Desktop humidor temperature control

[PhilB]

So, things are going along swimmingly. The desktop humidor I was given is now seasoned, stable at 65% RH and I'm slowly adding sticks (Oh, this will get expensive real fast, specially at Canadian prices!)

However, I'm wondering: How crucial is the temperature compared to the humidity? The humidity will get controlled just fine and dandy by the Boveda, but that does nothing for temperature.

Now, this is Vancouver, so it's never insanely hot, but there are potentially a few 90 degree days in the summer every once in a while. We don't have A/C (because, once again: Vancouver). I could move it to the potentially cooler basement for the summer, but my office where the desktop humidor is is North facing, so there should never be direct sunlight coming in through there.

What do you folks with desktop humidors do about temperature? I mean...these sticks are usually made in some pretty damn hot places!

Thanks...

[Deke]

I believe the standard answer here will be that you want to keep the temperature down to prevent cigar beetle eggs from hatching. Yes, the cigars are made in pretty damn hot places, but so too are the bugs that can come with them.

I've read that if you let the temps get much above 75 degrees F, and certainly above 80, you are risking cigar beetles. How often does it really get that warm in your office?

I keep mine in my study, and it will get to the mid 70s and higher in late spring and early fall. But I put the A/C on in the summer before it would get in the 80s in that room. I have thought about simply moving it to the basement for the summer. A wineador is another possible answer.

I will be interested in seeing the other responses you get.

[Emperor Zurg]

I freeze all incoming stock. I never bother about temperature control. My cigars stay at work and while it's somewhat air conditioned during the day, nights and weekends the A/C is off. I've never had a bug problem thus far.

[projectsunfire]

So, things are going along swimmingly. The desktop humidor I was given is now seasoned, stable at 65% RH and I'm slowly adding sticks (Oh, this will get expensive real fast, specially at Canadian prices!)

However, I'm wondering: How crucial is the temperature compared to the humidity? The humidity will get controlled just fine and dandy by the Boveda, but that does nothing for temperature.

Now, this is Vancouver, so it's never insanely hot, but there are potentially a few 90 degree days in the summer every once in a while. We don't have A/C (because, once again: Vancouver). I could move it to the potentially cooler basement for the summer, but my office where the desktop humidor is is North facing, so there should never be direct sunlight coming in through there.

What do you folks with desktop humidors do about temperature? I mean...these sticks are usually made in some pretty damn hot places!

Thanks...

General rule of thumb is you want to keep your temps under 70 degrees F to prevent beetle infestation. I have also heard that too high temps can cause rot. I keep both my temps and humidity under 65.

[Sir Lancerolot]

I freeze all incoming stock. I never bother about temperature control.

This.

I live in Phoenix. Sure, we have AC, and we keep the house around 81* in the summer. No beetle problems ever. Freezing kills beetles in all stages of development, so unless you introduce unfrozen sticks that happen to be infested with beetles, you're pretty darned safe.

Maybe not 100%, because tobacco beetles will actually eat other substances as well. So, they could conceivably be introduced to the house in a box of corn flakes or something, and find their way to your humidor. But that's a bit of a stretch. Unless you happen to have the luck of Wile E. Coyote, you should be safe freezing everything and ignoring temperatures.

[PhilB]

Moved it to the basement for now. In under an hour, it's gone from 73 to under 69 and still dropping.

I haven't frozen any sticks yet, and I only buy a few at a time from B&M so far, so rotating freezing stock every few days would suck.

I am waiting for 15 sticks from an online order, so perhaps I should freeze those...

[Sir Lancerolot]

The ONLY tobacco beetle I have ever encountered in a cigar was actually in a foil-wrapped Illusione from a B&M. No hole in the foil - just a pinhole in the cigar wrapper and a nasty little popping sound and foul taste when it burned far enough.

[PhilB]

Yeah, right now, temperature is climbing outside to record highs...it's almost 85 degrees on the outside wall facing the same way as my office. The humidor in the basement is still dropping, it's at about 66.5 degrees right now, so I'm guessing I have nothing to worry about (if I decide not to freeze anything).

I did like having it on my office desk, though, I won't lie!

[projectsunfire]

Yeah, right now, temperature is climbing outside to record highs...it's almost 85 degrees on the outside wall facing the same way as my office. The humidor in the basement is still dropping, it's at about 66.5 degrees right now, so I'm guessing I have nothing to worry about (if I decide not to freeze anything).

I did like having it on my office desk, though, I won't lie!

The answer is always...WINEADOR

[PhilB]

The answer is always...WINEADOR

All in due time!

[Nature]

Keep your main stash in the cooler basement, keep a handful in your desktop upstairs to pull from as you go for short term.
I don't believe the beetle problem to be common. Nearly all manufactureres have a beetle control process that includes freezing. As others have suggested, you can freeze upon arrival for that extra assurance. Not to say that is is still not possible to pick something up along the way during storage in a warehouse or vendor, but still not likely.

IF there were to be a beetle hatching,


It would be limited to a very few cigars.
You would be more likely to notice it early as you would be accessing the desktop more frequently and there would be fewer cigars in the humidor allowing you to see any problems more easily.
It's not going to occur overnight; i.e. A warm day here or there on an occasional basis is not enough to induce hatching of viable eggs, IF present.


Best of both worlds. Keep some on hand on your desk; the bulk of them in your cooler basement.

[WNYTONY]

Keep your main stash in the cooler basement, keep a handful in your desktop upstairs to pull from as you go for short term.
I don't believe the beetle problem to be common. Nearly all manufactureres have a beetle control process that includes freezing. As others have suggested, you can freeze upon arrival for that extra assurance. Not to say that is is still not possible to pick something up along the way during storage in a warehouse or vendor, but still not likely.

IF there were to be a beetle hatching,


It would be limited to a very few cigars.
You would be more likely to notice it early as you would be accessing the desktop more frequently and there would be fewer cigars in the humidor allowing you to see any problems more easily.
It's not going to occur overnight; i.e. A warm day here or there on an occasional basis is not enough to induce hatching of viable eggs, IF present.


Best of both worlds. Keep some on hand on your desk; the bulk of them in your cooler basement.

This ^^^
But then again I freeze everything and keep my winos in the basement LOL

[allusred]

This ^^^
But then again I freeze everything and keep my winos in the basement LOL

" keep my winos in the basement"
Bet some neighbors have been wondering about the large number of Pizzas being delivered daily.

[PhilB]

Keep your main stash in the cooler basement, keep a handful in your desktop upstairs to pull from as you go for short term.

Now that may be brilliant. As I'm slowly adding to my 75-count (I can hear you laughing now, I know how this will end...I already went from 25 a few weeks ago to <checks CigarScanner App> 31 cigars with another 15 on the way so far, and that's with me smoking as I go as well), I can get a small nice 20 count or less for the desktop.