View From The Tower

Here are some important facts I wish to pass along to you concerning cigars. I have included a few here but you can read the entire dossier in a PDF format at http://rytekwebs.com/cigars/dossier.pdf . This dossier was provided by David Sabot and is the proprietor of cheaphumidors.com

CIGAR STORAGE

One of he most important tools you will purchase or perhaps build is a place to store your cigars.

Cigar storage devices are known as humidors.  Humidors come in all shapes and sizes and price ranges, but they are all essentially the same.  A place to store your cigars where they will remain humid enough to ensure the cigar doesn’t get dry.  That is basically it.

Like I mentioned, humidors come in all shapes and sizes.  The most popular is the rectangular box that you have probably seen everywhere.  As a new smoker, a smaller humidor is probably the best bet.  I would not recommend anything smaller than a 50 cigar humidor.  This will allow you to store a full box of cigars and some extras and fits nicely into a beginners budget.  As you progress in your hobby, you can purchase 150 cigar humidors or even table humidors that can store several boxes.  Heck, some people even convert rooms into walk in humidors.

Whatever humidor you choose, make sure of a few simple things.  First, you want to make sure the humidor you purchase has a good seal.  The seal is what is going to keep the humidity inside your humidor instead of letting it all escape.  Humidors need to be in the 65-75% humidity range.  Anything less will cause your cigars to dry out, and anything more will cause mold. A humidor with a good seal will ensure this range is maintained and not cause you to have to constantly monitor the levels.  To check the seal, open the lid of a humidor and close it from about 3 inches.  It should make a whooshing noise.  If it bangs down then move on.  That is not a humidor that you want to put your cigars in.  If you are purchasing a humidor online, deal with a reputable merchant.  Ask them if their humidors whoosh when closed and what kind of guarantee they have regarding the craftsmanship.

Secondly, make sure your humidor is lined with Spanish Cedar.  Spanish Cedar is used in humidors because it is a wood that takes well to high humidity without causing the wood to warp. It also has a nice light aroma that adds to the flavor of cigars.  You want to make sure that the humidor uses dried cedar as this prevents sapping.  If your humidor is sapping, this will get all over your cigars and cause problems.

The third thing to look for is construction.  You will be opening the lid of your humidor thousands of times during its use.  Are the hinges solid?  Are they going to last?  I suggest you buy a humidor with quadrant hinges as they are not only attractive but built to last.

With these things in mind, you are all set to purchase a humidor.  Again, make sure it will be big enough for your collection of cigars.  You can’t store too few cigars in a humidor.  In other words, if you have a 150 cigar humidor, it is perfectly ok to put 25 cigars in it.  Nothing bad will happen.  Just make sure you monitor the humidity levels and all will be fine.  On the flip side, you really should not put more cigars in a humidor then it is rated for.  This is bad as it will prevent air circulation from occurring in your humidor, which is essential for proper storage.

Many humidors on the market today come with either trays or dividers or both.  The purpose of these devices is to separate certain cigars so they do not mix flavors as well as provide some organization within a humidor.  Humidors with trays or dividers are not better than those without them.  It is really a matter of how you like to store and organize your cigars.

A humidor will come with at least a humidifier.  Some even have hygrometers.  A humidifier is a device that is used to introduce humidity into your humidor.  Hygrometers are used to measure the amount of humidity that is
presently in a humidor.

SETTING UP YOUR NEW HUMIDOR

When most people get their new humidor home, they are anxious to fill it up with their collection of smokes. If you do this without first re-humidifying the wood, you may ruin your cigars. Why? The wood has not had a chance to reach its equilibrium. So when you put your cigars in, the wood will absorb their moisture and you will be left with dry useless cigars. Not exactly the reason you bought a humidor, huh? To solve this problem, all humidors should be re-humidified before their first use.

Re-humidifying your humidor is easy, just follow these simple steps:

-Place a shallow container filled with distilled water in the humidor
-Place a calibrated hygrometer inside humidor
-Charge your humidification device
-Place humidification device inside humidor

You have to check the relative humidity every day. Depending on a number of factors this can take a few days to a few weeks. When you get in the 70% range it is safe to store you smokes inside. As long as you constantly recharge your humidification device you will never have to wait to store your cigars again.

HYGROMETER CALIBRATION

To calibrate your hygrometer you will need table salt, a see through container such as a Ziplock baggie, and a small shallow open container, like a bottle cap. Place a teaspoon or so of salt in the shallow container and add a few drops of water to get it wet. You don’t want to dissolve it, just get a good damp pile of salt
in your container. Remember, you don’t want a salt water solution, just damp salt. Place the shallow container in the baggie along with the hygrometer.  Seal the baggie with some air trapped inside (so it is not tight against the hygrometer) and let it sit. Allow this to stabilize for at least 6 hours (don’t rush it). After it has stabilized, check the hygrometer reading without opening up the baggie. It should be exactly 75%. If not, you can simply adjust the reading by turning the dial on the back of the hygrometer with a small screwdriver if it is so
equipped.  If not, then you have to remember how off the reading is.

HUMIDIFIER CHARGING

To fill or charge your humidifier, you should remove it from the humidor and dampen the humidifier in a 50/50 solution of distilled water and propylene glycol (PG), usually referred to as activator solution. You are not looking to soak the humidifier, just get it damp, usually a few squirts of activator solution will be
enough to keep it charged for a few months. This procedure should be repeated when your cigars start to get dry or when your hygrometer reads the humidity as being lower than you prefer.  Simply, PG is a hydroscopic substance. It absorbs moisture from the environment (like a salt shaker does in humid weather). The distilled water evaporates until the ambient humidity approaches 70%. At that point the PG won’t allow any more moisture in the air. Conversely, if there is too much moisture in the air, the PG solution absorbs the excess, bringing the system down to 70% as well.  Some people figure that instead of buying distilled water, they will simply use tap water, or even filtered water. Filtered tap water is full of all the dissolved minerals which will ultimately plug your humidifier. The PH is balanced in tap water with chemicals which may interfere with the PG and cause variations in your humidity.

POOR MANS GUIDE TO STORAGE

Maybe you are on a budget or on the road and can’t use your prized humidor that is sitting at home.  There are a few things you can do to ensure that your cigars will stay fresh. The two most common quick fixes are either Ziplock bags or Tupperware containers.  In either case, you need a sponge and some distilled
water as well.

Setting up your cheap humidor is pretty easy.  If you are using a Ziplock bag it is best to have two of them.  Take 1 bag and punch dozens of holes in.  Place your cigars inside.  Then place the bag inside another Ziplock bag.  Take a sponge and get it wet with distilled water.  Wring it out so it is damp, not soaking wet and
place inside the larger bag.  Seal both bags and you have short term storage. You can also get a piece of Tupperware and place your cigars inside.  Then put the sponge in next to the cigars.  Be sure the sponge never touches the cigars or they will be ruined.  It is advisable that you open the lid for a few minutes each day to purge the excess humidity and gasses that the cigars give off.  And there you have it, instant, cheap cigar storage.

TIPS
-Make sure you don’t put too many cigars in a humidor
-Keep your humidor in a cool dry place
-Don’t wet the inside of the humidor with any water or solutions as it will cause the wood to warp
-Don’t leave your humidor lid open too long.  Take a cigar out and close it.
-Don’t get crazy with humidity levels, if it is in the zone then you are ok.
-Don’t store cigars in the fridge or freezer.  Most refrigerators dehumidify the air which will cause your cigars to get dry.
-Never use tap water or bottled water.  Only use distilled water or activator solution.