Expert: James Yee - 5/30/2011

Question
I Just added a box of cigars to my humidor which was sitting at 22 C and 71 rh. The cigars were pretty dry and the weathers been heating up here in toronto, so i decided to relocate my humidor from the living room coffee table to under my bed to gear up for the summer season.  This was 2 days ago. Much to my dismay, this morning, i check the humidor And the temp is at 17 while humidity jumped up to 81. I need major help bringin that humidity down.  The new cigars are still pretty dry but the rest of the goodies are becoming more supple. Do i have reason to be panicking?

Answer
Hi JP,

To immediately lower your humidor's humidity, leave the lid slightly open so that there is a small gap for excess humidity to naturally escape.  2 days of high humidity may not be enough for mold to form so you shouldn't panic yet.  Just be sure to examine your cigars closely for any signs of mold growth.  If caught early, your cigars can be treated. (Cigar mold will look just like mold you would find on spoiled food; it's thick and fuzzy in appearance and grows in random patches.)  As long as your cigars are not too soft or mushy, supple is fine.

High humidity could be caused by an obstruction of your humidification device.  Be sure that your cigars are not stacked high around the humidifier as this will cause moisture buildup and restrict humidity flow.  If your humidor has a tray or shelf, be sure to leave some small gaps between the cigars to allow humidity to circulate through.  If the cigar tray is tightly packed with cigars, humidity cannot easily pass through and remains concentrated near the humidifier and this will cause mold to form.  Humidors are also reactive to our surrounding environment.  Storing your humidor under your bed or in a tight, cramped or enclosed space such as a cupboard or cabinet can actually cause humidity buildup as the humidor doesn't have room to breathe and naturally wick away the excess moisture.

In addition, Toronto has received a lot of rain these past two weeks and this can cause high humidity in our humidors.  If the weather is really humid for a lengthy period of time (ie: days or even weeks of continuous rain) and you're using a passive humidifier (ie: foam, beads, crystals, etc.), remove it from your humidor until the excess humidity dissipates.  

I hope this helps! If you have anymore questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James