Expert: James Yee - 5/21/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi James,

I just had a few questions about temperature.  I have no trouble keeping 70% relative humidity but the temperature tends to fluctuate a little bit.

the AC at my condo in toronto really sucks, or maybe they are currently having problems and it gets quite hot during the day.   Today starting around 3pm, the humidor had a temperature of 73-74 degrees farenheit, and maybe for an hour around 7-8pm-ish, it had a temperature of 75.   I really freaked out when it hit 75, but now it seems to be back on its way down as it is past 9pm.

At what temperature exactly do tobacco beetles hatch?  I think ive read somewhere here that it was anything above 74 degrees, but I just read one of your old answers which said they hatch at 79-80.   

Also, I know youve said that it takes 2-3 days of high temperature for tobacco beetles to hatch.   If temperatures were prime for hatching for one day, and they began to incubate but the temperature fell again.   And then a week later it was prime temperature again for the eggs for 2 days... would that lead to hatching?

basically is the 2-3 days cumulative? Or does it have to be all at one time? sorry but I have no idea about any type of incubation lol.   Not sure if you really understood my explanation there.

And one last question: My humidor is at a constant 70% relative humidity, yet when I do a pinch test on my cigars versus cigars recently bought at a cigar shop, they are not as soft.   I think it might be more apparent for cigars with a smaller ring gauge.   Do the cigar shops with walk in humidors also keep them at 70% rh?

sorry for the long and several questions... in case youve forgotten the main questions were:

1) At what temperature do tobacco beetles hatch?  79-80 degrees?
2) Is the time of egg incubation added up from seperate occasions, or does it have to be 3 days continuous?
3) Do cigar shops with walk in humidors also keep cigars at 70% RH?   And if so, why could my cigars feel not as soft in a pinch test?  (I have switched to a digital hygrometer)

Thanks again James!

ANSWER: Hi Andy,

Tobacco beetle eggs - if present in your cigars - will definitely incubate and hatch at 79-80 degrees Fahrenheit but based on my personal experience and the recent experience of others, tobacco beetles have also been known to incubate and hatch between 75-77 degrees.  To play it safe, I now recommend that your humidor shouldn't exceed 74 degrees.  There's no guarantee that tobacco beetles will definitely appear in your humidor at 75 degrees but it's always "better to be safe than sorry".

The amount of days required for egg incubation is continuous and requires a prolonged exposure of high temperature in order for the incubation process to begin.  If the temperature is high off and on, the tobacco beetle egg may not incubate and will remain dormant.  

Most cigar stores will keep their walk-in humidor near 70% but I've seen a lot of varied humidity levels with different cigar stores.  The humidity level can greatly vary from store to store.  I've been in stores in Toronto that keep their humidity levels anywhere between 66-74% humidity.  Some store owners may be unaware that the humidity is too low/high while some prefer to keep their cigars at a specific humidity level.  With reputable cigar stores, the humidity is usually 70-72%.

Hopes this answers your question. As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the quick reply James,

one more question.   If I can find a spot at my place where the temperature will fluctuate from a low of 69 degrees to a high of 74 degrees is that ok for my cigars?   Can temperature fluctuations in that range harm my cigars?   I seem to no longer have any problems with relative humidity, it remains in the 68-72% range.

Just worried that daily fluctuations in temperature may have a bad effect on my cigars.

Answer
Hi Andy,

Fluctuations between 69-74 degrees Fahrenheit will not harm your cigars.  If you can't find a cool room in your condo, you may want to invest in a thermo-electric desktop humidor that allows you to electronically set the desired temperature level.  Another inexpensive and more popular method is to store your cigars in a wine fridge that has a programmable temperature setting.  Simply retro-fit the wine fridge with Spanish cedar paneling and add an electronic humidifier and it's all ready to store your cigars.  Both a thermo-electric desktop humidor and decent wine fridge costs about $200-$250.  

Hopes this helps.

Regards,
James