For "Classic Sand" the following results were found: 59 products, 7 FAQs

That's a true classic question. Our GERMANUS absorb multiple hundred (!) times their initial size of liquid. Accordingly, the included quantitiy is calculated. That quantity may be lower than some users might think at first glance: More crystals would lift the lid or press themselves through the grille. The limited quantity is important and an actual quality factor of our product. Please also see our video Setup of a Humidor Humidifier Box with GERMANUS Crystals BAp2EitSbA8

To enjoy using it, your new pipe must appeal to you. Generally, classical shapes are good for newcomers. A straight or slightly curved channel is easier to handle than a deeply curved channel. We sell many of our pipes as part of a ‘set’, which includes high quality accessories as well as a pouch. With a set, not only do you receive your pipe in sound condition, you have useful accessories to hand as well. Our sets are ideal for pipe smokers of all levels of experience. The pipe is an item in its own right, and the set provides a useful context; this does not mean you are getting a ‘set pipe’ of mediocre quality. We believe it is best to start with a good quality, good looking, regular pipe.

The question of storing cigars with or without wrapping is a common classic. There are certain degustators who argue that the resins of cigars mix and thereby change the taste of a cigar. Personally, I can taste it during long storage (> 5 years) with optimal storage. Of course, there are cigars, the mixing up of aroma can be clearly heard. I do not consider it dramatic. That's why I would not separate cigars for me (and I'm sensitive). However, the storage in Tubos or cellophane casing is advantageous in the maturing process (longer than 2 years). I take the view that such packaged cigars are juicier, better ripen. In comparison, one can use the considerations of the storage of wine in bottles instead of barrels. Any fluctuations in the humidity in the humidor thus have only a very indirect effect. Important: Keep perfumed cigars (vanilla flavoring) and fire cured cigars (like Toscani) out of Humidor together with regular cigar as far as possible and keep them away from anything else. Here the aroma is indeed coloring.

Time and again, 16-18 °C is recommended as the optimum storage temperature. While one may still almost reach such values in winter, these are hardly achievable in summer. The solution for some cigar smokers: you put the cigars in a humidor with cooling function. In most cases, these are very simple wine climate cabinets that are rudimentarily converted into a humidor. What effect does the temperature have on the maturation of a cigar? If the cigar is stored open and surrounded by fresh air, the ammonia notes will be gone after a few months and after 2-3 years the cigar can smell flat. The bouquet has virtually evaporated into the surrounding air. To prevent this, one uses a humidor. However, not the temperature, but the amount of fresh air the cigar is exposed to and the relative humidity are the really relevant influences. The temperature is only a relative factor that is used to calculate the relative humidity. Therefore, we recommend storing cigars as much as possible in boxes, cellophane or tubo as shipped. Open storage is of course also no problem and is also carried out, for example, in cigar stores. However, such cigars should be smoked over time. For periods longer than 2 years, i.e. about 5 years or even 10 years, storage in box, cello or tubo is recommended. Answer to the above question: Even higher temperatures are not a problem, if they do not start abruptly. The relative humidity remains the same. Abrupt onset would be, for example, positioning a humidor in the blazing sun. From approx. 20°C, the temperature can increase to values >50°C. In addition, please reduce the humidity in summer a little to about 65%, so that the cigar does not become soft. For the purchase of cigar refrigerators, that is, a cigar humidor with temperature control, this means accordingly that such are superfluous. This is more a nice gimmick than a necessity. Does a low temperature affect the risk of mold? The answer to this question is easy to reproduce: when does a piece of bread become moldy? The fastest way for a piece of bread to go moldy is in the refrigerator. In a bread box at room temperature, on the other hand, mold is unlikely to occur. The bread will dry out at most. Other foods would wither. It is hardly possible to create mold on cigars at temperatures above 22°C. So to anyone who wants to store his cigars as safely as possible and cools them down to do so, we have to say that he is exposing his cigars to an unnecessary risk. At more than 22°C you will need permanent values of > 75% relative humidity to produce mold. You can already tell from this: When it comes to a real mold infestation, a lot must have gone wrong in the storage over a longer period of time. Our separate FAQ on the subject explains this in more detail. If mold actually grows on the cigar, it is almost always Erotium, a non-toxin forming fungus that grows in any bed mattress and in any environment with a relative humidity of more than 60 percent. On the cigar, this fungus grows only superficially on the wrapper, is completely harmless, and can easily be mistaken for cigar blossom. If this fungal growth appears on the cigar, simply wipe it off. About the problem: Relative humidity states that cool air can store fewer water particles than warm air. So a chilled cigar must absorb more water than a cigar stored at room temperature. Now humidity is necessary nutrient condition for fungus growth. Low temperature and constantly high humidity increase the risk of mold accordingly. As long as it is only the Eurotium, it is harmless. Other fungal species (Aspergillus flavus), however, should not be grown. Exactly this danger exists however and in itself also only, if one stores in such a way cooled. Note: Please do not confuse mushrooms with cigar blossom, which occurs increasingly in the summer months and is a harmless sign of maturity. It occurs in both warm and cold storage. Does coolness protect against cigar bugs? The short answer is no. There are several classic harmless "problems" that are really just noticeables with no effect. Eurotium mold (wicker-like fibers on the cigar) Plum mite (small, white dots running around on the cigar) Cigar bloom (white, mostly dot-like efflorescence) Unfortunately, the cigar beetle is a real problem. The beetle larvae perforate the cigars by eating tunnels into the cigar. The little animals are not poisonous. But they can destroy the cigar comparable to the bark beetle in trees. Should you find a cigar with a circular passage, this was probably a beetle. The solution for cigar beetle infestation: freeze the cigars in the icebox for several days at a minimum of -30 to -40 ° C. The freezing process must start quickly, as cigar beetles can adapt surprisingly well to slow-onset coolness. So do not perform a gradual freeze from 9°C to 0°C to - 10°C to -40°C. The beetles will probably survive it and lay new larvae as soon as it warms up again. Answer to the question: The 10°C in a cigar fridge is of no use except to latently harden the beetles against freezing. Conclusion: Is refrigerated cigar storage and the use of a cigar refrigerator worth it? The answer is almost always "no". Only if a constant climate is necessary for many years (decades), such a solution may be appropriate. In practice, we have not encountered any case in about 20 years where this would have been the case. Exceptions may be non-air-conditioned rooms in desert areas, which are exposed to the changing temperatures between day and night. However, such rooms almost always have air conditioning and even extremely stable values. Anyone who wants to store cigars of correspondingly high quality for 30 years usually invests a correspondingly large amount of effort in the project. Here, too, solutions other than a wine climate control cabinet are then the obvious choice. Query: What happens if such a product should be defective after a few years of continuous operation? Then you have cigars inside with too much water content, which are heated in an enclosed space. They will sweat and you will have unintentionally stored your cigars in a greenhouse. Therefore: moderate temperatures make sense when storing cigars, too much variation is never good, but you will hardly need a refrigerator. (Our customers come from all parts of the world. From Australia to Siberia, from Norway to South Africa).

Mould in a Cigar Humidor is a popular topic on internet forums and facebook groups about cigars. I already explained how the illogical search for the “ideal” 70% can be a delusional idea. The topic cigar mould is connected to that obvious fear. We receive questions on a regular basis asking for a diagnosis. In almost each case cigar bloom or non-toxic food mould fungi is the diagnosis. This text is meant to give a basic overview. As Owner and Operator of GERMANUS we’re asked for diagnosis. In most cases the found condition is cigar bloom. Cigar bloom is a good sign of aging and also an absolutely normal sign. To give a rough guideline: Doesn’t a cigar smell unpleasantly, can you smoke it (because it isn’t too wet), does she taste at least acceptably, and you most likely won’t have a mouldy cigar at issue. A mouldy cigar smells rotten. Nobody would eat rotten meat, because it smells so badly. In the same way you won’t accidentally smoke a rotten cigar. The standard bodily functions should prevent accidental consumption. Just like the alarmism in connection with best before dates, mould and cigars are a topic of alarmism. The cigar Journal published some very useful articles about the topic. Cigar Bloom Important: There are most astounding stories that smokers tell. I can tell stories about smokers, who fill their humidor up with water like an aquarium and give their cigars a nice swim in the pool. There are smokers, who soak their humidifiers before they go on vacation. They add an additional humidifier to make sure there’s enough moisture during absence. And they place the humidor with windows in the bright sunlight. Then they go away and leave their greenhouse alone. But these are exceptional incidents. The usual cigar smoker pays at least some attention to his cigars and thinks his actions through. He sees a little white fluff on his cigars, which he soon recognises. Please keep calm in such moments. That’s a viable situation. If there’s an actual case of mould, the experienced smoker doesn’t put to much attention to the issue. Cigars are a natural product, which are usually hand rolled and have seen many hands before finally be packed into boxes and later be smoked. The box will get through changing climate. Germs and Spores are included in either case. Affected cigars can be isolated. If the humidor shows fluff e.g. at the humidifier’s grille, you can wipe it off and have an eye on the area during the next time. There are two reasons that should reassure you. Cigar Bloom It’s usually the cigar bloom, which is wrongly taken for mould. The pictures showcase Ramon Allones Specially Selected directly from the German importer 5th Avenue. I personally smoked the cigars with greatest pleasure. The taste was just great. The aroma inside the box is among the most pleasent smells that I ever got the luck to smell. If you get a box of these, be happy about your luck. Cigar Bloom mostly appears on cigars during summer. (It got to do with the surrounding temperatures around.) Many Cigar Smokers are surprised to see cigar bloom on their cigars, when summertime begins. But cigar bloom is just a proof of a well aged cigar. Good and Bad Mould There are different kinds of mould. I repeatedly discussed the topic with Marc Andre, who writes articles about cigar storage for the European Cigar Journal. In consultation with the 5th Avenue (Importer of Habanos in Germany), they gave the following statement, which I quote in original German language and an English translation: In praxis cigar bloom is often mixed up with food mould fungus. From the view of the smoker, it’s almost identical and there’s no real difference: Both are signs of aging and are not affecting cigars. „This white fungusis no toxical food mould fungus and shouldn’t be mistaken with such fungus. Food mould fungus is an organic product and toxical. The fluff on the cigars is odourless. The white fluff is Eurotium – a not toxical fungus. Most cigar boxes automatically contain this fungus. In contrast to classic food mould fungus, which demands for a high humidity level to be able to grow, Eurotium sperms can grow at rather low humidity levels of ca. >60%. Eurotium inhabitates almost every cigar. You just can’t see it, because i’s invisible. Only when the cigar evaporates water and transports the salts (Minerals of the tobacco) to the wrapper, it makes a visible impression. That salt is a perfect fertile soil for the spores. The fluff doesn’t look nice, but it absolutely doesn’t affect your cigars. Just wipe it off and wait. After some time, when the cigar will have evaporated its minerals, it won’t appear any more.” Marc Andre „Allerdings ist dieser weiße Flaum nicht mit dem nach Schimmel riechenden Lebensmittelschimmel zu verwechseln. Lebensmittelschimmel ist ein Zersetzungsprodukt organischer Substanz und ist giftig. Das ist bei dem weißen Belag auf dem Schwamm nicht der Fall. Der Flaum ist praktisch geruchlos. Dabei handelt es sich um so genannten Eurotium – ein nicht toxinbildender und geruchloser Pilz. Diesen haben Sie in praktisch jeder Zigarrenkiste automatisch drin. Im Gegensatz zu klassischem Lebensmittelschimmel der eine hohe Luftfeuchte zum wachsen benötigt, können Eurotium-Sporen schon bei einer relativen Luftfeuchte von 60% entstehen. In jedem passiven Befeuchtungssystem haben Sie diese Sporen drin – Sie sehen sie nur nicht. Und Eurotium ist auf jeder Zigarre . Sie sehen ihn nur nicht. Es sei denn, die Zigarre verdunstet Wasser und transportiert das im Tabak enthaltene Salz (Mineralien des Tabks) auf das Deckblatt. Ein perfekter Nährboden für diese Sporen. Der Flaum sieht unschön aus, ist aber vollkommen unschädlich für die Zigarre. Wegputzen und warten. Nach einiger Zeit (wenn der Tabak seine Mineralität ausgedunstet hat) wird das nicht mehr auftreten.“ Marc Andre Temperature The perfect temperature for growing mould is ca. 5-15°C. A simple experiment to prove the assumption can be performed with a piece of cheese. If the temperatures are higher, the cheese won’t soon grow mould. If a white fluff appears, it’s most likely Eurotium, which is also known as a benign food mould fungus. Once again an excerpt of Marc Andre: “If mold does grow on the cigar, this is almost always Eurotium.spp, a fungus that does not form toxins and that grows in every mattress and in every environment with a relative humidity above 60%. This fungus only grows on the surface of the cigar, on the wrapper, is entirely harmless and is easily confused with cigar bloom. If this fungus structure appears on the cigar, you simply wipe it off. If cigars are stored cool at a storage temperature of 16°C and 65 to 70% relative air humidity, you will notice that the cigars feel relatively dry. This is due to the fact that as the temperature falls below 18°C, the relative air humidity must be increased in order to ensure the 13% by weight of water in the cigar. Hence the air humidity is increased to figures between 75 and 80%. And that is where the attentive reader will see the problem: the low-temperature and ongoing high air humidity increases the risk of mould. As long as it is only Eurotium, it is harmless, but if in fact Apsergillus flavus is growing on the cigars, it becomes a problem. And this risk occurs where storage is at a low temperature and high relative air humidity.” "Sofern tatsächlich Schimmel auf der Zigarre wächst, handelt es sich fast immer um den Erotium.spp, einen nicht Toxin bildenden Pilz, der in jeder Bettmatratze und in jeder Umgebung mit einer relativen Feuchte von mehr als 60 Prozent wächst. Auf der Zigarre wächst dieser Pilz nur oberflächlich auf dem Deckblatt, ist vollkommen harmlos und kann leicht mit der Zigarrenblüte verwechselt werden. Tritt dieses Pilzgeflecht auf der Zigarre auf, so wischt man es einfach ab. Wenn nun Zigarren gekühlt gelagert werden, so wird man bei 16 °C Lagerungstemperatur und 65 bis 70 Prozent relativer Luftfeuchte feststellen, dass sich die Zigarren verhältnismäßig trocken anfühlen. Das liegt daran, dass ab Temperaturen von weniger als 18 °C die relative Luftfeuchte sukzessive erhöht werden muss, um die 13 Gewichtsprozent an Wasser in der Zigarre zu gewährleisten. Also wird man die Luftfeuchte erhöhen auf Werte zwischen 75 und 80 Prozent. Und da bemerkt der aufmerksame Leser das Problem: Geringe Temperatur und andauernd hohe Luftfeuchte erhöhen die Schimmelgefahr. So lange es sich nur um den Eurotium handelt, ist das harmlos, wenn aber tatsächlich ein Aspergillusflavus auf den Zigarren wächst, dann wird es brenzlig. Und diese Gefahr besteht bei Lagerungsbedingungen." Video of the most popular German Pipe Youtuber: Ralligruftie Ralligruftie and me came across the topic of mouldy tobacco in connection with natural pipe tobaccos. Ralf’s interest into the topic grew and therefore I put forward the idea of making a video about the mould topic. Ralf made this video about tobacco and how tobacco can change under circumstances. I presented some of the materials to him, upon which the video is based. He’s a pipe smoker. He therefore puts more emphasis on pipe tobacco. Thanks to him for also mentioning cigars and cigar storage in his video. I asked him to do so and of course are very happy that he made some comments. He made once again a great video. I like the way how he discusses the topic and also the calm way in which he classifies mould as one peculiarity among others inherent with tobacco.

Most tobacco is too moist when sold; pipe tobacco fresh from the packet often has the texture of wet leaves. The effect of fire on wet foliage is well known: it produces fumes and the fire soon extinguishes. Tobacco like this is difficult or impossible to smoke, even for the most experienced pipe smoker. Regrettably, the fact that pipe smokers let their tobacco dry out before smoking is rarely mentioned. We have advised thousands of new pipe smokers. Repeatedly attempting to light excessively moist tobacco with a lighter or matches is a factor behind most problems. Anyone who went camping as a child will recall how hard it is to light damp wood. Damage to pipes is nearly always caused by applying flame to the wood for too long. At some point, the pipe really will smoke as the wood of the pipe starts to burn. Needless to say, this has nothing to do with pipe smoking and has no place in the proper usage of a pipe. Applying forensic fire investigation methods to the wood of the pipe will quickly determine the causes of damage or excessive temperatures. Having advised many clients, we can say that in the vast majority of pipe damage cases, temperatures that cannot be brought about by smouldering tobacco played a part. Therefore, you should not be concerned about smoking a pipe. However, please take care to avoid applying excessive ignition sources to the pipe. What should I do if damage occurs despite this? Nobody is perfect and people make mistakes. Simply contact us and we will find an answer for you. :)

A frequently discussed topic in newsgroups and forums is the wood used for trays and drawers of humidors. In the following, we would like to introduce some possible forms of processing and in particular to clear up prejudices. Wood in pure form Again and again, especially on the Internet, the processing of wood panels is considered as ideal or expected value in Humidorbau. Often, such discussions arise when it turns out that some high-end products still have fiber plates in their price. It should be said that a humidor made of simple wood panels will not last long. Even if the wood is completely dried out, it will at least be slightly forgiven over time. A humidor should be wetter inside than outside. As a result, wood inevitably warps. A composite construction (sandwich construction) is therefore obligatory. It's not about the cost of a wood panel. It would be nonsensical to build a humidor body out of it. MPX, multiplex These are especially stable hard-glued wooden boards. When wet, they are stable. Anyone who has ever seen driftwood on the beach knows about the function. MPX works well as a core of a carcass. Depending on the construction method, further layers or veneers are applied. MDF Completely misused and negative feedback is the use of MDF. MDF is known as pressed cardboard. Valuable humidors would never include such. It is correct that MDF is also disrespectfully called pressed cardboard. However, MDF is currently used by very high quality humidor manufacturers. This may surprise some. The claim can be traced in any well-stocked specialist retailer. The background for use is simply that MDF is very flexible. It does not easily swell under moisture. Therefore, such humidors are quite durable. As everywhere in the humidor no smelling adhesives should be used. MDF as a material is not a problem. The advantage of moisture resistance comes just in the body of the humidor wear. There are different types of construction. A body made of MDF adapts well to changes due to moisture. It is not for nothing that famous cigar importers rely on MDF for the body of their humidors. It depends on how well the humidor has been processed with the material. You will find on the market quite high-priced and very popular models that rely on MDF. Among the famous users of a MDF made product is Boveda. Boveda builds its wooden holders with a corpus of MDF and uses the advantages of the material for its product: Solid Wood A good alternative to MDF are solid wood shelves and drawers with solid wood floors. Solid wood refers to thinly glued thin layers of wood, which are therefore very stable and resistant to moisture. Solid wood is quite expensive in the production. For many of our humidors, we already rely on solid wood processing and thus create added value compared to MDF production. Solid wood cedar Very nice but also very expensive is the use of cedar (Cedro) for the production of trays floors or drawers. The valuable processing has a very important disadvantage: Cedar bends through damp very quickly. Especially if the floors are provided with large holes or the wood in the drawer of the humidor has no room for expansion, long-term or even medium-term damage to the humidor can occur. Alternative materials There is still a narrowing on wood plus cedar. For a long time, various successful trends have been heading the other way. Sapeli (also mahogany) has similar characteristics as cedar, but smells more neutral. Some smokers do not like cedar wood or are afraid of resinification. Therefore he prefers Sapeli. Other manufacturers coat their humidors inside with plastic. Such products are also available in the high-priced segment. The company CigarSpa offers about such cabinets. The ulterior motive: What does not suck is not a factor. A humidor without absorbent surfaces is easier to moisten. Everything depends of course on the humidifier. I hope to have given a little insight into different materials in Humidorbau. In particular, I wanted to be able to offer anyone interested a point of view from a long experience, which once classifies the belief in good wood and cedar finish. Humidor construction, like many other topics, has different views and currents and several correct answers. Some are just myths. :)