As you foray into the intricate world of cigar connoisseurship, one of the first things you will buy is a humidor. These all-important devices – at their best – ensure that your cigars remain preserved and flavourful for as long as you want to age them.
However, humidors are only as good as the people operating them. Failure to set them up correctly or manage their contents effectively can quickly lead to a messy, inefficient storage system that sacrifices your cigar investments.
In this article, learn the steps toward a successful cigar humidor setup, from shopping and seasoning to managing relative humidity (RH).
Shopping for Humidors
Humidors come in a range of sizes, styles, and budgets. To start, choose one that fits your collection size (or projected collection).
Next, talk to a local tobacconist about the most effective products in their humidor lineup. In general, the best humidors are made of Spanish cedar, which is effective at creating an airtight seal and repelling pests like the dreaded cigar beetle. Optional add-ons like a built-in hygrometer are handy; however, you can purchase a separate hygrometer for a nominal price.
Calibrating the Hygrometer
Next, calibrate your hygrometer, whether built-in or loose. A hygrometer measures the amount of humidity in the air—how much water vapor it contains, typically expressed in millimeters per cubic centimeter. It’s a critical tracking tool for ensuring that the RH of your humidor remains in that sweet spot (65% to 72%, depending on the quality of your humidor and nature of the aging).
For detailed hygrometer calibration instructions, refer to this comprehensive article from Cigars International. In most people’s experience, the “salt test” works the best.
Seasoning Your New Humidor
Seasoning a new humidor is a critical step for creating a seal and raising the wood’s moisture level to reach equilibrium with the cigars contained therein. Before you store any cigars in a new humidor, season it!
Luckily, it’s a straightforward, hands-off process. Pop in an 84% RH Boveda for cigar humidors and let the 2-way humidity control pack do its thing. This small but mighty pack completely humidifies the cellular structure of the wood inside humidors so they’re ready to hold your premium cigars.
Developing a Storage Strategy
Next, consider organization. Some cigar lovers prefer a first-in-first-out system for their cigar humidors, while others compartmentalize sticks according to maker, size, or color.
It’s entirely up to you how you organize your humidor, but some form of organization is recommended. You don’t want a messy, free-form container that requires agitation and digging to find things.
Managing and Tracking the Humidor’s RH
Lastly, but most importantly, manage the RH within the humidor. Again, you can use a Boveda 2-way humidity control pack for this purpose, which dials in the relative humidity to an exact percentage of your choosing. For instance, you might choose 65% RH for long-term aging or 69% for premium cigars in a tightly sealed humidor. Replace the pack when it gets hard, and (optionally) monitor the humidor often using your calibrated hygrometer.
There’s just one step left, and it’s the best one: enjoy your fine cigars the way artisans intended them.
Published by HOLR Magazine.