Expert: James Yee - 4/16/2008

Question
Hi,
I believe you have helped me with some questions in the past-thanks in advance for reading this.
I just bought a travel humidor online that is aluminum on th e outside and spanish cedar on the inside.
I read somewhere that you should prep your humidor before putting cigars in which I did not do. Should I do that now?
Second, I have cigars that are a little stale-how can I speed up the moistening process for them?
Third, is there an optimal place within the humidor to attach the two little humidifier devices?
Lastly, whats the proper way to put out a cigar for reuse and, can I place it back in the humidor?

I know theres alot here-thanks again for the help.

Best,

Answer
Hi Avi,

To answer your questions:

1. Yes, it's always best to season your humidor before you use it.  By doing so, your humidor will be able to absorb and regulate humidity more properly.  Seasoning a humidor is a lengthy process so if you need proper instructions on seasoning a humidor, just let me know.  (Or you can search my question archive for topics on humidor seasoning.)

2. I wouldn't recommend that you attempt to speed up the rehydration process for stale cigars.  Once your humidor is properly set up, all you need to do is keep your dry cigars in it and after some time, your cigars will be fully rehydrated.  Speeding up this process can create problems for your cigars and in most cases, cigars end up damaged or split from the sudden introduction of excess humidity.  Rehydrating cigars should be done with patience.

3. It's always best to place humidifiers in an even, symmetrical location inside the humidor.  This way, humidity will be evenly distributed throughout your humidor and can humidify all your cigars evenly.  The most popular spot inside a humidor for the humidification device is to place it centered at the base of the interior or centered underneath the lid.  If you have more than one humidifier, you can place them at the sides, center or on individual levels such as the trays/shelves and this will create an even humidity flow for your cigars.  No specific spot inside your humidor will have too much or too little humidity.

4. When putting out a cigar to smoke later, the best method to put it out is to let the cigar sit in the ashtray and slowly burn out by itself.  If you plan on smoking the cigar later, never stamp the lit end out because that can create more unpleasant flavours.  Let the cigar burn out by itself and then gently tap all the loose ash off.  If your cigar has room to spare, use a cigar cutter and cut the charred end off.  To keep the cigar somewhat fresh now, simply place it in a Ziploc bag.  NEVER return a partially-smoked cigar to a humidor because the powerful smell can now ruin your other cigars as well as your humidor.  Even if you remove the ash, charred cigar foot and store the cigar in a bag, the powerful smell can still ruin your humidor and cigar collection.

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

Regards,
James