Expert: Bill Finck Jr. - 7/15/2010

Question
bill, i live in arizona so ive been battling high temperatures in my  humidor. i bought a thermoelectric wine chiller to store my humi in but now the highest temp i get is 60 degrees. is this acceptable or will the new lower temp also affect my cigars? and is a wine chiller  recommended or not? thanks in advance, your expertise is greatly appreciated

Answer
Rogelio,

There is nothing wrong with storing your cigars at cooler temperatures, as a matter of fact all of our humidors are refrigerated, with a constant temperature between 62 and 64 degrees. One of  the advantages of storing cigars at cold temperature is that tobacco larvae cannot hatch at these temps, and the risk of tobacco beetle infestation is greatly reduced.

The only adjustment you need to make is in your target humidity. As the temperature drops, your relative humidity increases, so your new target is 78-80%.

I guess my only concern is the wine chiller, and whether or not it reduces moisture like a refrigerator does. Obviously, if it draws humidity from the air, you'll be battling to keep your humidity high enough.

Hoe this helps - let me know if you have other questions.

Bill