Arghhhh! Bugs!!!!!!!!!

[NES Tek]

I believe I'll start this same practice. Would hate to lose any sticks to such freeloaders!

[vw77guy]

Looks like a coffee bean with legs.  Probably not as yummy.

[mpurtle01]

So I have a deep freezer and now I want to freeze about 200 cigars.  I'm doing some research, but I trust some of you more than random websites.  I have a few questions, and yes, I read Jackal's freezing tutorial.  

1. Does freezing effect flavor?
2. Do you need to vacuum seal cigars or just suck out the air from bags.
3. How many cigars per bag.
4. Deep freezer...   how cold do you go?  

I think I might start freezing too, but I'm really kinda anal about things and don't want to hurt any of my precious smokes.  So, want to make sure I do it right the first time.

[mpurtle01]

Geeks...  found this on Puff.com.  Not bad info.  I for one am able to keep my cigars at a solid 69-72 degrees daily, so not worried about hatching new eggs.  But I have read here and there about temperature acclimatized beetles...  that's a little concerning.  I really am mostly concerned about the effect on flavor that freezing has.  I feel like this is true GEEK material.  http://www.puff.com/forums/vb/cigar-questions/272095-science-behind-freezing.html


I may test drive this in my deep freezer on a few dog rockets before I freeze my more premium Padrons, Tatuajes, Illusiones, LPs 'n'stuff.

[Brlesq]

mpurtle01 - 11/25/2012  10:12 AM
1. Does freezing effect flavor?
2. Do you need to vacuum seal cigars or just suck out the air from bags.
3. How many cigars per bag.
4. Deep freezer...   how cold do you go?  

I think I might start freezing too, but I'm really kinda anal about things and don't want to hurt any of my precious smokes.  So, want to make sure I do it right the first time.

1.  No, unless you freeze too long (more than a few days) of have a stinky freezer to begin with (and even then, if they are sealed right, its probably not an issue.)  A stinky refrigerator is usually a more likely issue (garlic, strong cheese, etc.)

2.  Vacuum seal not necessary unless you have easy access to one (I never do).

3.  Doesn't matter, just so long as you don't crush them.  BTW, I usually tripple ziploc bag mine.  And use the freezer bags, not the thin cheap ones.

4. Whatever the freezer is set at is what I use.  There are some guides on how cold and how long (I recall Les (HotStuffx) giving a guide on this somewhere on the site).

I have done this with literally thousands of cigars over 20 years without any issues.  My method is pretty simple:  Triple bag, 1 day refrigerator, 3-4 days freezer, 1 day back to refrigerator, 1-2 days back in the house temp still in the bags, then put into humidors.  For me, its a 1 week process from receipt to humidor.  Time tables are estimates:  If you forget about them and they are at a step an extra day or two its not a problem (just don't shorten the time.)

[nirab]

I am gonna check all my cigars now. Thanks for all the insight my fellow geeks!      

[Ken Kelley]

Lasioderma serricorne, commonly known as the cigarette beetle, cigar beetle, or tobacco beetle, (or, in Geek scientific terminology...them f**king bugs!) is very similar in appearance to the drugstore beetle (Stegobium paniceum) and the common furniture beetle (Anobium punctatum), and all three species belong to the family Anobiidae.  

[wescat]

mpurtle01 - 11/25/2012  9:12 AM

So I have a deep freezer and now I want to freeze about 200 cigars.  I'm doing some research, but I trust some of you more than random websites.  I have a few questions, and yes, I read Jackal's freezing tutorial.  

1. Does freezing effect flavor?

Here is the thread that was used during the experimentation that Jackal did to write his article on freezing cigars:   http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=7059.0

I was one of the taste testers. I saw no change in flavor between the frozen and unfrozen cigar.

[Ken Kelley]

wescat - 11/25/2012  4:48 PM

mpurtle01 - 11/25/2012  9:12 AM

So I have a deep freezer and now I want to freeze about 200 cigars.  I'm doing some research, but I trust some of you more than random websites.  I have a few questions, and yes, I read Jackal's freezing tutorial.  

1. Does freezing effect flavor?

Here is the thread that was used during the experimentation that Jackal did to write his article on freezing cigars:   http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=7059.0

I was one of the taste testers. I saw no change in flavor between the frozen and unfrozen cigar.

So what would happen if you plunged a perfectly aged premium stick into liquid nitrogen? I reckon that might kill just about any bug that lives in this universe.  Assuming you let the stick acclimate slowly to ambient temperature after the treatment, would it still retain the essential oils and essences? Surely this has been done so I would love to see the results.

If not, I would be willing to contribute some very well aged MOW robustos for a before and after exercise...if someone has the technology to dip perfectly good cigars into liquid nitrogen.