Cigar Science
What is the science of storing Cigars?
How do you store them? Can you keep them long term? Do cigars get better with age?
The answers can be found below
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Why do people have so much
trouble storing cigars?
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Frequently
Asked Questions
Humigard uses a proprietary paste to restrict evaporation to the exact level needed. It uses a patented two-chamber system that takes fluid from the storage tank and brings it into the evaporation chamber using a wick. The paste is constantly fed as needed, so it continues to function long term.
Humigard has no moving parts, no electronics. It is manufactured from polycarbonate plastic, and the wick is made from cotton. The product can be rinsed and reloaded over and over again for years.
The Humigard is 7 1/4 Inches long and 2 x 2 inches square. It takes the place of roughly 6 cigars. It will work for most small to medium sized humidors. As the space gets bigger, you may want to consider an additional unit.
In a good humidor that holds moisture, the Humigard can last up to a year. When it is time to add the Cedar Cigar Solution, the Humigard should be cleaned and new Humidity Control Paste should be added.
Yes. Just like the packet style humidification devices. Humigard comes with different colors of Humidity Control Paste. Each one represents a different level of preferred humidification. For cigars, we have 3 levels: 65-66%, 67-68%, and 70-71%.
Humigard works in most small to medium size humidors. In a good wine-cooler style humidor that can hold 250 cigars, you can use just one Humigard. Any larger than that, or if your humidor does not hold moisture efficiently, you may need two units.
The Starter Kit comes with one Humigard Unit, one 8 oz. bottle of Cedar Cigar Solution, assorted packets of Humidity Control Paste, and a Trowel.
Our proprietary paste is a blend of natural salts and non-toxic ingredients that are designed to restrict evaporation to a specified level. Without it Humigard would go to 100% humidity.
Our proprietary solution is infused with Cedar Oil to protect against bacterial growth inside the Humigard.
Enclosures of any type that needs to contain a particular gas, like hydrogen and oxygen (the molecules that make up water), must be contained with a material that these molecules cannot pass through. For instance, wood covered with varnish, looks pretty but does not provide a vapor barrier to contain water in its evaporative state.
For more than a century they have been searching for a way to control humidity in humidors where cigars are stored. It seems easy, but if you use a bowl of water, it will go up to 100 percent humidity and the most we ever want it to go is 71 percent. The hardest part is controlling it so it only goes up to 71% max.
Here is a list of the current popular styles of humidification used in humidors:
Green Floral Foam – The cheapest available, it usually comes with a new humidor, it is soaked in distilled water, lasts about 14 days and is not very accurate.
Beads or gels – These come in jars and are made up of salts. When soaked in distilled water or glycol solution they swell up and slowly release moisture. This gives a little longer and a little more accurate release of moisture.
Disposable gel packets – These packets contain a blend of salts that restrict evaporation quite accurately and come in many different levels of evaporation, they can last longer, but they need to be replaced once they dry out and work less effectively as they run out of moisture.
Electronic humidification devices – These use electric hygrometer that controls moisture by turning on a fan and blowing humidity into the enclosed space and shutting off when moisture reaches the right levels.
Built in humidification systems – some humidors come with built in humidification. Equipped with a tray for water and a fan that moves the moisture when the digital hygrometer calls for moisture. These are generally found in larger more expensive humidors.
Humigard – The newest edition to this list. Humigard is blend of these devices. It has a tank like the electronic units and it has gel like the packets do, but it has no fan and no electricity. It uses a wick to move moisture from one chamber to the other allowing the gel to stay recharged for up to a year. The unit can then be rinsed, reloaded and used for another year.
Cigars that are too dry will crack or burn too fast; and cigars that are too wet will not burn properly and the flavor will be affected. The proper moisture, for the best smoke and flavor is universally agreed to be between 65 and 71 percent humidity.
The term relative humidity is humidity relative to temperature. As the temperature changes, the humidity reading will change. To get an accurate reading of the level of humidity in an enclosed space you must also know the temperature. Warmer air can hold more moisture, if the temperature goes up, it will appear that your humidity level has gone down. But, it has not, the same amount of moisture is there, but the air can now hold more. If the temperature drops, the moisture level will spike. Even though the same amount of moisture is available, it will read higher because there is less room. If the temperature drops too low, it creates condensation. This is known as the dew point. When temperatures drop the air holds less moisture, and if it exceeds 100%, the additional moisture will fall out of the air and turn back to liquid.
Most experts say the ideal temperature is 70. The ideal humidity at 70 degrees, is between 65% humidity and 71% humidity. So when we say 70% humidity, we mean at 70 degrees because humidity is relative to the temperature.
Cigars are stored at cooler temperatures to avoid tobacco beetle larvae from hatching. These microscopic eggs are found on all tobacco leaves and prefer to hatch in high temperatures and high humidity. Lower humidity and lower temperatures make hatching less likely. This is another reason why 70 degrees or less and under 75 percent relative humidity are recommended numbers to make hatching less likely. Many larger tobacco companies freeze the leaves to extreme cold temperatures, however, not all do. So when storing cigars long term, and cigars can be stored as long as 30 years, it is important to keep them in a stable environment.
A humidor is needed to control humidity levels where cigars are stored. Hand rolled premium cigars do not age well, smoke well, or taste very good, if they are too wet or too dry. The proper environment to store cigars, short term or long term, falls in the range between 65 and 71 percent humidity.
Basic Humidors – Usually made of Spanish cedar wood with a varnish coating, some have glass windows, some have built in hygrometers, some are large with many shelves or drawers, and these come in all shapes and sizes from small ones that hold less than ten, to cabinets that hold thousands of cigars.
Wine Cooler, or Refrigerator style Humidors – These are electronic mini refrigerators that have been converted into humidors. They are becoming very popular because they allow control of temperature and because they are built from plastic and glass they can hold moisture very well.
A hygrometer is a device that measures moisture in the air.
Analog units – These are like clocks with a mechanical dial, they use moisture sensitive metals to move a metal pointer, these are not as accurate and usually are included with inexpensive humidors.
Digital units – These use moisture sensors that report to the CPU and show digital reading. These can be more accurate based on the unit you buy, they can be just as cheap as the analog units.
Digital units that are wireless – These units allow you to monitor the humidity levels without opening the humidor, they can be Wi-Fi and be monitored from anywhere. These are the most expensive, but they allow you to keep a close watch over your valuable cigars from anywhere in the world.
Measuring moisture in the air is extremely difficult. Few Hygrometers are perfectly accurate. You must calibrate your hygrometer to determine its accuracy. Some units will allow you to adjust the actual number. Others you will need to label with the correction, i.e. +2, or -3. Then you can take your reading and subtract or add the correction to get the accurate RH. You should calibrate your hygrometer every 6 months, or at least once a year to check for accuracy. Always test new hygrometers directly out of the box before use. The most accurate hygrometers are only accurate to plus or minus 1.5 RH. Cheaper hygrometers can have an error of plus or minus 3 RH. Watch our video to learn more about hygrometers.
Salt Test – using plain table salt in a bottle cap, add water to make a “salt paste”. Put your hygrometers in a plastic baggy or tightly sealed plastic container with the mixture and watch for results.
The smaller the enclosure the quicker you will see results. Salt restricts water evaporation to 75% RH (assuming that the temperature is always 70 degrees). Keep the test going for at least one full day, taking readings as the day goes on. You are looking for the RH to level off and give you a stable number over time. If you never get a stable number, the Hygrometer may be defective, or you may want to check your enclosure for leaks. If your hygrometer reads 75% RH, it is accurate.
If it does not, you will need to add or subtract the actual reading to equal 75%. For example: if your hygrometer reads 72% RH, your hygrometer is +3. Either you can adjust the hygrometer, or you can put a label on the unit that reads +3. Then when taking a reading in your humidor you will always add that number to know the actual RH.