How To Rehydrate Cigars
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The most required skill when it comes to rehydrating cigars is patience. Several factors can cause cigars to dry out. The number one is either the lack of a humidor or ignoring the humidor’s functionality, which many cigar lovers are guilty of.
It is very typical to get very occupied and forget to refill the humidification compartment of your humidor for a while. Usually, when the weather gets cooler, heating systems in the home can also cause the environment to get drier, which affects the humidor.
As a lot of cigar enthusiasts know, the ideal condition for the storage of cigars is 70°F. Therefore, exposing the cigar to extreme dryness will make it lose moisture and, eventually, quality.
Cigars take a while to dry out, but when they do, it takes a humidifying process to smoke them. If cigars get dry, they begin to taste bitter and burn up a lot faster. Keep reading to discover how to rehydrate cigars, as well as practical steps to make your cigar rehydration easier.
Can You Revive a Dry Cigar?
The texture of a dry cigar is firm to touch. When the cigar is squeezed, it can get cracked, and if that happens, it isn’t easy to fix.
To check for the level of the cigar dryness, you should use a hygrometer. If it falls below 65% humidity, then the cigar is close to drying out completely. The longer the cigar is humidity deficient, the more patience it requires to revive the cigar. It is a process that could typically take weeks or even months to achieve results.
To rehydrate your cigar, you need to follow the procedures gradually because dried quality handmade cigars will require multiple steps to regain moisture.
A humidification unit works excellently for reviving cigars; however, humidification bags can serve the purpose too. Typically, the preset level of humidity is between 62% and 84%. It is best to begin with the 62% and expose your cigars gradually. Naturally, cigars can shrink and expand, so they should only be exposed to lower humidity levels before progressing to higher levels. Some cigar lovers, in the bid to humidify their cigars, can go as far as using a level of about 84% humidity to revive their cigars.
The 84% pouch is designed to prep a new humidor, not for revamping the cigars because 84% is too intense. This level of moisture can cause shock to the cigars and make them crack.
The best thing is to start with about 62% and, after about 2-3 weeks, increase the humidity level to 65%. The dryer the cigars are, the more exposure to humidity they will require. After another 2-3 weeks, you can increase the humidity level to 69%. It is, however, not advised to go over 72% as that might affect the quality of the cigar.
How do you Rehydrate a Cigar Without a Humidor?
One thing most cigar lovers are curious about when it comes to rehydrating cigars is how to humidify their favorite cigars without a humidor.
Not every cigar lover has access to an electronic humidor, but this should not stand in one’s way of enjoying their cigars.
Here are some simple steps to follow to revive your cigar without a humidor.
- First, put the cigar into a container, a sealable one or, better still, a ziplock bag.
- Next, in a small dish, put humidor solution (or cigar lovers can substitute with water) in a container and place it in the sealed one or the zip lock bag. What this does is ensure that your cigar doesn’t grow mold during the humidification process.
- Place the ziplock bag in an environment that is neither hot nor cold.
- The period of humidifying a cigar depends on the crispness of the cigar. Typically, this process takes weeks.
You can gently squeeze the cigar opening to check if your cigar is back to life. If it is soft to touch, it means your cigar is rehydrated and ready to be cut. If it still feels dry, you can continue with the rehydration steps above with the make-shift storage container.
Bottom Line
The process of rehydrating cigars requires patience. Though the procedures are pretty basic, it takes a long time to infuse moisture into a dehydrated cigar. Most cigar enthusiasts will prefer to revive their favorite stogies instead of trashing them. This is especially after considering the pleasure that cigars bring.
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.
