So I have all these WONDERFUL sticks of cigars.
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In all sorts of containers...
NICE containers..VERY cool to use and look at.

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And others that do the job of maintaining humidity but look TACKY...

These are good for letting your cigars rest after the trip to your house. Imagine the stresses that the sticks have gone through. Pressure changes and temperature changes. Jarring and jolting. It is my belief that a cigar stick benefits from resting in a controlled humidity with no temperature swings. My basement is a wonderful smooth temperature environment. YES! Even living in Jersey with the cold and hot temps outside; the basement doesn't have great or violent swings in temperature. It is moderate year round under the ground.
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The pretty containers are subject to more temperature and humidity swings on my first floor family areas. So the nice boxes need more attention than the big, ugly boxes. Not only ambient environmental changes but opening and closing the boxes let out my precious moisture.

Even with all the care I give to maintaining humidity of 65% and 70% I sometimes get a PLUGGED cigar. Sure, I can poke holes in it with a skewer of some sort, I can cut more of the cap off in hopes of getting more draw...
USUALLY none of these succeed and I have to DRY BOX

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This is nothing more than letting the plugged stick sit in a non-controlled yet buffered environment.

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No humidification...just sittin there and slowly drying out.
This drying out WILL enable you to draw through the cigar. Differences in the physical makeup of binder and filler sometimes need to DRY BOX for a day or a COUPLE of WEEKS.....
This is just part of the CIGAR EXPERIENCE. Rather than saying the cigar sucked and you toss out what you have heard is a great tasting cigar....let it sit in a DRY BOX. You may end up with a tasty experience or the stick may suck and you toss it

Tom
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And EVERYONE was grumbling that I NEEDED a better container..
So HERE is my 150 qt Coleman cooler.
Also useful to hold food at an eatible temperature. $80 shipped at Walmart
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Tom
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Cool post, and GREAT PICS!!

Thanks!
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nice pics and cooler i think you need some more cigars it look like your running low you need to keep you stock of smoke up better tom :-)
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I've always Dry Boxed my cigars "To be Smoked"
But Dayaaaamn Man ...I wish I had your Cigar budget! :-)
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That looks like a cigar store warehouse,,,I have 4 humis and a drybox and thought I had a few sticks. That one blows my doors off!!
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That refrigerator full of cigars is somethin' else. :-)
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Good, you bought a damn cooler, Tom. :-)
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You were all over my case about the cooler...
Damn!

Hahahahahahaha

The cooler is a classy option.
Costs 7x the STERLITE container and holds a wee bit more. The COLEMAN 150 qt iis impressive

Tom
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Whoa! Nice fridge... all I have is old ketchup.

Have to rethink some sort of dryboxing...

I have on Humi @ 67% for storage mostly, and one at 65% for straight away smoking...

do you think dry boxing should have the seal of a humi, or will a empty Cedar Cab (ex Tat or CC box) do the trick?
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TomHagen, I think that any cab that buffers swings in temp or humidity....Just lets the stick sit for the "required" time...is good.
I think the cBS YOU TALK OF ARE CLASSY.

i HAVE NEVER LET A STICK DRY BOX FOR TWO WEEKS. i'VE NOT HAD THE PATIOENCE. tHO i WILL BE DOING JUST THAT LONG WITH A mONTECRISTO eSPECIAL...tOMORROW...
i HOPE IT CLEARS THE PLUGGAGE PROBS.
:-)
tOM

dratted caplock and laziness
Tom
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How do you know beforehand that a stick has "pluggage" problems? By the pre-light draw?

Most Cabs I have do not have a tight seal, esp. the CC cabs, the Tat's are much better...
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YES! Prelight draw is the key. You know when the draw is acceptable you.
I've had minimal success with drawpoker and kabob skewers to free up a plug, Particular in ccs.
I have had MORE but not perfect success with DRY BOX...
It may be that I did NOT leave the stick sit long enuf.
It'll just take experience to know how long to DRY BOX a stick.
I've let a stick sit for 3 days and I don't remember the brand of it.
Tom
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