I have been given a cigar humidor. To take advantage of its controlled humidity, do I leave cellophane wrapped cigars sealed in the humidor, or do I remove the cellophane?

Humidors are finiky. To specifically address your question leaving the cellophane on gives one more barrier allowing the cigars to retain moisture. If this is another hobby you're going to take up I suggest you seek knowledge from a cigar forum as maintaining humidity is a difficult task

Either or, there is no discernible difference in storage with or with out. The key is the relative humidity IN the humidor. There are many ways to achieve this but the most accurate it the BOVEDA system.
These two way humidification packets will keep your humidor and smokes in great shape with no muss or fuss.
Also remember to SEASON the new humidor the 85% humidity packs are made just for that. I keep my cigars at 69% which for me works well.

As Mr. Jinks would say " I hope this helps"

http://www.bovedainc.com/solutions/tobacco/tobacco-faq/

__________________
SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

Wow I think there is a guy in W VA who will be paying you a visit.

__________________
Don

I snip off both ends of the wrapper when I put them in the humidor. That way they are open to the humidity but still have the protection of the sleeve. It takes a few days for new cigars to "get right" in the humidor this way but it works for me.

LT

Cello on vs Cello off it really makes very little difference. The cellophane sleeves may protect the wrapper some from handling damage but that is about it.

I prefer my sticks cello free in the humidor. Other than Fuente Opus X cigars which seem to have very delicate wrapper layers, I remove the cello sleeves from the few cigars I buy that have them.

I do leave cedar sleeves on the cigars that come with them. One of my favorite cigars is the A Fuente Anejo which comes with a cedar sleeve. Many say that they have trouble with mold growing under the sleeve. I keep my humidors in the 65-67% Rh level and mold has never been an issue. I also find that most of my cigars smoke better and have fewer burn issues at that relative humidity level.

Boveda packs will do a good job of holding your humidity where it should be. They are a two system that will suck up humidity when it goes to high and give off humidity when to drops. They can be recharged a few times if they begin to not hold the humidity up where it should be.

There are a number of other good medias out there. There are some sellers of silica beads that do the same as Boveda packs that can be recharged over and over.

Me I'm cheap. I bought a 5 lbs. container of a silica kitty litter that does a great job. I put a little bit in a nylon sock. To charge you mist the silica with distilled water until about 1/3 of the crystals go clear. In the humidor I'm in and out of regularly the Rh holds pretty dead on in the 65-67% Rh level for a month or so. I live in a high desert and it is pretty dry here. My home is usually about 25% Rh inside. My aging cooler which I rarely get into stays for several months before the crystals need to be recharged.

A bag of this will last you a life time and really works.
Exquisicat(R) Crystals Low Dust Formula Fragrance Free Cat Litter | cat Litter | PetSmart

__________________
Bill Bates

This is the "9mm vs .45ACP" of the cigar world...

__________________
I used to be disgusted..

Nah, the question, "are Cuban cigars really better than non Cuban cigars," is more like 9mm vs .45acp with Cuban cigars being .45acp so of course they are better ;^)

9mm is there to just get you by until you can find a steady supply of .45acp

__________________
Bill Bates

Perhaps the possibility of being able to buy Cuban cigars again may happen in the future. I have fond memories of a box made with the 1959 crop which was the last I was able to buy.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Hygrometers are notoriously inaccurate.
There is a technique involving salt, water, and a plastic bag.
Look up the specifics on internet.
Worth the time. Especially with a large collection.
Guns and cigars. Enjoy while still legal.

A longstanding debate. I'm in the "leave em wrapped" camp.

Cello is permeable; it breathes. Nearly all the major manufacturers ship stock in cello, both to protect them in transit, and to prevent them from taking on other flavors from whatever they encounter en route. (Cabinet stock is a notable exception; Ghurka, and some other makers, do ship some stock loose in a bed of cuttings.) The sticks live in the box, in a store humidor, for months or years. You buy them and store them in your humidor for months or years, except the ones that get used early.

IF you want them all to taste the same (i.e., "marry") them take them out of the cello. If you want them to taste as the maker intended, wrap em. If you're concerned about humidity, rotate them every 3-4 months. In the end, keeping the humidity and temperature right is much more important than wrapped or unwrapped.

Oliva cigars (Oliva Cigar) takes the other position. Some say leaving them wrapped ages them slower than unwrapped; some go so far as to unwrap, keep the cello until they age sufficiently, then rewrap them. (Some people also have waaaay too much time on their hands.) YMMV.

__________________
50 Years of Wish You Were Here

...here's my primary unit. It's a Vigilant. Built in electric humidifier. Uses distilled water as the source.

It's about 16 years old. Wasn't cheap by any means but has served me very well.

Would take a photo of the inside but it's so disorganized currently I am embarrassed to show it.

Be safe.

Attached Images

image.jpg (41.3 KB, 21 views)

If your humidor came with a floral foam humidification device, first thing ya gotta do is get rid of it and get a real humidification device.
I got myself one of these things:


For my main humidor:


I have another smaller unit on order, along with a digital hygrometer, for the smaller humidor I received as a present from my brother in law.

Do I store with the cigars in the cellophane or without?
Yes.
For storing, in the cellophane.
For aging, out of the cellophane.
I like having a variety of cigars to try out. Leaving them in the cellophane helps to protect the wrapper when I'm digging through them for my next smoke.

By the way, I also have bunches of cigars on order to fill my humidors.
I'll let them sit in the humidor for a month or so before smoking.

__________________
Keep on Chooglin'

Anybody I know?

__________________
Keep on Chooglin'

I think so.

__________________
Don

You could always buy them, if you knew where to go, Luis Tiant didn't have any trouble.

__________________
Don

As the rules stand today (who knows what the future will be) you can purchase Cuban cigars anywhere in the world when you travel and bring 100 cigars or $800 per 31 days back into the US without customs hassle or duty. If you go over that limit there is a 4% duty. They must be for your personal consumption.

So if the wife and I travel to say Canada, Mexico or Europe we can bring back 4 boxes each.

Limits Slashed On Cuban Cigars | Cuba

__________________
Bill Bates

Cigars without the cellophane seem to get damaged more to me.
Have a Cuban Cohiba I just got from a Cuban guy I know.

Wrapper seems to be easy to damage.
At over $8.00 per stick, I'll go with AF Don Carlos....
Keep the humidor at around 70% & 70 deg.
free photo hosting

__________________
Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

Cello does help cut down on damage. Most of what I buy doesn't come with cellophane. As you can see here the Montichristo which don't come with cellophane sleeves are a bit beat up around the foot. I can live with that.

__________________
Bill Bates