Storing vs potiency

[Knucklehead]

I only have one suitable bent in the barn, and this year it will be filled to the gizzard. If I'm to age it, and have room for next years crop, I'm thinking of building cedar boxes to put the stripped tobacco in to age. Any thoughts?

I order the vapor proof bags from Don. They're tough, cheap and do a great job. He uses them to ship his baccy in and he heat seals them for shipping and storage, I just use 2" masking tape. You can tell if the leaf is getting too dry and just open them up and spritz a little water to them and seal them back up. http://wholeleaftobaccollc.com/forum/showthread.php?418-Vapor-Proof-Bags

 

[deluxestogie]

If you make boxes of Spanish (Caribbean) cedar, that would be excellent storage. Red cedar, on the other hand, will make the tobacco smell like Grandpa's sunday suit. I think the vapor-proof bags would be better than any wood, and would be considerably cheaper.

Bob

 

[Southern Planter]

Wow, I wondered why folks used the Spanish cedar, my uber nice humidor is made from it. I have cigars that have been it it for ten years that smell wonderful. I was thinking of using the standing red cedar trees on my place to build the boxes and line them with the sawdust. This is a fun little learning curve.

 

[Knucklehead]

Wow, I wondered why folks used the Spanish cedar, my uber nice humidor is made from it. I have cigars that have been it it for ten years that smell wonderful. I was thinking of using the standing red cedar trees on my place to build the boxes and line them with the sawdust. This is a fun little learning curve.

Spanish Cedar is actually from the Mahogany family. If you've ever bought Luan plywood, it is made from Spanish Cedar.

 

[DonH]

I order the vapor proof bags from Don. They're tough, cheap and do a great job. He uses them to ship his baccy in and he heat seals them for shipping and storage, I just use 2" masking tape. You can tell if the leaf is getting too dry and just open them up and spritz a little water to them and seal them back up. http://wholeleaftobaccollc.com/forum/showthread.php?418-Vapor-Proof-Bags

Or, if you want to completely seal the vapor proof bag, you can use a clothes iron on lowish heat on the edge.

 

[Southern Planter]

Knuck said:

Spanish Cedar is actually from the Mahogany family. If you've ever bought Luan plywood, it is made from Spanish Cedar.

I got to thinking about that while siting in a rocking chair on the front porch. I though "Gee they ripped off my step father when he made that humidor if it's just luan."

I thought luan was Philippine Mahogany. The old sail boat I lived on was made from Honduran Mahogany, teak, and Port Orford Cedar. When an old drunk buddy of mine put a decorative panel of Luan around the tiller I nearly blew my stack. The old boy waxed positive about how cheap the stuff was, and that I was a fool to use Honduran. That cheap stuff would not hold spar varnish for nothing, I had to take it off, atom bomb proof glue and all. So I got to thinking it cant be the same stuff. From what I read, both are called mahogany, but Spanish cedar is from south america, and Luan is from the Philippines.

It makes me feel better knowing that the humidor, which is made from all sorts of exotic woods, does not have Luan in it. But you are right, Spanish cedar is not cedar.

 

[Knucklehead]

You're right Southern Planter. Luan and Spanish Cedar are different. I think Luan may be used in Cigar Boxes rather than Cigar Humidors. I think that's where the confusion in my mind came from. That'll teach me to use Google more often. I have a good memory, it's just very, very short.