Sometimes it seems almost impossible to keep a cigar humidor at 72% humidity. Before you get too frustrated, make sure that a few simple things are taken care of. You need to understand that a cigar box depends upon being separated from the outside environment to keep the proper humidity levels. You can keep the exterior humidity levels from influencing the interior humidity levels too much but there are some characteristics of the outside environment that are much harder to protect against.
If you seasoned the box properly and you're still having problems, the first thing you want to check is your humidifier. This is one of the most important cigar accessories that you'll buy. If you live in a very dry climate, you may want to upgrade to a more powerful humidifier if you consistently have humidity levels lower than 72% in your cigar box. Make sure that the humidifier is full and make sure that you always use distilled water for the best results.
Next, check your hygrometer. This device measures the humidity inside the box and, if it's not calibrated correctly, it will give you erroneous readings. Check the manufacturer's instructions to see how you go about calibrating your particular device and, before you decide that there's something wrong with your cigar box, make sure that you calibrate the hygrometer correctly.
You might try putting a bit of cellophane over the entire box. This will insulate it from the outside environment and, hopefully, keep the moisture inside the box where it belongs. One of the ways you can check to see if you have a good seal or not is to listen for the sound of air rushing into the box when you open it. If it seems like there is no difference between inside and outside air pressure, it may be that outside air is constantly streaming into the box and lowering the humidity inside.
If you can't seem to get the humidity level in your cigar box up to 72%, you might want to try a different humidifier. If you live in a particularly dry climate, you may need to get a very powerful humidifier to keep humidity levels up high enough to preserve your cigars. You also may want to consider a box with a more advanced type of seal on it if you keep having this problem. Remember that it's normal for the humidity in the cigar box to go down a bit at certain times of year. In the winter, for instance, even humid climates will generally have drier air.
If you seasoned the box properly and you're still having problems, the first thing you want to check is your humidifier. This is one of the most important cigar accessories that you'll buy. If you live in a very dry climate, you may want to upgrade to a more powerful humidifier if you consistently have humidity levels lower than 72% in your cigar box. Make sure that the humidifier is full and make sure that you always use distilled water for the best results.
Next, check your hygrometer. This device measures the humidity inside the box and, if it's not calibrated correctly, it will give you erroneous readings. Check the manufacturer's instructions to see how you go about calibrating your particular device and, before you decide that there's something wrong with your cigar box, make sure that you calibrate the hygrometer correctly.
You might try putting a bit of cellophane over the entire box. This will insulate it from the outside environment and, hopefully, keep the moisture inside the box where it belongs. One of the ways you can check to see if you have a good seal or not is to listen for the sound of air rushing into the box when you open it. If it seems like there is no difference between inside and outside air pressure, it may be that outside air is constantly streaming into the box and lowering the humidity inside.
If you can't seem to get the humidity level in your cigar box up to 72%, you might want to try a different humidifier. If you live in a particularly dry climate, you may need to get a very powerful humidifier to keep humidity levels up high enough to preserve your cigars. You also may want to consider a box with a more advanced type of seal on it if you keep having this problem. Remember that it's normal for the humidity in the cigar box to go down a bit at certain times of year. In the winter, for instance, even humid climates will generally have drier air.
About the Author:
Wendy is a consultant for a specialty cigar lighters store and has expert knowledge of butane accessories, including zippo lighters.
