To properly care for your
cigar collection you will need a humidor. Ideally, the humidor will be made of cedar wood
and will close tightly. Along with your humidor you will need to purchase a
hygrometer. This device measures the humidity level inside of the humidor.
Finally, you will need a humidifier. This is usually a cylindrical device which you fill
with water. As you would expect, its purpose is to provide humidity. The perfect
conditions for a cigar are 70% humidity and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature and
humidity are critical to keeping your cigars fresh. Once you begin to fall below 65%
humidity you run the risk of drying out the cigar. Once you exceed 70% humidity you
run the risk of making the cigar too moist. This in turn will cause mold to
grow on your cigar. Discard the cigar if you spot mold. To
cold ? Yes, I've heard people suggest that keeping cigars in a refrigerator or freezer is
the best place for a cigar. It is not ! Cold air robs the cigar of its
moisture, besides, do you want your cigar to taste like last nights dinner ?White
spots on your cigar ? These are known as blooms. They are the result of long term
storage. They are harmless and can easily be removed.Cigar
dried out ? - You can restore a dried our cigar but it takes time. If it's an
expensive cigar see your tobacconist. You can usually restore a cigar by exposing it
to moisture in a partially opened box. Every few days, you should rotate the cigar so that
all of the wrapper is exposed to the humidity. Repeat this process for a month.
