What's the biggest RG that I can punch with a Xikar 11mm punch???
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As big as they make, just punch more than once.

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Thanks.

Usually I'll use my Xikar Xi cutters as I'm not one for sticks over 54-56RG generally. But I grabbed a Xikar 11mm punch the other day for if I ever get stuck with a honkin' "jawbreaker" of a stick.

On the flip side I also grabbed an 8mm Adorini bullet punch as well for the few smaller RG Cubans that I like.
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They also work well on torpedoes.

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:-)
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I have a question that did not come up in forum search.

Has anyone ever used a submersion heater to get the water in the humidifier up in temperature?
My humidor is in the basement which generally averages 16 C, or about 61 F, and depending on furnace cycles can be 15 C.
I would like it to get to somewhere around 20 C or 68 F, and wondering if this is an option.

Thanks,
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Not sure why you would want to raise the temperature, man of the old cigar shots in countries like England store their cigars in damp cold basements, the same as they have for over 100 years and they are amazing cigars. I think you'd be just fine where you're at, I suppose if you thought the water was going to freeze inside the humidor that would be one thing, but doesn't seem that's the case. FWIW many people will freeze cigars when they get them to kill any beetle eggs, then store them away.
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Well, I suppose I just thought that the current temp is too low.
I'm not sure what the optimum is. When I go to a vendor with about a million $ of high end inventory the humidor is controlled at 72-72 and the cigars are great to smoke, many of them displaying bloom.

I have frozen cigars when I got them, however only those from a manufacturer that does not freeze before shipping. Again, the vendor is my guide for that information.

Perhaps I am just needlessly fretting for an exactness that is irrelevant?
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Yup I think you are worrying too much and vendors usually keep their sticks pretty wet, well that's extremely wet to me, I am in the 62-63 range, just personal preference and when I have smoked or tried to smoke them in the 70 range I felt like I was relighting often and had more wonky burns, again personal opinion and tastes. :-)
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My money is on mold at those temps and humidity.
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Nice catch Other Adam, I totally missed that :-)
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Love that 72/72 bloom. :-)
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Nyet, not mold. Actually I smoked a 4 year old Dirty Rat there on Friday and it had significant bloom. A great complement to the richness of the cigar due to the sweetness of the bloom. It tasted like pure, raw, cane sugar and had clear colour.

Next time I go there in a month or less, I will ask permission to take a pic of a tray of 20 Padron 1964 LE in full bloom on the shelf, probably 3 years old, and post it here.

Then you can decide for yourselves.
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Most times people mistake mold for Bloom or plume. Mold is fuzzy. Plume or bloom is crystalline.
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Wish I had a nickel for every time I've heard that.

Could have bought a couple boxes of Behikes by now.
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Absolutely. Very small delicate crystals without a colour different than the cigar.

However, the humidor is completely regulated with a cigar manufacturers version.

Unlike at home, I just have the cabinet humidor. As an example of what our ambient RH is the other day it was snowing when I woke up and the RH in basement was 31. At noon it stopped snowing and the evening ambient RH was 20 on a calibrated digital gauge.

So we all have different conditions to adapt to, it is a matter of what is good for the cigars. Just opening the door to take out a cigar drops the RH from 69 to 67 in a matter of 30 seconds on that gauge, and even further on the controller humidistat.
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what's a behike I've never tried one of those before :-)
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Cigar Bloom as promised.
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You can send me the Behikes now.:-)
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:-)
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