Expert: James Yee - 11/24/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have two well made, larger desk top humidors. On average I have 60+ cigars in 'storage'. Swings in humidity are 65 to 75% over periods of 2-3 months, continually. Depending on my charging and paying attention to them.
You know, they go down and then I charge and they go up.

What impact does this type of swing have on any and all of these? Lots of good cigars, btw. Cubans (truly), Rockys, Pepins, Oliva V, etc. Not inexpensive.

Also I turn the heat off at night in the house, so the temp runs 60 at night and 70 during the day in the winter months. Does this have impact on these?

As always, I look forward to your reply.
Thanks, tom


ANSWER: Hi Tom,

Your humidity is slightly high at 75% and this is more than enough for cigar mold to appear.  Cigar mold normally begins to appear anywhere between 75%-80% humidity.  If you are not using Propylene Glycol in your humidors, you should consider using it as it will bring down the humidity to around 70%.  Humidity fluctuations is actually very common and does occur in most humidors during the course of a day but the humidity usually dips and peaks within the safe humidity range which is 64%-74%.

Adding a 50/50 mixture of Propylene Glycol or a pre-mixed humidor solution will lower the humidity.  If you're already using PG, fine-tune the mixture by adding one or two drops of Propylene Glycol and this should lower the humidity to a more ideal level.  Remember, PG can last a long time (on average, 2 years) so you only need to add this mixture once.  A little can go a long way.

Also, the temperature shift in your home will not affect your cigars.  Like humidity, temperature will also dip and peak during the course of a day but the shift is within reasonable temperature levels so there's no worry that your cigars are in danger.

If you're worried about your cigars being affected by temperatures, keep your humidors away from windows/natural sunlight as well as major heat and light sources such as vents, radiators, and hot desk lamps.  The humidors should also be kept in well-insulated rooms that can retain a bit of heat even when the heating shuts off in the evenings.

Hopes this helps. 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, thank you for the quick reply. I use humidification units that use the 'gel' beads and use distilled water only to re-wet them. Two more questions/issue, for me anyway. (A)I seem (or so it seems) to have a high % of issues with poor combustion and smoking the cigars from my humidors; runs, not staying lit, etc. The cigars are in there anywhere from 2 months to 2 years, average 6-8 months. I even buy good store bought and they go directly in the humidors first. I would say 1 in 4-5 have issues.
Is this an average or common ratio? I am not saying most are not smokable or enjoyable, just these issues more than I would think and like. Very irritating to say the least, especially on a $12 cigar.
(B) without marketing endorsements, can you discuss specific humidification systems, for desk top humidors that you recommend? I, probably like alot of people are always in the quest for the 'perfect' system.
Thanks again for sharing your expertise.

Answer
Hi Tom,

To answer your questions:

A/ A 1-in-5 ratio isn't uncommon with premium, handmade cigars.  Most common problems include the cigars being too tight or containing a knot somewhere in the filler tobacco that blocks the draw.  Normally this isn't related to the humidification process but some overly-moist cigars can also have irregular burns.  Do the cigars in your humidor feel right?  If they feel too spongy/squishy, you may want to lower the humidity just a tiny bit with some Propylene Glycol.  

It's also possible that irregular burning cigars may not be humidified enough so it's always good to rotate your cigars in your humidor periodically and ensure that there are no obstructions such as humidor compartments or cigars themselves that restrict the flow of humidity to certain areas in your humidor.

B/ For desktop humidors, I think aquafoam-based humidifiers and cellulose polymer humidification systems (gel, beads) are perfectly fine.  These cellulose polymer-based systems are actually much better because they are less-susceptible to bacteria, can absorb and regulate water much better than the foam-based humidification systems and are more accurate at maintaining a reasonable humidity level without using propylene glycol or pre-mixed humidor solutions.  These gel and bead-based systems are becoming more and more popular these days.

If however, your humidor(s) are 500-count or larger, you should consider investing in an electronic unit that can circulate the air and humidity more effectively inside your humidor.  Larger humidors, especially those with multiple compartments, drawers and trays, can often have an aeration problem and will need an electronic unit (often a humidification reservoir with a motorized fan) to circulate the air and humidity more thoroughly in your humidor.  It's possible to use foam and polymer systems in a large humidor but these electronic units make maintenance so much easier.

Lastly, commercial-sized humidor cabinets must only use a commercial-grade, electronic humidifier.

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

Regards,
James