Cigar Care Tips
The most important thing when owning cigars is the care and maintenance you give to your investment. With cigars being organic material, they can easily decay and deteriorate if not properly nurtured. In this section we will discuss some of the short and long term storage and general care tips to allow you to protect your investment.
General Care
- The most delicate part of your cigar is the thin wrapper. Make sure you are gentle when handling and storing your cigar so as not to damage it. A tear or hole in the wrapper can greatly affect how a cigar burns.
- Never leave a cigar “exposed” to outside air unprotected for more than 8 to 10 hours to prevent drying and damage. (Bring em’ out when you smoke em’)
- Select a Humidor/Humidification method that is appropriate for your needs to protect your investment.
Short Term Care
- Cigars will stay humidified and fresh in a plastic zip lock for 5-6 days unopened with no humidification device. Any longer will require the use of a Boveda Packet or a simple humidification device to keep the correct humidity.
- Separate your cigars into individual bags if you’re smoking them within the week or on a trip. This will keep air from entering your container and speeding up the drying process when opening the bag containing cigars.
- You may choose to keep your cigars in the cellophane if applicable, this will further protect and trap in its original humidity.
Long Term Care
- Select a proper sized humidor for your needs. It is best to allow your humidor to remain 60 to 75% full at all times.
- When picking a humidor make sure you hear the “WOOOSH” sound when you drop the lid and makes contact with the bottom seal. This is to ensure you have a quality seal to lock in the humidity.
- Invest in a digital hygrometer (far more accurate than analog hygrometers) to monitor the environment where you are storing your cigars.
- Find a humidifier that works best for your outside environment. This can change with the seasons, temperature of ambient air, size of humidor, and number of cigars that are aging. Humidity crystals using 50/50 solution release humidity when it falls below 70% and absorbs humidity when it rises above 70% (These are great for summer). The classic sponge works best with distilled water but will need to be replaced every couple months. An easy option are Boveda packets which range from 62% RH to 84% RH. For larger humidors a trough of distilled water tends to work best. It will take some experimenting to find what method works best for your needs.
- Rotate cigars from bottom to top every 3 to 4 weeks to allow for even distribution of humidity.
- Keep an eye out for mold growth, tobacco beetles, and humidification water damage.
- Purchase a separate humidor if you enjoy flavored cigars, the flavoring in a few can contaminate cigars that aren’t infused.