How To Adjust The Humidity Of Your Humidor
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Those who have the faintest interest in cigars know that storage is something they will have to think of if they care about preserving their cigar’s integrity. Cigars are delicate in a way, and they require specific temperature and moisture levels to be kept fresh for as long as you are ready to smoke them.
You won’t be able to store your cigar at the required moisture and temperature level without a device built to do that. This device is called a humidor, and you will also need to know how to adjust the humidity of your humidor once you get one.
A new humidor can be hard to use when you are new in the world of cigar smoking. It can seem like a mystery device, but it is not, and you will soon get the hang of it. It is daunting to everyone on the first try, so you are not alone.
How to Adjust the Humidity of Your Humidor
A humidor is a storage device built to hold objects and keep them at a particular humidity level. These devices are important for cigars because they contain tobacco leaves. Tobacco leaves contract and expands in response to the humidity of the air around them.
What is the Perfect Humidity for a Humidor?
As mentioned earlier, cigars contain tobacco leaves, and those leaves are affected by the humidity of the air around them. If the humidity is too low, cigars will dry up and lose their appealing flavor and smell. If you try to smoke a dry cigar, it will burn too hot, and you will find it difficult to smoke. If the humidity is too high, the tobacco leaves will rot and get infested by beetles
Tobacco being humidity sensitive means you are required to keep your humidor at the perfect humidity. Logically, the perfect humidity will ensure the tobacco does not get dry so that it becomes difficult to smoke.
It will also not get it moist that it becomes infested by tobacco beetles, leaving you only one option, which is to throw it out. What then is the perfect level?
The perfect humidity is a bone of contention among experts in the world of cigar smoking. Some argue that the humidity level should be low, while others argue for a higher humidity level. For those that argue that it should be low, their set percentage is 62.
The other side, who does not believe that is the best condition for the cigar to thrive in, thinks it should be between seventy-two to seventy-four percent. It is worth noting that this value varies when the number of cigars being stored is considered. The type of humidor comes into play, and the type of cigars is also influential.
In response, many cigar enthusiasts have come to a compromise on the perfect humidity to keep their humidor at when using it to store cigars.
You will find an experienced cigar enthusiast will keep his humidor between the ranges of 62 to 74 percent when storing their cigars. The temperature also matters, and the widely accepted temperature value is 74 degrees Fahrenheit.
These are the ideal temperature and humidity values to set for your humidor. You might find it difficult to maintain these temperature and humidity levels. This calls for two different devices to help you; these devices are a digital thermometer and hygrometer.
Find a model that comes with all the bells and whistles you could ever need to easily monitor your humidor to see if it is at a perfect temperature and if its humidity value falls within the acceptable range.
It will be best if you regularly checked that your humidor is at these values because even the best ones often struggle with maintaining the appropriate temperature and humidity levels.
To be on the safe side, a rule of thumb to follow is to keep the cigars in an environment similar to which tobacco is grown. The humidor is that artificial environment; the perfect solution. As a special box, it can keep your cigars fresh, and it must come with a device that will help keep it useful as you would like it; otherwise, it is just like any other box.
How to Decrease Humidity?
A high level of humidity in the humidor is bad for the cigar stored in it. High humidity means there is high moisture content in the air present in the box. This level of humidity can cause the tobacco leaves to rot, and it renders the cigar useless. Tobacco beetles will grow in the mold, and you will have that to deal with also. A moist cigar is also difficult to smoke. For this reason, it is important to have some knowledge about reducing humidity when it gets high in the humidor.
It is easier to decrease the level of humidity in the humidor than to increase it. You have to exercise some care when you try to regulate your cigar storage box’s humidity. To decrease the humidity level inside the box, you have to open its door and leave it ajar for a few hours.
Leaving the humidor door open will cause some moisture in the air trapped in the box to escape into the larger blanket of air in the room. You will not lose all the moisture in the humidor’s air, only a percentage will escape, but a high percentage it is. If you want to speed up the process, you can place the humidor in direct sunlight with its door opened.
Just as you can add water to the humidor to increase moisture level, you can remove water from the humidor to reduce its moisture level. One more thing you can do is purchase a device known as humidor beads. They are designed to regulate humidity levels in the box to certain levels.
When you place them in the humidor, they will absorb moisture from the air, which reduces the humidor’s humidity level.
How to Increase Humidity?
A low humidity level is as dangerous for your cigar as a high humidity level. As much as it is important to know how to decrease your humidor’s humidity level, you should also know how to increase it.
Suppose the humidity level in your humidor starts to drop. In that case, it can cause the tobacco in your cigar to dry out, and your cigar is going to lose its taste and flavor. To increase the level of humidity in your humidor, follow the procedure below.
It would be best if you start by wiping the insides of your humidor with a paper towel that has been wet with distilled water, just like you did the first time you got the humidor. Once you’ve done this, ensure you lock it as quickly as possible. Leaving it open will cause the moisture to escape out of the box.
After the first 30 days of purchasing the humidor, you should refresh the humidity regulator with distilled water twice a month. Every fourth time you refresh the regulator, use a fluid referred to as humidor fluid. It is effective in maintaining the humidity level of the regulator.
FAQ
What can affect or change the Humidity of your Humidor?
Several factors can have an impact on the humidity level of your humidor. One common mistake is leaving the door open. Another one is leaving it in direct sunlight or placing it in a room where you have the heater on. The humidity of your home can affect the humidity of the humidor.
What happens to cigars when the humidity is wrong?
Cigars are greatly affected by humidity. It isn’t difficult to see why this is so since cigars are just tobacco leaves rolled together. Tobacco gets affected by low humidity and extremely high humidity in different ways.
High humidity means there is a high level of moisture in the air. This moisture will get into your cigar and the tobacco inside, which causes mold and the tobacco to rot. Worse still is that beetles can infest your humidor as a result of this.
Low humidity causes the tobacco in the cigar to dry up. When tobacco is dry, it becomes difficult to smoke, and it also loses its sacred flavor and taste.
Bottom Line
Cigars are an enjoyable hobby, but some work is required on your part if you are going to enjoy engaging in it to the fullest. One vital habit you need to cultivate as a cigar-lover is storing things carefully. If you are bad at that, you will have a hard time with this as your hobby.
It would help if you were deliberate in storing cigars because the wrong condition can cost you the cigars and the money you spent on them. A device most people encourage to store cigars in the humidor. It is not just encouraged. It is compulsory to use one.
Those fancy boxes you see cigar-lovers pull cigars out of in movies are not just props. They have a real use, which keeps the cigars in perfect condition. Temperature and humidity are the most significant factors that can affect the condition of your cigars. Humidity is difficult to regulate, but it is important to have it regulated because it is the most damaging when it is not regulated.
The humidity in a humidor sometimes needs to be propped up and other times deflated. You do not want it to be too high and also too low. You can make an effort to increase and decrease it as needed using the means discussed in this article.
Dan Stevenson
I have been smoking cigars for 30 years and counting, I started at 18 years old with mild Cubans and worked my way up to medium and now bold. I own 4 humidors, that I try to keep stocked at all times.
