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Humidor Temperature and the Correct Humidification
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- Image by Greg via Flickr
You do not want to smoke a cigar that has not been acclimated in the ideal humidor temperature and humidification.
Much like a fine wine, a cigar will develop improved flavor when aged. Some notes of flavor will become more pronounced, other more subtle. When tobacco is harvested it follows a careful schedule of drying to maximize the flavor, and you should continue this when you bring home your own box of cigars.
The amount of water in the air is measured in relative humidity. If you have an analog humidity meter (hygrometer), you should know that they can be off as much as 15%. Many cheap humidors, and some of the expensive ones, come with those circular brass and needle hygrometers. It’s a good investment to buy a quality digital hygrometer, so you know exactly how much moisture is in your cigar humidor. To let the oils in the tobacco mature, 70% RH is a good setting. This will also keep mold from growing, and prevent the cigars from swelling due to too much water. A cigar that is too “wet” is hard to draw, hard to light, and has an acrid taste.
A dry cigar is a damaged cigar. The tobacco shrinks as the moisture is wicked away, this creates air channels and can cause the cigar to burn too quickly. The result is an unhappy cigar smoker with a mouth full of stale tasting smoke. Your desktop humidor temperature and humidity should be carefully controlled to ensure you have the best smoke possible.
In addition to affecting the relative humidity reading on your cigar humidor, temperature also has an effect to the scourge of cigar enthusiasts everywhere, Lasioderma Serricorne, or the tobacco beetle. Cigar makers use special insect monitoring traps which contain specific pheromones to attract male beetles to make sure they control and eliminate these beetles, however sometimes they get through. These tiny pests can infest a humidor, and lay waste to all the contents therein, unless they are immediately dealt with. Your first and easiest line of defense is to keep the humidor temperature below 75. The ideal temperature for a tobacco humidor is about 70.
If the beetles have invaded your humidor and your precious stogies do show damage from burrowing, you can save them. Find a plastic bag which seals, and place them in the freezer. Believe it or not, some manufacturers actually ship cigars frozen for this very reason. After two full days and nights in the freezer, move them to the refrigerator, so the smokes do not swell from the temperature change. After another day, you can move them back to the humidor, provided you have fully cleaned it using distilled water. Don’t use any chemicals that could damage the wooden lining of your humidor. Now you have vanquished your foe, prevent their return by keeping your humidor at the magic settings of 70/70. This allows the cigars to age, prevents beetles and mold, and provides the best smoking experience. The correct humidor temperature and humidity make all the difference.
