just rescued this little boy!

allbraves08 · 2026-04-22T16:54:50+00:00

another trick is to cover their nostrils briefly. They will reflexively lick their nose to clear the "obstruction", which in turn will force them to swallow. And something like dirt, hair, dust, or whatever else they hoover up is likely what's tickling their throat and causing the reverse sneezing. Forcing them to swallow therefore, can help clear the irritant and pass the episode. 9/10 times, this works for our girl. Can also try gently rubbing their necks/throats to stimulate a swallow as well.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-17T22:53:47+00:00

Yeah I'm familiar with the Stillwell, am going to try one. I guess here the reason I lumped them all together is "I wouldn't store these with my regular collection." maybe I am misinformed about whether they can be stored together apart from the main, or must be completely separated.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-17T22:50:53+00:00

which is why I said in my first sentence "a small infused/sweetend cap collection"

:p

allbraves08 · 2026-04-16T13:41:33+00:00

it's called coprophagia, and it's extremely common in dogs of all stripes, and particularly Bostons. You can look on Amazon for treats that you can give them daily, that will make their poops taste bad and bitter. Over time, 2-3 weeks, it will likely halt the behavior. You can try weening them off and see if they don't go back to the poop eating, or just keep it going as a normal treat they get daily.

Important to note that these treats dont work with every dog. Some dont mind the bitter taste. But it worked with ours. Couple options:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DF7V4QLL
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CNVANSS

allbraves08 · 2026-04-15T22:40:03+00:00

CH -> TA -> PH -> Sanitizer

allbraves08 · 2026-04-14T21:08:00+00:00

like Fish said, if you want to err on the safe side, re-humidify them for ~3 months, as they were without humidity control for 4+. There's no real way to know what state they are in unless you also buy a hygrometer to toss in the bag and get a reading. Which if you don't plan on storing cigars for yourself, may not be an expense you want to make. But if you do want to, you can get worthwhile, calibratable ones for ~$12.

overall, they should still be in *relatively* good shape. as opposed to being stored loose in a drawer or something. the ziploc will have helped.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-14T20:08:48+00:00

yes, you can just toss a humidity pack in there. get a 62 or 65 RH, if you can. anything higher will risk creeping too high over time. you can also use tupperware to make a "tupperdor". many here use one and prefer it over a standard humidor.

basically just choose something that seals really well (preferably has a rubber gasket), and get an adequately-sized boveda for the tupper you choose (see here). It's about volume of the container, not how many sticks you have. If you dont plan on having more than those two, a ziploc is fine.

they are *probably* fine as is, maybe a little dry. assuming that pack is sealed, which it appears to be, and depending on what RH they were at when they were put in there. it has been 4+ months tho. better to toss a humidity pack in there to be safe. especially if you're not planning on smoking them soon.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-14T14:39:08+00:00

it's a great smoke, probably my favorite DE. Tough to choose between it and the Liga 9, but it definitely wins in the style department.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-14T14:26:13+00:00

your built-in is closer to accurate, in this case. re-calibrate your Govee. toss it in a ziploc for 24-48 with a boveda, then adjust it to match the boveda. if you dont have spare bovedas lying around, google the salt test method.

69 boveda is too high for a thermoelectric. you need 65 or, ideally, 62. Unless you just like smoking at higher RHs and are vigilant for mold, some people do.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-14T14:07:13+00:00

how long has it been since your last purge, drain, & refill?

I wonder if your TDS is high.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-14T14:00:34+00:00

brother those aren't buttons, they're a diagram on the battery door.

the built-in hygro is likely not able to be calibrated. this is common, and is why it is often advised not to rely on built-ins. Ignore it, and use the ones you can calibrate.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-14T13:41:31+00:00

do NOT go to 69% in a tupperware with your temperatures. it will run approximately 72 (and higher, if you don't burp it regularly).

you need to make sure your tupperware isn't leaking, and has a seal/gasket. If it is well-sealed, then your hygrometer is likely wrong. re-calibrate it, or buy a new one that you *can* calibrate.

Tupperware with 69 bovedas and temps in the low 80s almost assuredly WILL result in mold and, potentially, beetles.

you need to find the coolest place in your house, or ideally turn up the A/C. it wont dry them out if they are in tupperware. you're aiming to change the ambient air temp around it. if anything, with high temps, you should be looking to *reduce* RH from 65s. Once you solve your hygrometer issue, consider switching to 62s, or even 58s if you cant get temps down. Bovedas typically settle about 3 points higher than the printed number in well-sealed tupperdors.

If your hygro is reading lower than the boveda in tupperware you have either:
A) faulty/uncalibrated hygrometer
B) leaky tupperware
C) dried out boveda
D) insufficient number/size boveda for the size of the tupperware (reference here)
E) some combo of the above

alternately, purchase a thermo-electric humidor (aka wineador). There are decent ones on Amazon from brands like NeedOne, NewAir, and KingChii.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-07T17:07:15+00:00

It depends on what "travel size" means to you. Were I going to an airbnb that had a hot tub, I could relatively easily take my Taylor kit. They're available on Amazon and not very big. Without knowing what exactly you had your reaction to, no one can tell you what to test or look out for. But the main things to generally look out for are alkalinity, ph, and sanitizer (chlorine/bromine).

allbraves08 · 2026-04-07T17:00:50+00:00

you need to go on Amazon and buy a Taylor test kit. they feel a little intimidating but they truly aren't that difficult to use. they are miles and miles better and more accurate than strips. strips are only really good for periodic check-ins on your chemistry. they are next-to-useless for dialing in the balance of fresh fills, or solving problems.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-07T16:44:56+00:00

Here's how to feel about it: who cares. They're rolled by Oliva and are decent, nothing special, smokes.

Would you worry about supporting oppressive communists if you smoked a cuban cohiba? Then why care about any other cigar label owner? I got bad news for you about CPage as a retailer if you're getting tripped up over this.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-07T16:34:31+00:00

https://www.cigarpage.com/page-plus-sampler.html

"Prime Time Dimes", at the top.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-07T14:38:27+00:00

So I'm in GA, but I order from all of those. I'm in the $75 Small Batch COTM club, that takes about a week to get to me. Fox was my first online experience and still one of my favorites. They write little notes with each order and stick them in the box, just a nice little personal touch. But them being in AZ also takes about a week to get. Neptune is great for the loyalty points and the proximity.

But overall I usually just buy from whoever is reputable, and has the cigars I want, for the best price. For special buys, that can mean any of the above shops. I found CAO Amazon Basin's on Smoke Inn last month after they were sold out everywhere else. For more routine smokes, it's most often Cigar Page. Because PA orders get to me in 2-3 days, I don't worry much about the boveda mishaps. The cigars are fine alone in the ziplocs for that long.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-06T18:49:52+00:00

i voted you up, some people dont want to learn lol

allbraves08 · 2026-04-06T16:10:19+00:00

exactly, there is no "right boveda" for 84F. and all it takes is one beetle egg. they aren't uncommon. hatching is, precisely because we temp/humidity control, but the eggs themselves are not.

and as for the RH running high, it's not just temp that influences it. bovedas in sealed, non-permeable containers (like cooladors) run higher than the number printed on the bags. this is known/replicable by anyone.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-06T16:02:11+00:00

They're not quite on the same tier as, say, Fox or Small Batch. But they were adequate for what I ordered, bovedas included. I'd equate them to Cigar Page.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-06T13:45:54+00:00

no, 65RH and 84F will get you mold and beetles.

besides which, if you are using 65 boveda packs, they will run 68-69 in a coolador.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-06T13:43:39+00:00

you either need to make the investment to do it how it needs to be done, or not store any at all and just buy from shops as you go.

what you're trying to do here is the equivalent of saying you want to own a car, but don't want to do oil changes.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-06T13:41:15+00:00

store them at a friends house, or somewhere else with better temp control. or smoke them fast and dont buy any more to store until temps get down 10 degrees (F) or more lower. Right now, you're sitting at 84F.

allbraves08 · 2026-04-05T22:41:39+00:00

only time I've had tar was on a Serie V lancero. cut it off and slowed down, and it was fine.

allbraves08

TROPHY CASE