital to the proper aging of cigars.

This is actually sort of in contradiction to what many serious Habanophiles regard as ideal long term storage.

1. Ziplock storage bags slow down the transpiration of gases and moisture from the cigars within to the environment outside the bag.

2. Reducing exposure to oxygen will slow down oxidative chemical processes integral to tobacco maturation (i.e., aging).

3. Air exchange is a given for any storage system other than airtight, impermeable containers (e.g., glass jars, sealed metal tins). As such, air (or specifically the oxygen contained therein) is implicit in the aging of cigars.

So for long term storage (years to decades), ziploc bags (or any other container that cuts down the oxygen access) are actually beneficial in terms of minimizing degradation over long stretches of time.

However, since aging is slowed, that means that if one enjoys the profile of cigars that have some age on them, then one would have to wait that much longer to enjoy them. For example, if you prefer cigars with 5 years of age, then for cigars stored in an airtight container, you might have to wait 10-20 years (I pulled these numbers out of thin air) for the same profile.

Wilkey

This is a debatable subject, as there are equally as many "Habanophiles" that do not advocate zip lock bags.

Why would someone want to wait 10-20 years, as per your example, albeit a guess, when the same aging results will happen in 5 years?

We have discussed the cello on cello off many many times on CP. In each example it it always noted that cello breathes and is fine whereas, plastic (zip lock bags) do not.

Personally I would not store my smokes in zip lock bags for short term use, which I guess is what you do say within your post.

Brian

Uhhh, what they said :whistling:

You definitely want some air movement. If you're storing in a humidity controlled Cooler, and you're talking singles, go with some cedar trays and call it a day. Search around and you will see that there is great success with them....especially the ones built by CP member Handyman Dave. :thumbs:

Good Luck

 

[Rickets]

Without getting entangled, I just 'burp' my stock thats in airtight storage. I do that every weekend, and if the humidity is close enough, I just leave the boxes and humis open till the humidity starts to rise or fall below desired %'s.

 

[Marco-Polo]

A side effect of ziplocs is humidity, because LDPE is slightly permeable to nitrogen/oxygen, but not to H20. I found it really difficult to keep humidity stable inside a ziploc, and got some mold and lost some sticks as a result. If you're storing inside a coolidor, why not just use old cigar boxes, available from your local B&M? Spanish cedar helps to stabilize humidity, and if I recall correctly also retards the growth of mold.

Not to mention that a box is rigid, while a ziploc is not, so you're going to get a few damaged/crushed sticks in there.