Keep your cigars away!

Before your cigars can find a new home the humidor must be properly seasoned. The cedar inside the cigar humidor not only smells great but is actually part of the humidification system. Cedar does a very good job of holding moisture. Meaning – if you do not introduce the wood to a moist environment and prepare it for the cigars, it will steal the moisture from your precious smokes.

Very few items are needed to complete the job: distilled water, a clean cloth, and some time (maybe a couple of days).

Now for the warnings:
Distilled water is not an option. You CAN’T use regular tap water because it may contain chemicals and other elements that can ruin your wood, cigars, or all around flavor. Distilled water is a must.

Do NOT, ever, wipe down your humidor with a damp sponge or cloth. Doing so can cause the cedar to take on moisture at a high rate. Sometimes this will cause the wood to warp and ruin your fitting. Additionally because cedar can “suck in” the water – wiping may cause dark water spots. DO NOT wipe down your humidor with a wet cloth.

Let’s begin the process:

• Remove the hygrometer and make sure it is properly calibrated. Click here to read our instructions on hygrometer calibration.

• Wipe the inside of the humidor with the DRY cloth to remove dust, dirt, or general debris.

• Remove the humidification system and place it face down in a bowl of distilled water. Make sure the system has absorbed enough water to “fill it” up. This could take around 30 minutes and when removed there should not be any dripping water.

• Place the humidification system back into the humidor.

• A shot glass of distilled water must now go in the middle of the humidor, and close the lid.

• Time will vary by the size of the humidor but generally speaking you can open the box after 12 hours. Notice the shot glass is now less full as the water has been absorbed.

• Put the hygrometer back into the humidor and fill the glass up with water again.

• Wait 24 hours and make sure the humidor is maintaining a constant humidity you are satisfied with . A humidity level of 69%-71% should be perfect for your cigars.

• When the humidor can sustain a constant humidity you have completed the process, you may have to recharge the “brick” or humidification system again.

• Place your cigars in the humidor and give your self a smoke for all the hard work!

The following methods will describe the “Salt” calibration method; you only need to perform the high test to have a fairly close reading. I am a perfectionist – so I will provide you with an optional second step for the must accurate calibration.

Salt Method Calibration (High Reading):

Place Morton Canning salt (a few tablespoons worth) in a small mug, glass, or container and mix in some distilled water. Make sure you do not dissolve the salt. The desired result should be a “sludgy”, “gooey”, semi-solid mixture.

Place this mixture inside a zip lock bag (I prefer sliding lock to ensure complete closure) with your hygrometer inside. Make sure the hygrometer is facing up (so you can read it) and that no water or mixture comes in contact with the meter (this will throw off readings). Now seal this zip lock bag with an even larger bag to ensure that no additional air may enter in.

The proper stabilization time of this mixture will take approximately 12 hours. At this point your hygrometer should read in the 75% range. I would perform this test various times to get the average, and use this as the tuning number. (Ex: 70% = 5 points, 74% = 1 point, 72% = 3 points. 9/3=3. Adjust by 3 percent.) If your hygrometer allows tuning it is usually done by turning the screw on the back with a small screwdriver.

You are now ready to use it to measure your humidity! – Unless you want to know how exact it really is…

The Low Calibration:

We are going to follow the exact same steps as above, however this time we are going to use something called Magnesium Chloride Flakes (eBay this). The flakes are inexpensive and when mixed with distilled water (the same “sludge”) it creates a constant humidity of 33%.

Calibration of your hygrometer should happen twice a year.

Why Does This Work: The mixture of Salt and distilled water and Magnesium Chloride and distilled water has a fixed vapor. The vapor will create a constant humidity regardless of the amount of mixture if the mixture still remains a solid. Temperature plays the minutest role in the amount of humidity created; over a 25 degree window of 60-85 degrees (F) the change is .xx % in the reading of 75.xx %.