The right humidity

[mbrody]

I smoke a cigar a day. 2 if I am off. I always dreaded dry cigars, so I don't dry box and storage really have been erred to the 65% to 68% range in an active humidity environment.

Over the last few weeks I moved. This caused me to move my cigars and keep a stash in a humidor with only a 65% boveda. I also threw a stash in a baggy without humidity, that sat in the house for a few days.

To make a boring, long story short, the cigars I have been smoking through are all drier than my normal storage environment, and I am truly finding new and more pronounced flavors. I am enjoying some marcas that I was not crazy over before.

So if you are like me, and a little paranoid about drying out your cigars, experiment a bit. You may find it worth it...happy I did by mistake.

[investandprosper]

Thanks for sharing, it's always fun to experiment a little. 61-63% at the time of smoking is my cup of tea 65% is good for storing, but I usually take the cigar out of the humi a few hours before I set foot to flame.

[El Presidente]

Mike some of my best cigar moments have been cigars I have forgotten in my dry box humidor for a few weeks (traveling normally) or the ones in my fishing canoe humidor which can go 3 months without humidification.

[ramon_cojones]

yep, my aristo is set to 61%

had a corona major that sat in the car overnight in the garage and was smoked the next night, smoked very well

[nikesupremedunk]

Mine is set at 63$ and it does smoke pretty well.

But I always wondered, maybe some cigars smoke better at a lower RH than higher RH? Does ring gauge size matter as well?

[IcedCanuck]

I yanked the sponge type humidifiers out one of my humidor and replaced it with 65% beads. Prior to the change my humi always sat around the 68% - 72% range. Now it is down to a solid 65% and I have noticed a huge difference in flavour and burn since doing so. Makes me wonder what cigars sitting around 61% - 63% would be like.

[Nino]

Nice to hear,

I've always enjoyed my cigars on the drier side and been happy, especially after smoking too many over-humidified cigars in places like Cuba or Spain.

Keeping my cigars in steel lockers that are not humidified at all in a cool cellar and never had a problem.

My comment from the "What's you Set-up" thread :

The cellar has a very constant year-round temperature - never below 14-15 C or above 17 C.

The boxes are wrapped in plastic or zip-lock bags.

I do not use any humidification at all. The natural humidity inside the box is maintained. Should humidity be required ( rarely ) I put a moist sponge inside for while.

Average RH is around 65%

[dicko]

I like mine on the drier side too!

I find maduro NC's are better closer to 70 though

[maverickdrinker]

I keep all the humis between 62 and 65 degrees. Never an issue.

[Lotusguy]

I swear by 65% and that's what I keep my cabinet humidor and cooler at. No need to dry box either.

[Guybrush]

Most guys I know from the German speaking part of the world smoke there Cuban cigars around 70-72%.

I was told, one of the most famous cigars seller in Switzerland, Urs Portmann, is storing his cigars at an even higher humidity. I was always wondering why you guys in the English speaking forums prefer drier cigars.

[ramon_cojones]

In europe they also prefer fresh cigars, must be a cultural thing.

[mm12]

I always try to keep my humidors between 60-63. Occasionally they'll creep down as low as 58 before I get around to recharging my beads. Never been a problem. When the RH jumps north of 65 (usually because of extented periods of very humid weather) the flavor/draw of many cigars starts to suffer IMO.

[Michel1968]

I store at 65 to 67% and take out a cigar a few hours before smoking. Rarely have issues with draw and burn. Got lots of buddies tuning down their humi's RV after seeing me smoking and foremost enjoying 'lesser' cigars whilst they were battling their moist 'beauties'...

[amosnaim]

i keep my cigars at around 67, and i try to dry box for a day or two.

I prefer the cigars a bit dry than over humidified which gives it a bitter taste.

[SpeedGeek]

After going from 70% to 65%, I've also noticed a marked difference and personally love it. I just recently picked up a travel humidor, so I'll have to look at dry boxing as well.

[ramon_cojones]

Anything over 62 is too wet for me, 67 is downright soaking I've never got any flavor at that rh.

[Orion21]

Anything over 62 is too wet for me, 67 is downright soaking I've never got any flavor at that rh.

The more moisture in the tobacco the more diluted the flavors are going to be. Obviously a cigar can be too dry to smoke, but I think the logic is sound.

For example, take a Coca Cola with ice. It's perfectly fine in the begging because the ice enhances the flavors of the Coke, but as the ice melts it dilutes the special Coca Cola formula. I think the same thing can happen with cigars. If the environment is too wet the tobacco will engorge with water and when smoked the flavors will not be as concentrated as a cigar kept at a lower equilibrium. I'm sure Piggy can tell me if I am on the right track or not . . .