So, I have a ton of questions about cigars, and I have no idea where to begin. What are some tips that you more experienced smokers might have for me? Also, I don't have a humidor right now, and am currently a bit strapped for cash at the moment. Is there any temporary way I could store them? The guy at my local shop said I could put them in the refrigerator, as long as I don't keep them in for very long. Any truth to this? Thanks for any help, and the patience of answering my noobish questions, lol.

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"If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?"-- Dogen Zenji

Welcome. I'm still a bit noobish too, but I'll see if I can help...

The fridge isn't ideal, too cold and too little moisture. A much better option would be to use an ice chest. If you don't have a spare beer cooler laying around, pick one up at walmart for $10. That's what a lot of us use for overflow (If you see references to a coolerdor, that's what we are talking about). Tupperware will work as well, but won't insulate the sticks from fluctuating temperature very well.

A word of caution using either of these options, open the lid every couple days to let air circulate. Since the plastic won't breathe the way a wood humidor will, the air will get stagnant and you run the risk of mold. Some people like to line the floor and/or walls of the cooler with cedar taken from busting up empty cigar boxes. It's not mandatory, but is a nice touch, adds to the aroma and probably helps keep the humidity constant.

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I can get a cash flow going soon, and I can go about this proper. I'll definitely put what you said to use until that time comes though.

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"If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?"-- Dogen Zenji

First and foremost. Don't ever listen to that guy at your local B&M again apparently he is an idiot. LOL I'm just kidding but I would NOT store them in you fridge as typically the RH(relative humidity) is going to be way too low and depending on how cool you keep your fridge the temp may be too low too.

The quick and easy way is to get a piece of Tupperware big enough to hold a few cigars, get an old cigar box made of Spanish cedar(your local B&M should give you one for free or a couple dollars), buy a digital hygrometer($15) and either get a couple water pillows or if you can afford them buy some beads(about 10-15$ depending on size of tupperware). Now take that old cigar box and break it up and wipe all of that Spanish Cedar down with a clean rag soaked in DISTILLED WATER. Next line the floor and walls of the tupperware with the spanish cedar, calibrate you hygrometer(google salt test) and stick it in the humidor with the water pillows or beads and wait until it settles in somewhere between 65% and 72%. THen stick your cigars in and you a nice sized humidor for between 20 and 40 dollars. I understand being a broke college student so if thats to rich for your blood you can just take the water pillows and stick them in the plastic bags your B&M gives you your cigars in. 1 water pillow hydrates up to 20 cigars.

A few more tips first off when some say B&M it means Bricks and Mortar or a physical shop. Second smoke slow, one puff per minute is optimal. Finally go back and look at old threads on here, there is a lot of good info.

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I don't wanna hold a job down if its just to make ends meet. I prefer rapid rise and faster falls, I wanna die the American dream.
~~ Josh Martinez

Matt Marvel:

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I can get a cash flow going soon, and I can go about this proper. I'll definitely put what you said to use until that time comes though.

I personally have a Tupperdor that I use along with my desktop humidor. I'll probably never spend money on a real humidor again, unless its a cabinet :). I'm making a fridgeador right now ... a wine fridge converted into a humidor bc you can set a wine fridge to about 65 degrees.

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I don't wanna hold a job down if its just to make ends meet. I prefer rapid rise and faster falls, I wanna die the American dream.
~~ Josh Martinez

madurofan:

First and foremost. Don't ever listen to that guy at your local B&M again apparently he is an idiot. LOL I'm just kidding but I would NOT store them in you fridge as typically the RH(relative humidity) is going to be way too low and depending on how cool you keep your fridge the temp may be too low too.

The quick and easy way is to get a piece of Tupperware big enough to hold a few cigars, get an old cigar box made of Spanish cedar(your local B&M should give you one for free or a couple dollars), buy a digital hygrometer($15) and either get a couple water pillows or if you can afford them buy some beads(about 10-15$ depending on size of tupperware). Now take that old cigar box and break it up and wipe all of that Spanish Cedar down with a clean rag soaked in DISTILLED WATER. Next line the floor and walls of the tupperware with the spanish cedar, calibrate you hygrometer(google salt test) and stick it in the humidor with the water pillows or beads and wait until it settles in somewhere between 65% and 72%. THen stick your cigars in and you a nice sized humidor for between 20 and 40 dollars. I understand being a broke college student so if thats to rich for your blood you can just take the water pillows and stick them in the plastic bags your B&M gives you your cigars in. 1 water pillow hydrates up to 20 cigars.

A few more tips first off when some say B&M it means Bricks and Mortar or a physical shop. Second smoke slow, one puff per minute is optimal. Finally go back and look at old threads on here, there is a lot of good info.

Thanks for the info. Would you mind explaining why you like this method better than buying a humidor? Does it have to do with the price, or is this a better way to go about it? It sounds like you can control the results a bit better if you use Tupperware.

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"If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?"-- Dogen Zenji

Matt I also have two tupperdor and they work very good, they work as storage when humi. starts to get alittle low I replinesh from the tupperdor, but they maintain temp. and rh really well, The next humi. I buy will be a cabnet......also!

Matt its purely price and size. My tupperdor hold around 250 cigars and cost me $10 not including the hygro and humidification because I would have had to buy those anyways. A 250 count real humi would cost how much?

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I don't wanna hold a job down if its just to make ends meet. I prefer rapid rise and faster falls, I wanna die the American dream.
~~ Josh Martinez

I have one 150 count humi that will always be my display humi but I'll age in coolerdors and fridgeadors.

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I don't wanna hold a job down if its just to make ends meet. I prefer rapid rise and faster falls, I wanna die the American dream.
~~ Josh Martinez

madurofan:

Matt its purely price and size. My tupperdor hold around 250 cigars and cost me $10 not including the hygro and humidification because I would have had to buy those anyways. A 250 count real humi would cost how much?

That makes perfect sense. The humidors get very pricey. I could about $40 out of the cost of a humidor and make my own, and then spend the rest on cigars! Thanks the all of the help everyone. Oh, and madurofan, I just want to point out that I wasn't trying to denounce the idea of making a tupperdor, I was just curious. Just trying to learn as much as possible. :)

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"If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?"-- Dogen Zenji

I understand Matt. I didn't take it that way at all. Good Luck to you and feel free to keep asking questions. Somone on here should be able to help.

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I don't wanna hold a job down if its just to make ends meet. I prefer rapid rise and faster falls, I wanna die the American dream.
~~ Josh Martinez

Matt Marvel:

So, I have a ton of questions about cigars, and I have no idea where to begin. What are some tips that you more experienced smokers might have for me? Also, I don't have a humidor right now, and am currently a bit strapped for cash at the moment. Is there any temporary way I could store them? The guy at my local shop said I could put them in the refrigerator, as long as I don't keep them in for very long. Any truth to this? Thanks for any help, and the patience of answering my noobish questions, lol.

I would also argue against the refrigerator for the reason of your cigars picking up the "scents of the container" your smokes will taste like onions or any other food stuff you are keeping in there. Plastic zip locks or Tupperware with a humidity source ( a wet sponge or towel in another plastic bag with the corner clipped off) just so that the cigars do not come in contact with the water source. also, don't let the same sponge stay long enough to get moldy.... that will work for now.. I did that for about a year until I decided I was getting serious about my collection..

kaspera79:

Matt Marvel:

So, I have a ton of questions about cigars, and I have no idea where to begin. What are some tips that you more experienced smokers might have for me? Also, I don't have a humidor right now, and am currently a bit strapped for cash at the moment. Is there any temporary way I could store them? The guy at my local shop said I could put them in the refrigerator, as long as I don't keep them in for very long. Any truth to this? Thanks for any help, and the patience of answering my noobish questions, lol.

I would also argue against the refrigerator for the reason of your cigars picking up the "scents of the container" your smokes will taste like onions or any other food stuff you are keeping in there. Plastic zip locks or Tupperware with a humidity source ( a wet sponge or towel in another plastic bag with the corner clipped off) just so that the cigars do not come in contact with the water source. also, don't let the same sponge stay long enough to get moldy.... that will work for now.. I did that for about a year until I decided I was getting serious about my collection..

Good call on the "scents of the container".

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I don't wanna hold a job down if its just to make ends meet. I prefer rapid rise and faster falls, I wanna die the American dream.
~~ Josh Martinez

I'm amazed how easy it is for me to maintain humidity since I moved my smokes to the basement. Should have been a no brainer for me, but I was too lazy to walk downstairs!

LarryD:

I'm amazed how easy it is for me to maintain humidity since I moved my smokes to the basement. Should have been a no brainer for me, but I was too lazy to walk downstairs!

LOL, laziness is the mother of invention. I'm just jealous of this basement thing you guys speak of. its downstairs and maintains temp and humidity. How do I get one of those? Oh yea thats right move away from the ocean to a place where the water table is lower than 6 inches, lol.

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I don't wanna hold a job down if its just to make ends meet. I prefer rapid rise and faster falls, I wanna die the American dream.
~~ Josh Martinez