Expert: James Yee - 6/11/2008

Question
Hi there, I live in New Zealand, I recently started smoking cigars & purchased a humidor to store cigars, its a cedar lined siglo unit for up to 50 cigars, I have various cigars such as montecristo, el rey del mundo, bolivar etc and I am finding controlling the temperature and humidity difficult. It seems to hold 68-74% humidity without the humidification device( distilled water), when I put the device in it jumps up toward 80% and above quickly & if I yank it out it drops down again, do I need to dry out my humidor maybe? New Zealand isnt the warmest place and my humidor seems to hold at about 58-65 degrees F at best , I am finding with these two issues my cigars are not burning properly and thus tasting terrible. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks :)

Answer
Hi Matthew,

If the humidor's humidity is already between 68-74% WITHOUT the humidification device, then you do not need to use it.  What you should do is let the humidor sit for a few days without the humidification device and see if the humidity drops.  If the humidity does drop, you can add your humidification device.  If the humidity remains steady, then you don't need to use the humidifier at all.  In many parts of the world, the natural environment humidity can be so high that a humidification device is not required for humidors.

If you do use your humidification device, what you can do is add a 50/50 mixture of Propylene Glycol and distilled water and this will limit the humidity output at exactly 70%.  Propylene Glycol will prevent the humidity from rising uncontrollably.  You only need to add this mixture once and afterwards just add distilled water when needed.

You can purchase pre-mixed 50/50 solutions at most cigar stores.  If you prefer to mix the solution yourself, propylene glycol is available separately at most cigar stores and pharmacies/drug stores.

For temperature, you must find an ideal place in your home that can create approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit for your humidor.  Try relocating your humidor to a room in your home that is not too hot but also not too cold.  The room should have ample sunlight but the humidor itself should NOT be placed near the window or in direct sunlight.  Also avoid placing the humidor near light sources such as desk lamps or incandescent lighting as it can burn too hot and increase the temperature of your humidor to severe levels.

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

Regards,
James