Best Ring Size in High Humidity Weather

[cigarzfan]

We are talking Florida 90% humidity outside. What size cigar do you think smokes best in high humidity weather? I think small ring sizes like 42 and below May work best. 

[hoffmr3]

As long as the RH and temp in storage are fine, the ambient humidity during even a 2+ hour smoke isn't going to make a meaningful difference. I live in a place with 70%+ humidity (frequently 90+) year-round and have never noticed a burn or flavor difference, regardless of format.

Now, when the temp is 91F/32C and the sun is beating down with that sort of humidity, I tend not to reach for anything larger than a minuto unless I am floating on a raft 😎

[MrBirdman]

In my experience, condensation is the most frequent cause of sogginess during hot weather. Anything that’s 70F is going to develop a film of condensation on it very quickly once exposed to high temp/high humidity weather.

Certainly learned my lesson on that when my laptop shorted out! Luckily no permanent damage. Laptops can be run ahead of time to heat up, but as for cigars the only effective solution I’ve found is setting up an AC in my garage. If that’s not an option, you’d need to figure out how to bring your cigars up to the outdoor temp inside. 

Just please don’t put them in the oven 😉

[Bijan]

42 minutes ago, MrBirdman said:

In my experience, condensation is the most frequent cause of sogginess during hot weather. Anything that’s 70F is going to develop a film of condensation on it very quickly once exposed to high temp/high humidity weather.

That makes sense. I've definitely found that 100% humidity outside in the winter here has almost no effect on cigars. Whereas high humidity in summer does. Never figured out what the cause was. Obviously something to do with the temperature of course.

[Ginseng]

I have smoked in quite humid weather, generally no more than upper 70's because it's not enjoyable, physically above this. That said, cigars of nearly any ring gauge perform acceptably. 

I have also tried to smoke (under cover, outdoors) while it's raining when the humidity is basically 100% and it has never been a satisfactory experience. I'm talking softening of the stick, increased bite, draw problems, the whole shebang. If I were to smoke at 85-90%, it would probably be a smaller stick (ring and length) that I can get through in 35-45 minutes, max.

[mprach024]

3 hours ago, Bijan said:

That makes sense. I've definitely found that 100% humidity outside in the winter here has almost no effect on cigars. Whereas high humidity in summer does. Never figured out what the cause was. Obviously something to do with the temperature of course.

There’s quite a lot less water in the air at 2 degrees at 100% than 70% in summer.  It is after all, “relative” humidity.  It’s a percent of the water vapor the air could hold, not a measurement of water molecules.  

[Bijan]

3 minutes ago, mprach024 said:

There’s quite a lot less water in the air at 2 degrees at 100% than 70% in summer.  It is after all, “relative” humidity.  It’s a percent of the water vapor the air could hold, not a measurement of water molecules.  

Yeah my best guesses included thoughts about absolute vs relative humidity and the rate of change in cigar humidity vs temperature.

I think that has to figure into it because based on @PigFish's graphs in steady state a cigar will be more moist at the same relative humidity at a lower temperature.

My thinking is the steady state doesn't matter in the case of taking it outside to smoke since you're only smoking it for 2 hours. What matters is how much moisture it'll absorb in 2 hours and that's probably more/faster in warm vs cold. Even though the cigar would end up more moist in the cold eventually.

[SCgarman]

23 hours ago, cigarzfan said:

We are talking Florida 90% humidity outside. What size cigar do you think smokes best in high humidity weather? I think small ring sizes like 42 and below May work best. 

They will all start out fine, but in my experience Cuban cigars are not Florida tropical rainforest weather friendly. As you smoke the cigar it will quickly absorb the moisture in the high dew point air and smoke output will become less and flavors will become muted the closer your burn the cigar down to the nub. Best advice for this issue: find a nice air conditioned cigar lounge near your locale and hang out there in the summer months.