Winter is here and ready to suck all of the cigar codling humidity right out of your tougher than nails, fancy-ass humidor. Can’t you just hear the greedy laughs from the lip balm boys, ready to make a killing off your crusty winter lips (filthy animals !), dry as a bone…”yeah baby, yeah!” If you’re not careful, that steady 70% humidity reading you keep bragging about to all your friends will drop faster than your ample beer-belly.
You can really do some serious damage to your precious sticks by ignoring that box….dry cracked un-cooperative cigars will take over your humidor if you’re not careful. So here’s some nuggets of wisdom for you to chew on.
RULE #1: GET IN AND GET OUT
This aint your old dusty-ass lint collecting clothes dryer, or your sisters decrepit easy bake oven . Like your father used to yell “hey, stop lettin all my damn heat out”, you get the picture. The less time you rummage around, the less humidity escapes your humidor. By spending as little time as possible with the lid open, your humidifying device and Spanish cedar lining of your humidor aren’t going to dry out as fast as they would.
RULE #2: RECHARGE
Make sure you recharge your humidification devices regularly. It is common knowledge that you should check your humidification device at least every 2 months to see if you should recharge it or not. If it seems dry, add distilled water to your humidification device, and voilà, you’re set for another few months. Foam humidifiers need to be recharged about every 2-3 months while crystal humidifiers need maintenance every 6 months or longer. If you notice your device isn’t holding humidity as long as it used to, perhaps it’s time to consider a replacement humidifier.
But if you’re in the same sinking ship I left myself in this winter by NOT following my own rule, you’re going to need a little assistance. I got my humidor to the point where the Spanish cedar expelled all the humidity it once retained. Now my humidor is as dry as the Gobi Desert. The solution: I recharged with two Boveda seasoning packs. If you take this route, remember that these packs are 83% humidity and are meant to season an empty humidor. Because I’m not taking my cigars out, I’m introducing the second pack 2 days after the first pack. This way the humidity is introduced gradually to rehydrate my cigars and the Spanish cedar lining. Soon enough, I’ll be in working order.
RULE #3: CHECK YOUR EQUIPMENT
Basically, you need to ensure the seal on your humidor is tight as can be. Again, the lack of humidity during the winter is devastating, so even the tiniest breach can rip out humidity like that old less than clingy bandaid you’ve been sporting. Once the humidity starts to leave your humidor, the wood contracts a little bit and the seal is compromised.
Proper humidor care and taking preventative measures to keep your large investment of cigars safe is key during the winter months. Without knowing how to properly maintain your cigars during a radical shift in the atmosphere, you put each stogie you stash at risk of being destroyed or irreparably dried out. Make sure you follow my 3 easy rules this winter season. Remember…”the north never forgets”, so keep it humid campers, and find that special place to smoke that special stick.
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