Every cigar smoker needs a humidor to store their prized possessions. After a long day on the job, their favorite routine is to sit back, relax, and enjoy their hand-rolled cigar with some whiskey or their favorite craft beer. But sometimes, they are faced with the dilemma of ” seasoning” the humidor. They know what they want to do but aren’t sure how to do it.
One of the most important aspects of owning a humidor is knowing how to season it properly. If you haven’t seasoned your humidor before, don’t worry: it’s easy! All you need are some simple supplies and some time on your hands.
This article will provide you with simple step-by-step instructions on how to season your new humidor the easy way, so make sure to read it to the end!
Do I need to season my humidor?
Many cigars are made with various tobaccos, most of which are harvested from different parts of the world. These tobaccos can have different moisture contents and will require a specific relative humidity to allow them to burn to their full potential. One tobacco may need over 70% humidity while another may need 65%. When you store these different types of cigars together in the same humidor, there is a good chance that they will fight against each other because they each want to reach their own individual peak moisture content. Without finding a way to balance the humidity in your humidor, you could end up with dried-out sticks or moldy cigars.
The cure for this problem is proper humidor seasoning. Proper seasoning will allow your humidor to have an even level of moisture throughout so that your cigars can reach their true potential.
A seasoned humidor does not contain any lingering smells from prior usage or chemicals used during construction, such as adhesives, varnish, finishings, and plastics. These strong odors can contaminate your cigars, making them taste terrible. Seasoning will make sure that your humidor is adequately prepared for storing cigars and doesn’t have any smells left over from its manufacturing process.
What are the tools I need?
When it comes to seasoning your humidor, the first thing you’ll need is a container. For the sake of this article, we’ll call this container a “humidor.” And, just as we said, we will season the humidor the easy way. All you need to have is distilled water and a glass.
You may wonder, are those enough? Yes! Distilled water will not ruin your cigar since it doesn’t have any harmful chemical compounds to cigars. It has to be distilled, and not other types of water especially tap water. Although it may be safe to drink, you will not want it to stay in your humidor and ruin the cigars.
It is very cheap, and even the most expensive ones will not go above $5 per gallon, and all you need is two glasses the size of your whiskey shot glass.
Does it take long to season a humidor?
The process of seasoning is the first step in preparing a humidor for storing cigars. Seasoning means conditioning the wood in your humidor to be able to absorb moisture from its environment so that it can maintain a steady level of humidity and keep your cigars safe from mold.
If it’s your first time having a humidor, you might think it’s quick. It will take at least five days to properly implement the procedures of seasoning your humidor. Other factors might affect this, such as the environment where you will let the humidor rest.
How to season the humidor
A new humidor must be inspected first. Take note of the smell and wipe a cloth on the inside surface as they might still have excess chemicals used to create the humidor. It might still have glue; you can definitely notice this if you smell it carefully. Take note that whatever smell is in your humidor can be absorbed by your cigar, for instance, a smell of glue.
First, clean the humidor. It’s always best to ensure your humidor is clean before seasoning it, as any dirt or residue can prevent the cedar from absorbing moisture from the humidifier. So, wipe down the inside of your humidor with a soft cloth or sponge and some distilled water (which won’t leave behind mineral deposits). Dry off as much moisture as possible with paper towels, then use an air blower on low to finish drying it off completely. This will help eliminate any dust particles that may be in there as well—and they’ll also make sure that no mold spores are hiding out in one of those corners! If you pick up any chemical or a glue smell, you should wipe it first with a towel that is only slightly wet. After wiping the insides, let it rest without the cover for a day to dry it up.
Next, if it finally smells like a fresh cedar, you can now fill it with a small glass of distilled water (the size of a whiskey shot glass). If your humidor is large enough, make it two small glasses. It is also recommended that you learn how to use a hygrometer, as you can monitor the humidity of your humidor with it. You can use it while you do this step two. After putting the glass and the hygrometer inside, leave them for 2-3 days.
Finally, after waiting 2-3 days, you can now remove the glass and monitor the humidity with your hygrometer still inside the humidor for another 24 hours. After waiting, you should be able to determine if you’ve successfully seasoned the humidor.
Did I properly season it?
If you’re looking to see if your humidor has been properly seasoned, there are a few ways to tell. The first thing to check is the humidity level in the box. You may need to re-season your humidor if it’s too high or too low. A good humidity level for a new humidor is between 65% and 75%. If your cigars are too dry, they’ll burn faster and taste bitter; if they’re too damp, they won’t burn well at all and will mold easily.
Next, check the temperature of your cigar room or cabinet—a temperature range between 68°F (20°C) and 72°F (22°C) should be fine for most cigars; anything hotter than that risks damaging some blends by causing them to burn more quickly than normal. You should also keep an eye on any leaks in your seal—if there are any cracks in the wood or gaps around screws or nails where moisture could seep through, it can ruin both cigars inside as well as encourage mold growth inside the box itself! Finally, give each cigar individually a whiff while holding it close enough that only its nose gets exposed. If there aren’t any strong odors coming off of them, then everything’s probably fine!
Conclusion
So, there you have it! We hope this article has helped you to understand how to season a humidor the easy way. All you need is the right equipment and some patience. With these two things in mind, you’ll be able to keep your cigars fresh for years to come!
