Cigar Geeks

I got this email from Famous Smoke Shop and thought it was worthy of posting on here. For the question that has been asked many times over, here some good advice on how to set up your coolerdor


http://www.famous-smoke.com/blog/store-cigars-in-a-coolerdor/?emk=EMF3399&utm_source=SundaySale&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CampaignDescription&utm_content=EMF3399

Good read.

Do they have any articles on Cello on or off?  :biggrin:

QuoteKman - 8/18/2014  2:47 PM  Do they have any articles on Cello on or off?  :biggrin:

:lmao:  :lmao:  

:lmao:  :lmao:

Cigars play cellos??  WTH...just when I thought I had a handle on every cigar issue known to mankind this comes up....

QuoteKman - 8/18/2014  2:47 PM

Do they have any articles on Cello on or off?  :biggrin:

:lmao:

Or which is better... straight or V-cut?

Online or B&M? CCor NC? 65 or 70%? Mold or plume? Age or smoke? Punch or cut? V or Straight? Cedar or torch? Goo goo or ga ga?

QuoteThe Burn Ward - 8/18/2014  5:00 PM

Online or B&M? CCor NC? 65 or 70%? Mold or plume? Age or smoke? Punch or cut? V or Straight? Cedar or torch? Goo goo or ga ga?

:lmao:  :lmao:  :lmao:

I have 5 coolers, all of which have had either beer or fish in them.  Who wants a tuna infused cigar :confused:

QuoteDonM - 8/18/2014  5:44 PM

QuoteThe Burn Ward - 8/18/2014  5:00 PM

Online or B&M? CCor NC? 65 or 70%? Mold or plume? Age or smoke? Punch or cut? V or Straight? Cedar or torch? Goo goo or ga ga?

:lmao:  :lmao:  :lmao:

I have 5 coolers, all of which have had either beer or fish in them.  Who wants a tuna infused cigar :confused:

Isn't that what Kuba Kuba is?

Well this turned south pretty darn quick

Quotetvolball - 8/18/2014  6:37 PM

Well this turned south pretty darn quick

what is ISOM :?:

I love my coolidor.

Don, I'll sign up for half a box of your Tuna infused Gurkhas. One of them should bring back memories of less than honorable excursions to Tiajuana ;-)

Quotedddddmorgan - 8/18/2014  7:28 PM  I love my coolidor.  Don, I'll sign up for half a box of your Tuna infused Gurkhas. One of them should bring back memories of less than honorable excursions to Tiajuana ;-)

made ya feel like the president for minute didn't it  :biggrin:  

Youse guys crack me up!

It pays to do searches on here...I was just about to bother the geeks and ask if I really need to use spanish cedar in the coolador if I plan on keeping the cigars in the boxes.... but reading this post it had me cracking up.

Good post. Thanks for sharing. I have a tupperdor that is working GREAT, but I may have to size up to a Coolerdor and this is a great read on that.
 :thumbsup:

Coolidors are the BOMB!

It is a big jump from a tupperdor to a coolerdor! I may need to do another tupperdor and run two of those for a while.
I found some Spanish Cedar trays on Amazon that look good and seem to be a good price. Are there other good suppliers of trays?

QuoteDonM - 8/18/2014  6:44 PM  

QuoteThe Burn Ward - 8/18/2014  5:00 PM  Online or B&M? CCor NC? 65 or 70%? Mold or plume? Age or smoke? Punch or cut? V or Straight? Cedar or torch? Goo goo or ga ga?

:lmao:  :lmao:  :lmao:  I have 5 coolers, all of which have had either beer or fish in them.  Who wants a tuna infused cigar :confused:

 Huummmmm, Tuna White Owl

Old threads coming back to life.

Maybe we should have a new thread about cellos? You know, the eternal On or Off debate  :biggrin:

QuoteCfickter - 7/14/2015  7:50 AM

QuoteDonM - 8/18/2014  6:44 PM  

QuoteThe Burn Ward - 8/18/2014  5:00 PM  Online or B&M? CCor NC? 65 or 70%? Mold or plume? Age or smoke? Punch or cut? V or Straight? Cedar or torch? Goo goo or ga ga?

:lmao:  :lmao:  :lmao:  I have 5 coolers, all of which have had either beer or fish in them.  Who wants a tuna infused cigar :confused:

 Huummmmm, Tuna White Owl

I say don't knock it till you've tried it

QuoteMacMac - 7/14/2015  12:17 AM

It is a big jump from a tupperdor to a coolerdor! I may need to do another tupperdor and run two of those for a while.
I found some Spanish Cedar trays on Amazon that look good and seem to be a good price. Are there other good suppliers of trays?

I'm trying to avoid all that extra work of having to put in that spanish cedar siding so I think I will just keep boxes in mines, the question is how many boxes will fit... :confused:  :confused:  :confused:

QuoteJay'D - 7/14/2015  10:33 AM  

QuoteMacMac - 7/14/2015  12:17 AM  It is a big jump from a tupperdor to a coolerdor! I may need to do another tupperdor and run two of those for a while. I found some Spanish Cedar trays on Amazon that look good and seem to be a good price. Are there other good suppliers of trays?

I'm trying to avoid all that extra work of having to put in that spanish cedar siding so I think I will just keep boxes in mines, the question is how many boxes will fit... :confused:  :confused:  :confused:

 

Adding Spanish Cedar to a coolerdor doesn't have to be a lot of work. You can just drop a few pieces of it anywhere in it. The trays (Sanish Cedar) will do the trick as well and so will old boxes. As far as the boxes go though, you best make sure it is in fact Spanish Cedar if you want to enjoy all the advantages of using this type of Mahogany.

QuoteMojo66 - 7/14/2015  10:56 AM

QuoteJay'D - 7/14/2015  10:33 AM  

QuoteMacMac - 7/14/2015  12:17 AM  It is a big jump from a tupperdor to a coolerdor! I may need to do another tupperdor and run two of those for a while. I found some Spanish Cedar trays on Amazon that look good and seem to be a good price. Are there other good suppliers of trays?

I'm trying to avoid all that extra work of having to put in that spanish cedar siding so I think I will just keep boxes in mines, the question is how many boxes will fit... :confused:  :confused:  :confused:

 

Adding Spanish Cedar to a coolerdor doesn't have to be a lot of work. You can just drop a few pieces of it anywhere in it. The trays (Sanish Cedar) will do the trick as well and so will old boxes. As far as the boxes go though, you best make sure it is in fact Spanish Cedar if you want to enjoy all the advantages of using this type of Mahogany.

I used a few old Spanish Cedar cigar boxes that I pickup from various places.
Joe

I need to set one of these up.

gonna be a long time before ill have the inventory to justify a coolidor. But would love to make one eventually. I would use spanish cedar if nothing more than to get the smell.

QuoteMojo66 - 7/14/2015  10:56 AM

QuoteJay'D - 7/14/2015  10:33 AM  

QuoteMacMac - 7/14/2015  12:17 AM  It is a big jump from a tupperdor to a coolerdor! I may need to do another tupperdor and run two of those for a while. I found some Spanish Cedar trays on Amazon that look good and seem to be a good price. Are there other good suppliers of trays?

I'm trying to avoid all that extra work of having to put in that spanish cedar siding so I think I will just keep boxes in mines, the question is how many boxes will fit... :confused:  :confused:  :confused:

 

Adding Spanish Cedar to a coolerdor doesn't have to be a lot of work. You can just drop a few pieces of it anywhere in it. The trays (Sanish Cedar) will do the trick as well and so will old boxes. As far as the boxes go though, you best make sure it is in fact Spanish Cedar if you want to enjoy all the advantages of using this type of Mahogany.

So me as a novice, how would I know what kind of box the cigar is being shipped in? Is there something to look for?

QuoteJay'D - 7/14/2015  1:55 PM

QuoteMojo66 - 7/14/2015  10:56 AM

QuoteJay'D - 7/14/2015  10:33 AM  

QuoteMacMac - 7/14/2015  12:17 AM  It is a big jump from a tupperdor to a coolerdor! I may need to do another tupperdor and run two of those for a while. I found some Spanish Cedar trays on Amazon that look good and seem to be a good price. Are there other good suppliers of trays?

I'm trying to avoid all that extra work of having to put in that spanish cedar siding so I think I will just keep boxes in mines, the question is how many boxes will fit... :confused:  :confused:  :confused:

 

Adding Spanish Cedar to a coolerdor doesn't have to be a lot of work. You can just drop a few pieces of it anywhere in it. The trays (Sanish Cedar) will do the trick as well and so will old boxes. As far as the boxes go though, you best make sure it is in fact Spanish Cedar if you want to enjoy all the advantages of using this type of Mahogany.

So me as a novice, how would I know what kind of box the cigar is being shipped in? Is there something to look for?

Spanish cedar has a very very distinctive smell. But other than that im not sure if the boxes actually say spanish cedar

You can definitely tell by the smell.

My coolers still smell like beer and fish  :biggrin:

*In a contralto falsetto* "I could tell by the smell the señorita wasn't well!"

I love my coolidor. I would push those of you on the fence to take the plunge. If your smokes aren't in cedar boxes just pick some up from your local B&M. I need to go get another one, I have five in there now and room for probably three more.

I'm actually in the process of making a coolidor now.  
I picked up a 70 qt coleman cooler from Home Depot for $40. Gonna clean it out later today with baking soda and hot water.  Thankfully it's been hot as hell here in Seattle so I'll be able to leave it open outside all day tomorrow with plenty of sunshine.  Then in the evening after I bring it in, I'll put some baking soda in a bowl and leave it inside all night long hopefully it'll get any lingering plastic smell gone.  Once it's ready, I'll be able to toss in some spanish cedar trays and the cigar boxes I've been hoarding to help "season" the coolidor and establish a solid environment.  Only thing is, I had purchased two tubes of 65% RH heartfelt beads before I decided to make a coolidor in my regular humidor that won't be enough to adequately establish the RH and temp that's needed.  Until then I'm waiting for a pound of beads to come in the mail as I'll need just a little less than a pound of the beads to establish the stable 65% RH.

I did have a few questions though:

-Does it matter if full cigar boxes are open or closed in a humidor?  I've read a couple of different things, but I was hoping to get some thoughts from fellow geeks here.  I would assume that it would be preferable to open them, but I guess it doesn't really matter in the end?

-I've noticed that some of my cigar boxes have metal hinges.  If I want to age cigars, is it best to remove them from their original boxes so that the metal doesn't affect the environment in anyway like possible rust/corrosion?  

-As far as wood in cigar boxes go, I'm assuming that all decent to higher-end cigars come in some type of spanish cedar box.  But even though I can smell the spanish cedar in most of them, some I honestly can't really tell if it is as the smell isn't as strong and distinct like it is in other cigar boxes -is that an indicator that the box is possibly lacquered or is it just a none Spanish cedar based wood?

-My 50 count humidor is filled to the brim. I ordered some full cigar boxes but I can't put the cigars in the humidor and I don't have any extra humidity beads or tubes for plastic bags or tupperware during the building of my coolidor.  How long can they last in the cigar boxes?  Some of them are shrink wrapped so I don't know if that makes any difference.  

I appreciate any advice and insight.
Thanks!

Scott, to answer a few questions:

I open all boxes to inspect the cigars before storage.  An occasional opening of them in storage as well just to be sure nothing bad is going on.

Don't worry about the type of boxes or hinges, I have run the same cooler for seven years now, never had any problems from any of that stuff.  Just throw them in there and don't overthink it.

The shrink wrapped ones should be good a few days if you let them rest in the cooler once it is set up, but you can buy some time with some large Ziploc bags and a little humidification (even a damp paper towel) if there is concern over drying them out.

Hope this helps.

QuoteStogieDad - 7/16/2015  2:21 PM

Scott, to answer a few questions:

I open all boxes to inspect the cigars before storage.  An occasional opening of them in storage as well just to be sure nothing bad is going on.

Don't worry about the type of boxes or hinges, I have run the same cooler for seven years now, never had any problems from any of that stuff.  Just throw them in there and don't overthink it.

The shrink wrapped ones should be good a few days if you let them rest in the cooler once it is set up, but you can buy some time with some large Ziploc bags and a little humidification (even a damp paper towel) if there is concern over drying them out.

Hope this helps.

Yes!  Thank you, Michael!  I appreciate the quick reply!
Oops!  Forgot a question.  Is it worth it to put in a battery operated fan that circulates the air?  I read that some bigger coolidors can have issues with pockets of humidity.  There is a small oust fan that runs auto shuts off after 5 minutes. A bit much?  Haha... thanks!

I'm a coolidor veteran as well and have learned a couple lessons the hard(ish) way.   I wouldn't do a fan or anything.  However, a few empty boxes or boards or something on the bottom to keep the cigars a couple inches from the bottom would be nice.   Humidity does seem to settle there.  Good, old-fashioned Dawn dishsoap (unscented) is the best for removing plastic odor and any oil they used in the mold when making it.   Scrub it down and rinse it really well.  You can even dry it with some paper towels if you can't leave it out in the sun.  No seasoning or anything is necessary.  I would keep my boxes in there for a few days til the beads arrive.  In ziptop bags also wouldn't hurt

QuoteMacMac - 7/13/2015  9:17 PM

It is a big jump from a tupperdor to a coolerdor! I may need to do another tupperdor and run two of those for a while.
I found some Spanish Cedar trays on Amazon that look good and seem to be a good price. Are there other good suppliers of trays?

These are the kind of trays I use in my 3 Coolidors. They're around $10 each, if I remember. Very nice Spanish Cedar trays.

 Coolidors are very, very easy to maintain. I've been done with wood humidors and their high/low humidity drama for around 5 years. Coolidors/tupperdors....the only way to go.

Nice resurrected thread!

QuoteMojo66 - 7/14/2015  8:26 AM

Old threads coming back to life.

Maybe we should have a new thread about cellos? You know, the eternal On or Off debate  :biggrin:

For the love of... you had to go there!   :hityou:

QuoteLonghorn - 7/16/2015  7:04 PM

QuoteMojo66 - 7/14/2015  8:26 AM

Old threads coming back to life.

Maybe we should have a new thread about cellos? You know, the eternal On or Off debate  :biggrin:

For the love of... you had to go there!   :hityou:

So longhorn how do you keep yours?

I don't have a fan in my coolidor.
I check humidity once a week and once every couple of months I take everything out to rotate and check for problems and such.
I find opening it occasionally is enough circulation.

Quotedddddmorgan - 7/16/2015  8:12 PM

I don't have a fan in my coolidor.
I check humidity once a week and once every couple of months I take everything out to rotate and check for problems and such.
I find opening it occasionally is enough circulation.

My question is can opening it up to much have a negative effect?? knowing me, I'll be opening it just to admire my beauties and enjoy the aroma.

QuoteJay'D - 7/16/2015  9:44 PM  

Quotedddddmorgan - 7/16/2015  8:12 PM  I don't have a fan in my coolidor.  I check humidity once a week and once every couple of months I take everything out to rotate and check for problems and such. I find opening it occasionally is enough circulation.

My question is can opening it up to much have a negative effect?? knowing me, I'll be opening it just to admire my beauties and enjoy the aroma.

Well the more Spanish cedar and the more cigars you have in there the better it's going to retain humidity when opened and closed. I have one coolerdor I open everyday and it shoots right back up at 65% in a question of minutes after it's closed. More than enough Heartfelt beads and Spanish cedar will more than surely do the trick in a cooler even if you open it often.

But you gotta make sure to season all Spanish cedar in your cooler and stabilize RH BEFORE putting cigars in it.

What Mojo said is on the money.
Make sure it's stabilized, never hurts to have more humidity beads than prescribed.
Point to remember is that an airtight container like the cooler really holds humidity well. I over humidified mine easily until I found the right balance.

QuoteMojo66 - 7/16/2015  10:13 PM

QuoteJay'D - 7/16/2015  9:44 PM  

Quotedddddmorgan - 7/16/2015  8:12 PM  I don't have a fan in my coolidor.  I check humidity once a week and once every couple of months I take everything out to rotate and check for problems and such. I find opening it occasionally is enough circulation.

My question is can opening it up to much have a negative effect?? knowing me, I'll be opening it just to admire my beauties and enjoy the aroma.

Well the more Spanish cedar and the more cigars you have in there the better it's going to retain humidity when opened and closed. I have one coolerdor I open everyday and it shoots right back up at 65% in a question of minutes after it's closed. More than enough Heartfelt beads and Spanish cedar will more than surely do the trick in a cooler even if you open it often.

But you gotta make sure to season all Spanish cedar in your cooler and stabilize RH BEFORE putting cigars in it.

Well i really don't want to over humidifiy mines with the temp hee being in the high 80 mostly. So if i can keep it around 66 and 67 that would be great. Guess I'll have to play with it until i get it stabalize around that range.

Great info and tips! Much appreciated!  :)

I've been thinking about getting a large cooler so i can consolidate some of my tupperdores

get large cooler out of garage.

put cigars in.

put humidity device in.

check every now and then. (or in my case once every few months.) 

the end

:biggrin:  

 

 

QuoteJay'D - 7/16/2015  7:13 PM

QuoteLonghorn - 7/16/2015  7:04 PM

QuoteMojo66 - 7/14/2015  8:26 AM

Old threads coming back to life.

Maybe we should have a new thread about cellos? You know, the eternal On or Off debate  :biggrin:

For the love of... you had to go there!   :hityou:

So longhorn how do you keep yours?

 :hityou:  X 2

Ok, so last night I put the cooler in the tub and ran hot water and sloshed it around.  Then I emptied some baking soda into the water and swished it around again and left it in there for about 8 hours.  After I rinsed it out and wiped it down, I left a bowl of baking soda in there overnight for about 6 hours.  Today's looking to be about 80 in Seattle so it's sitting outside hopefully soaking up the rays while I'm work.  I'm still anticipating some lingering plastic smell so I might swing by the store to get some dawn (only have the organic kind of dish soap -my wife is one of THOSE chicks haha) and see if it'll help get the last of any lingering smell out.  I did read that newspaper loosely crumpled will work wonders as can distilled vinegar so I guess if I get really desperate I can go that route too.  ;P?

I am SO stoked, gents!

Good for you Scott. Now the real fun part begins, you get to fill it :dancing:

So ummmm, what about using a used cooler, like one that has been around for a couple of years? Anything to look for or be aware of if using one of those?  :confused:  :confused:  :confused:
It just dawned on me that I have one home that hasn't been used in god knows how long, should already have that plastic smell taken care of. Can't I just use that and buy a new one should the need for a cooler arise after?

QuoteJay'D - 7/17/2015  10:58 AM

So ummmm, what about using a used cooler, like one that has been around for a couple of years? Anything to look for or be aware of if using one of those?  :confused:  :confused:  :confused:
It just dawned on me that I have one home that hasn't been used in god knows how long, should already have that plastic smell taken care of. Can't I just use that and buy a new one should the need for a cooler arise after?

When I was looking into the coolidor thing, I debated this too.  But from what I gathered it seems everyone recommended getting a brand new cooler as older ones had a higher risk of bacteria and mold.  So to be on the safe side getting a new one should assauge those fears.
But honestly, if it's been hardly used and cleaned out really well, perhaps it will suffice?  Question is, are you willing to take the risk?   :fencing:

QuoteMojo66 - 7/17/2015  10:22 AM

Good for you Scott. Now the real fun part begins, you get to fill it :dancing:

When I start thinking about this part, I can't help with the drooling... lol!

QuoteJay'D - 7/17/2015  1:58 PM  So ummmm, what about using a used cooler, like one that has been around for a couple of years? Anything to look for or be aware of if using one of those?  :confused:  :confused:  :confused:  It just dawned on me that I have one home that hasn't been used in god knows how long, should already have that plastic smell taken care of. Can't I just use that and buy a new one should the need for a cooler arise after?

 

You could do that BUT you need to clean it thoroughly. Bleach would be a good start and I would do the bleach operation a few times just to be on the safe side. Then it's cleaning with clear water, drying and getting rid of any remaining chlorine or plastic smell either with Baking powder or an ozonator. You can get a real cheap ozonator for around $10 on Amazon and they really do work.

been using any cooler I have available for my overflow and never had an issue. I get being extra careful for many reasons and of course it's probably prudent. I'm to lazy I guess.  I just wipe it out and use it. the one I'm using now has been going for about a year. no issues.

Quick questions!  I got a few spanish cedar cigar trays in the mail and was wondering if I have to season them on their own or can I just toss them in the coolidor as I try to calibrate RH and temp?  I was thinking of wiping them down first with a new sponge lightly dampened with distilled water but not sure if that's overkill.  Thoughts?

As always, thanks for the replies.   :hypno:

QuoteMojo66 - 7/17/2015  2:32 PM

QuoteJay'D - 7/17/2015  1:58 PM  So ummmm, what about using a used cooler, like one that has been around for a couple of years? Anything to look for or be aware of if using one of those?  :confused:  :confused:  :confused:  It just dawned on me that I have one home that hasn't been used in god knows how long, should already have that plastic smell taken care of. Can't I just use that and buy a new one should the need for a cooler arise after?

 

You could do that BUT you need to clean it thoroughly. Bleach would be a good start and I would do the bleach operation a few times just to be on the safe side. Then it's cleaning with clear water, drying and getting rid of any remaining chlorine or plastic smell either with Baking powder or an ozonator. You can get a real cheap ozonator for around $10 on Amazon and they really do work.

Well the only things thats been in it is ice and beverages...but mostly its just ends up with water...I will take a look at it and a good whiff see what smell it has. I just might end up cooler shopping this weekend.

QuoteJay'D - 7/17/2015  2:12 PM

QuoteMojo66 - 7/17/2015  2:32 PM

QuoteJay'D - 7/17/2015  1:58 PM  So ummmm, what about using a used cooler, like one that has been around for a couple of years? Anything to look for or be aware of if using one of those?  :confused:  :confused:  :confused:  It just dawned on me that I have one home that hasn't been used in god knows how long, should already have that plastic smell taken care of. Can't I just use that and buy a new one should the need for a cooler arise after?

 

You could do that BUT you need to clean it thoroughly. Bleach would be a good start and I would do the bleach operation a few times just to be on the safe side. Then it's cleaning with clear water, drying and getting rid of any remaining chlorine or plastic smell either with Baking powder or an ozonator. You can get a real cheap ozonator for around $10 on Amazon and they really do work.

Well the only things thats been in it is ice and beverages...but mostly its just ends up with water...I will take a look at it and a good whiff see what smell it has. I just might end up cooler shopping this weekend.

If you do end up going shopping for a new one, I'd recommend Walmart. I got a Coleman 70 qt cooler for $40 at Home Depot and had it shipped for free as I was too lazy to drive down to the local one and just pick it up.  Walmart had the same one for the same price but it wasn't even further.  One tip is, "go as big as you can" as that seems to be the message from every article, post, and thread I've read regarding making a coolidor -apparently they will get filled up rather quickly.   :biggrin:

Quotehennyis1 - 7/17/2015  2:59 PM  Quick questions!  I got a few spanish cedar cigar trays in the mail and was wondering if I have to season them on their own or can I just toss them in the coolidor as I try to calibrate RH and temp?  I was thinking of wiping them down first with a new sponge lightly dampened with distilled water but not sure if that's overkill.  Thoughts?  As always, thanks for the replies.   :hypno:

Since it is actually the trays (or Spanish cedar in any form) your are seasoning in a coolerdor, because the cooler itself will not absorb or release humidity, you better just do it directly in there and stabilize your cooler with all that will actually go in it wood wise. I put DW in a few small plastic containers and let the humidity slowly rise, opening it daily to ventilate, until it reaches the right RH%. Then i put in my humidifier of choice set at the right RH, remove the DW containers and let it all sit for a few days and if stable after that, it's ready to put cigars in. That's just my way though ;-)

QuoteMojo66 - 7/17/2015  2:29 PM

Quotehennyis1 - 7/17/2015  2:59 PM  Quick questions!  I got a few spanish cedar cigar trays in the mail and was wondering if I have to season them on their own or can I just toss them in the coolidor as I try to calibrate RH and temp?  I was thinking of wiping them down first with a new sponge lightly dampened with distilled water but not sure if that's overkill.  Thoughts?  As always, thanks for the replies.   :hypno:

Since it is actually the trays (or Spanish cedar in any form) your are seasoning in a coolerdor, because the cooler itself will not absorb or release humidity, you better just do it directly in there and stabilize your cooler with all that will actually go in it wood wise. I put DW in a few small plastic containers and let the humidity slowly rise, opening it daily to ventilate, until it reaches the right RH%. Then i put in my humidifier of choice set at the right RH, remove the DW containers and let it all sit for a few days and if stable after that, it's ready to put cigars in. That's just my way though ;-)

Perfect!  Thank you, Sébastien!