Cigar Humidification is a very important process for someone who has an elite cigar collection. If one wants their cigars to be extra flavorful and intact. Cigars function the same way as Wine, they get better with age. But the cigars will only get better with age if they are well maintained. Cigar Humidors are special boxes that are used to keep cigars good for a long time.
Cigar humidors maintain the humidity level inside the box, they have a hygrometer that is a device made to keep a track of the level of humidity. It not only tells you what is the level of humidity inside the box, but also the ideal level of humidity that should be maintained.
Normally, cigar humidors should have 70% humidity and 70 degrees Fahrenheit temperature.
Contents
The 6 Cigar Humidification Methods
Now that we know what cigar humidification is and what are the consequences of low and high humidity, the question is how to actually humidify your Cigars. The method is not so simple. Some of the methods which are popular are discussed below.
The methods are the hockey puck humidification method, tubes or mini jars cigar humidification method, Boveda packs cigar method, heartfelt beads method, electric cigar humidification method, and lastly, kitty litter cigar humidification method.
-
Hockey Puck Humidification Method
This method is very common to humidify your cigars. It is a very stressful method, to be honest. The puck is included with the humidors most of the time and it needs to be soaked in propylene glycol. One must make sure that the puck does not run out of juice. The puck needs to be soaked for a good amount of time for a humidor of about 40 cigars. The pucks can be changed if you wish for the process to be less cumbersome. Soaking every 40 days is okay and is a comfortable process.
Now, how to actually soak a humidor puck? First, you need to purchase the propylene glycol separately. This is an odorless solution and replaces ordinary water. Ordinary water should be avoided as it can create some issues due to chemicals like chlorine and also distilled water will stay moist for a lesser time than propylene glycol.
-
The Tubes or Mini Jars Cigar Humidification Method
There are special tubes or mini jars available by brands like Xikar and Drymistat which is really easy to use. These products can be just opened up and popped inside the humidor. This method is more advantageous than the previous method of Hockey Puck Humidification. The main disadvantage is that you need to replace these tubes very frequently which can cost you bucks.
These tubes maintain the desired level of humidity inside the humidor, thus keeping your cigars fresh and flavourful. These tubes also consume less space inside the humidor as they are really thin and can also be easily fitted in. There is also a special form of the mini jars which tend to work better if you have a different-sized jar.
-
Boveda Packs Cigar Humidification Method
In this Boveda Packs Cigar Humidification, there are Boveda humidity packs available which are similar to the tubes from Xikar and Drymistat. They can be used in a tupperdor, but the humidity tends to be higher if you use them in a tupperdor. So, it is advised to go for a lower level of humidity than the desired level whenever using tupperdor.
They do great work in absorbing the humidity when it is too high or increasing the humidity when it’s too low. Once the pack is stiff, it can be thrown away. It is also said that the recharge can be done easily by simply soaking them for a few days after they become stiff. But the recharge method is not advisable as it won’t be as accurate as the original one.
-
The Heartfelt Beads Humidification Method
The Heartfelt Beads Humidification Method is another very common method for keeping cigars intact and fresh. They are most popular with large humidors. Although they can be quite expensive, these last forever. These also require regular spraying of distilled water frequently so you have to stick to the schedule.
The people who are a pro at collecting cigars or have an elite collection for ages are ardent users of this particular method. The cigar collectors will obviously have a pouch of beads.
-
The Electric Cigar Humidification Method
This method is the most convenient and fastest, as you can literally apply the set it and forget it concept here. If one has a collection that is old and unique, this method of humidification should be their go-to. Honestly, they are expensive as compared to other options but the plus point is that there is no maintenance cost.
An electric humidor also sometimes has a wi-fi system and possesses the capability of humidifying up to 1000 cigars. They come with a cartridge that needs to be replaced every six months or 1 year, but the best part is they are inexpensive.
-
The Kitty Litter Cigar Humidification Method
This method is again suitable for those having a large collection and is similar to the Heartfelt Beads Method of Humidification. You can get a Kitty Litter without any odor and spray distilled water every 3-4 weeks.
FAQs
Humidity above 70% is regarded as high. It is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It can create certain mold issues. There is often a misconception that it is cigar plumes, but in reality, it is the problem of humidity.
When the humidity inside the humidor is as low as 50%, there is a chance that your tobacco is dying. The result is that your cigar will taste bitter and will burn too hot. Dried-out cigars taste as bad as burnt bread. A sign that your cigar humidity is low is when your cigar wrappers start to peel off or become flaky.
A leaky humidor is when there is a gap between lids or the points where sides of the box meet so that the humidity escapes from the leaks. The result is dry cigars. There are certain ways in which this leak can be prevented and how to overcome this problem. One of them is by using silicone. Buy silicone that is non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Remove all the cigars and sources of humidification. Place the silicone inside the box and let it sit for 3 days. After 3 days, remove the silicone and place the humidification source again to attain 70% humidity.
There is no method that can be regarded as the best one for humidification. This is a question that has answers that would vary from person to person. It all depends on the size of the cigars, the budget that you have, and how you wish to maintain them. If one has a large collection of antique cigars, they may consider the Electric Humidification as the best. But the same is not so for someone with a smaller collection.
For drying a box of cigars, just place the cigars in the box first and then keep it for 12 hours before you want to smoke. Leaving them overnight would be the best option. If the humidity is 70% then 12 hours would do but if the humidity is more, then you would need to keep them for longer hours. The process is very simple and it hardly requires any effort.
Conclusion
Cigar humidification is indeed an important step to keep your cigars fresh and crispy. It would be a loss to not maintain them as they would tend to become dry and taste utterly bad. But for humidifying the cigars one needs to have a clear understanding of the methods and also which method would suit you better.
Someone with an extra unique and antique collection would prefer a different method to humidify their cigars. In this article, we have combined all the important facts and knowledge required for someone who is new to the methods of humidification, and some basic questions about leaking of the humidor, drying the cigars, high and low humidity, and so on.
