A
humidor is any kind of box or room with constant
humidityHumidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
, and ideal
temperatureTemperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
, used to store
cigarA cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
s,
cigaretteA cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s, or pipe tobacco. For private use, small wooden or acrylic glass humidor boxes for a few dozen cigars are used, while cigar shops may have walk-in humidors, sometimes consisting of a whole floor. Humidors can be used to store other goods for which a certain level of humidity is desirable; the
Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team stores game balls in a large humidor at their home stadium,
Coors FieldCoors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
, to counteract the effects of Denver's high altitude and generally low humidity.
Humidors of all sizes use
hygrometerA hygrometer is an instrument used for measuring the moisture content in the environmental air, or humidity. Most measurement devices usually rely on measurements of some other quantity such as temperature, pressure, mass or a mechanical or electrical change in a substance as moisture is absorbed...
s to keep track of the humidity levels.
Classification of humidors
Room humidor
Most common in cigar bars or stores. One room is built as or converted to a humidor where all the cigars are stored.
Cabinet humidor
Usually placed on the floor as a piece of furniture. Typically holds 1000-5000 cigars.
Table humidor
Often quite heavy, though portable in theory, it's usually kept in one location. Capacity ranges from three hundred to a few thousand cigars. It usually comes with a polished wood exterior, marble, leather or combination of exotic elements, and glass top.
Personal humidor
Semi-regular cigar smokers will sometimes keep a small humidor in their homes for personal storage, special events, or aesthetic characteristics of the humidor itself . Usually contains 20-75 cigars. This may also be known as a "Desktop Humidor".
Travel humidor
Portable and made for carrying cigars enough for the outing or event. Usual counts supported are 2 to 10 cigars.
Construction
Commercially made humidor cases are typically made of woodboard, although other materials, like acrylic glass and metal, are not uncommon. Carbon fibre,
silicon carbideSilicon carbide , also known as carborundum, is a compound of silicon and carbon with chemical formula SiC. It occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite. Silicon carbide powder has been mass-produced since 1893 for use as an abrasive...
, and
polyethylenePolyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
have also been used. Disregarding aesthetic qualities, the casing's purpose is to protect the interior and create a closed environment, so any durable and airtight material can be used.
The interior is typically a veneer of
Spanish-cedarCedrela odorata . The genus Cedrela has undergone two major systematic revisions since 1960. The most recent revision reduced the number of species in the genus to seven . The common cedro, Cedrela odorata L., embraces 28 other named species, including C. mexicana M. J...
wood or mahogany.
Spanish-cedar is the most frequently used wood for the interior veneer of humidors. It possesses the following desirable characteristics for cigar storage:
- It holds more moisture than most woods, so it helps maintain humidity.
- It imparts its aroma to cigars if they are stored in it for long enough. For the same reason, some cigars are wrapped in Spanish-cedar sheets before they are sold.
- Spanish-cedar wood can repel tobacco beetles
Lasioderma serricorne, commonly known as the cigarette beetle, cigar beetle, or tobacco beetle, is very similar in appearance to the drugstore beetle and the common furniture beetle , and all three species belong to the family Anobiidae.L. serricorne is around 2–3 mm long, and brown in colour...
. These pinhead-sized beetles can ruin entire stocks of cigars. They eat the tobacco and lay eggs, causing further infestation. They can also be discouraged by ensuring the humidor does not get hotter than 20 °C (68 °F). The beetle eggs usually only hatch at around 25 °C (77 °F), although there are also instances where they will hatch at cooler temperatures if the humidity is too high.
- The wood properties are not prone to "warping" or "cupping" in high humidity.
In addition to commercially made humidors, home-made humidors are also in use. They range considerably in material, size and complexity.
Humidity
The ideal humidity in a humidor is around 68-72% of
relative humidityRelative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
. Though it can go higher or lower depending on the cigar smokers preferences, it should never go higher than 75% due to the possibility of hatching
tobacco beetlesLasioderma serricorne, commonly known as the cigarette beetle, cigar beetle, or tobacco beetle, is very similar in appearance to the drugstore beetle and the common furniture beetle , and all three species belong to the family Anobiidae.L. serricorne is around 2–3 mm long, and brown in colour...
. The more empty space, the more readily the humidity level of the box will drop or rise.
All humidors contain a humidifying system which keeps the air moist, which in turn keeps the cigars moist.
Most humidifying elements are passive, releasing stored humidity through evaporation and diffusion. The use of a solution of
propylene glycolPropylene glycol, also called 1,2-propanediol or propane-1,2-diol, is an organic compound with formula C3H8O2 or HO-CH2-CHOH-CH3...
and
distilled waterDistilled water is water that has many of its impurities removed through distillation. Distillation involves boiling the water and then condensing the steam into a clean container.-History:...
is recommended for replenishing the passive humidifying element as it has a buffer effect on air humidity, maintaining it at approximately 70%. Retailers and manufacturers claim it also has mild antifungal and antibacterial properties.
In lack of propylene glycol, distilled water should be used, due to its lack of minerals, additives, or bacteria which keeps the contents neutral and healthy.
Electronic humidifiers are also available, relying on electronics to measure and regulate
relative humidityRelative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
.
Usage of
silica gelSilica gel is a granular, vitreous, porous form of silica made synthetically from sodium silicate. Despite its name, silica gel is a solid. It is a naturally occurring mineral that is purified and processed into either granular or beaded form...
beads is a third alternative. These also have a buffer effect on
relative humidityRelative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
, and are moistened with distilled water when necessary. They can absorb or release humidity within a certain range, and is typically calibrated in one of three ranges of humidity - 60%, 65%, or 70%. Unlike the passive devices, silica beads only require distilled water, and can be ruined by propylene glycol.
Each humidor has to be seasoned after being bought or having been out of use for a while. The seasoning process brings the wood inside the humidor close to the relative humidity level that it will be operating at. This is usually done by storing a small container of water or a soaked sponge in the humidor until the wood is sufficiently humidified. An unseasoned humidor will absorb humidity from the closed environment, which in turn will reduce the humidity of the cigars.
Temperature
To discourage eggs of
tobacco beetlesLasioderma serricorne, commonly known as the cigarette beetle, cigar beetle, or tobacco beetle, is very similar in appearance to the drugstore beetle and the common furniture beetle , and all three species belong to the family Anobiidae.L. serricorne is around 2–3 mm long, and brown in colour...
from hatching, the humidor temperature should be kept below 25°C/75°F, as well as below 75% relative humidity.
At lower temperatures, below 54°F (12°C), 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. Temperatures of over 75°F (24°C) can lead to worm infestation and cigar rotting. For this reason, the humidor should not be exposed to direct sunlight.