01 · What a humidor actually does
What a humidor actually does
A humidor is a sealed container, almost always cedar-lined, that holds cigars at a stable relative humidity. Cigars are a tropical product. They were grown, fermented, and rolled in air that runs 70 percent humidity year-round. Take them out of that environment and the oils in the leaf start to evaporate. Within days the wrapper feels papery. Within weeks the cigar burns hot and tastes like cardboard.
The humidor is a small piece of Caribbean air that you keep in your living room. Done right, it adds nothing to your cigar experience. Done wrong, it ruins every box you ever buy.
02 · The numbers that matter
The numbers that matter
Two numbers, and you are done. Temperature should sit between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Relative humidity should sit between 65 and 72 percent. The classic ratio is 70 degrees and 70 percent, called 70/70. The Tobacco Shack walk-in is held there year-round.
Within the 65 to 72 percent humidity window, lower humidity gives you a faster, hotter burn and a sharper flavor. Higher humidity gives you a slower, cooler burn and a softer flavor. Most American smokers settle around 65 to 68 percent for daily smokers and 70 to 72 percent for cigars they plan to age.
03 · What you need to start
What you need to start
Four items, and you are ready. Total cost can run from forty dollars to four hundred depending on the box you choose.
- A cedar-lined humidor sized for what you actually smoke. A 25-count desktop is plenty for most people. Bigger is not better unless you plan to age boxes.
- Two-ounce Boveda packs at 65, 69, or 72 percent. Boveda is a two-way humidity control system, meaning it both adds and removes moisture as needed. Drop in one pack per fifty cigars of capacity.
- A digital hygrometer. Analog hygrometers are decorative, not accurate. A small digital reads to within 1 percent and runs on a watch battery.
- Distilled water, only if you are using an old-school sponge or floral foam humidifier. With Boveda you can skip this.
04 · Seasoning a new humidor
Seasoning a new humidor
A new humidor arrives bone dry. Drop your Boveda packs inside, close the lid, and wait two weeks. The cedar absorbs moisture from the packs and reaches equilibrium. If you load cigars before seasoning is done, the cedar pulls moisture out of the wrappers and dries them out faster than open air would.
After two weeks, check the hygrometer. If it reads within 2 percent of your target, you are seasoned. Add cigars. Re-check in another week to make sure the new arrivals have not knocked the room off balance.
05 · Common mistakes
Common mistakes
Three errors account for nine out of ten ruined humidors. Avoid these and you will be fine.
- Overfilling. Stuffing a 25-count box with 40 cigars cuts off airflow. The cigars in the middle stay too humid. Leave room for air to move.
- Tap water. Tap water carries minerals that grow mold on cedar. If you are not using Boveda, use distilled water only.
- Skipping the hygrometer. The lid feels heavy and the cedar smells nice, but without a hygrometer you have no idea what is actually happening inside. Spend the ten dollars.
06 · The lazy shortcut
The lazy shortcut
If you do not want to buy a humidor at all, a sealed plastic container with a tight-fitting lid plus Boveda packs is a perfectly valid storage solution. Cigar World calls these tupperdors. They lack the cedar aroma and the look of a wooden box, but they hold cigars at stable humidity just as well. Lots of people age boxes for years in tupperdors.