Expert: Bill Finck Jr. - 5/8/2008

Question
I recently came upon some Cuban cigars but hey are very dry.  There is no mold and the they are still in tack.  I am trying to rehydrate them in my humidor with some fresh cigars.  Unfortunately, because they are so dry, I think the cigars are draining all the moisture that I have in there.  I have a humidifier, some water pillows (travel humidor packets) and a moist sponge all dipped in distilled water.  The hydrometer reaches 80% for a short time then drops closer to 60%.  I can't maintain the 70-75% that I need and the cigars still feel dry.  I am looking for stability in the humidor and the fastest way to get these cigars moist to smoke.

Answer
Tony,

Dry cigars will draw moisture from your fresh cigars, so the best thing to do is put them in separate humidors. If you don't want to do that, you'll just have to accept that the humidity level that you are storing your cigars in is going to be a little low. The cigars will probably be fine - I don't think you'll see them dry out much at all.

Re-humidifying cigars is a long, slow process. There is no way to rush it without damaging the cigars. If you force too much humidity in them too fast, you'll see the wrappers wrinkle up and possibly even split. The key here is patience. Give them 3-4 months or as long as it takes - the end result will be worth the wait.

Bill