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Cigars/Winter Maintenance

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Expert: - 9/16/2008


Question
Hello.  

I was curious about humidor maintenance in during the winter season.  Inside my humidor there is an Cigar Oasis.  But just curious to know if there are any other inside tips that would be helpful.  

Thanks.  

Answer
Hi Edward,

Humidor maintenance during the winter months is ideally the same as humidor maintenance during the summer months.  The only additional task during the winter months is that you monitor your humidor's humidity level more frequently.  During colder months of the year, the air in our home can be drier than usual and this will cause our humidors to exhaust the humidity more quickly.  As a result, you may find your humidor's humidification device requiring more refills during colder months.  Normally we'll recharge our humidors every 4-6 weeks during the summer months (on average) but during the winter season, you may need to recharge your humidification device(s) every 2-3 weeks.

Humidors also have a harder time maintaining humidity in colder temperatures so if you've kept your humidor in cooler rooms during the summer such as your basement or wine cellar, it's best to relocate them to a less cold room in your home now.

Aside from monitoring the humidity more frequently and making sure your humidor isn't kept in a cold room, humidor maintenance in the winter is about the same as it is in the summer.

Hopes 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.

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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

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