Can cigars be successfully rehydrated?

[hopkins_student]

I've neglected some Opus Xs in a humidor and they've become a bit dry. Would they recover if I were to moisten the sponge in the humidor and leave them to sit for a little while? Thanks.

 

[mano]

You have two options:

1. Because they are dry, they have lost all of the essential oils. Send them to me because they are beyond repair and I'll burn them for you.

2. Slowly bring them up to the correct humidity in a humidor over a 3-4 week period. Use a 50/50 solution of distilled water and propylene glycol (PG). Don't saturate the humidifier. Humidifiying too quickly will cause the cigars to swell and split. If you have any doubt whatsoever, choose option #1.

 

[globetrotter]

hunt,

do as posted above, but be aware that there is a good chance that you will split the wraper, espectially if you end up doing this more than once. good luck.

 

[MrRogers]

Ditto the advice of both posters. Even if you can reconstitute them, the flavor profile wont be the same. Chalk it up to experience and watch yur hygrometer more carefully next time.

MrR

 

[carlhuber]

I think I have a problem with my cigars going off. Mold? Perhaps. Nothing visible, though. What causes mold? Too much humidity?

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by carlhuber

I think I have a problem with my cigars going off. Mold? Perhaps. Nothing visible, though. What causes mold? Too much humidity?
I have a huge amount of experience with this - unfortunatly none good. you need to really only use distilled water in your humidor (yeah, I didn't believe it, either). once in a while, when you feel that you have mold, wash everything in white vinagar.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by carlhuber

I think I have a problem with my cigars going off. Mold? Perhaps. Nothing visible, though. What causes mold? Too much humidity?
Just wipe them off, no big deal. If the mold goes inside the cigar too much you are screwed.

 

[dkzzzz]

You have to check your humidor periodically. At least once a week. If mold appears just wipe cigars off , as previous poster suggested. Watch your humidity and adjust it accordingly with a temperature in a humidor.
Good (tightly rolled) cigars will go off in a blink of an eye. I would not worry about it unless you feel that your cigars are too moist and too soft.

 

[Edward Appleby]

This is why I've never fooled around with aging cigars.

 

[globetrotter]

I had an aged cigar at Stu's a while back that blew my socks off. But I have never been able to age one myself, I have probrably thrown out 20 good cigars over the past 10 years because of soem type of storage problem. I've had worms, mold and dryness. now I just try to buy what I can smoke in a month.

 

[heavyd]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

I had an aged cigar at Stu's a while back that blew my socks off. But I have never been able to age one myself, I have probrably thrown out 20 good cigars over the past 10 years because of soem type of storage problem. I've had worms, mold and dryness. now I just try to buy what I can smoke in a month.

I am not a pro, but avid enough to know a good smoke. I have kept mine (4 boxes of Davidoffs) in a large, air tight, 'tupperware-esque' style storage box in the basement since the move from nyc almost 18 months ago and they are the same today as they were then. Perhaps the basement humidity is doing the trick, but then they are in an air tight container. Hard to say.

Incidentally, what do you pay for 'everyday' cigars on average?

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by heavyd

I
Incidentally, what do you pay for 'everyday' cigars on average?

6 bucks is my everyday cigar - Joya de Nicaragua antano 1970 Belicoso is what I am smoking this month. 6 inches, 54 ring size, a nice dark smoke, for a pretty good price.

 

[MCsommerreid]

I've never had a problem with storage. The absolutely best thing you can do for long term humidor care is use the heartfelt beads in the 65% model. At that humidity mold doesn't really form as much as 70%, and the humidity is insanely steady so long as you keep the beads properly hydrated.

I also don't drop cigars right in to be aged, I "quarantine" them first in a small humidor for a week or two, to make sure there aren't any beetles already hatched. If none show up, it's doubtful they'll hatch in my aging humidor as its kept cool and at the proper humidity.

 

[studio253]

You may want to look into Boveda Humidipaks. Just throw one on your desktop and leave it for 3-6 months. You should check the seal on your unit too. I keep my Opus in the top on my end table unit because I like them to be less hydrated than my other smokes. They have a huge amount of oils in them an if they're over humidified you can have a lot of burn and draw problems. I wouldn't go the sponge route if I were you. If you do it wrong the water can damage the cedar and cause warping or mold problems.

Be more careful next time