A humidor is the cigar aficionado’s best friend. Nothing lends itself to a better smoking experience than a well-seasoned humidor. This is a must-have for those storing high-quality cigars for later use.
This article will cover what exactly a humidor is, what it does, and how to perfectly “season” it for ideal cigar storage. Let’s get learning!
Humidors are the key to keeping your premium cigars in the right condition. This is because high-quality tobacco and cigar wraps require tender love and care to maintain the characteristics they’re known for — namely the slightest oil texture on the outside, a slow, even burn, and the right balance of firm and soft.
If you have a circle of cigar-smoking acquaintances, you might wonder why not everyone owns a humidor. If you are buying one single cigar at a time and smoking it that same day, there isn’t much of a need. That being said, cigars can only last about 3 days without a humidor before losing their quality. Why? Because humidors are used to maintain the proper relative humidity, or “RH.”
If you store cigars without proper humidity control, things can go south quickly. Cigars that become too dried out from lack of humidity will begin to lose their sweet aroma and natural flavor. Likewise, a cigar that is in too humid of an environment will begin to rot, grow mold, and in the worst possible case, attract tobacco beetles.
A humidor allows you to let cigars age without declining in quality. The defining characteristic of a humidor is its ability to control the airflow into and out of the box itself. More importantly, it can maintain a certain level of humidity inside the case, which is incredibly important for storing cigars over time.
Humidors are built with laser focus on maintaining that perfect relative humidity, but sometimes it takes a little bit of extra work to get them up to speed. In the case of cigar humidors, the practice of “seasoning” them can guarantee you the quality storage needed to keep your premium tobacco fresh and ready to smoke.
Let’s break down the essential steps to seasoning your humidor to perfection.
Each humidor has its own humidification unit, which usually takes the form of a small rectangular box. Remove this and fill it with a 50/50 solution (a mix of distilled water and propylene glycol). You can generally squirt it into the unit or submerge it in the solution.
At the very least, you can get away with using distilled water. This is a perfectly fine alternative, but do NOT use tap water. The lack of proper purification in tap water can lead to mold in your humidifier, or on your cigars.
Now comes the real deal — beginning the humidification. This is the lengthiest part of the process, but the most vital. Take a sponge and soak it in distilled water (once again, NOT tap water). Ring it out to the point where it is no longer dripping but still contains plenty of moisture.
Place this on a small plastic bag to keep it from coming in direct contact with the wood surface. This sponge will release its moisture over time and the wood walls of your humidor will then soak it up evenly. This process will take somewhere between 3-5 days. Make sure to put a calibrated hygrometer inside the box to measure the humidity levels.
After 3-5 days (or more if you prefer) it’s time to check in on your humidor! Your hygrometer inside the box should ideally measure 75% to 80% relative humidity. It should be noted that not every humidor is constructed equally, and may require a few more days to be sufficiently “seasoned.”
If more time is needed, simply re-wet your sponge and top off your humidification unit once more. 75% to 80% is actually slightly higher than what is needed to maintain your cigar’s quality, but when added, they will bring the RH levels back down as they soak up the moisture themselves.
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for! Get your desired cigars and place them inside the humidor (removing the sponge of course). It’s recommended that you fill it up to at least half of its capacity to keep humidity levels balanced. Don’t pack it too full either — leaving about 20% of the space open can encourage airflow and keep things evenly humidified.
Rotate your cigars every so often as well, even if that’s every couple weeks. You’ll start noticing a difference if the same cigars are right next to the humidification unit for a month or two straight.
As you might guess, a humidor likely will not stay at the perfect relative humidity forever. Whether it is due to air leaks in your box or the humidification unit running out of water, you’ll need to refill it every so often. Once your hygrometer indicates that the RH levels have fallen into the lower 60s, it’s time to do some upkeep.
Simply refill your humidification unit with distilled water or the 50/50 propylene glycol mix. Many cigar smokers prefer to alternate between the two for the distilled water’s purity and the 50/50 solution’s anti-bacterial properties. Continue to maintain your humidor this way and enjoy your perfectly humidified premium cigars for years to come.
If you’ve read through the steps required to properly season and maintain your cigar humidor and you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Thankfully, 2-way humidification can significantly reduce the effort required to set up your humidor at the correct humidity, and keep it that way long term.
Brands like Boveda and Integra have developed 2-way humidification solutions that allow you to completely skip the seasoning process and keep your humidor in excellent condition at all times. Simply add a packet of the desired size and RH level to your humidor and close the container. That’s it! In as little as 20 minutes, the FDA-compliant ingredients will achieve and maintain the constant relative humidity that is indicated on the outside of the packet for three months to a year depending on the size of the packet and your humidor.
These innovative 2-way humidification solutions are not only easier, but more consistent, in terms of maintaining the proper humidity levels in your humidor. Creating the 50/50 propylene glycol mix, beginning the humidification process, and maintaining the proper humidity all leave room for human error. With 2-way humidification solutions, you can set it and forget it, and rest easy knowing your cigars will be in pristine condition year round.
R&R Cigars has a short but rich history within Alabama. Beginning with a celebratory smoke between father and son for graduating high school, the two then founded a staple within the cigar community in Tuscaloosa and the surrounding area. R & R Cigars is proud to have one of the most diverse humidors in the United States, with over 1000 different cigars to choose from!
R & R Cigars would love to see you at our Cigar Mansion! We are located at 2703 Fitts Street. The architecture and style of the house creates one of the most unique venues in the city and southeast. Come enjoy the cigar lover’s ideal lounge right here in Tuscaloosa.
