Post by StickStickler on Jul 25, 2013 15:18:48 GMT
General Info:
Humidors come in an extremely wide variety of sizes and vary on the amount of cigars they can hold. Just because a humidor itself is boasting sizes unimaginable, you may be able to find a smaller one that holds exactly the same amount if not more. Humidors are made with a variety of wood on the exterior but are lined with kiln-dried spanish cedar which is perfect for holding humidity and moisture.
Caring for your humidor:
Proper humidor and cigar care is the most crucial part of being a cigar enthusiast. If you plan on keeping cigars around for more than a week or two, you NEED a humidor or those bad boys will go from bad to terrible. Most people will tell you that the best temperature for a humidor to be regulated to is about 73F(22.8C) but then they will also tell you a humidity percentage, often times just the percentage that they prefer. When it comes to humidity, the more popular percentages are 60, 65, and 70%. While these percentages are simply based on preference, most humidifiers that aren’t electronic will regulate humidity around 68-72% humidity.
The types of humidifiers available range from sponge, beads, gel-beads, crystals, and electronic. The craze right now aside from electronic humidifiers would have to be beads. Beads do not have to be completely saturated and absorb and expel moisture as needed whereas others simply expel moisture in order to regulate humidity. If you really want to keep your cigars perfect, check out Heartfelt Beads. Heartfelt Beads have become extremely popular because their unique design that allows them to perfect humidity regulation. There are also other brands that are delving into similar beads but Heartfelt provides the most trusted products as of late and the price is well worth it.
Seasoning your humidor:
Now here is the fun part. Seasoning a humidor can take a single day, or it can take weeks. All of this depends on the way your humidor was made and whether or not the company has already seasoned it prior to delivery. There are steps in the seasoning process that can be substituted and we will give you the different options that there are rather than attempting to convince you that there is one perfect way.
1. Wipe the interior of your humidor with a damp sponge or lint-free towel before use.
1a. (ALTERNATIVE) Place a damp sponge on a plastic baggy within your humidor for 24-48 hours to allow wood to absorb.
NOTE: Use only distilled water or a 50/50 Propylene glycol solution
2. Most humidors will come with green foam humidifiers. Fill a bowl of water with distilled water and place the humidifier in the water face down for about 3 minutes so that it can soak, wiping away excess water.
3. Install the humidifier and leave the humidor closed for 24 hours.
4. After 24 hours, open the humidor and refill humidifier (if necessary) then allow to sit for another 24 hours. This will usually finish off the seasoning process.
5. Monitor the humidity levels in your humidor often and ensure that it is at your preferred percentage.
6. Store your humidor in a cool, dry space that is away from direct sunlight or heating and air-conditioning vents.
Humidors come in an extremely wide variety of sizes and vary on the amount of cigars they can hold. Just because a humidor itself is boasting sizes unimaginable, you may be able to find a smaller one that holds exactly the same amount if not more. Humidors are made with a variety of wood on the exterior but are lined with kiln-dried spanish cedar which is perfect for holding humidity and moisture.
Caring for your humidor:
Proper humidor and cigar care is the most crucial part of being a cigar enthusiast. If you plan on keeping cigars around for more than a week or two, you NEED a humidor or those bad boys will go from bad to terrible. Most people will tell you that the best temperature for a humidor to be regulated to is about 73F(22.8C) but then they will also tell you a humidity percentage, often times just the percentage that they prefer. When it comes to humidity, the more popular percentages are 60, 65, and 70%. While these percentages are simply based on preference, most humidifiers that aren’t electronic will regulate humidity around 68-72% humidity.
The types of humidifiers available range from sponge, beads, gel-beads, crystals, and electronic. The craze right now aside from electronic humidifiers would have to be beads. Beads do not have to be completely saturated and absorb and expel moisture as needed whereas others simply expel moisture in order to regulate humidity. If you really want to keep your cigars perfect, check out Heartfelt Beads. Heartfelt Beads have become extremely popular because their unique design that allows them to perfect humidity regulation. There are also other brands that are delving into similar beads but Heartfelt provides the most trusted products as of late and the price is well worth it.
Seasoning your humidor:
Now here is the fun part. Seasoning a humidor can take a single day, or it can take weeks. All of this depends on the way your humidor was made and whether or not the company has already seasoned it prior to delivery. There are steps in the seasoning process that can be substituted and we will give you the different options that there are rather than attempting to convince you that there is one perfect way.
1. Wipe the interior of your humidor with a damp sponge or lint-free towel before use.
1a. (ALTERNATIVE) Place a damp sponge on a plastic baggy within your humidor for 24-48 hours to allow wood to absorb.
NOTE: Use only distilled water or a 50/50 Propylene glycol solution
2. Most humidors will come with green foam humidifiers. Fill a bowl of water with distilled water and place the humidifier in the water face down for about 3 minutes so that it can soak, wiping away excess water.
3. Install the humidifier and leave the humidor closed for 24 hours.
4. After 24 hours, open the humidor and refill humidifier (if necessary) then allow to sit for another 24 hours. This will usually finish off the seasoning process.
5. Monitor the humidity levels in your humidor often and ensure that it is at your preferred percentage.
6. Store your humidor in a cool, dry space that is away from direct sunlight or heating and air-conditioning vents.