What is a Humidor?

A humidor is a box, room, or cabinet usually made out of wood that contain a device that maintains a predetermined humidity. Usually called a “credo” a humidor often comes with a hygrometer to measure the humidity in the closed area. Occasionally a humidor will come with a thermometer to measure the temperature; but is unnecessary. A humidor is used to maintain the same environment from where a cigar was born I the warm humid environment of the tropics.

Temperature and Humidity

Cigars enjoy the warm environment of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 degree Celcius) and 70% humidity. Which can range from 65% to 75% depending on how you enjoy your cigars, either a little dry or a little when. Often it is said that Cuban cigars should be kept at 65% to allow them to smoke better, but not necessary.

Cigars are extremely volatile when it comes to humidity and it is crucial to maintain the utmost standards when storing. If a cigar is too “wet” (stored at a high humidity) it becomes hard to light and is susceptible to mold. On the contrary if stored where it is too “dry” (stored at a low humidity) it burns too hot causing the smoke to become harsh. Moreover, dry cigars lead to the evaporation of the oils in the cigar, which cause loss of flavor, leaving your cigars bland and tasteless. Lastly, if too dry the wrapper may crack.

Break it in

Often times we get anxious to use our new humidor placing our favorite cigars in the humidor before we have broke it in. It is extremely important to break your humidor in and have it well tested before filling with your favorite cigars. A new humidor typically made of wood (usually Spanish cedar) is very dry. Thus, by placing cigars in your new humidor before assuring it is stable (the humidity has reached 70%) the wood will suck the moisture from the humidor, and after that your precious cigars leaving them dry and tasteless.

To eliminate this here are the steps you should take to prepare your humidor for use:

1. Charge your humidifier, using “credo” and water.

2. Place a calibrated (salt tested) hygrometer in the
humidor.

3. Place a shallow dish of distilled water in the humidor. (Do not rub the sides of the humidor down with distilled water; this will bring up the grain of your wood. Le the humidor absorbs the moisture from the dish of water naturally.

4. Place the humidification device in the humidor.

Be sure to check the humidity daily until it stays at 70%, when this is achieved it is time to add your cigars. This may take a few days or a few weeks to occur. Caused by a number of reasons:

1. You naturally live in a dry area.

2. The wood in your humidor is very dry.

3. Your humidor does not seal well.

Important: If it is taking an exurbanite amount of time to stabilize your humidor check the seal of the humidor through placing a sealed Ziploc bag over the humidor. If the humidity is reached through having the bags chances are you have a leaky humidor.

Finally, once stabilized from this point forward you only need to add distilled water to your humidifying device. If you wait too long to add water to your humidor the humidty will begin to decrease and dry out your cigars so check it regularly. Replacing “credo” every year.

One final note, if your humidor is vertical where cigars are placed on their ends be sure to rotate them frequently to eliminate gravity from damaging the ends of the cigar and to provide an even cigar through proper rotation.

Charge your humidifier

Before moving forward; first read your manufacturer’s instructions. Some manufacturers require only distilled water (like Diamond Crown) to operate. Do not disregard these directions.

On the contrary if you have no instructions and your humidifying device looks like a hockey puck with holes you probably need to charge the device with what is called “credo solution” a combination of propylene glycol and distilled water. This solution typically called fifty fifty has a property of maintaining 70% humidity. If the humidity within the humidifying device becomes to low it will automatically release water into the air humidifying the device. On the contrary if the moisture is too high the solution will absorb moisture from the air, hence meaning you do not want to saturate the foam. Moreover, if the foam is saturated it will not absorb water.

After you have once added the credo solution you DO NOT have to add it again for approximately 1 year. You DO however have to continue to add distilled water to the foam. This is a common mistake found among fellow aficionados.

To recharge your device; simply wash the foam completely with distilled water and add the credo solution once again to the foam and recharge the system until 70% is once again reached.

Is my hygrometer accurate?

There is an easy way to determine if your hygrometer is accurate. You need a ziploc bag, a screw-on soda bottle cap (or other small container) a small amount of salt, and water.

1. Place the salt in the bottle cap (or other small container).

2. Dampen the salt with water. Do not put so much that the salt is “sloppy”. You want a damp pile of salt in the bottle cap.

3. Place both the hygrometer, and the bottle cap full of damp salt in the ziploc bag and seal it well. (It is important not to let air on or out while the test is going on.)

4. Let everything sit like this for over 8 hours. After 8 hours in the damp salt environment, the hygrometer should read 75%. If it does not, note the amount and direction that it actually reads and be sure to add or subtract that amount when reading the hygrometer. If the hygrometer has a control to adjust it (either the needle or the display), you can set the hygrometer to 75% immediately after the test.

You should salt test your hygrometer every 6 months or so to be sure of the accuracy.

Final Questions

I just bought a few cigars, will they be ok without a humidor?

You can store cigars in a ziploc bag for a couple of weeks without any ill effects to your cigars. If you are planning on continuing with this hobby, the acquisition of a humidor is recommended.

Should I keep my cigars in the refrigerator?

Refrigerators are for food, not cigars! When you store the cigars in the refrigerator, the cold temperatures rob your cigars of moisture causing them to burn hot and harsh. Also, the other food in your refrigerator can taint your cigars. When you’re smoking you don’t want to “detect hints of vidalia onion”.

For maximum enjoyment of your cigars, they should be kept in darkened environment with a climate below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, at around 70% humidity, hence the acquisition of a humidor for a serious cigar smoker.

Article Courtesy of Cigarado.com

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