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Now that you have a new humidor, the first thing to do is to NOT put cigars inside. First and foremost, you must season or condition a new humidor before storing your beloved stogies. This is also true for an old humidor that hasn't been used in a while. The cedar inside of a humidor is part of the humidification system, and acts to provide humidity (and flavor) to the cigars, along with the humidification device. If the cedar has not been seasoned, then the wood will actually rob moisture from the cigars, and dry them out. This effect is the exact opposite of what you wanted when you purchased the humidor.
To season a humidor, all you need is some distilled water, a clean unscented sponge and some patience - at least for a few days. IMPORTANT - Do not use tap water in place of distilled water. Start by lightly dampening a clean sponge with distilled water, then lightly wipe down all the cedar wood inside of the humidor, including the inside lid and any dividers and/or trays. Be sure NOT to soak the cedar, you just want to rub it down lightly. Some people are opposed wiping down the humidor, however assuming you’re careful not to soak the cedar and cause it to warp, you’ll be fine. Again, just a light wipe down is all you need to do - this will give it a jumpstart in the seasoning / conditioning process.
Put the wet sponge on top of a piece of cellophane (or plastic bag) and place inside the humidor. Make sure that the sponge is not overly saturated, and not touching any wood.
NOTE: Some people opt for using a shot glass or small bowl. Fill it with distilled water, and place the shot glass (or small bowl) inside the humidor (below the tray if there is one). Be careful not to spill any water onto the Cedar, as it will damage the wood causing it to warp. What you’re doing is increasing the RH level substantially. Your new humidor is thirsty, and will soak up a lot of the water from the humidifier, therefore adding a shot glass of distilled water helps season the humidor faster. Fill your humidification device with either distilled water or a humidifying solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure that the device is not overly saturated by letting any excess water drip out (into a sink), then wipe off any drops of water on the outside of the humidification device, and place the device inside the humidor.
Now comes the hard part, (be patient with your humidor, a little work and persistence will reward you with perfectly aged and humidified cigars), close the humidor for 2 days and wait. The next day, repeat the wipe down procedure using distilled water and the sponge, but do not leave the sponge (or shot glass), inside this time, and wait another day.
NOTE: Do not unnecessarily open the lid, you will get best results by allowing your humidor to rest and allow the seasoning process to do its thing.
On the day after the second treatment, it should be safe to use the humidor as long as you cannot feel any dampness on the cedar. If so, then wait one more day before storing your cigars. If you have a hygrometer inside the humidor, ignore any higher-than-normal readings during the seasoning process. If your humidor is reading and holding steady at 70%, go ahead and start filling it up with cigars. Sometimes it’s best to gradually add cigars; for instance, start by adding only 25 cigars. Wait a day, and if your humidity is holding steady at around 70%, feel free to add more cigars. You don’t have to gradually add cigars, it is just a suggestion. However, if the humidity is lower than 72% on the day after the second treatment, then repeat the wipe down procedure for a third time (you may also need to test your hygrometer or recharge your humidification device).
That’s it! You’ve properly seasoned your new humidor. Having followed this guide will take a lot of the headache out of maintaining proper 70% humidity. Assuming you maintain your humidor and make sure the humidifier is always charged, and the humidity % has not dramatically dropped, you’ll never have to season the humidor again.
Some notes pertaining to humidity. Everyone has their own opinion on how much humidity you should maintain in your humidor. The general rule of thumb is 70%. Personally, I feel this is too humid, and doesn’t allow the cigars to burn properly. High humidity % also covers up some of the true flavors from the cigar; plus it can cause mold to grow. I like to keep my cigars at 65% humidity, as I have noticed they smoke best at this point and also burn evenly without constantly going out. The safe humidity range is 60%-70%. Experiment and see what works best for you. Dropping below 60% may cause your cigars to dry out; going above 70% WILL cause mold to grow.
The last point I’d like to touch upon is temperature and deciding where your humidor is going to live. Choose a location that has constant temperature (between 60F-75F is ideal), is away from drafts and out of direct sunlight. If the temp goes much higher than 75F, you’re at risk for tobacco beetles. Tobacco beetles like to lay eggs on tobacco leaf, and if your cigar has eggs in the tobacco, they may hatch at 80F +. If the eggs hatch, the beetles will eat your cigars, and you’ll be left with cigars that look like Swiss cheese. Aside from beetles being a threat, cigars prefer it at 75F or less; this will prevent them from becoming damaged.
That’s all there is to it and I hope you enjoy your new Humidor
Christopher
Now that you have a new humidor, the first thing to do is to NOT put cigars inside. First and foremost, you must season or condition a new humidor before storing your beloved stogies. This is also true for an old humidor that hasn't been used in a while. The cedar inside of a humidor is part of the humidification system, and acts to provide humidity (and flavor) to the cigars, along with the humidification device. If the cedar has not been seasoned, then the wood will actually rob moisture from the cigars, and dry them out. This effect is the exact opposite of what you wanted when you purchased the humidor.
To season a humidor, all you need is some distilled water, a clean unscented sponge and some patience - at least for a few days. IMPORTANT - Do not use tap water in place of distilled water. Start by lightly dampening a clean sponge with distilled water, then lightly wipe down all the cedar wood inside of the humidor, including the inside lid and any dividers and/or trays. Be sure NOT to soak the cedar, you just want to rub it down lightly. Some people are opposed wiping down the humidor, however assuming you’re careful not to soak the cedar and cause it to warp, you’ll be fine. Again, just a light wipe down is all you need to do - this will give it a jumpstart in the seasoning / conditioning process.
Put the wet sponge on top of a piece of cellophane (or plastic bag) and place inside the humidor. Make sure that the sponge is not overly saturated, and not touching any wood.
NOTE: Some people opt for using a shot glass or small bowl. Fill it with distilled water, and place the shot glass (or small bowl) inside the humidor (below the tray if there is one). Be careful not to spill any water onto the Cedar, as it will damage the wood causing it to warp. What you’re doing is increasing the RH level substantially. Your new humidor is thirsty, and will soak up a lot of the water from the humidifier, therefore adding a shot glass of distilled water helps season the humidor faster. Fill your humidification device with either distilled water or a humidifying solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure that the device is not overly saturated by letting any excess water drip out (into a sink), then wipe off any drops of water on the outside of the humidification device, and place the device inside the humidor.
Now comes the hard part, (be patient with your humidor, a little work and persistence will reward you with perfectly aged and humidified cigars), close the humidor for 2 days and wait. The next day, repeat the wipe down procedure using distilled water and the sponge, but do not leave the sponge (or shot glass), inside this time, and wait another day.
NOTE: Do not unnecessarily open the lid, you will get best results by allowing your humidor to rest and allow the seasoning process to do its thing.
On the day after the second treatment, it should be safe to use the humidor as long as you cannot feel any dampness on the cedar. If so, then wait one more day before storing your cigars. If you have a hygrometer inside the humidor, ignore any higher-than-normal readings during the seasoning process. If your humidor is reading and holding steady at 70%, go ahead and start filling it up with cigars. Sometimes it’s best to gradually add cigars; for instance, start by adding only 25 cigars. Wait a day, and if your humidity is holding steady at around 70%, feel free to add more cigars. You don’t have to gradually add cigars, it is just a suggestion. However, if the humidity is lower than 72% on the day after the second treatment, then repeat the wipe down procedure for a third time (you may also need to test your hygrometer or recharge your humidification device).
That’s it! You’ve properly seasoned your new humidor. Having followed this guide will take a lot of the headache out of maintaining proper 70% humidity. Assuming you maintain your humidor and make sure the humidifier is always charged, and the humidity % has not dramatically dropped, you’ll never have to season the humidor again.
Some notes pertaining to humidity. Everyone has their own opinion on how much humidity you should maintain in your humidor. The general rule of thumb is 70%. Personally, I feel this is too humid, and doesn’t allow the cigars to burn properly. High humidity % also covers up some of the true flavors from the cigar; plus it can cause mold to grow. I like to keep my cigars at 65% humidity, as I have noticed they smoke best at this point and also burn evenly without constantly going out. The safe humidity range is 60%-70%. Experiment and see what works best for you. Dropping below 60% may cause your cigars to dry out; going above 70% WILL cause mold to grow.
The last point I’d like to touch upon is temperature and deciding where your humidor is going to live. Choose a location that has constant temperature (between 60F-75F is ideal), is away from drafts and out of direct sunlight. If the temp goes much higher than 75F, you’re at risk for tobacco beetles. Tobacco beetles like to lay eggs on tobacco leaf, and if your cigar has eggs in the tobacco, they may hatch at 80F +. If the eggs hatch, the beetles will eat your cigars, and you’ll be left with cigars that look like Swiss cheese. Aside from beetles being a threat, cigars prefer it at 75F or less; this will prevent them from becoming damaged.
That’s all there is to it and I hope you enjoy your new Humidor

Christopher

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