Humidor Info

Why Use a Humidor?

Cigars are hygroscopic in nature. This means that they will over time dry out in a dry climate or absorb moisture in a humid one. Cigars will continue to do so until their own moisture matches that of the ambient climate around them. A cigar with too much moisture will not burn properly. It will be difficult to draw and to keep lit. The smoke may become too dense leaving the smoker with a sour taste and aroma. Also overly moist cigars will commonly split their wrappers.

A dry cigar will burn too hot. Without the proper level of moisture, the combustion temperature of your cigar will be too high and the smoke will be hot and acrid. The smoke will become aggressive and you will lose many of the subtle flavors that a properly humidified cigar will provide. Dry cigars also lead to the early evaporation of their essential oils and reduce their overall flavor and aroma.

Typically for the most enjoyable smoking, a cigar should contain approximately 12 -14% of its total weight in moisture. This corresponds to 60 - 70% relative humidity. Relative Humidity (RH) is a measurement of the amount of moisture in the atmosphere compared with that of complete saturation regardless of the temperature. The primary criteria in the proper storage of cigars is to achieve a stable and ideal relative humidity within this 60% - 70% RH range. The secondary, but also important requirements are to store them at temperatures below 75 degrees Fahrenheit and out of direct sunlight. Doing these three simple things will allow your cigars to not only be stored well, but also age well resulting in cigars that will draw easily, burn steadily, and share their optimum flavor and nuances with your palate.

There is no such thing as a high quality inexpensive humidor. A good humidor will not only protect your cigars, but will quickly become a cherished piece of heirloom furniture.

Look for a humidor with quality workmanship throughout. Tight seal, good corner joints, perfect hinge installation, etc. A good humidor will be heavy and solid, and this is essential to prevent warping in the future. Remember a humidor endures a tremendous amount of stress. For example, in the winter when the heat runs constantly resulting in an indoor ambient humidity of roughly 30%, yet your humidor should maintain a constant near 67% on the inside. This type of immense relative humidity delta puts a tremendous strain on the wood and the joints of any humidor. Lift out trays and movable dividers are a big plus when selecting a humidor, particularly if made of Spanish cedar.

Our humidors are lined completely with kiln dried spanish cedar. When the exterior finish differs from the base construction, only true wood veneers are used. You will find many look-alike humidors in various places at a lesser cost. These humidors will have minimal spanish cedar, and possibly a paper veneer.

Spanish cedar lining is a must. It serves three functions:

First it acts as an additional buffering agent since the wood is absorbent and regulates at 60%-70% along with your cigars, unlike maple or particle board which is used in less expensive humidors. Secondly, it helps to discourage beetle infestations from moving around from cigar to cigar. Beetles and other pests dislike the bitter flavor of Spanish Cedar. And finally, it imparts a slightly spicy flavor to your cigars as they age. This taste is appreciated by most smokers.

Remember that a 25/50/75/100/200+ capacity humidor is typically based on corona/corona extra sized cigars. If you primarily smoke large cigars it is important to adjust these numbers as appropriate. Only purchase a humidor from a retailer and/or manufacturer that is willing to stand behind their product 100%. Ensure that they will refund your money upon demand, if they won't - Buy Elsewhere!

Breaking in your New Humidor:

A brand new humidor requires time to come up to the appropriate humidity. Depending on your climate and how dry the wood is this can take as little as a few days to upwards of a few weeks. You can speed up this break-in period by wiping the insides down with a towel moistened with distilled water. BUT be very careful to not over do it, because if you do you will cause an ugly water stain on the inside of your pristine humidor. Personally, I DO NOT recommend you do this; it is much better to just be patient and allow your humidor to come up to humidity on its own.

Charge the humidifier with a 50/50 solution of distilled water and Propylene Glycol.

After your humidor reaches 63% or so it is a good idea to introduce cigars to it. A humidor will stabilize better and more evenly when 75%+ of its volume is full. Try to maintain this volume of cigars at all times if possible. Open air space inside a humidor is your enemy. By the way, this is an excellent and legitimate explanation to give your spouse as to why you MUST buy another two boxes of your favorites cigars.

Maintaining your Humidor:

Add distilled water to your humidifier when the relative humidity begins to dip. After the humidor has been stabilized this dip should occur slow and steady... 69%, 68%, 67% and so on. Typically I add distilled water when I hit 64% or so. Remember to NOT saturate the humidifier, but to only moisten it! This is the biggest error most new humidor owners make, keep in mind that a humidifier not only raises the humidity to 70% RH, but it also lowers the humidity when it exceeds this level. Therefore it is essential that there be room left within the humidifier's volume to absorb the excess moisture if necessary.

Only use distilled water. Tap water has chemicals and minerals that you do not want in contact with your cigars as they age. Also tap water contains organics and is prone to developing mold. Distilled water is the only readily available water that is free of both mineral and organic impurities.

Do not be anal retentive about the RH humidity. Any number between 64% and 72% is fine, truth is every cigar smokes different. Some will be best at 68%, while other less tightly rolled cigars will burn better at 72%. Some people like their cigars even drier and try to keep them closer to 60%. Ignore what everyone tells you about 70/70 and experiment with slightly drier and wetter humidity until you find what you like best. Personally, I prefer 65%-67% RH as the ideal relative humidity.

Temperature control is not nearly as critical as the humidity. Any temperature between 50-75 degrees is fine. A couple of notes though, at the lower temp the aging process slows down, while at the higher temp the hatching of the dreaded tobacco beetle is a potential risk. More importantly always keep your humidor out of the sunlight - being bathed in the sun's rays drastically escalates the internal temperature within the box. Also never place it on a television set or near a stereo system, as any such electronic device will generate considerable heat. Totally DISREGARD any table or advice explaining that the ideal humidity for storing your cigars changes depending on the temperature. This is a myth that sadly has been published in some otherwise respectable publications. It is based on the principles of absolute moisture content and not relative humidity. 70% relative humidity is 70% relative humidity regardless of the temperature hence the term "relative."

One of the easiest methods of verifying the accuracy of your hygrometer is to perform a Salt Calibration Test.

The Salt Calibration Test procedures are:

Place the tablespoon of salt on the bottle cap. The wide mouth ones that are used on individual serving juice or tea bottles are ideal. Slowly add distilled water to the salt while blending with the swizzle stick. You want to add just enough water to moisten the salt so that it begins to meld into a thick paste. Do not add enough water to dissolve the salt! Place the bottle cap with salt gently into the first ziplock bag and then add you hygrometer. Make certain the sensor is exposed and free of being block by the bag. Seal the bag while capturing some air inside of it. Then place into the second bag and seal again. The double bags are needed to ensure that you really have a good seal as the test will not work if there are any leaks. Then place the bag in a place that is free of direct sunlight and is of a stable temperature. Leave undisturbed for a minimum of 8 hours. Check the reading on the hygrometer through the transparent baggies and it should read on or near 75% RH. Remember most small inexpensive hygrometers are only accurate to within 3% so do not be surprised if it reads 72% or 78% RH. It is exactly 75% RH within the confines of the bag due to the salt paste reacting with the air, and what your hygrometer reads differently is the amount of error. What to do about off-reading depends on the circumstances. If your hygrometer has an adjustment potentiometer then by all means try to tweak it to exactly 75%. You should repeat the Salt Calibration Test again after making any adjustments. If your hygrometer doesn't have the ability to be adjusted and the reading is close then don't worry about it ­ just remember that your hygrometer is X% off either high or low. If the reading is grossly in error and you are unable to adjust it, then I suggest you replace it. And finally, let me say that hygrometers are not really necessary. You will find over time that you will gain the experience to be able to judge the relative humidity within your humidor by simply touching and smoking your cigars.

This information was compiled by Steve Saka, one of the most knowledgable people in the cigar world.