There is no other method to preserve cigars successfully in your home except in a humidor unless your house or automobile maintains a consistent temperature over 70 degrees Fahrenheit and a steady humidity above 65 percent.
Table Of Contents
−- Why Is It Necessary to Keep Cigars in a Humidor?
- What Exactly Is Cigar Humidification?
- What is the Ideal Humidity?
- What Happens If My Humidor Has Excessive Humidity?
- What Happens If My Humidor Has Low Humidity?
- What Causes a Humidor to Lose Humidity?
- Choosing the Right Cigar Humidification System
- Distilled Water and Sponge Humidifiers
- Propylene Glycol Solution
- Gel Humidifiers
- Disposable Humidifier Packs
- Bead or Crystal Humidifiers
- Electronic Humidor Humidifiers
- Humidor Seasoning
- Hygrometer Calibration
- The Best Cigar Humidifier
However, too much humidity and mold will grow. Various types of humidifiers are available to keep a humidor at constant humidity.
They vary in ease of use, reliability or accuracy, and price. Most can add humidity to a dry humidor but aren’t dehumidifiers. They can’t reduce humidity in humidors that are in a humid climate. However, a few can.
While I have an article listing the best humidifiers for your humidor, this article also talks about their advantages. If you prefer to know which humidifiers are the best, you can go to that article out
Why Is It Necessary to Keep Cigars in a Humidor?
Tobacco for cigars is cultivated and rolled in areas like Cuba and the Dominican Republic, where the temperature and humidity vary significantly from places like the United Kingdom. A humidor is required to retain cigars at the ideal humidity level for smoking.
If a cigar is kept in a humid environment, it will grow soggy. This detrimental effect will make it difficult to pull smoke through the cigar and may affect the burn, generating a tunneling effect and excess smoke.
Conversely, a cigar will lose its flavorful oils and have burn difficulties, causing it to smoke too quickly and hotly if it is kept in excessively dry circumstances.
What Exactly Is Cigar Humidification?
Humidifying your humidor and cigar collection is a critical component of the jigsaw that you must not overlook. Keeping your cigars at the right humidity level helps them to mature and improve in flavor.
Cigars, like wine, improve with age — but only if the appropriate circumstances are met. Some Cuban cigar connoisseurs like to let their cigars mature for at least 3-5 years before enjoying them!
A hygrometer is a gadget that allows you to keep a close eye on the humidity of your cigars while they are being kept. If you haven’t already read our comprehensive guide on hygrometers, we strongly advise you to do so before continuing.
A hygrometer allows you to track whether your humification process is operating properly and maintaining the appropriate humidity.
According to our advice, cigar collectors typically aim for 70 percent humidity and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. However, other collectors prefer to go a little lower, aiming for 65 percent, particularly with Cuban cigars.
What is the Ideal Humidity?
Some cigar fans believe the humidity level should be kept as low as 62 percent, while others believe a humidity level of 72 to 74 percent is ideal. This varies depending on your humidor, the number of cigars you’re storing, and even the type of cigars.
It is best to keep your humidor’s humidity level between 62 to 74 percent humidity at a maximum temperature of 74 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re unsure how to keep the temperature stable, I recommend purchasing a digital thermometer and hygrometer to adjust the temperature and humidity level within the humidor.
However, even the greatest cigar humidors might suffer from humidity levels from time to time.
Cigars should be kept in an atmosphere similar to that of tobacco cultivation. The humidifier is the ideal option. These specialized boxes are intended to retain your cigars at the ideal temperature and humidity level. They must be fitted with a gadget; otherwise, they are plain wooden boxes.
However, difficulties might develop even if you know how to store cigars correctly. Several elements might influence the humidity in a humidor, including the degree of humidity in your home.
What Happens If My Humidor Has Excessive Humidity?
A humidity level of 70 – 75 percent and a temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit or above might lead to major mold problems. Collectors frequently believe it is merely a cigar plume that has honored them with its presence.
However, you have a humidity problem in these conditions. Check out these images of cigar mold vs. cigar plume to see if you have any cigar mold in your collection.
What Happens If My Humidor Has Low Humidity?
You risk drying out the tobacco if you store cigars in a humidor with humidity lower than 62 percent. As a result, the cigar will taste harsh and may burn excessively hot. I can’t even begin to express how terrible a dried-out cigar tastes. You may be smoking rolled-up cardboard.
If your cigar wrappers appear peeling off or flaky, and the cigars appear brittle, your cigar humidity may be too low. (As shown in the image above)
What Causes a Humidor to Lose Humidity?
Your humidor will be empty when you initially set it up. When you add cigars, they instantly begin to take moisture from the box’s environment.
The humidity will gradually decrease. The solution is to refresh – as indicated above – a few days after adding the cigars or to add them a couple at a time rather than a dozen all at once. You will also lose humidity if you leave the lid open for too long, so close it promptly.
Choosing the Right Cigar Humidification System
Distilled Water and Sponge Humidifiers
These are the simplest humidifiers, often built into small travel humidors. A sponge or other absorbent material is dampened with distilled water.
Advantages
- Cheap.
- Small and discreet, often built into the humidor cover or case.
Disadvantages
- No real humidity control. The level of humidity depends on the amount of water used. Some trial and error are required.
- Requires constant refilling.
- Requires constant monitoring with a hygrometer.
Propylene Glycol Solution
A mixture of propylene glycol and water can be used instead of distilled water. This allows more automatic control of the humidity level.
Advantages
- Relatively cheap.
- The humidity level can be controlled by changing the proportion of water mixed. Madelaine sells bottled propylene glycol and water premixed in a 50/50 proportion. They claim this will maintain humidity levels at 70% to 75%.
Gel Humidifiers
Gels are like propylene glycol but easier to handle because it is premixed and isn’t liquid, so it doesn’t spill. They come in a small jar, and the opened jar is placed in the humidor. Brands include Humi-care and Ci-Gel.
Advantages
- Easy to use.
- Usually refillable a few times with distilled water.
- No problems with the spilled water.
Disposable Humidifier Packs
These are prepackaged gel or other materials. They cost more but are easier to use. Some come in cigar-sized tubes that can fit into any humidor, including small travel caddies. Examples are Boveda (65%, 69%, or 72% humidity), Humid-EZE, and HumidiTube. Boveda claims that its packets are both humidifiers and dehumidifiers, able to bring down moisture levels that are too high.
Advantages
- Most are not damp and can be stored with the cigars touching them.
- Easy to use.
- No problems with the spilled water.
Bead or Crystal Humidifiers
Distilled water is sprayed onto the beads or crystals (the crystals soften and become gels). The beads or crystals are then placed in the humidor, usually in a small plastic container filled with holes. Heartfelt’s Humidity Beads come in 60%, 65%, and 70% humidity selections. They are stored in a flat disc case. DryMistat sells its crystals in a cigar-shaped tube, while Xikar sells its crystals in a small jar (like gel humidifiers).
Advantages
- Some manufacturers claim that they can both humidify dry air and dehumidify the air that is too moist.
- Most are not damp and can be stored with the cigars touching them.
- It can be refilled many times.
- No problems with the spilled water.
Electronic Humidor Humidifiers
Electronic humidifiers are the most expensive, with some costing over $100. They run off mains AC electricity. The Hydra and Cigar Oasis humidifiers have a thin ribbon power cord designed to squeeze between the cover and body of the humidor.
They have an electric fan, an electronic humidistat to control the fan automatically, and a refillable tank of distilled water. The Cigar Oasis humidifiers can also run off AA batteries.
Advantages
- Suitable for large humidors. Some are designed to humidify as many as 1,000 cigars.
- Different humidity levels can be set.
Humidor Seasoning
A new humidor must be slowly dampened over a few days or weeks before a regular humidifier is placed inside.
For convenience, Boveda sells “One Step Seasoning” packets.
Hygrometer Calibration
It’s important to check that the humidifier sets the correct humidity level. An accurate hygrometer is necessary. Hygrometers are notoriously inaccurate. Both analog and digital hygrometers need to be periodically calibrated.
It’s a good idea always to use at least two calibrated hygrometers if one misbehaves.
Check out my article if you want to buy the best hygrometer for your humidor.
The Best Cigar Humidifier
Different people report different experiences with the same type of humidifier. This could be due to differences in climate, usage (how often the humidor is opened), humidor absorbency, or the number of cigars in the humidor. Reading a few humidor humidifier user reviews is the best to learn from other people’s experiences.
One of the prepackaged disposable humidifiers is probably the best way to get started. They offer a good balance of low cost and ease of use. For long-term use, it’s worth experimenting with a reusable solution. Getting the right humidor is also important.
jay
Self proclaimed cigar expert. I've been smoking since 2010. I've practically lived at a cigar lounge from 10am to 10pm and trying every new cigar that came out for years.
