Answers
I just purchased a Mastro 'de Paja 50-75 vintage humidor. It is beautiful and tight; however, the humidifier had been removed. I was wondering in anyone could recommend a good humidifier, or where I can find a Mastro 'de Paja replacement. Thanks.
The easiest think to use is the drymistat humidity sticks. They regular humidity well and are inexpensive. They also last a long time. I put a link to one of the cheapest places to buy them. 2 or 3 of these in your humi and you will be good to go. If you prefer the pads, they have some of those on the site below as well. Good Luck.
www.famous-smoke.com In Part 2 of "The Cigar Oasis Story," Cigar Oasis president, Albert Foundos, describes the features of the Cigar ...
move it to a different room of the house or away from a heat source.
I'm tired of getting crappy deals buying one cigar from little cigar stores around here. I want a box and I'm thinking about ordering one from the internet. But for this I assume I need a humidor right? (How long would cigars in a box last?)
I'm thinking of using tupperware with a humidifier but I want a good and cheap one. I don't want make one myself (going to a pharmacist and having him order propylene glycol is ridiculous). Advice?
What about a piece of cut apple? It's used to keep brown sugar from hardening. And it might flavor your cigar(s), too. I'd dip it in lemon juice first to help keep it from oxidizing & moulding.
im looking into a cigar humidor but wondering how does it work and how long will it keep my cigars fresh? what do i have to do with it in regards to changing the humidifier or what not?
I've had a humidor for several years now.
The purpose of the humidor is to keep your cigars at peak freshness. Ideally, conditions for your sticks should be at about roughly 70% relative humidity and 70 degrees F.
In your humidor, you will have a humidification system in which you will put the solution - usually 1:1 distilled water and Propylene Glycol. The PG acts as an agent that keeps the Relative Humidity inside your humidor balanced. A hygrometer will measure the RH so you can be assured you are at the correct level. Be sure you calibrate your hygrometer.
Given proper care, your cigars will keep for years.
Some people really value properly aged cigars (they will develop a "bloom" over time - a fine white crystal that looks like powder).
Please note that Spanish Cedar works very well at maintaining a humidor at the proper humidity. Do NOT buy any humidor containing aromatic cedar - this is NOT the same type of wood.
I would recommend this link for more info:
http://www.jrcigar.com/index.cfm?page=jrcu_storage
I just bought a nice glass top cigar humidor and I'm curious to know what the proper procedures are to 'breaking it in.' I've read online that you never want to wipe the wood with any kind of water, though the instructions that came with the humidor say to wipe the insides with distilled water. Which way is correct?
I also purchased a propylene glycol solution for the humidifiers.
Gently wipe down the inside with distilled water. You don't want to soak it, but you do want to get some moisture into the wood. After you wipe it down, add the humidifiers and close it. Let it stand for a day or 2. Your hygrometer should read 65%-70% humidity. If it is reading lower, wipe it down again and close it for another day. If you live in a colder area, and recently turned the furnace on, it will probably take a bit longer to bring up the humidity because of the very dry air circulating in the house. Keep it in an area where the heat will not blow directly on it, and check the humidity often. With the glass top, you will be able to do this with the lid closed, so you won't lose moisture trying to make sure it is humid enough.
I use propylene glycol in one of my humidors, and it seems to hold the humidity and doesn't spike high or low as much as my humidor that I use distilled water in. The distilled water humidor dropped to 58% the day after I turned on the furnace, the propylene glycol only dropped to 63%, both were at 68% the day before. I have had nothing bad to report about it, except for a higher price to refill.
Im a semi-novice cigar smoker that decided with the cost of everything rising, it would be best to buy in bulk. Hence my decision to buy a humidifier over the internet. However, it came with no instructions. I figure you just soak the humidifier part in water then attach it to the cover but, what should the proper reading of the hygrometer be?
The ideal humidity in a humidor is around 65-75%. The more empty space, the more readily the humidity will drop. This level of humidity supports an even burning of the cigar. At a relative humidity level of 70%, and a temperature of 64В°F the air contains approximately 10 grams of water per cubic meter of air. In such an environment, the cigar should absorb the ideal rate of humidity of 14% of its weight.
Just as important is the temperature inside the humidor A temperature of 65-75F is considered ideal. At lower temperatures, below 54F the desired aging process of the cigars is impaired. Therefore, cold wine cellars are only suitable for cigar storage to a limited extent. Even worse are high temperatures. when a constant temperature of 80 degrees F is maintained, you can invite worm infestation and cigar rotting. For this reason, the humidor should not be exposed to direct sun light.
The most often used material is the inexpensive green foam found in the bottom of flower arrangements at the florist. This is extremely effective because of it's superior ability to retain moisture.When first using your cigar humidifier, I recommend you thoroughly moisten it with a propylene glycol solution, often referred to as humidification solution. This is made up of 50% propylene glycol and 50% distilled water.
Let the solution be thoroughly absorbed before turning it over and gently shaking out any excess. Wipe dry and place in humidor.
The humidification solution will help prevent growth of bacteria and allow you to better regulate the environment.
Do not use this solution more than once every 3-6 months. A good rule of thumb is to use it only when you have a dramatic change in seasonal temperatures.
Excess use will result in a diminished capacity of your humidifier to properly maintain its environment.
Normal maintenance of your cigar humidor is done by adding only distilled water. Regular water has too many minerals and will choke your humidifier, eventually making it useless.
I personally use the Diamond Crown and Oasis humidifiers.
Higher quality but well worth it if you have any money wrapped up in your sticks.
PS: DONT trust an analog hygrometer (often considered by most as for an asthetic appearance to their humidors - Digital is more accurate and monitors temp and humidity)
