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How does 1 month at RH 55 affect cigars?

Renaissance_ManRenaissance_Man Posts: 973 ✭✭
in Cigar 101
My previous post made me wonder. How would 1month of cigars staying in the humi, but at very low humidity - 50-55 affect them? Will they be dead? Will they be able to be rejuvinated? And if one can bring them to life - what is the best thing to do? Just want to be prepared :)... lol

Comments

  • undulacundulac Posts: 1,129 ✭
    You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow.
  • Renaissance_ManRenaissance_Man Posts: 973 ✭✭
    undulac:
    You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow.
    What happens if you do it faster?
  • sightunseensightunseen Posts: 2,130 ✭✭
    Renaissance_Man:
    undulac:
    You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow.
    What happens if you do it faster?
    Since fillers absorb humidity at a faster rate than wrappers, going too fast could cause the cigar to burst.

    Not sure if this is true or not, but I've heard Brits smoke their sticks at about 55%-60% RH.
  • docbp87docbp87 Posts: 3,521 ✭
    Renaissance_Man:
    undulac:
    You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow.
    What happens if you do it faster?
    Filler leaves take humidity faster, causing them to swell, and crack the wrapper leaf.
  • xmacroxmacro Posts: 3,402 ✭
    If you plan to age a cigar long-term (I'm talking 10+ years), then you probably should store them at 50-55% RH (or so I've read). The reason is that most cigars lose their taste after 5-10yrs, but if you lower the RH, the aging process is also slowed down - so if you plan to age more than 10 yrs, having an RH of 50-55% will allow the cigar to age and not lose all it's taste over that period of time.

    For people like us who smoke their cigars within a year or so, storing your cigars at 50-55% RH isn't really gonna do much - it just slows the aging process, that's about it
  • gdsim1gdsim1 Posts: 213 ✭
    sightunseen:
    Renaissance_Man:
    undulac:
    You can slow build them up and they will be fine. If it is at 50-55% right now, have them sit at 58-60% for a week and then slowly build it up to 63-65% for another week. They will be fine. The key is slooooooow.
    What happens if you do it faster?
    Since fillers absorb humidity at a faster rate than wrappers, going too fast could cause the cigar to burst.

    Not sure if this is true or not, but I've heard Brits smoke their sticks at about 55%-60% RH.
    Not only THAT....

    Tried this about a month ago with some Padilla Habano's (remember me askign about that guys? LOL). Did not heed BOTL warnings about S-L-O-W. At least I had enough foresight to try this little experiment in a ziplock bag. When I opened the baggie to give them a sniff test to gauge how they were doing about a week and a half later, well... I remember one thought going thru my head - "DEAD FISH?!?!? Thats not..."

    When I came to about 15 minutes later I got some nose plugs, resealed the ziplock and immediately threw them away. Granted mine were WAY the he11 more gone than yours are (1 yr at room RH & temp), but if you really want to try this, I suggest heeding the warnings of S-L-O-W (err on the side of caution my friend) and use a container you dont love just in case. :-)

  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    xmacro:
    If you plan to age a cigar long-term (I'm talking 10+ years), then you probably should store them at 50-55% RH (or so I've read). The reason is that most cigars lose their taste after 5-10yrs, but if you lower the RH, the aging process is also slowed down - so if you plan to age more than 10 yrs, having an RH of 50-55% will allow the cigar to age and not lose all it's taste over that period of time.

    For people like us who smoke their cigars within a year or so, storing your cigars at 50-55% RH isn't really gonna do much - it just slows the aging process, that's about it
    This is some really good info, I might have to do this for several of my smokes I plan to let sit for many years.
  • Renaissance_ManRenaissance_Man Posts: 973 ✭✭
    Thanks for the input boys! This sure explains the smell of some cigars I had forgotten about in a portable humi :/... I have, however, heard the opposite about RH when it comes to aging. I have heard to keep it high, even as high as 80! Then, bring it down when you want to smoke...
  • xmacroxmacro Posts: 3,402 ✭
    phobicsquirrel:
    xmacro:
    If you plan to age a cigar long-term (I'm talking 10+ years), then you probably should store them at 50-55% RH (or so I've read). The reason is that most cigars lose their taste after 5-10yrs, but if you lower the RH, the aging process is also slowed down - so if you plan to age more than 10 yrs, having an RH of 50-55% will allow the cigar to age and not lose all it's taste over that period of time.

    For people like us who smoke their cigars within a year or so, storing your cigars at 50-55% RH isn't really gonna do much - it just slows the aging process, that's about it
    This is some really good info, I might have to do this for several of my smokes I plan to let sit for many years.
    I'd recommend using some sticks you're not gonna cry over if you lose them - I read that bit of info a long time ago and can't really remember where I read it (might've been the Cigar Af. forums), only that some decades-old stogies are stored around 50 or 55%.
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