Expert: James Yee - 1/6/2008

Question
Hello. I have two humidors, both were expensive and I went through a patient breaking in process with them, and I have used a Propylene Glycol/distilled water combination - though probably not 50/50 (more water)- to maintain humidity.  The humidity is generally 70%, but sometimes creeps a bit higher.  I live in Tampa and the air here is pretty humid.  I used both humidors (each hold 100-150 cigars) for over a year with no problems.  I keep them fairly full, with a combination of high-quality ($10+) non-Cuban cigars and some Cuban Monte Cristo and Cohiba cigars. Recently I noticed an "off" odor in one humidor, the better one that I had most of the Cubans in (a lot purchased this summer), kind of a musty odor.  Alarmed, I moved the better cigars to the other humidor.  Now both smell funny and some of the cigars look bad - the ends swelling and with a dusty-looking residue on them.
What should I do?  Can I salvage the cigars?  Should I empty the humidors and treat them with something?  HELP!!
Best Regards, Scott

Answer
Hi Scott,

It sounds like your humidity is a bit too high (due to the humid Tampa environment) so what you should do first is check the humidity level inside your humidor.  If the humidity is 74% or less, your cigars are not in any danger  (67-74% is considered the safe zone and 70% is perfect).  If the humidity exceeds 74%, what you should do is add a tiny bit more propylene glycol to your humidification devices to lower the humidity back to 70%.  

The musty odor is a possible sign that mold is starting to form.  To treat mold, first wipe the mold off using a paper towel moistened with distilled water.  Then wipe the cigar down gently with a bit of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and then wipe the cigar(s) down again with more distilled water.  Let the now sterilized cigars sit in your refrigerator in a sealed, plastic container (ie: Tupperware containers) for 7 days.  If mold reappears during this time, clean the cigars again.  If after 7 days, mold has not reformed, it is now safe to return your cigars to the humidor.  You will also need to clean your humidor so thoroughly vacuum your humidors and then gently wipe down the interior wood with a bit of rubbing alcohol to kill any residual mold spores.  (You don’t need to use a lot of alcohol and a tiny bit will go a long way.)  

Also, if you keep your humidors relatively full, be sure to not let the cigars or humidor fixtures obstruct the humidity flow.  If something such as humidor trays, drawers, divider(s) or cigars themselves are placed too close to the humidification devices, the humidity flow can actually be blocked and end up being highly concentrated in one area inside the humidor.  This can cause cigars to swell as you mentioned.

Hopes this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I’ll be happy to help.

Regards,
James