For the beginning smoker, or those of us saving up for their dream: the ultimate 500-cigar mahogany humidor; there is a low-cost method of keeping our precious cigar investments in top smoking condition. This involves some leg work as well as some trial and error experimentation, but for under $20, anyone can build themselves a simple and effective cigar storage container.

This storage alternative has come to be known as a "tupperdore" or "rubberdore". I cannot take credit for discovering this ingenious storage method, however, I have refined it somewhat after more than 18 months of successful implementation. Originally I learned about the basic concept in the various online computer services and Internet cigar circles such as: bulletin boards, newsgroups and World Wide Web sites. Here's a step-by-step description of the process.

1. Begin by obtaining a plastic storage container with a lid that snaps closed (like the kind used to put clothes or shoes in for storage under a bed.) These are widely available at discount retail superstores or even drug stores and are made by a variety of manufacturers. A four to five quart size is large enough to accommodate several boxes of individual smokes. I've got a clear four quart container at home which cost around $6.

2. Visit a local florist and obtain a block of the green floral foam that florists stick cut flowers into. A cube block the dimensions of 4"x4"x4" should be plenty big to work with. Do not use the flaky loose stuff - the solid block is what you require. Most florists are willing to part with a scrap block for free, but will also sell you a chunk for less than $1 if a sufficient sized single scrap piece is not available. This will serve as your all-important humidification device.

3. Obtain a small dish which will hold your foam block. Any small plastic, waterproof container will do. I'm using an old 3" deep by 4" diameter margarine tub. Incremental cost is zero.

4. Purchase a gallon of distilled water (unless you can find smaller sizes.) Cost, about $2.

5. Now, the most important part, and a widely held cigar industry secret... visit or call a local pharmacy and order a pint of a clear, liquid chemical compound called "propylene glycol", or "PG". PG is a preservative typically used in various forms in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. A pint should run you around $4-$6, I obtained a bottle recently from a major drug store chain pharmacy near my office. I went up to the pharmacy counter, told the pharmacist that I wanted to order a pint of propylene glycol; they ordered it, and I had it the next business day. PG is typically not kept in stock so the pharmacy might have to order a pint bottle for you.

The purpose of this wonder fluid is that it actually absorbs excess moisture from the air. As you probably know, the rule of thumb regarding proper humidity and temperature for storage of premium smokes is 70 degrees and 70% relative humidity. PG's chemical properties allow a reasonably sized enclosed container to maintain about 70% relative humidity! The danger points are letting the temperature rise above 80 or allowing relative humidity to surpass the 80% point. If this occurs, there is a chance that microscopic, dormant tobacco beetle eggs inherently found on many tobacco leafs might hatch and wreak havoc on your entire cigar stash.

Humidification units sold with commercial humidors all use a PG mixture in their units, and sell their "special humidor recharging fluid" for upwards of $20 for a squeeze bottle the size of a bottle of eye drops. Surprise, surprise - the recharging fluid is nothing more than propylene glycol and distilled water. You've now spent, at most, around $17.

6. Now you are ready to construct your storage unit. Cut the floral foam with a knife to snugly fit your small plastic dish while the foam is dry. Mix 1/2 cup of PG and 1/2 cup of distilled water together, stir with a spoon. Place the foam into the liquid mixture and allow it to soak up as much of the mix as it can. You may need to turn the block over several times in order to let it get completely saturated. Put your soaked block into the small dish, put the dish into the storage container and voila - "tupperdore"!

The distilled water will evaporate as needed, but the PG will work to soak up excess humidity to maintain the 70% level. During winter months, you'll probably want to add an extra 1/4 cup of distilled water every 4 weeks or so due to the lack of natural humidity in the atmosphere. Conversely, in the summer when humidity levels get higher, an extra tablespoon of PG should help keep humidity in check. Keep in mind that unlike water, PG does not evaporate and excess PG may sap the container of the necessary humidity. I've been replacing my foam block every six months or so just to keep things fresh.

7. Additional hints and tips. Take some Spanish cedar from the lining, separator sheets, or blocks in cigar boxes and put these into your container with your smokes. This will give your cigars that "right out of the box" scent, assist the aging process, and help stabilize the humidity level since the wood is somewhat porous. Ask your local tobacconist for some cedar sheets or blocks - they should be more than willing to provide some from the empties they'll have lying around. Give your container two weeks or so to stabilize allowing the cigars, wood and foam block to work together. Whether or not to leave the cellophane wrappers on cigars is a matter of preference. Many cigars do not even come in wrapped in cellophane and their manufacturers argue that this practice allows the cigars to age better and mingle their flavours more effectively.

Cellophane is somewhat porous and keeps moisture in the cigar, but it also helps protect the delicate wrapper leaf surrounding your cigars from errant handling. On the other hand, different cigars have different tastes, blends and characteristics. Storing a variety of cigars out of their cellophane wrappers over an extended period of time might intermingle these characteristics, and you might or might not want this to occur. As with many aspects of cigar smoking, the choice is up to the individual. Try both ways and see what best works for you. I store mine out of the cellophane, but keep the cellophane for transporting the cigars to help diminish the chance of damage.

Judge the state of cigars by sight, feel and sound. Give your cigar a slight squeeze and roll it between your fingers and thumb. If it is mushy, chances are you have too much moisture in your container. If this is the case, cut your block in half (removing one of the halves) and give the container 2 weeks to stabilize again. Smokes can begin to split due to over-humidification (the tobacco expands, hence ripping the delicate wrapper leaf) or by humidifying a dried-out cigar too quickly.

If the cigar is too dry you'll hear a crunching sound. Unraveling tobacco wrappers are often caused by not enough moisture in the container (the tobacco shrinks and the wrapper seal is broken.) Add some distilled water to your humidification device or obtain a larger block of foam. I told you there would be some experimentation involved!

If you have an overly dry cigar, put it in a cellophane wrapper, fold the open end over, and let it sit in your humidor for a total of four to six months. After the first two or three months, open the end of the cellophane wrapper. After one or two months more, take the cellophane off. This should help to gradually return moisture to the cigar. Beware that sometimes essential oils are evaporated in very dry cigars, thus affecting the flavour adversely.

To more closely monitor the temperature and humidity levels in your container, there are a number of hygrometers on the market which will help you accomplish this. I purchased a digital model from a national electronics retail chain store (about $25) which displays the temperature and relative humidity level with minimum and maximum memory. It simply sets on top of my cigars in the "tuperdore". This is purely optional but serves as a good check.

Instead of a plastic storage container, I know of some people who have effectively used 48-quart camping coolers and larger blocks of floral foam to keep many boxes of smokes in great smoking condition (in the original boxes!) Now that you've got a handle on the humidity issue, keep your new storage box in a basement or closet where the temperature is relatively constant. Regular indoor room temperature of 65-75 degrees is fine. That's it!

There are literally hundreds of folks in the Internet cigar community utilizing this storage method with great success. Sure, it doesn't have the allure of a nice wooden humidor sitting on your mantle or desk, but it sure beats smoking a dried out Honduran corona you've had sitting in a drawer for two weeks. And what the heck - for under $20 (sans hygrometer), who can argue? In fact, my wife asked me if I wanted a wood humidor for Christmas, I told her to order me $250 worth of Dominican robustos instead!