Cigars harden over time in the humidor

[Gjnj]

Does anyone experience that when they receive their cigars they're relatively spongy and pliable, and that over time they seem to firm up in the humidor? Some of mine are hard as rocks! This goes for NC as well. My hygrometer is calibrated and I store at 65 degrees/65%. When smoking they seem ok, but I tend to pick the softer ones first. Maybe they're a little over humidified at the warehouse for shipping? I have some psd4 that are especially hard, and I've been challenged by that cigar, but that's another thread!

-PJ

[Habana Mike]

As you noted and from my experience many cigars arrive in an over-humidified state as I believe most vendors keep the humidity higher to avoid drying out during transit.

Beyond that, many of my older/vintage cigars have become pretty much rock hard over time. I am sure that the humidity levels many of us store our cigars at contributes to that.

While I've not experimented keeping cigars I am aging at a higher humidity level, and perhaps I will as a control, I think they would retain the softness and suppleness they had when you received them.

PSOMP/IMO

[forgop]

If they're hard, that speaks to me they aren't being humidified properly. What are you using to humidify your cigars and how trustworthy is your hygrometer?

I believe many retailers tend to ship the cigars a little on the "wet" side to prevent them from being too dry when they arrive. To me, there's just no way you're maintaining 65% if they're hard unless you're just buying cigars that are plugged anyway.

For the record, my PSD4's have been spot on.

[Gjnj]

My first instinct was under humidification. I have a few humidors with analog hygrometers calibrated with the salt test. I use a xikar gel humidifier and a few generic black ones with the green foam inside. I can't figure this out but it's making me paranoid that my stash isn't being stored correctly!

Can anyone (or Rob) give some insight on vendors keeping their stock a little wet for shipping purposes?

[garbandz]

"analog hygrometers calibrated with the salt test."...............Ding Ding Ding................

put all your hygrometers in the same plastic bag,add a damp paper towel............and throw them in the trash.....

[MIKA27]

It's a good question because I myself have some hard cigars in my humidor and i find that it's mostly the PSD4.

I have other cigars in the SAME humidor that are in perfect condition, nice and soft so unsure if it relates to over and or under humidification

In saying all this, I only recently enjoyed one of the hard PSD4's and it smoked extremely well!! Once lit, it was rather soft and smoked like every other cigar.

[Gjnj]

"analog hygrometers calibrated with the salt test."...............Ding Ding Ding................

put all your hygrometers in the same plastic bag,add a damp paper towel............and throw them in the trash.....

I had a digital but it broke! And I was going through watch batteries like crazy. If I calibrate them all to 75% is it that crazy for them to not be able to accurately measure 65%? I'm going to get a new digital that runs on standard (aaa, aa) batteries.. Any recommendations?

[Gjnj]

It's a good question because I myself have some hard cigars in my humidor and i find that it's mostly the PSD4.

I have other cigars in the SAME humidor that are in perfect condition, nice and soft so unsure if it relates to over and or under humidification

In saying all this, I only recently enjoyed one of the hard PSD4's and it smoked extremely well!! Once lit, it was rather soft and smoked like every other cigar.

That's what I forgot to mention. In the same humidor I have a bolivar and ryj short churchill right next to it and they're perfectly soft like the day I got them. That's why I didn't think they were undrhumifified. It only happens to some cigars and there's no rhyme or reason, but it's mostly my psd4's.

The psd4 I got at the beginning of the year were not good (ashy, harsh, flavorless) but the ones I got in the past month are fantastic.

[forgop]

"analog hygrometers calibrated with the salt test."...............Ding Ding Ding................

put all your hygrometers in the same plastic bag,add a damp paper towel............and throw them in the trash.....

LMAO

[forgop]

That's what I forgot to mention. In the same humidor I have a bolivar and ryj short churchill right next to it and they're perfectly soft like the day I got them. That's why I didn't think they were undrhumifified. It only happens to some cigars and there's no rhyme or reason, but it's mostly my psd4's.

The psd4 I got at the beginning of the year were not good (ashy, harsh, flavorless) but the ones I got in the past month are fantastic.

It helps to specify-what exactly are you using for your humidor? Desktop? Cabinet? Wineador? Cooler? Do you trust that your storage is keeping in said humidity and not leaking it as a lot of cheaply made humidors will do?

What are you using to control your humidity? Beads? An active system? Do you have something to circulate the humidity in your humidor? Are said "soft" cigars closer to the humidifier used than the "hard" ones?

[soutso]

I find my Monte 5s are ususally pretty hard. Smoke beautifully though?

Perhaps the cigars are overfilled? Perhaps your humidor has 'dry spots'?

[LordAnubis]

I find the ones with thick dark wrappers are the ones that go rock hard. It's as if the oils in the wrapper are setting rock hard like glue. I have a box of PSP RyJ Ex No 4's and PSP PSD4s that are harder than an aluminium tube. Smoked one of the Ex No 4s yesterday and it was amazing!!! Can't wait for them to age a few years more they will be stellar.

[CaptainQuintero]

I had a digital but it broke! And I was going through watch batteries like crazy. If I calibrate them all to 75% is it that crazy for them to not be able to accurately measure 65%? I'm going to get a new digital that runs on standard (aaa, aa) batteries.. Any recommendations?

Xikar or calibre III are good hygrometers. Also maybe pick up some boveda 75%rh testing kits off ebay, they're a few bucks each but are a lot more accurate than the salt test.

[tmac77]

Piggy will no doubt have a lengthy answer to this.

[Gjnj]

It helps to specify-what exactly are you using for your humidor? Desktop? Cabinet? Wineador? Cooler? Do you trust that your storage is keeping in said humidity and not leaking it as a lot of cheaply made humidors will do?

What are you using to control your humidity? Beads? An active system? Do you have something to circulate the humidity in your humidor? Are said "soft" cigars closer to the humidifier used than the "hard" ones?

I have 5 humidors, 3 desktops and 2 cabinets. I don't know how to detect if they leak but the analog hygrometers stay consistent and they all seem to hold humidity.

I mentioned above I use a combo of passive humidifiers, xikar crystal along with the generic black ones with foam inside. They're evenly distributed through the cabinet. I assume humidity rises so I should keep more at the bottom? Pig??