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Many cigars gone bad....big dilemma

It is salt.

Need to find the proper lab.

I will document this if it is the last thing I do....

Just smoked an effected opus N4 and to start was crazy bad ....I stayed with it ....never had to spit so much.

After half way I can taste the cigar a little.

Humidipacks do not allow anything else but water vapor to go through.
What ever they are made with I know from using them too long they only put out water and if there is anything I can not taste it.

These beads are white from salt which evaporates with the water,they have no way to stop the salt molecules from coming out with the water vapor.

I wonder what the other beads in the market have in them.
White beads,blue beads, brown ones,does any one know the chemical make up of all this crap?

Now I wonder if I have wasted my desk tops also.

HA, seriously speaking. Spend a little money and have some cigars and beads analyzed at a local lab. If indeed the cigars are affected by the beads you might have ammunition to be compensated for your damaged cigars by the bead manufacturer. This way you can have a piece of mind and rule out the beads or not. Thats what I would do. This company seems to analyze tobacco http://www.aristalabs.com/

Right on!

Thank you bro

I was posting the same thought as you were sending this.
 
For some reason I cannot see the photos.
This however is interesting....
"humidipacks right on top of the cigars as you might see them inside Fuente boxes"

Are the packs right on top of the cigars, or seperated in some way?
Have you even had a humipack 'leak'?
 
For some reason I cannot see the photos.
This however is interesting....
"humidipacks right on top of the cigars as you might see them inside Fuente boxes"

Are the packs right on top of the cigars, or seperated in some way?
Have you even had a humipack 'leak'?

Never.

Most I would always use out of Fuentes boxes till they get hard.

If combined with non PG crystals they last for many months.

When temps go up I would put crystals away and stay with humidipacks only

Boveda packs ,same thing.

Why are these beads white when dry?

Have you had any humidipacks break?......

These beads are white from salt

Where did you learn this? Where did you buy your beads?

From the maker of the beads.for both questions.
 
I have dealt with the regional rep for Humidipac. What a wonderful man. They absolutely stand by their product. If you truly believe you have an issue with a manufacturer, you should develop your case against them and present it and the proof to them. It is possible that you got a bad batch. It would help HA if you shared the manufacturer with us. There are 11000 cigar / pipe fans here. Surely their joint knowledge can help you with your problem. We just need the complete information. Thanks (or I missed it)
 
At this point we should have Viper in on this thread.

Rod, any chance of contacting him?

HA, thank you for bringing up this 'salt' issue.

Yes...there is salt in the beads - I'm not sure how it would overdose the humidor....but that's what Viper can help with.
 
I'm no chemist, so I don't understand where the salt comes into play, but if you say so...
 
Different types of salts, in different quantities achieve and maintain different RH%.
 
I'm no chemist, so I don't understand where the salt comes into play, but if you say so...

BB above is correct.

They use salt to 'season' the beads to allow them to get to the proper humidiity - plain beads are at 50%.

I don't know how - other than over saturation - salt would leech from them...but it seems we have the first known case of it on CP.

Me thinks something else is going on...but we'll see.
 
Thanks for the info. I couldn't find anything talking about this online as I was searching around.
 
Also, if the tubes/bags were in direct contact with cigars they can produce "dust" especially after spraying (listen for the snap*crackle*pop, that is the beads cracking ever so slightly.) Never have the beads in direct contact with cigars. The "dust" does taste salty (don't ask me how I know this.) Also, bovedas can leak and again, it is a salty mixture.
 
To add to DePasta, my granddaughter was over and asked what these pillows were (Boveda). When I wasn't looking she poked one with a paperclip (so my smokes would rest flat she said ). Out came a drop of stuff and I did taste it. Yuck is a kind word and with some salt taste, but other tastes too. Whatever they were I couldn't move fast enough to get that out of my mouth. The yuck taste lingered about five minutes decreasing in intensity but still making me spit.

All of that to finally say that when I looked at the Boveda, it had sealed somehow. You could see the point of entry, but pressing on the bag yielded no exit of its interior.

Since the bag is made of something to allow osmosis, is it possible there was a QC issue with the bag itself allowing product to leech from the bag, or larger molecules? Perhaps Boveda would be interested in evaluating this issue.
 
HA, please answer the following questions:

1. Did all of these cigars come from the same retailer?
2. Who is your internet provider?

To add to DePasta, my granddaughter was over and asked what these pillows were (Boveda). When I wasn't looking she poked one with a paperclip (so my smokes would rest flat she said ). Out came a drop of stuff and I did taste it. Yuck is a kind word and with some salt taste, but other tastes too. Whatever they were I couldn't move fast enough to get that out of my mouth. The yuck taste lingered about five minutes decreasing in intensity but still making me spit.

All of that to finally say that when I looked at the Boveda, it had sealed somehow. You could see the point of entry, but pressing on the bag yielded no exit of its interior.

Since the bag is made of something to allow osmosis, is it possible there was a QC issue with the bag itself allowing product to leech from the bag, or larger molecules? Perhaps Boveda would be interested in evaluating this issue.

Wow. I guess manufacturers really do need to print those "WARNING: DO NOT EAT" labels on certain products. I always wondered who would lick/eat a foreign liquid/object. Now I know.
 
This is what is eating me guys........I did exactly what they recommend to the T.

Never touched the cigars with the containers either.

I have been searching on the web and I came across specific comments about how the boveda packs (same company as humidipack) have a special material surounding the solution which only allows the water molecules to come through but not the larger salt molecules.

With the beads all of a sudden it becomes obvious since the salt in them is not contained it should evaporate with the water.

I used almost a pound per humidor where i could have gotten by with a third that, but it was publicized the more the better with no problem for better RH control which is true but.......I am thinking lots more exposure to salt also.....?

The way I found out it is the beads for sure is when I went crazy and licked them.

I was getting this burning taste from the cigars that is crazy bad and it was identical when I did the crazy act.....and the taste stays on like a burn if you lick them or get it slower by smoking the cigars with it.

I wonder if it s hopeless to have it dissipate if it is what ever kind of salt is use for humidity control......it has to be different than sea salt
 
1 pound of beads per desktop humidor? That is plenty of beads for a 5 cubic FOOT humidor. There's your problem.

No need to mail me a cigar.
 
There are many salts, and combinations of salts used to achieve your desired results. I too have wondered about the salt in the air thing, but have never experienced it with Boveda. I have had over moist cigars once with crystals, but it was my fault and I learned much due to my mistake. I would assume (and you know what they say about that) that if salt gets to your cigars and permeates them. You are sunk.
 
HA, please answer the following questions:

1. Did all of these cigars come from the same retailer?
2. Who is your internet provider?

To add to DePasta, my granddaughter was over and asked what these pillows were (Boveda). When I wasn't looking she poked one with a paperclip (so my smokes would rest flat she said ). Out came a drop of stuff and I did taste it. Yuck is a kind word and with some salt taste, but other tastes too. Whatever they were I couldn't move fast enough to get that out of my mouth. The yuck taste lingered about five minutes decreasing in intensity but still making me spit.

All of that to finally say that when I looked at the Boveda, it had sealed somehow. You could see the point of entry, but pressing on the bag yielded no exit of its interior.

Since the bag is made of something to allow osmosis, is it possible there was a QC issue with the bag itself allowing product to leech from the bag, or larger molecules? Perhaps Boveda would be interested in evaluating this issue.

Wow. I guess manufacturers really do need to print those "WARNING: DO NOT EAT" labels on certain products. I always wondered who would lick/eat a foreign liquid/object. Now I know.

Rod

The cigars are from very reputable stores in Europe as far the CCs go and purchased in person by the box mostly.

The rest are mostly from our local Fuente store in Boise(Sturmans smoke shop)......no issues there.
On line I buy from famous by the box ....never seen a problem there either.

Everything that went on these boxes I have had from seven years to six months in another humidor and I always tasted some from each box before they end up there.
There were no cigars with any type of abnormal taste smell or anything ever prior to the beads.
The effect on these is super strong.....wait until you try them....do so at your own risk.

I will be contacting labs and have them analyzed also.

1 pound of beads per desktop humidor? That is plenty of beads for a 5 cubic FOOT humidor. There's your problem.

No need to mail me a cigar.

Three quarters and recommended by the maker?
 
Hey Rod

Do you think if I had a third that per humidor I would have no problem?

I am not sure but one third of a lot is not zero in my mind....what do you think?

If I had that much in Bovedas would I have a problem?

Would you take a short cigar size container of that stuff as made by the same maker and put it in a travel humidor with 30 cigars?

Let me know what you think.
 
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