Using a humidor for storing your premium cigars requires learning about the proper humidity adjustments. Adjusting the humidity level of your device anywhere between 62 percent and 74 percent and using a hygrometer for the humidor to keep the temperature and humidity balanced should keep your cigars fresher longer. 

Today, we’ll go over some tips and tricks for maintaining optimal humidity levels in your humidor and preserving your cigars.

How to Control Humidor Humidity

While it may seem as if precise control of humidity levels in your humidor is not necessary, storing premium cigars can make you rethink that. You didn’t spend top dollar on these deluxe sticks only to let them go to waste from poor storage. Premium cigars should be appropriately taken off to prevent drying out or being contaminated with molds. This begs the question: what is the perfect humidity? 

The Perfect Humidity

For some enthusiasts, the ideal humidity range for a humidor is between 62 to 74 percent; for others, it sits somewhere between the 70 and 74 percent mark. Consider factors such as humidor type, number of cigars, and type of cigars to determine which range better suits your needs. 

Maintaining humidity levels in the lower seventies can prove quite challenging without a hygrometer and digital thermometer. Even with a high-quality humidor that can store up to two boxes of cigars, you’ll find controlling humidity at these levels a little tricky without the necessary accessories.

Ideally, you want to keep cigars in an environment that closely matches how tobacco is grown. This is exactly what the humidor does. It’s a special box designed to mirror the humidity levels and temperature of tobacco plantations. 

Still, proper storage doesn’t mean there won’t be any problems. Other factors that you don’t have much control over may come into play, such as the humidity in your area. 

Boosting Humidity

Humidity issues can surface from working with a newer or older device. Older humidors can be unpredictable, while newer ones require a bit of learning to get the hang of. Either issue may lead to changes in your cigars’ flavors that won’t necessarily be to your liking. Ensure you know how to do humidity corrections in either machine to resolve unwanted cigar qualities immediately. 

Humidor problems usually lead to drops in humidity levels, which can leave your premium sticks tasting bland or flavorless. In your aim to increase the humidity within the humidor, consider the following solutions: 

Wiping Down the Inside of the Humidor

You can start this off by wetting a piece of paper towel and wiping the interior of the humidifier like you did when you first bought it. Sometimes, it takes wiping down the inside of the device to get the humidity levels going. 

Shut the Humidor Door Securely 

Leaving the door open, even just a crack, can affect the freshness of your cigars. That’s because the air going in and out of the machine messes up the humidity. You always want to make sure the door clicks shut before you leave the room. 

Refresh the Humidity Regulator

This is especially important during the first few weeks after purchasing your device. Refresh the humidity regulator every two weeks. If it’s a new humidor, fill the regulator with starter fluid before using the box. Then, refresh it with distilled water bi-monthly within the first month. 

After every fourth refill, refresh the regulator with humidor fluid. Aside from the starter fluid, you will need to refresh the regulator by adding distilled water to maintain the regulator’s humidity levels and efficacy. 

Lowering Humidity Levels

While too-low humidity levels are harmful, too-high humidity levels also have their downsides. One of the major ones is mold growth, which can become an ongoing problem if you continue to overdo things on the humidity front. 

In addition to making lighting cigars difficult, high humidity levels can make it hard to keep cigars lit. Furthermore, the user may find it increasingly challenging to puff on a cigar. Thus, regulating the humidity levels in the humidor so that it isn’t too high is necessary for preserving the freshness of cigars. 

Leave the Door Open

If you’re having trouble with high humidity, leave the door to the humidor open. Let it stay that way for a few hours to reduce the moisture levels and, subsequently, the humidity levels. You can speed up the process by opening the door entirely and placing it under direct sunlight. 

The Right Humidity Levels for a Humidor: Final Thoughts

Maintaining cigar freshness means learning how to keep the right temperature and humidity levels in your humidor. If you encounter any problems, the tips above should provide an easy fix for most of them. 

Just remember to select the right humidor for your needs. Consider the number of cigars you’ll be stored at a time and the quality of these cigars as well. Then, make sure to rotate your sticks each week to ensure even fermentation.