CIGAR STORAGE AND HUMIDIFICATION GUIDE

Humidity: 70-75% RH (relative humidity)
Temperature: 68-72°F
Environment: Dark, stable location

• Avoid direct sunlight
• Keep away from heat sources (electronics, heating vents)
• Minimize temperature fluctuations

Storage Best Practice: Keep humidor 75%+ full for optimal humidity stability

1. Why Cigars Need Proper Storage
2. Understanding Relative Humidity
3. Selecting a Humidor
4. Breaking in Your New Humidor
5. Maintaining Your Humidor
6. Types of Humidifiers
7. Hygrometers and Calibration
8. Alternative Storage Solutions

Cigars are hygroscopic in nature. In lay terms, this means that they will, over time, dry out in a dry climate or absorb moisture in a humid one. They will continue to do so until their own moisture content matches that of the ambient climate around them.

A damp cigar will not burn properly:

• Difficult to keep lit
• Difficult to draw on
• Smoke becomes too dense with sour taste and rank odor
• Wrappers frequently split

A dry cigar will burn too hotly:

• Combustion temperature becomes too high
• Smoke becomes hot and acrid against the palate
• Loss of subtle flavor nuances
• Essential oils evaporate early, reducing overall flavor and aroma

PRIMARY: Stable relative humidity within the 70%-75% RH range

SECONDARY: Temperature near 70°F (acceptable range: 68-72°F)

TERTIARY: Darkened environment

Following these three simple requirements allows cigars to not only be stored well, but also to age well, resulting in cigars that will draw easily, burn steadily, and share their optimum flavor and nuances.

Relative humidity (RH) is a measurement of the amount of moisture in the atmosphere compared with that of complete saturation, regardless of the temperature.

For the most enjoyable smoking experience, a cigar should be maintained at 70-75% relative humidity.

A humidor is simply a well-made box designed exclusively for storing cigars. Many of the better ones have lift-out trays and dividers, which are of great benefit. These features help organize cigars and allow easy access to the cigars you might wish to smoke at any given time.

Spanish Cedar Lining - A major plus that serves three functions:

1. Acts as an additional buffering agent (the wood is absorbent and regulates at 70-75% along with your cigars)
2. Helps discourage beetle infestations (pests dislike the bitter flavor of Spanish cedar)
3. Imparts a slightly spicy flavor to cigars as they age

Quality Construction:

• Tight seal
• Good corner joints
• Perfect hinge installation
• Heavy and solid construction (essential to prevent warping)

Practical Considerations:

• Lift-out trays and moveable dividers (preferably Spanish cedar)
• Room in the lid for the humidifying device
• All exterior sides sealed, including the bottom
• Proper size for your collection

Size claims (25/50/75/100/200+ capacity) are typically based on corona/corona-extra-sized cigars. If you primarily smoke large cigars, adjust these numbers accordingly.

A good humidor endures tremendous stress. For example, in winter heating seasons, indoor ambient humidity can drop to roughly 30%, yet humidors must maintain a constant near 70% on the inside. This immense relative humidity differential puts tremendous strain on the wood and joints.

Humidors come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors - from simple, classic designs to wildly exotic styles. Since humidors can be quite expensive, view a wide variety and take your time selecting one. A good humidor should not only serve your needs functionally, but be aesthetically pleasing as well.

Before breaking in your humidor, be absolutely certain that your hygrometer is accurate. Perform the "Salt Calibration Test" (see Hygrometers section below).

A brand new humidor requires time to reach 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.

To speed up the break-in period:

1. Wipe the insides down with a towel moistened with distilled water
2. BE CAREFUL: Do not overdo it or you will cause ugly water stains
3. NOTE: Wiping the inside can cause the interior liner's grain to rise

Charging the Humidifier:

1. Use a 50/50 solution of propylene glycol and distilled water to saturate your humidifier
2. Place it in the humidor
3. Allow the humidor to settle for 24 hours
4. Check the humidity and add more water if needed

After your humidor reaches 70% or so, introduce your cigars to it. A humidor will stabilize better and more evenly when 75%+ of its volume is full. 

Important: 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 favorite cigars.)

Add distilled water when the relative humidity begins to dip. After the humidor has been stabilized, this dip should occur slowly and steadily: 72%, 71%, 70%, etc.

Timing: Add distilled water when humidity reaches the lower end of your target range (around 68-70%).

CRITICAL: Do NOT saturate the humidifier, but only moisten it! This is the biggest error most new humidor owners make.

A humidifier not only raises the humidity to 70-75% RH, but it also lowers the humidity when it exceeds this level. Therefore it is essential that there is room left within the humidifier volume to absorb excess moisture if necessary.

Only use distilled water.

Why?

• Tap water has chemicals and minerals you don't want in contact with aging cigars
• Tap water contains organics and is prone to developing mold
• Distilled water is the only readily available water free of both mineral and organic impurities

Do not be overwhelmed about the exact RH humidity. Any number between 70% and 75% is fine; the truth is every cigar smokes differently:

• Some will be best at 70%
• Others, less-tightly-rolled cigars, will burn better at 73%
• Some people like their cigars even drier and try to keep them closer to 68%

Recommendation: Experiment with slightly different humidity levels within the 70-75% range until you find what you like best.

Temperature control is not nearly as critical as humidity. Any temperature between 68-72°F is ideal.

Important notes:

• Lower temperatures: Aging process slows down
• Higher temperatures: Risk of hatching the dreaded tobacco beetle
• Never place humidor in sunlight: Sun's rays drastically escalate internal temperature
• Keep away from electronics: TVs, stereos, and other electronic devices generate considerable heat

Characteristics:

• Electrically powered
• Typically utilize a built-in electronic sensor
• Determine automatically whether to add moisture to the air
• Some top-end units also extract extra moisture (but most do not)
• Very expensive
• Intended primarily for large furniture-size humidor cabinets
• A few models available for smaller humidors

Advantage: Can easily set most to maintain specific relative humidity levels

Characteristics:

• Do not rely on any power whatsoever
• Simple design
• Utilize basic vapor conduction to regulate relative humidity
• Inexpensive
• Serve almost everyone's humidifier needs
• Used in both desktop humidors and large cabinet-size units

Construction: Traditionally constructed of sponge, clay, or oasis florist foam encased in a perforated container.

Material Comparison:

• Clay: Most durable
• Oasis Foam: Best for regulating (open-cell structure retains large quantities of water)
• Sponge: Functional but less ideal

Recommendation: Green oasis florist foam

Passive humidifiers control relative humidity through hydroscopic interaction with air's moisture content:

• Below 70% RH: Expels moisture from the humidifier
• Above 70% RH: Absorbs water

This is accomplished via the chemical propylene glycol (PG), which acts as a hydroscopic control agent. Most passive humidifiers are charged with a 50/50 solution of PG and distilled water.

• Inert chemical used in many products (animal feed, hair-care products, medicines, etc.)
• Safe to handle
• Non-toxic
• Available at your local cigar store inexpensively

Adding Water:

• Over time, PG expends all the water contained within the humidifier (assuming you live in an area with lower than 70% RH)
• You will need to add more distilled water
• You do NOT need to add more PG (it remains in the humidifier until you rinse it out)

Additional Benefits of PG:

• Serves as an anti-bacterial agent
• Helps prevent molding

Generally one small humidifier will take care of approximately 40-50 cigars. Adjust the amount of humidifiers based on the size of your humidor.

Remember:

• A humidifier can never be too large
• Bigger is better, with emphasis towards more surface area rather than thickness
• Never overcharge a humidifier with distilled water
• Always use distilled water (prevents clogging and molding)

All passive humidifiers require a couple of days to settle in after being initially charged. Do not expect your humidor to be at 70-75% RH in just a few hours.

Important: All humidifiers regulate within a range of the desired RH. Do not worry if yours is a few percentage points off.

What they are:

• Beads of silica gel bound with a salt derivative
• Designed to retain and expel large quantities of water
• When treated with Propylene Glycol, maintain the same basic relative humidity level of 70-75% RH

Advantages:

• Require less refilling
• When packaged in clear housing, provide easy visual cue when additional water is required
• Many people swear by their performance

What they are:

• Newly developed foams as the unit's "sponge"
• Some capable of holding extremely large quantities of water
• Others actually regulate the RH without the use of PG

How they work:

• The controlling agent appears to be the foam's cellular membrane structure
• Seem to provide very stable RH

Hygrometers measure relative humidity and are commonly used by cigar smokers within their humidors to verify that the proper humidity level is maintained.

Mechanical Hygrometers:

• Typically more attractive
• Can be less accurate

Electronic Hygrometers:

• Tend to be more accurate
• May be less aesthetically pleasing

Reality: This is not always the case - quality varies by model and manufacturer.

Many hygrometers, both mechanical and electronic, are grossly inaccurate and require either adjustment or replacement.

If your hygrometer has an adjustment potentiometer:

• Try to tweak it to exactly 75%
• Repeat the Salt Calibration Test after making adjustments

If your hygrometer can't be adjusted but the reading is close:

• 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:

• Replace the hygrometer

Hygrometers are not the final word on humidity. Over time, you will be able to judge the relative humidity within your humidor by simply touching and smoking your cigars.

A humidor is NOT essential to cigar storage. In fact, there are many inexpensive and effective methods for maintaining and aging your cigars.

What it is: A plastic, re-sealable food container (Tupperware or any similar product)

Setup:

1. Get an appropriate-sized plastic food container with tight seal
2. Add a humidifier
3. Optional: Place cedar separator sheets (from cigar boxes) on the bottom to introduce Spanish cedar element

Storage: Keep in a cool, dark place

Benefits:

• Inexpensive
• Very effective
• Easy to maintain

What it is: A large ice cooler like those made by Igloo or Coleman companies

Popular Sizes:

• Most common: 48 qt. model
• Large collections: 128 qt. models

Ideal Use: Storing full boxes of cigars very inexpensively

Setup Options:

• Basic: Just add humidifier
• Enhanced: Line interior by attaching Spanish cedar with non-toxic, scent-free adhesive
• Advanced: Create dividers for organization

Humidification:

• Can make a large humidifier
• Easy solution: Place a trimmed brick of oasis foam in the small plastic tray that many coolers have

What it is: The ultimate in alternative cigar storage - an unplugged refrigerator or freezer to store large quantities of cigars

Best Option: Standup freezer with well-spaced, ample shelves for easy organization

Two Minor Drawbacks:

1. Over-humidification Risk
   
   • Plastic walls do not help buffer relative humidity like wood does
   • Extra important to not overcharge your humidifier
   • Higher potential for mold formation - be alert

1. Lack of Breathing
   
   • Do not breathe like a traditional humidor
   • Will trap ammonia and off-gases generated by aging cigars
   • Solution: Open at least once a month to allow for exchange of fresh air