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How to Keep Cigars Fresh

jackfreeman | Dec 9, 2011 |

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Keep Your Cigars Fresh With These Simple Tips

Keeping your cigars fresh can be the difference between a having pleasant cigar-smoking experience and an unpleasant one. A fresh cigar burns evenly and slowly and allows you to fully taste all its flavors.

When lightly squeezed between your thumb and index finger, a fresh cigar will feel springy and upon releasing your hold, the cigar will regain its original shape. If the cigar doesn’t return to its original shape and remains bent and dented, it may be an indication that your cigar is too moist or too dry.

The temperature and humidity that your cigars are exposed to influence their freshness. It’s therefore essential to properly store your cigars.

Use a Humidor
The best place to store your cigars is in a humidor. A humidor can come in the form of a room, box or cabinet. It provides an ideal temperature and constant humidity. In cigar shops you’re more likely to find room or walk-in humidors, while for personal use a cabinet or desktop humidor box is more common. Whether you are selling cigars or want to keep your cigars smoke-ready, a humidor can do the trick.

Temperature and Humidity
Tobacco has a tropical origin and to maintain its freshness, you must mimic this environment. The ideal temperature to expose your cigars to ranges between 64 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ideal level of humidity ranges from 65 to 75 percent. If the temperature you expose your cigars to is below 54 degrees Fahrenheit you risk impairing the aging process.

If the temperature is higher than 75 degrees Fahrenheit, worm infestation may occur and the cigars can start rotting. Cigars exposed to a humidity level that is too high will become moist and difficult to smoke. They may display mold growth and the soggy tobacco can expand and may split the wrappers of the cigars.

Cigar fanatics must avoid exposing their cigars to sudden temperature and humidity changes; cigars must constantly be exposed to the same environment.

Monitoring the Humidity
For guaranteed freshness of your cigars, it’s recommended to monitor the moisture level in the humidor. This can be done with a hygrometer. A hygrometer is an instrument that measures the humidity in the air. Most humidors come with a hygrometer, but you can also purchase them from cigar stores.

Fresh Air
The humidor must be opened regularly to allow fresh air to enter and circulate. Additionally, this also prevents stale air from building up and keeps the cigars from becoming bitter. Because cigars can be stored in a humidor for an unlimited time, rotating them every month or every other month helps to promote their air circulation.

Proper Storage
Cellophane wrapping protects cigars during transportation. Placing cigars with the cellophane in a humidor affects the humidity. It’s best to open the ends of the cellophane wrapping to help the oxygen circulate. However, if you store different kinds of cigars in a humidor without a divider you may want to keep the cellophane intact, because cigars absorb aromas from each other.

Keeping the cellophane wrapping intact helps to avoid mixing of the different flavors.

Traveling
Going on vacation doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice the freshness of your cigars. You can use a cigar travel pouch to transport your cigars. The pouches come in different sizes and can keep your cigars fresh for up to 90 days. A cigar travel pouch has a natural moisture source and maintains the required humidity level to keep cigars fresh. Additionally, the pouch allows cigars to breathe so they can age properly. The pouches can be purchase online or at cigar stores.

Things to Avoid
Placing your humidor in direct sunlight is not recommended because it may raise the temperature your cigars are exposed to. They can get brittle and may start rotting or a worm infestation may get triggered. Many people belief that storing their cigars in the refrigerator helps to keep them fresh. However, this is not true.

The refrigerator removes moisture while cigars need moisture to stay fresh. If you want to store your cigars in the refrigerator, do so only for a few days, not long-term. Avoid storing cigars in the freezer, because ice crystals can form and when you’re ready to smoke your cigar, it may be too wet to smoke.