Expert: James Yee - 10/22/2008

Question
Hi, I have a question regarding the storing of cigars. I am planning on going
on a cruise in about six days from now, so I went out and spent about $35.00
on 6 cigars. I bought these on Monday, and it now is Wed. When I brought
them home, I put them in my refrigerator. I went online tonight searching for
some answers regarding cigar etiquette and discovered that putting your
cigars in the refrigerator is a very bad idea. Hence my question which is two
old; first off, have I done any damage to the cigars by having them in the
refrigerator for the past two days, and then tonight, I removed them from
there and placed them in my gun safe, where I thought perhaps they might
fare better because of it being a closed off environment. The latter part of my
question is when I embark upon my cruise, will the cigars fare well in my
carry on bag for the five days I am travelling? I appreciate your patience
within regards to my lack of knowledge about cigars. I am however, educating
myself so as to allow myself the ability to understand and enjoy the art of
smoking cigars.
Again, thankyou for your time and patience.
Regards, Gary Hatch

Answer
Hi Gary,

Good news: Your cigars are not in any danger.  Short-term refrigeration will not damage your cigars and in fact, many cigar smokers will refrigerate their cigars for a few days whenever they believe their cigars have contracted cigar mold.  (Refrigeration will slow down the mold growth but still allow it to appear if present.  This will help you spot and treat the mold more easily.)  Long-term refrigeration/freezing however, is not an ideal storage method for cigars because it will eventually affect the way your cigars burn and taste.

It's good that you removed your cigars from your refrigerator but placing them in your gunsafe may not be a good idea.  Cigars require a humidor environment of 67-73% humidity and a temperature between 67-74 degrees Fahrenheit.  Proper humidity will prevent mold growth and keep your cigars fresh (and more enjoyable to smoke) while proper temperature levels will prevent tobacco beetles from appearing (through tiny, unchecked beetle eggs embedded in the tobacco leaves).  I'm not sure what the temperature and humidity levels are in a gunsafe but if they are not suitable for cigar storage, your cigars can begin to dry up.  This will create brittle cigars that can burn too fast and crack/split at the slightest touch. :(

It's possible to keep your cigars in your carry-on bag as is but your cigars may be dry near the end of the trip.  What you should do is store your cigars in something called a "Humi-pouch".  Humi-pouches are basically Ziploc-style baggies with a humidified lining built into the plastic membrane.  These bags are intended for short-term cigar storage and travel and can properly humidify your cigars - with minimal supervision and maintenance - for 90 days after the seal is initially broken.  After 3 months, you would have to replace the bag or relocate your cigars to a humidor.  Humi-pouches are available in a variety of sizes and can accommodate everything from a few single cigars, to whole boxes.  You can find these are most cigar shops and depending on the size of the bag, they will cost between $5 to $12 per bag.

The best part about these humi-pouches is that they are completely reusable and you can add and remove as many cigars as you like during the 3 month period so if you pick up more cigars during your cruise, you can store them in the bag and keep them humidified.  If you have unsmoked cigars left over from your cruise, you can just keep them in the humi-pouch and not worry about them.  Humi-pouches will also provide an extra bit of protection for your cigars which is always a good thing.

If your cigars are now dry, don't worry.  Dry cigars can always be restored simply by storing them in a proper container such as a properly humidified humidor, travel-humidor or humi-pouch.  I'm sure there will be plenty of humidity on your cruise but it may be erratic and unreliable. Your safest and quickest option is to store your cigars in a humi-pouch.  Relocate your cigars to a humi-pouch now and they will be in perfect smoking condition when you take your cruise.

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

Regards,
James

JUST A QUICK UPDATE:  Hi Gary, I forgot to mention that the ideal storage conditions for cigars is 70% humidity and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is known as the "70/70 rule" and most cigar smokers will calibrate their humidors so that it is 70/70.  Cigars can still be properly maintained within the safe humidity and temperature ranges that I mentioned previously (67-73% humidity, 67-74 degrees F.) however it's generally good to stay as close to 70/70 as possible.  Humi-pouches have no problems generating 70% humidity so there is no worry that your cigars are receiving too little or too much humidity from them.  -James