Expert: James Yee - 11/26/2008

Question
QUESTION: James,

I'm wondering if my cigars should feel "harder" after sitting in my humidor for several weeks then when I bought them at the cigar store? The humidity in my box has been holding steady at 70 degrees since I seasoned it, but the cigars themselves feel like they're not as soft...does this effect their lifespan? Freshness? Or is this normal?

Thanks

Lee

ANSWER: Hi Lee,

This is perfectly normal and common with premium handmade cigars.  Not all cigars are made the same so some cigars may feel too tight, too hard or even too soft even after they spend a prolonged amount of time inside your humidor.  This won't affect their lifespan or freshness but tight/hard cigars can affect the cigar's burn.  In most cases, hard and tightly rolled cigars are usually plugged which can slow the burn or stop it altogether.  This causes a cigar to be unsmokeable and not enjoyable.  This can also contribute to crooked cigar burns or cigars with split wrapper leaves.  

If your humidity is at 70%, your cigars are fine.  If you prefer the cigars to be a bit softer, you may want to increase the humidity a tiny bit but with handmade cigars, there's no guarantee that this will make them softer.  If you increase the humidity, be sure to not exceed 74%.

You should also rotate your cigars in your humidor periodically and this will allow the cigars even exposure to humidity which can improve their overall feel and burn.

Hopes this helps!  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: James,

Thanks for your last response.

All of a sudden the humidity in my box has free fallen from a nice, normal 70% heading below 67% and I can't figure out why. I just refilled the humidification device with distilled water - the same way I've done for months now and never had this issue - 2 days ago and for some reason the humidity continues to fall. Might I need to re-season the box? Could the humidification device need replacing - this would be odd as it's only 3 months old? I haven't moved the humidor or changed anything else in the room/house.

What should I do?

Thanks,
Lee

Answer
Hi Lee,

A drop in humidity is quite common during winter months as the humidor has a harder time maintaining the humidity inside your humidor due to the cold seasonal temperatures and dry heat in your home.  As a result, it's not uncommon for you to find that you need to refill your humidification device more frequently during winter.  If for example, you normally recharge your humidor every 4-6 weeks with distilled water, you may notice that your humidification device will need to be recharged every 2-3 weeks during winter.

Recharge your humidification device with distilled water and the humidity should return to normal.

If you continue to have a hard time boosting the humidity, you may also want to re-season your humidor.  Many cigar smokers recommend re-seasoning your humidor during the winter months as it will raise the humidity back to a steady and reasonable level.

Also, if you are using an analog hygrometer, it's always best to periodically salt-test it for accuracy.  Analog hygrometers are accurate but they have been known to lose their accuracy if the humidor is jolted or bumped.  Hygrometers mounted under a humidor lid have also been known to have the needle knocked out of sync simply by opening and closing the lid a few times.

Considering your humidification device is only 3 months old, I don't think it needs to be replaced.

Hopes this helps.  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James.