You are here:

Cigars/Seasoning Old Humidor

Advertisement

Expert: - 9/6/2008


Question
I have a 10yr old humidor that I have season 4 -5 times over the years with regular tap water. It seems that my cigars take on a bad taste.  How can I get the humidor back in shape, I don't want to throw it away.

Answer
Hi Brian,

The first thing you should do is thoroughly vacuum your humidor interior with a soft bristle attachment.  You'll want to remove as much of the residual dirt and dust that may have built up inside the humidor over the years.  Prolonged usage of tap water in a humidor can also develop a chalky, powdery substance (mineral trace) so be sure to thoroughly vacuum your humidor.  This is what gives your cigars a bad, alkaline taste.  Mineral deposits from the tap water may also have built up inside the humidification device so it's best to replace it with a new unit.  (If your humidor uses an aqua-foam humidification device, it's very inexpensive and a replacement can be purchased at any cigar store for less than $6.

Once your humidor is clean, you can now re-season it with either distilled water or double-distilled water (bidest water).  Both are available at most cigar stores, supermarkets and bottled water/specialty stores.  Using distilled water, season your humidor as you normally would.  Because you previously used tap water in your humidor for a prolonged amount of time, there still may be a weird taste in your cigars as it's hard to fully purge mineral deposit/particulates from the wood.  However, continuing to use distilled water from this point on will improve the conditition and flavour of the cigars.

Hopes this answers your question. If you have any more questions or need instructions on seasoning a humidor, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James  

Cigars

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

James Yee

Expertise

My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".

Experience

I currently have 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.

Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)


Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.