The cigar connoisseur knows the importance of cigar temperature and humidity.
And, unless you can hang out in the warm, tropical climate until you finish every box of cigars you open, you need a way to keep your cigars fresh.
Even if you are lucky enough to live out your days on the beach in ideal weather for wholesome cigar flavor and a quality burn, there's no replacement for a controlled climate.
Temperature and humidity naturally fluctuate.
The best storage solutions maintain the ideal conditions for cigars consistently.
In this post, you will learn how to keep your cigars fresh at home or on the go. Plus, you'll learn a few expert tips to ensure you deliver the care your cigars deserve.
Understanding Cigar Temperature and Humidity
In case you still need to learn about the best cigar humidity, here's a quick recap.
A cigar's moisture dramatically affects the taste, aromas, burn and storage life. The humidity of the surrounding air will influence the amount of moisture in your cigars.
The first step to keeping cigars fresh is to understand the basics of humidity, why cigar temperature and humidity are essential, and some of the signs that something might be wrong. If you're not already familiar with the concept, we have a simple explanation in the post Cigars 101: What's the Best Humidity for Cigars?
70/70 Rule for Keeping Your Cigars Fresh
If you're not interested in learning about humidity right now, no problem! Here's a quick tip so you know the correct humidity levels. According to Cigar Aficionado, you should strive to store your cigars at a temperature between 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70-75% humidity.
However, if you are between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit and 65-75% humidity, you should be okay.
A quick way to remember this is what's known in the cigar world as the 70/70 Rule.
Store your cigars at room temperature of 70 degrees, and 70% relative humidity.
You'll create the perfect humidity for cigars, recommended by Cigar Aficionado. Plus, the 70/70 rule is easy to remember for any cigar lover.
There are a few tools at your disposal to help maintain cigar temperature and humidity within the ideal range.
Choose a Quality Humidor
A humidor is any storage container that controls the relative humidity of the air in the container. Cigar humidors are simply boxes that help control and monitor the boxes' internal humidity at the proper levels.
Humidors come in all shapes and sizes. Selecting the right humidor depends on several factors:
- The size of your cigar collection
- How long you store your cigars
- The value of your cigars
- Personal design preferences
For the average smoker, there are a variety of affordable humidors to choose from.
You don't have to break the bank
When it comes to choosing a quality humidor to keep your cigars fresh, remember:
- Your humidor can't be airtight. You need airflow and circulation so moist air is never trapped
- Your humidor doesn't have to be fancy. The primary purpose the humidor serves is to allow regulation of the internal humidity. How precisely you need to control relative humidity depends on your cigars.
Consider if you need a travel humidor
If you purchase a larger humidor to keep in your home or office, consider buying a second. When you're on the go, keeping your cigars fresh is also important. You can pick up an affordable travel humidor for under $20.
Store your humidor at a room temperature of 70 degrees
After you choose your humidor, you have to decide where it will go. It would be best if you aimed to find a location with a room temperature of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This doesn't need to be precise.
However, maintaining this temperature also helps you regulate the humidity level of cigars. For most smokers, anywhere that is at a comfortable room temperature will do.
Don't place your humidor in direct sunlight
We recommend placing your humidor out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will heat your humidor, causing the relative humidity of the air to change.
Don't place your humidor near air conditioners, vents or heaters
Place your humidor away from fireplaces, room heaters, air conditioning, and other devices that you use to control the temperature in a room.
Pay attention to the climate when you travel with your humidor
Even the most seasoned cigar smokers have made the mistake of leaving their travel humidor in the car on a hot day. Temperature and elements will fluctuate when you travel. But avoid direct sunlight, and keep your cigars in a cool spot.
Set relative humidity in your humidor to 70%
Remember, for the average cigar smoker, maintain relative humidity in your humidor at approximately 70%. There are several ways to control and regulate the relative humidity in your humidor to reach this optimal level.
After selecting the best option, you can begin adjusting your humidor. Whichever solution you choose, closely monitor humidity levels at the beginning.
After you learn the best way to maintain your humidor to keep your cigars fresh,
it's up to you to decide which tools you want to use to add and remove moisture in your humidor when levels are off.
There are a few solutions. Select the option that works best for you
Floral foam
Floral foam is the green foam in the black container that goes inside your humidor. After soaking the foam in distilled water, it will deliver moisture to increase relative humidity. Make sure you use distilled water, and not tap water. Floral foam isn't effective for removing excess humidity.
It's like a moist sponge. Leave it sitting out; eventually, it will dry out as the air absorbs moisture from the sponge.
Humidity beads
Humidity beads are silica beads that offer an affordable option, and they tend to last. The beads typically come in a jar, allowing you to soak them in distilled water easily. Then, you can place them inside your humidor.
One of the benefits of humidity beads is that they can both release and absorb moisture. However, a downside is that humidity beads also require monitoring. Therefore, you should check every few weeks and adjust the levels of distilled water if humidity levels are off.
Humidifier gels
Humidifier gels, also known as crystal gels, come in a small container. They are tiny beads that can hold and release moisture. Gels are designed to maintain your humidor at 70% relative humidity and consistently absorb and release moisture. Humidifier gels often come pre-charged, so you don't have to do anything before you start using them. One downside is that you have to remember to add a bit of distilled water every 1-2 months to maintain the gel.
Humidipaks
Most people in the cigar world refer to Humidipaks as Boveda packs. They come in small packages and allow you to control relative humidity precisely. Boveda is the most popular brand of Humidipaks, but other brands are emerging such as Integra Boost Humidipaks which are more affordable, and just as effective.
It says right on the label the humidity level the pack will maintain. It can release and absorb moisture and automatically knows when to do each. They're also great for travel and on the go.
The downside of Boveda packs is that they can be expensive, and they don't last forever. You will need to replace Humidipaks every 2-12 months, which is why we prefer the Integra Boost Humidipaks. The timing typically depends on your humidor.
Electronic Humidifiers
Electronic humidifiers are the easiest option to manage. However, they're more expensive, make noise, and are fairly large. So, they're not typically recommended to the average smoker.
Monitor humidity levels and cigar quality
Once humidity levels are stable, it doesn't end. Maintaining proper humidity for humidors is no simple task. It's an ongoing balance between room temperature, the quality of your humidor and how you control relative humidity.
Monitor humidity levels closely whenever implementing a new storage solution for your cigars.
Use a hygrometer to monitor humidity easily
A hygrometer can be used to measure the relative humidity in the air. Your humidor probably has one built in unless it's a smaller container.
Pay attention to the quality of your smoke
How your cigars taste, burn, and last will indicate how effectively your humidor solution works. You'll be able to tell by the quality of your smoke, and how your cigars feel. So, if you don't have a hygrometer, don't worry.
Troubleshooting your humidor
Troubleshooting problems with keeping your cigars fresh can be challenging. Issues that arise are sometimes unique. However, there are a few things to do if something seems off.
- If the relative humidity drops too high or low, adjust levels using your preferred method to regulate your humidor. That's the easy fix and is more like routine maintenance.
- If your hygrometer shows an accurate reading, but your cigars seem off, it might be a problem with the meter. Likely, your reading is off.
- If your cigars seem wet or moldy, it could be a problem with airflow. Ensure your humidor isn't packed too full, and is not airtight.
If your experience problems, consult a cigar expert
Keeping your cigars fresh is usually easy when you choose a suitable container and adequately control the climate. If you have any issues, pinpoint whether it's the container, your method for regulating humidity or mistakes with your strategies.
When needed, your friendly neighborhood cigar shops are usually great sources of information to help troubleshoot.
Now that you're prepared, you can savor the pleasure of smoking your premium cigars while ensuring they will be fresh.