How does 1 month at RH 55 affect cigars?
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Renaissance_Man
Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 972
in Cigar 101
My previous post made me wonder. How would 1month of cigars staying in the humi, but at very low humidity - 50-55 affect them? Will they be dead? Will they be able to be rejuvinated? And if one can bring them to life - what is the best thing to do? Just want to be prepared 
... lol
... lol Comments
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You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow.
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What happens if you do it faster?undulac:You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow. -
Since fillers absorb humidity at a faster rate than wrappers, going too fast could cause the cigar to burst.Renaissance_Man:
What happens if you do it faster?undulac:You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow.
Not sure if this is true or not, but I've heard Brits smoke their sticks at about 55%-60% RH. -
Filler leaves take humidity faster, causing them to swell, and crack the wrapper leaf.Renaissance_Man:
What happens if you do it faster?undulac:You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow. -
If you plan to age a cigar long-term (I'm talking 10+ years), then you probably should store them at 50-55% RH (or so I've read). The reason is that most cigars lose their taste after 5-10yrs, but if you lower the RH, the aging process is also slowed down - so if you plan to age more than 10 yrs, having an RH of 50-55% will allow the cigar to age and not lose all it's taste over that period of time.
For people like us who smoke their cigars within a year or so, storing your cigars at 50-55% RH isn't really gonna do much - it just slows the aging process, that's about it -
Not only THAT....sightunseen:
Since fillers absorb humidity at a faster rate than wrappers, going too fast could cause the cigar to burst.Renaissance_Man:
What happens if you do it faster?undulac:You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow.
Not sure if this is true or not, but I've heard Brits smoke their sticks at about 55%-60% RH.
Tried this about a month ago with some Padilla Habano's (remember me askign about that guys? LOL). Did not heed BOTL warnings about S-L-O-W. At least I had enough foresight to try this little experiment in a ziplock bag. When I opened the baggie to give them a sniff test to gauge how they were doing about a week and a half later, well... I remember one thought going thru my head - "DEAD FISH?!?!? Thats not..."
When I came to about 15 minutes later I got some nose plugs, resealed the ziplock and immediately threw them away. Granted mine were WAY the he11 more gone than yours are (1 yr at room RH & temp), but if you really want to try this, I suggest heeding the warnings of S-L-O-W (err on the side of caution my friend) and use a container you dont love just in case. :-)
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This is some really good info, I might have to do this for several of my smokes I plan to let sit for many years.xmacro:If you plan to age a cigar long-term (I'm talking 10+ years), then you probably should store them at 50-55% RH (or so I've read). The reason is that most cigars lose their taste after 5-10yrs, but if you lower the RH, the aging process is also slowed down - so if you plan to age more than 10 yrs, having an RH of 50-55% will allow the cigar to age and not lose all it's taste over that period of time.
For people like us who smoke their cigars within a year or so, storing your cigars at 50-55% RH isn't really gonna do much - it just slows the aging process, that's about it -
Thanks for the input boys! This sure explains the smell of some cigars I had forgotten about in a portable humi
... I have, however, heard the opposite about RH when it comes to aging. I have heard to keep it high, even as high as 80! Then, bring it down when you want to smoke... -
I'd recommend using some sticks you're not gonna cry over if you lose them - I read that bit of info a long time ago and can't really remember where I read it (might've been the Cigar Af. forums), only that some decades-old stogies are stored around 50 or 55%.phobicsquirrel:
This is some really good info, I might have to do this for several of my smokes I plan to let sit for many years.xmacro:If you plan to age a cigar long-term (I'm talking 10+ years), then you probably should store them at 50-55% RH (or so I've read). The reason is that most cigars lose their taste after 5-10yrs, but if you lower the RH, the aging process is also slowed down - so if you plan to age more than 10 yrs, having an RH of 50-55% will allow the cigar to age and not lose all it's taste over that period of time.
For people like us who smoke their cigars within a year or so, storing your cigars at 50-55% RH isn't really gonna do much - it just slows the aging process, that's about it
