AboutJames 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 15 dedicated years of cigar smoking (an average 4 cigars a day) 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.
Question QUESTION: James,
I have a humidor half full of Cuban Cigars. My hygrometers are reading consistently between 70 and 73? Is that too high for Cuban Cigars? Also, do you recommend placing Boveda packs in also to regulate the humidity better? If so which ones - they come in 65, 69 and 72. Thanks.
ANSWER: Hi David,
The humidity "safe zone" is between 66%-74% so right now, your humidor's humidity level is fine. (70% humidity is actually considered the perfect level for cigars.) If the humidity continues to climb and exceeds past 74%, add a 50/50 mixture of distilled water and Propylene Glycol (PG) to your humidification device. PG will balance the humidity at 70% and prevent it from rising any further. If you haven't used PG before, just remember that it can last a long time in your humidor (on average 2 years), so you only need to add PG just once. After this, simply add distilled water to your humidification devices when needed. After adding the 50/50 mixture, your humidor may need 1-2 weeks for the humidity to stabilize. During this time, it may dip and peak wildly so please be patient as it will eventually level out.
Your humidors appear fine now so Boveda packs aren't necessary. If you do decide to use them, use either 69 or 72.
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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QUESTION: Hi James,
The humidity is now stable at 69-71%, but the temperature in the humidor can get quite low, in the mid to low sixties at times. Will this low temperature harm the cigars or detract from their quality? If so, can you suggest a product or technique that might raise the temp to the recommended 70, outside of raising temp in house? Thanks.
ANSWER: Hi David,
When the temperature is in the low 50's (approximately 10 degrees celcius), your humidor will begin to have a hard time maintaining humidity. Prolonged exposure to this can cause your cigars to feel dry and brittle as well as taste bland or stale. As the temperature gets colder, there is less moisture in the air and the humidity in your humidor can be ineffective.
Right now, your humidor is in the mid to low 60's (15-19 degrees celcius) and that is acceptable. If the temperature in your humidor drops to extremely low levels (10 degrees celcius or lower), relocate your humidor to a warmer room in your house. Try keeping your humidor in a room that has a lot of natural sunlight and is naturally warm (but don't keep your humidor in direct sunlight). You can also try keeping your humidor near a major light source such as an incandescent desk lamp. Keep the humidor NEAR the light source but not directly under it. Keeping your humidor in the center-most area in your home will also help.
Use a digital thermometer to determine which rooms in your house is warmer than others. Even if a certain room is warmer by one or two degrees, it will certainly help. Fortunately, summer is quickly approaching so your humidor won't be subjected to the cool spring weather for long.
Hopes this helps. As always, 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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QUESTION: Hi James,
My humidor is pretty full now with cigars stacked on each other. Is it important to move the cigars around periodically such that the bottom and middle layers get moved to the top every so often? If so, how often do you suggest? Thanks alot.
Dave.
Answer Hi David,
Yes, to ensure that all your cigars in your humidor receive an even exposure to humidity, you should periodically rotate your cigars. With full humidors, obstructed cigars at the bottom of your humidor won't receive enough humidity which is why it's recommended that you rotate your cigars at least once every 2-3 months.
If you have an extremely full humidor and hate rotating and re-organizing your cigars every few months, what you can do is install an aeration platform at the bottom of your humidor and this is basically a perforated or slotted platform that elevates your entire cigar collection about 3/4 to 1" above the base of your humidor and allows humidity to circulate below the platform. This allows your bottom cigars to receive humidity as well. Although this won't fully eliminate the need to rotate your cigars, it will allow you to rotate them less frequently.
Aeration platforms are sold at cigar stores or you can actually build one yourself using a Spanish cedar board and some dimensional cedar wood. (If you need instructions on building an aeration panel, just let me know.) Commercially-available platforms are adjustable but often flimsy in design and do not fit all humidors. If you do decide to add an aeration platform, I would recommend building one to custom fit your humidor.
Hopes this answers your question. As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.
