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Cigar experts know how to store a cigar properly, but if you’re a beginner you might be wondering how you can store that cigar that you’re saving for a special occasion, or you just want to keep your cigars fresh. There are two types of cigar smokers, the cigar aficionados and the casual cigar smokers. The cigar aficionados can teach the casual smoker a few things about cigars.
If you’re a casual smoker, you’ll still want to keep your cigars fresh until you want to smoke them, storing your cigars properly will make the difference in how it burns and your overall experience.
The best way to keep your cigar fresh is by keeping it in an area that has the same climate as where the cigar was made. It may be difficult to maintain this standard at first, but with consistency, you will succeed. These tips will help you store your cigars correctly, whether it is in a ziplock bag or humidor.
Using A Humidor To Store Cigars
The best way to store a cigar at home is by using a humidor. Humidors are boxes that are able to imitate the climate where the cigars were made, and it also allows you to adjust the humidity and temperature depending on type and amount of cigars you’re keeping. They also help in adding the needed moisture and also getting rid of any excess moisture.
Humidors are great in keeping cigars fresh for a short time, and they are also used to age cigars. Some of the newly produced cigars may need to be kept in a humidor before they can be smoked. If you notice that your new cigar is not burning correctly, it could be that it has extra moisture added at the factory in order to keep it fresh during its journey to the cigar dealer. So the cigar will need to be stabilized before it can be smoked. Place the cigar collection in the humidor, leave it for a week and then you can smoke it.
How To Use A Humidor To Store Cigars
It is crucial that you only use distilled water in your humidor because tap water attracts mold, and that could cause minerals to build up.
Ensure that you check the level of the moisture in the humidor weekly and also check the cigars to make sure they aren’t growing mold.
It is best if you store only the same brand of cigars in one humidor. Storing different brands of cigars can cause the oils from the cigars to blend, and this will change the flavour of the cigars. This is known as marrying cigars.
Before you store your cigars in the humidor ensure that you remove the cellophane wrappers, especially if you want the flavours to meld.
When you’re placing the cigars inside the humidors, please do not place the cigars tightly together instead leave space between them for proper airflow.
Cigar experts suggest that you open the humidor at least once a week so that fresh air can get into the box. If the box is left closed for a long time, it could cause the cigars to have a musty smell.
It is vital that you rotate the cigars at least every six months to ensure that the humidity is distributed evenly.
Ensure that you check the cigars often for mold, chipping or cracking. Check if the cigar is still springy by squeezing the bottom end.
Make sure that you purchase the right sized humidor depending on how extensive your cigar collection is. You won’t want to overload or underload your humidor.
The Suitable Temperature And Humidity To Maintain
Like we said before, it is best to keep cigars at the same temperature as the country they were made in. The basic humidity level that most cigar experts say is suitable is 70% with a temperature of 68 degrees. These numbers can be difficult to maintain, especially when the season changes. Because of that, the acceptable range is between 62 to 72 percent humidity.
The humidity should vary depending on the temperature. The formula that experts recommend is to increase the moisture percentage by one for every time the temperature is lowered. For example, if the temperature is at 67 degrees, the humidity should be at 71 percent.
If you have put in a lot of time and money in collecting cigars, you should read up on guidelines that are based on where the cigar is grown so that you can match the climate. Some cigars thrive better in a dry environment due to the weather where they are grown. Cigars that have thick wrappers with oils need less humidity.
How To Store Cigars Without A Humidor
A humidor is usually made out of mahogany and cedar, and it is designed to keep the moisture content at a consistent level. You can purchase a cheap humidor, and that is the best way to store your box of cigars. But there are times when you don’t have a humidor, and you just want to save your cigar for later, or you got them as a gift.
Cigars do not remain fresh for too long, even cigars that are sealed outside a humidor only last for a week. Cigars that are stored in a ziplock bag will last only a few days without any added humidity. Here is a tip on how to store cigars on the go;
If you have opened a pack of cigars and you need to store them for later, you can simply place it in a clean ziplock bag or a plastic container that is sealed. Saturate a sponge in distilled water and squeeze it to remove the excess water and place it inside the container or ziplock bag. You can store 25 cigars per sponge. If you are only keeping a few cigars, then cut the sponge into small pieces.
Cigars that are kept this way will last for about a few days to months. But a humidor is the best way to store cigars.
Conclusion
Learning the right way to store cigars will help you keep your cigars fresh until you want to smoke. It allows you to enjoy your smoking experience.
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