Vacuum pack

[Ghabanos]

Just receive order from vendor. Comes vaccum packed.

Should I leave it in the vacuum packaging sealed or remove it?

Are the arguments for or against vacuum packing cigars for aging?

Share with us your thoughts.

[nikesupremedunk]

I think it would be better to remove it and store in a properly controlled RH environment. There's no way of knowing what RH is inside the vaccum seal, so while it may work great for shipping purposes, might not be a great idea for long term storage that way.

[UpInSmoak]

I unpack my newly arrived cigars and immediately re-pack them in freezer grade ziplocks for freezing.

If the vacuum bags are strong enough to withstand a few days of subzero temps without causing freezer burn, I would just assume to keep them in there.

To piggyback the OP, does anyone freeze in the vendors vacuum sealed bags?

[shrink]

Out of curiosity, I've left a few boxes in vacuum sealed bags. For example, I opened a MAY06 SLB of Siglo II's recently. They taste great.

[backslide]

I would totally slice it open so you can inspect your cigars.

As far as vacuum packing. It's the perfect way to age your cigars for the long term 5+ years IMHO.

[mk05]

Cello on or cello off?

[LGC]

Cello on or cello off?

Exactly...

What about cello half on half off?

You'll get different answers on this, depending on whom you ask. Everyone has their own theories, with none of them being backed by supporting evidence. I would encourage you to read the other threads on aging and do whatever tickles your fancy.

[mk05]

It's just a bit of fun when people usually say cello on/off.

From what has been written as doctrine over the years, I would say that less air = fresher taste compared to regular aging, but differences won't be discernable until you really push the time factor. I have not been collecting long enough to say the following with any of my own empirical evidence, but supposedly low airflow aged cigars taste different (because the oils move slower in the low airflow. i could see that).

Really don't over think it.

[Ghabanos]

How about freezing in vaccum packaging? Anybody try that?

[SuprHasan]

I recently received an order that was vacuum packed. Put it in the freezer for 6 hours, fridge for 6 hours then in the humi for 24 hours. Lastly, removed it from the vacuum bag and returned it to the humi.

I inspected the cigars and they look and smell amazing.

[orangedog]

Couple thoughts:

1. Opening for inspection is a good idea

2. All plastics have some permeability. Defining the type of plastic used for vacuum packaging is important. Over years, air and moisture will go through the bag. Some plastics restrict airflow more than others, and there are a lot of studies out there on the impact of layers, thickness, use of multiple bags, etc. as it pertains to air and moisture transfer.

[rfenst]

I recently received an order that was vacuum packed. Put it in the freezer for 6 hours, fridge for 6 hours then in the humi for 24 hours. Lastly, removed it from the vacuum bag and returned it to the humi.

I inspected the cigars and they look and smell amazing.

Why only six hours in the freezer?

[mk05]

Research has shown 3 days is the timeframe needed (the normal temp range of most freezers) to kill all beetles.

You should always take the cigars out of the vacuum to inspect, LET THE CIGARS AND THE BOX COME TO EQUILIBRIUM TO YOUR HUMI'S CLIMATE, and then reseal to store. Condensation is your enemy, and you don't want your cigars in a different climate when you insert into your humi...it will either crack or explode.

[craigos]

Remove them from the vacumm pack. I had one package vacuum packed and for some reason USPS didnt inform me they had arrived and it wasnt until a week later i got the second notice. When i picked them up there was a lot of condensation (USPS had them in a hot room?) in the plastic and when I openned the cigars they were ruined.

[Ghabanos]

Very interesting. Right now I have em in my cooler at 10 degrees C. Because I'm waiting for my humidifier to arrive, left em there for a couple of weeks.

[CanuckSARTech]

Interesting discussions on this. I've been experimenting with this in the past year. I'm gonna start an update to one of my cabinet humidor / cooler-dor threads for the update on this, with pics. Nothing but positives, provided things are gone through the right way.

[Orion21]

I have an older friend who has an enormous collection of Cuban cigars and they are all sealed. He told me a while back he enjoys opening the sealed bags and getting the first hit from the aroma inside. He has never had condensation, mold or other issues with his cigars from what I gather.

[Nino]

I have an older friend who has an enormous collection of Cuban cigars and they are all sealed. He told me a while back he enjoys opening the sealed bags and getting the first hit from the aroma inside. He has never had condensation, mold or other issues with his cigars from what I gather.

x2 here.

I frequently buy my cigars in Switzerland and they are vacuum-sealed after purchase for my convenience - I never open them up again, just store them as they are in my lockers until I feel they have enough years on them and need to be smoked.

Never had any issues and it saves me the job of wrapping them up in plastic or zip-locks myself.

As for the smell of the aroma after cutting up the vacuum sealed bag ....

[Esteban77]

How about freezing in vaccum packaging? Anybody try that?

I bought a food saver for this. It works perfectly.

[jedipastor]

Many guys swear that keeping cigars in a more oxygen-deprived environment (closed jar, sealed zip-lock, etc.) effects aging. So I would assume that as long as the cigars were in good shape when they went in the vacuum-sealed bag, they should be fine. Whether you prefer cigars aged that way or not, that's another story.

There are several boxes that I have kept vacuum-sealed. In each case it's a cigar that I already have an open box of to smoke through, and would prefer to retard the aging process a bit because I like them where they are at.

[La_Tigre]

Rise Rise RISE!!!

 

 

Do those as vacuum sealers feel it is necessary to seal each box with a small Boveda?

Conditions:

1) The box has been stored and stable at the proper RH. assume 65/65

and

2) The box is the vacuum sealed and placed back in the coolerdor at proper RH? assume 65/65

[Webbo]

1 hour ago, La_Tigre said:

Rise Rise RISE!!!

 

 

Do those as vacuum sealers feel it is necessary to seal each box with a small Boveda?

Conditions:

1) The box has been stored and stable at the proper RH. assume 65/65

and

2) The box is the vacuum sealed and placed back in the coolerdor at proper RH? assume 65/65

Would very much like to hear the answer for exactly this question too. 

[TheGipper]

3 hours ago, La_Tigre said:

Do those as vacuum sealers feel it is necessary to seal each box with a small Boveda?

No.  I have done with and without a Boveda.  I observe no difference.  The Bovedas come out the same way they went in.

If you vacuum seal a dry box, it will stay dry, even if you put the vacuum sealed box in a humidor.

If you vacuum seal a wet box, it will stay wet (and probably get some mold).

If you vacuum seal a perfectly conditioned box, it will stay perfectly conditioned, unless you place the sealed box in some really extreme conditions (like leave it out the in Mojave desert, or put it underwater).

Give a box enough time to stabilize to your preferred RH level, then vacuum seal it, put it in your humidor, and relax.

That said, I have found long-term vacuum sealed boxes do undergo a sick period after you unseal them.  I generally break a box out of vacuum seal about a year before I want to consume the box.

[Bartolomeo]

For shits and giggles, I vacum sealed a box of variety of cigars back in 2013 that sits in my humi to this day, I will be opening it very soon and see what the results will be. I will also let it sit for a bit to re-acclimate to its surroundings.

Bart

[Viva Vegas]

On 9/3/2012 at 6:25 PM, rfenst said:

Why only six hours in the freezer?

If your freezer cools to -2 f or colder,  6 hours is all you need .