Just because you’re on the road, doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite cigars. Instead, take them with you in a travel humidor and stay away from hotel rooms that can wreak havoc on your cigar collection, as well as any other valuables you might be traveling with. If you want to keep your travel humidors safe from high humidity levels and don’t have time to season it properly, check out these steps on how to lower humidity in a humidor quickly and safely.
What is Humidity?
Humidity is an essential part of cigar storage, but it can also be one of your biggest enemies. Cigars don’t like high levels of humidity. In fact, too much moisture will quickly lead to mold and mildew. If your humidor doesn’t have ventilation holes, you should open it once or twice per month for about an hour—this helps keep it fresh and well-ventilated. The proper range for keeping cigars is between 62% and 70% relative humidity (RH). Depending on how many cigars you want to store, as well as their size and how moist they are when they arrive, you may need to adjust that range slightly higher or lower.
Good Hygrometer vs Bad Hygrometer
If you own a travel humidors, it’s probably time to replace your hygrometer. You might notice that your cigars have been drying out lately and if you have, then there’s a good chance that you need to invest in a new instrument for measuring relative humidity. There are two types of instruments on today’s market: analog and digital. Analog hygrometers use plastic beads whereas digital versions rely on electronic sensors. Digital hygrometers are often easier for calibrating than their analog counterparts, which means that they can be adjusted more often without fear of damaging them. Today we will be covering how to test and change an analog gauge in order to determine whether or not it needs replacing.
Ways to Lower Humidity in the Humidor
It’s not uncommon for cigars to have different dry spots within them. In other words, each cigar could be dry in different areas and therefore have differing moisture levels across its length. The fix? Treating each cigar individually by cutting a piece of cedar wood and placing it inside with your cigars. If you don’t have any cedar laying around (which is unlikely because it’s one of those things that every good stogie aficionado has on hand), use corn cob or even just plain old newspaper as an alternative. Your goal here is simple: get some air circulating through your humidor so that air can reach all parts of each individual cigar and release trapped moisture that might otherwise end up turning into mold later on down the road.
How To Keep The Humidor Humid Without Overdoing It
Humidors are used by cigar aficionados because they keep cigars fresh. Depending on your climate, temperature, and environment, keeping a humidor at an optimal level can be tricky. There is no perfect number for what constitutes humidity or optimal, but most experts recommend maintaining between 65% and 75% relative humidity at all times. This can be accomplished by adding distilled water to replace evaporation until your hygrometer reads where you want it (if it uses liquid). If you don’t have a hygrometer and need assistance calibrating one, contact A1F Cigars for expert assistance!
Ideal Level of Relative Humidity In A Cigar Humidor
An ideal relative humidity level for cigars is between 65 and 70 percent. It’s important to keep your cigars stored at that level to prevent them from drying out or being damaged. The amount of time it takes for your humidor’s relative humidity level to move into your preferred range depends on its current state, but as a general rule, you should expect it to take approximately 6 months of regular use. If you’re concerned about reaching your desired relative humidity level before using your humidor extensively, there are some things you can do along with regularly re-hydrating (i.e., adding water) and emptying its water reservoir.
