How Do You Store Cigars?

When you walk into Smoke Inn and see our vast array of cigar offerings and our humidor, it’s easy to think that storing cigars isn’t a big deal. You might be asking, “How do you store cigars?”. Well, cigar aficionados understand that fresh tobacco is a prime factor when it comes to a good smoke. Without a proper humidor, it’s possible for your cigar to dry out or become moldy.

We’ll examine how you should properly store cigars to keep them fresh for months and why a humidor is essential to the process. Whether you’re new to cigar smoking or an old pro, there’s always something more to learn. 

The Perils of Improperly Stored Cigars

Have you ever felt a brittle and dry cigar? Have you ever tried to smoke one? It’s a nightmare and ruins your smoke. The biggest peril of not having a humidor and letting the cigars out in the air is they dry out quickly.

The good news is that a dry cigar can be moisturized and reinvigorated, but it will never be as good as before. Also, the moisturization process is slow and tedious. It can take more than 6 months to moisturize a cigar back to smoking shape. You can tell if your cigar is dry if the body shrinks, the wrapper is loose and wrinkly or the wrapper peels when you try and smoke it.

A dry cigar smokes hot, fast, and unevenly. 

The other pitfall of improperly storing a cigar is mold growth. If you have the humidity too high, then mold grows, and it ruins the cigar. If you can’t see the mold, we guarantee you’ll taste it when you light it up. 

Cigar mold looks blue-green and doesn’t brush off as a cigar plume does. No one wants to smoke a furry cigar. If your humidor begins to grow mold, then remove the cigars and place them in a new non-moldy humidor.

Cigars that are too moist provide a hard draw and the wrapper swells or splits. 

The Importance of Cigar Humidors

There are several methods of preserving a cigar, but the best way is the use of a cigar humidor. Humidors control the humidity and keep the cigars in pristine condition. 

Tobacco grows best in tropical environments, but few homes keep temperatures like a rain forest. The humidor does this for you by using a humidifying element. You place water in the humidifier, and it maintains the proper humidity, usually 70-72 percent. 

If you use tap water, then the minerals and other contaminants can be conducive to mold growth. Instead, use distilled water for your humidifier. The temperature within a humidor should be 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Types of Cigar Humidors

There are several types of humidors on the market, but they fit into three main categories: wood, glass, and metal. Wooden humidors are the most common and are often made of mahogany or Spanish cedar. Many cigar enthusiasts prefer Spanish Cedar because it doesn’t warp or bubble because of the humidity. They also repel cigar beetles that can ruin entire cigar collections.

The Walk-In Humidor

Special collectors and cigar shops and lounges often have walk-in humidors. They can store thousands of cigars in these mammoth humidors. It requires that a room be controlled and designed to maintain a set humidity level and temperature that is different than the rest of the area.

Furniture Humidor

Many people can’t afford a walk-in humidor, so they settle for the next best thing, furniture humidors. You can buy tables, bookcases, and other types of furniture that also function as a humidor. You purchase them from cigar shops and online cigar stores. 

They are still large humidors and can hold 5000 or more cigars, depending on size. Smaller ones hold smaller amounts such as a personal collection. They are not only great for keeping cigars fresh but also look great in your home.

Personal Humidor

This is the most common humidor used by cigar aficionados that don’t want to keep a large stash of cigars on hand. They hold anywhere from 20 to 75 cigars, but some can hold a few hundred cigars. If you have several different types of cigars such as flavored or infused and don’t want them to mix, then it’s easy to buy several personal humidors for your collections. 

You can also have humidors for light, medium, and full-bodied cigars. It’s important to buy a humidor that’s bigger than your current needs. Why? Once you start buying cigars online, it’s hard to stop and before you know it, you need a bigger humidor.

Travel Humidors

As the name suggests, they’re humidors designed for travel or placement in cars for people that like to smoke when on the road. They tend to be smaller and can fit in golf caddies and more. 

Pocket Humidor

These are small personal humidors designed to hold only a few cigars. You can take them with you wherever you go, so you’re never too far away from your favorite sticks.

Taking Care of Your Humidor

Depending on the humidor, they can have hygrometers, humidifiers, and more. It’s best to keep your humidors in their own space and maintain a good seal. If you notice the seal wearing, replace it or the humidor immediately.

A humidor seal keeps the moisture inside and without it, your cigars can dry out fast. There are also several humidor accessories from humidity beads to hydration packs. If you want to keep your cigars fresh for months, then keep your humidor clean and in good shape.

Keep Your Cigars Fresh

You spend a lot of money on cigars and want them to stay fresh until you’re ready to smoke them. How do you store cigars? You keep them fresh inside a humidor. It doesn’t have to be a massive walk-in humidor. It just must keep everything fresh and sealed until you’re ready.

If you want to learn more about humidors and storing them, then please contact us today. If you want to add a few good sticks to your humidor, then check out our selection, or better yet come by and visit us.