Expert: James Yee - 6/1/2008

Question
Dear James,

I'm not sure if you recall, but the first question I posed to you was in regards to long-term storing and aging of cigars (sealed and stored by the box). Having done a fair amount of research before-hand, I am happy to say that I recently immersed myself into this project fully and am now the proud owner of a 70 quart "coolidor".

My second question now focuses on what ideal RH should I maintain in my "coolidor," as it relates to my location of residence here in California.

Please allow me to share some details around my "coolidor" setup. I broke down premium wooden cigar boxes and used the pieces to line the inside of the "coolidor". For humidification I opted for 65% Humidity Beads acquired from Heartfelt industries. I am using an Oregon Scientific wireless weather station setup to monitor the RH and Temperature in my "coolidor" without having to open it over and over again. This setup is working perfectly and my "coolidor" is holding steady at 65%-66% RH and 72-74 Degrees Farenheit. I store it in a dark closet away from direct sunlight and direct exposure to light or heat of any kind. The temperature is one aspect I don't much more control over at the moment and the "coolidor" pretty much adjusts itself to the external conditions within my dwelling.

My question now is whether you think 65% RH is too low considering the inside humidity levels within my dwelling. I reside here in California and the Oregon Scientific weather station base reads an inside humidity level anywhere between 35%-45%.

Please allow me to share some details and background leading me to inquire to this extent. A friend of mine shared some of his Cuban Cohiba Robustos with me recently. I am uncertain of the storage conditions before they came into my possession. I stored them in a sealed ziploc bag sitting in a dark and cool closet for about a month, before they made their way into my "coolidor". I picked out one of these robustos after it had been resting in the "coolidor" for about 3 days and prepared myself for a good smoking experience. However my expectations fell short and I had a hard time keeping the cigar lit. I probably let it rest for about 2-3 minutes on average between puffs, with the longest respite being around 5 minutes or so. I am wondering if this has something to do with the 65% RH I am maintaining or perhaps even the cigar box wood pieces I used to line the "coolidor".

Just to eliminate doubt that perhaps the Cuban Cohibas' prior storage conditions may be to blame, I opened a sealed Padron Churchill Box that had been sitting in my humidor about 4 days to test the plain. My inital firmness and packing test went well with the cigar feeling firm and well balanced in terms of softness and tightness. The wrapper at the head of the cigar did seem a little on the dry side, especially the cap. Going back again to the Cuban Cohiba robusto, the cap on the one I smoked was quite dry and crumbled on clipping with a trusty guillotine cutter. The Padron clipped well but the wrapper did unravel a bit at the head and a little saliva did just the trick. Overall the cigar burned very well and smoked very well, requiring just one touch-up. The one touch up can be probably be accounted to the fact that my in between puffs rest period was about 3 minutes on average and I was smoking inside with all the windows wide open on quite a windy day here.

Everyone has their personal preference in terms of cigar storage RH. However does this translate into a universal application with 65% or 68% or 70% being what they are, regardless of location and outside humidity levels.

I can definitely upgrade to 70% beads, but before jumping the gun on this decision I definitely wish to get your feedback.

Also how long do you think I should let my cigars rest in the "coolidor" at the minimum before actually pulling one out to smoke?

Answer
Hi Kunal,

Regardless of humidor temperature or the natural environment, a humidor's/coolerdor's internal humidity level should be between 67-73% rh.  This is the "safe humidity range" while 70% is considered the ideal level.  Retro-fitting your coolerdor with wood from your old cigar boxes is fine but you should upgrade to 70% beads as that will add more humidity to improve the condition of your cigars.

In regards to your Cohiba robustos, were they humidified at all while kept in a ziploc bag in your closet for a month?  If not, that could explain why they smoked so poorly.  After a month without a proper amount of humidity, cigars will be extremely dry and require more than 3 days to rehydrate.  Your coolerdor design sounds fine so all you really need is to boost the humidity with 70% beads.  It definitely sounds like your Cohibas are dry.  Right now, your coolerdor is successfully holding steady at 65-66% with 65% beads so I don't think the coolerdor is faulty at all.  Increasing to 70% and allowing your cigars to sit in your humidor for some time will fix everything.

As for storage time, it's best to let cigars sit in your coolerdor for at least 2-3 weeks (for small cigars, 4 weeks for bigger cigars) before you smoke them.  If you're in no rush to smoke them, letting them sit even longer is even better.  Keep in mind that the bigger and more dry a cigar is, the more time it will require to rehydrate.

Hopes this answers your question.  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask.

Regards,
James