Habanos SA recommended RH%...do you agree?

[benfica_77]

I follow Habanos on instagram and they poll questions sometimes...they posted a question a couple of days back, which was....what is the recommended RH% to keep cigars? The correct answer based on Habanos SA is 65-70. What's your thoughts on this? 

What RH% do you keep your humidor?

 

 

[NSXCIGAR]

That's been the standard recommendation for decades. in fact when I first started smoking cigars in the mid-90s the general recommendation was 70%rH/70F which has been totally discredited today. 

There's really no compelling reason for HSA to deviate from their traditional statement although there's been a shift in belief over the last 20 years based on a lot of data and evidence that rH should be kept closer to a constant 62-63%. It seems cigars made post-2000 are particularly prone to having draw and burn issues due to high rH. Also, the understanding on storage temperature has also evolved and temps lower than 60F are very widely accepted and practiced. 

And if the Anejados are any indication HSA's track record on storing cigars isn't exactly the best. 

[BoliDan]

Those ranges in choices are terrible. I think its only ideal because all the other options go over 70%. They probably dont mention temperature either which is equally important when discussing relative humidity.

My cigars get too wet at anything over 65. I actually like 58-62 for the slightly less than ideal temperature (72F) that I keep my house and cigars.

 

 

 

[Hollywood Ninja]

Those ranges in choices are terrible. I think its only ideal because all the other options go over 70%. They probably dont mention temperature either which is equally important when discussing relative humidity.
My cigars get too wet at anything over 65. I actually like 58-62 for the slightly less than ideal temperature (72F) that I keep my house and cigars.
 
 
 

This is pretty much exactly where I’m at — 70F (not ideal I realize) and 60%RH. Have had nearly zero burn issues.


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[Chibearsv]

In our midwest climate, I find 65RH and 60F is the best environment for my cigars.  They smoke beautifully and I never have issues with mold or beetles - yes I'm knocking on wood right now.  When I've kept the humidity any higher, I'd have issues with uneven burn and or wrappers bursting.  When I had the storage temp near 70, I'd have mold issues.  I'm no scientist but I've got to believe the sweet spot must be different depending on individual climates.

[kalibratecuba]

It's the only option I would choose when given the other options.

I'm not going to bother you with my opinion.

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[sho671]

30 minutes ago, BoliDan said:

They probably dont mention temperature either which is equally important when discussing relative humidity.

They don't seem to mention temp in their poll, but Habanos SA recommends 16-18C (60-65F) and 65-70% RH. I use 65% Boveda packs and keep the temp 64F +/-1. So lower RH at your higher temp makes sense.

[The Squiggler]

I think there may be a difference between ideal smoking RH and ideal RH for aging.  I think the 16-18C and 65-70%RH are the recommended conditions for 'ageing' according to Habanos SA, but as many people have noticed, most CCs have burn issues when kept in those conditions and need to be dry-boxed

[sho671]

5 minutes ago, The Squiggler said:

I think there may be a difference between ideal smoking RH and ideal RH for aging.  I think the 16-18C and 65-70%RH are the recommended conditions for 'ageing' according to Habanos SA, but as many people have noticed, most CCs have burn issues when kept in those conditions and need to be dry-boxed

They don't mention anything about those conditions being for aging, just storing in general. I don't dry box and haven't had any burn issues, but YMMV.

[The Squiggler]

4 minutes ago, sho671 said:

They don't mention anything about those conditions being for aging, just storing in general. I don't dry box and haven't had any burn issues, but YMMV.

[The Squiggler]

 

8 minutes ago, sho671 said:

They don't mention anything about those conditions being for aging, just storing in general. I don't dry box and haven't had any burn issues, but YMMV.

As far as burn issues are concerned, I also use 65% bovedas and rarely encounter burn issues.  I have talked to a lot of people who like their RH lower for that reason, but it could easily have something to do with the external RH where they live or other factors.

[sho671]

7 minutes ago, The Squiggler said:

Interesting, they list the same conditions for storing them on their "Keeping Habanos" page and on the paper inserts in boxes.

[The Squiggler]

1 minute ago, sho671 said:

Interesting, they list the same conditions for storing them on their "Keeping Habanos" page.

I guess it's just their go-to.  Personally, I've found 65% to be a nice happy medium between the above and the slightly dryer conditions some people prefer.  When I was using 69% packs I definitely saw more burn problems... not with most cigars, but with a noteworthy amount compared to 65%

[Viva Vegas]

I live in the desert and have found 70 about perfect. Our humidity is low outside sometimes as low as 1 percent. The sticks start to dry the minute you take em out.

[IanMcLean68]

It depends on how long. For ageing I like to keep my cigars at 65Rh. But current rotation I like to keep slightly drier at around 62-63Rh.

[Baccy]

I can't go above 65% or bad things start to happen... but I'm in a humid subtropical climate and maybe it's different for other zones???

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[Connoisseur Kim]

CCs more than 65% RH are not only too soggy but also taste really harsh with wonky burning. Too bad that B&Ms in my country are still practicing 70% RH for storing cigars (some of them keep CCs and NCs in the same walk-in humidor) ?...

[godpheonix]

aged or not aged CC's...i've been storing them between 61-63 RH and 66-70 temp and they've been smoking great! But like Rob as mentioned a lot of times, cigars are more resilient than most people think. So the conditions can be somewhat variable. the key thing is to make sure that when you do light them up, the RH isn't too high as general rule.

[The Squiggler]

1 hour ago, godpheonix said:

aged or not aged CC's...i've been storing them between 61-63 RH and 66-70 temp and they've been smoking great! But like Rob as mentioned a lot of times, cigars are more resilient than most people think. So the conditions can be somewhat variable. the key thing is to make sure that when you do light them up, the RH isn't too high as general rule.

I'm sure El Prez is correct about the resiliency of cigars in general, and that the range can be pretty broad as long as you are getting the experience you want and not running into serious burn problems.  My question is, if you were planning to age your cigars for 20+ years, would, say, 62%RH vs 69%RH make a difference then?  And furthermore, would keeping the boxes sealed vs opening them make a difference?  I wonder what kind of differences we would notice between a cigar aged 40 years at 69%RH in a sealed box and the same cigar aged 40 years at 62%RH on the humidor shelf with other loose sticks.  I'm sure that for cigars intended to be smoked within the 'normal' range of time (1-10 years), the conditions can certainly be somewhat variable with little notable effect, but if you really want to take your aging game to the extreme, then what?

[The Squiggler]

42 minutes ago, crking3 said:

this 65 stuff to me is crazy.

what's your external RH on an average day?

[benfica_77]

6 minutes ago, The Squiggler said:

I'm sure El Prez is correct about the resiliency of cigars in general, and that the range can be pretty broad as long as you are getting the experience you want and not running into serious burn problems.  My question is, if you were planning to age your cigars for 20+ years, would, say, 62%RH vs 69%RH make a difference then?  And furthermore, would keeping the boxes sealed vs opening them make a difference?  I wonder what kind of differences we would notice between a cigar aged 40 years at 69%RH in a sealed box and the same cigar aged 40 years at 62%RH on the humidor shelf with other loose sticks.  I'm sure that for cigars intended to be smoked within the normal range of time (1-10 years), the conditions can certainly be somewhat variable with little notable effect, but if you really want to take your aging game to the extreme, then what?

About your long term aging question. You might have noticed that all FOH auction cigars which have been stored long term by El Prez is kept at 68RH and 60F temp. Just as a reference point. 

[The Squiggler]

13 minutes ago, benfica_77 said:

About your long term aging question. You might have noticed that all FOH auction cigars which have been stored long term by El Prez is kept at 68RH and 60F temp. Just as a reference point. 

I didn't know the exact figures, but those sound like ideal enough conditions to me.  I would imagine that keeping cigars relatively cool and moist (without going to serious extremes) would be the best way to ensure that none of the flavors are seeping away (being 'loosed' as it were).  Seems like keeping the evaporation at a minimum would be key (so lower temps and higher humidity both seem ideal).  This begs the question, though... why does Habanos SA recommend keeping the air flowing?  "So the aromas can disperse freely"?  Pssssh...  I understand you want the humidity in your humidor to be consistent in every corner, but it seems like you would want the airflow over the cigars themselves kept to a minimum.  This is why I think aging them in closed boxes (not necessarily sealed) would also be a must.

[godpheonix]

2 hours ago, The Squiggler said:

I'm sure El Prez is correct about the resiliency of cigars in general, and that the range can be pretty broad as long as you are getting the experience you want and not running into serious burn problems.  My question is, if you were planning to age your cigars for 20+ years, would, say, 62%RH vs 69%RH make a difference then?  And furthermore, would keeping the boxes sealed vs opening them make a difference?  I wonder what kind of differences we would notice between a cigar aged 40 years at 69%RH in a sealed box and the same cigar aged 40 years at 62%RH on the humidor shelf with other loose sticks.  I'm sure that for cigars intended to be smoked within the 'normal' range of time (1-10 years), the conditions can certainly be somewhat variable with little notable effect, but if you really want to take your aging game to the extreme, then what?

its hard to tell when it comes to aging when you have so many factors in play. i would concur with the keeping it in the boxes for the long haul(extreme aging),  just because you have it in a micro climate condition(the box) so its more stabilized and it would keep it stable for a longer period if anything would happen with the outside humidity fluctuating now and then. but  i do tend to smoke my aged cigars within a 10 year limit because i rarely see improvements after that period for most cigars. the're still very enjoyable but they do tend to lose a little bit of that intensity.   

[HDGSN]

I try not to get RH below 58 or above 65. Otherwise, I roll with what I get in that range. If I had a precise active system, I’d try to keep it in the 60-62 range.

[wolfain]

I run my fridge at 65ish, sometimes hitting 68%. The RH% cycles because it's an active humidor (motor) not a passive one

I have had cigars at at low 60%s, they just seem to burn alot faster.

At high 60s seems ok to me really. Plugged or burn issues seem to be more of a construction issue than RH imo

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