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If you're looking to get in to the great new world of cigars, this post may help. Read More. How to 're-hydrate' your cigars So you got a cigar for a birthday or special occasion, put it in a drawer and months later you remember you got a cigar. Before you throw out your cigar, here are a few steps you can do to rehydrate your cigar without a humidifier.
The wood needs to be humidified, or seasoned, before the box is ready to hold cigars. Some humidors have varnished or finished wood interiors that don't need to be seasoned.
Take a new sponge -- make sure it is unscented and free of soap -- and wet it with a liberal dose of distilled water. Wipe down all the exposed wood, including any trays and dividers, and the interior lid. Avoid using a paper towel or a fraying cloth; these will literally leave a paper trail on the wood. After you've wiped down the wood, squirt the sponge with more distilled water, then place it inside the humidor on a plastic bag -- to avoid direct contact with the wood -- and close the lid.
Next, prepare your humidification device according to the manufacturer's instructions. Unless the manufacturer specifically states that you can use tap water, use only distilled water. Tap water contains minerals that will destroy most humidification systems by leaving deposits that will clog the humidor element.
Once the humidification element is filled, be sure to wipe it down to remove all the excess water. Rest it on a hand towel for approximately 30 minutes.
Close the humidor with its humidifying element and the damp sponge, and leave it overnight. The next day, refresh the humidification device it may not need it and check the sponge.
If it is fairly dry, add more distilled water. If it is very damp, leave it alone. Let the humidor sit another night, and then remove the sponge and plastic bag. The walls of the humidor have now absorbed all the water they need, and now you can safely store your cigars.
Most of the time, if you let cigars dry out, you have to write off your investment as a learning experience, albeit sometimes an expensive one. In some cases, cigars can be reconditioned through weeks in a good humidor, but it's a tricky business, and best left to someone with great patience and experience. If you insist on trying to do it yourself, proceed slowly.
Over a period of several weeks, gradually move the cigars from the outer corners into the center of your humidor. All of the other myths about how to restore dried-out cigars are just that -- myths. Remember that a cigar has many layers of tobacco. It's disastrous for the various layers to become moist or dry out at different rates.
For example, if a cigar is placed in a hyper-moist environment, and then taken out of that moist environment, the outside dries and shrinks while the inside is still swollen, and the cigar splits open.
Not a pretty sight. Here are some of the odder suggestions we've heard. Don't try them. When you take cigars with you on your travels, you need to protect them from physical damage, as well as from drying. Travel humidors are an ideal solution. Many are compact enough to easily slip into your briefcase or the small bag you take onboard aircraft not that it's likely that you'll be allowed to smoke there.
When buying a travel humidor, first make sure that it will accommodate cigars of the size and shape you prefer. Then check it for durability. No matter how careful you are, your travel humidor will get jostled quite a bit.
Make sure that it has a hinge that will stand up to a bit of abuse and repeated openings. If you're a frequent international flyer, you'll find yourself constantly opening the case for customs inspectors who are hunting for Cuban cigars.
One long "piano" hinge that runs the length of the humidor is generally better than two or more hinges. Also, check to be sure that the humidification unit will stay in place as you sprint for a taxi or jam your bag into an overhead compartment.
Even if you don't travel a lot, you may still want a travel humidor. They are extremely convenient for setting up a temporary depot of cigars in another part of your home. They are also perfect for keeping a few cigars humidified during the transition from a store's humidor to your own. Sometimes, however, even a travel humidor is too much. Then you may want to rely on tubos and cigar cases. Tubos -- cigars that come packed in tubes, which help them stay properly humidified after they are taken out of a humidor -- are a good one-at-a-time solution.
You can also purchase elegant silver or wooden tubes that will keep individual cigars properly moisturized for up to 72 hours. The drawback is that you will need several such tubes to carry a day's supply. On top of that, your tailor will hate them: they tend to be bulky and heavy and, when placed in a pocket, they ruin the "drape" of a garment.
Often the answer is to carry an elegant leather cigar case, loaded with the cigars you hope to smoke that day, and return any that you don't smoke that day to the humidor each evening. If you always smoke the same kind of cigar, you can get a case that fits your cigars exactly -- with "fingers" of the right diameter, and with the ability to telescope, if you favor long cigars.
Fingered cases offer the best protection because even a single cigar is held firmly in place and does not roll and bounce around within. If you smoke a varied selection, however, you will probably want to get an "open" case -- one without dividers or molded fingers -- which will accommodate a variety of sizes.
When you buy a cigar case, wear the coat or jacket that has the smallest pockets of all the garments in your wardrobe. Make sure that the case fits, and that you can live with the resulting bulge. Conversely, next time you go to have a suit, jacket or coat fitted, be sure to bring your cigar case. A good tailor will be able to adapt the garment so you can carry the case without looking as if you're packing a pistol.
Also, when shopping for a case bring several cigars. Or use the occasion as an excuse to buy a few. A humidor is a storage container that is designed to help maintain a relative humidity level, which is critical for cigars because the tobacco leaves in them will naturally expand and contract based on the relative humidity of the air around them.
When a cigar gets too dry, it shrivels up and loses its aroma and flavor, which are two critical parts of smoking cigars. Humidors come in all shapes and sizes and can be as small as a box to use as a travel humidor or as large as a walk-in closet, mostly used in cigar shops.
Regardless of the size, each humidor will have a good seal to maintain the internal temperature and provide a thermostat and hygrometer to help its owner maintain optimal conditions.
Humidors work by creating ideal conditions for cigars. Too dry, and they crack apart. Just right, and good times. The most important part of a humidor is its humidification system, which can be simple or complex, depending on the size of the humidifier. The purpose of the humidifier is to add moisture to the humidor so that the cigars can stay plump and burn slowly, with essential oils that provide the flavor and aroma you expect from your favorite cigars preserved.
In order to achieve this, the humidor needs a source of water. There are several ways to introduce moisture to the interior, including sponges, which are the simplest humidifier of all.
A sponge soaked in distilled water will release moisture inside. Floral foam the green blocks used for flower arrangements holds plenty of water and releases it gradually, but it also absorbs cigar odors and will need to be replaced yearly.
Crystal gel small beads also work, as they are designed to hold up to times their weight in water, which they then release into the atmosphere of the humidor. There are also electronic humidifiers, which are small machines used in larger humidors.
A hygrometer is another crucial component of your humidor. It measures the humidity levels inside to let you know whether you need to add moisture or absorb some excess water to dry things out.
A hygrometer can be digital or analog which will look like a needle that spins in a marked circle or semicircle. In a humidor with electronic humidity controls, it will be connected to the humidifier.
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