Cigar Humidor

What’s the Deal With the Humidor

If you are just starting to experience the joy of cigar smoker, you may be curious about the humidors the aficionados always seem to pull out. Humidors are important because they store and protect the cigar, keeping their full flavor intact. The humidor’s job is keep the cigar in a stable environment which is 70% Fahrenheit and 70% humidity.

The cigar professionals know the best temperature for preserving a cigar is right at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature drops any lower, the cigar will age and lose some of its flavor. Humidors are made to preserve the taste and flavor of the cigar, not age them or dry them out.

What are the key elements to look for when buying a humidor? A quality humidor needs to shut completely and the lid should seal tight. This keeps the cigars from any outside dangers and prevents moisture from seeping in. The seams should hold the cigar tightly, without causing damage. Cedar wood is the best choice for the interior, especially Spanish cedar if possible. Above all, make sure your humidor fits your favorite brand of cigars before you make a final purchase.

Cigar aficionados enjoy the pleasure of smoking a well aged cigar. A well aged cigar will have richer flavors and an overall look that is pleasing to the eye and mouth. Aged cigars are like fine wines, they are better with age. The more aged a cigar is, the better it will burn and taste. Where can you find and purchase one of these well-aged cigars? You can go out and spend loads of money on a box of pricey, vintage cigars. Or, you can pocket that cash and experiment with some aging of your own. Here are some tips to help you on your way.

The first tip to an aged cigar is patience. You must be patient in order to develop a nicely aged cigar. Cigars need to be aged a minimum of a year to develop the flavors and taste you are looking for. In order to reap the rewards a well-aged cigar can bring you, you need to start the process with some high quality aged cigars. Aging lower quality cigars, doesn’t improve the taste much and can end up being a waste of time. High quality cigars which have overpowering tastes or smells are just what you are looking for to start the aging process. Truth is, most high quality cigars only get better with age.

In order to age your cigars, you need a high quality humidor. Cigars will need to be stored and then left alone. Follow the 70-70 rule. Simply put, humidity needs to constantly be at 70%, and the temperature should stay at 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

It is important to keep your aged cigars in a stable environment. Try to keep the 70-70 rules constant for temperature and humidity. If you go any higher than 70 your cigars may become moldy; anything less and the aging process stops. You want a stable environment; one that is constantly changing can do serious damage to your cigars. Drastic changes in temperatures or humidity can cause the cigars to expand or contract, breaking the wrappers and interrupting the aging process. You want there to be plenty of room in the humidor, about twice the size of the cigars. The humidor’s lining should be cedar; cedar is aromatic and will increase the flavors of the cigars. Over time, the tobacco oils and cedar oils will start to combine, blending a rich mixture of flavors and smells together. You won’t be able to get this mixture of flavors without the complexity of the aging process.

Here’s How to Roll a Cigar…

Learning how to roll a cigar can be fun and it doesn’t have to be time consuming once you get the hang of it. Many people do this so that they get the exact flavor that they want from cigars. This process also is less expensive than buying them already made. Part of how to roll a cigar though involves making sure you use high quality products. Otherwise the end results will be a disappointment to you.

How to Roll a Cigar Step 1: Keep in mind that different tobacco has a different strength to it. You will want to use a different type of tobacco for your filler, your binder, and your wrapper. Choose the type of tobacco leaf you want for your cigar and moisten it. Seal it up in a plastic bag for an hour or two. Gently squeeze the contents inside of the bag so that they will squeeze together. You want to let it sit in that format for another hour or two. Then you can remove it from the plastic bag to dry out.

How to Roll a Cigar Step 2: When your leaf tobacco is ready, lay out the binder you are using. Then get the filler and spread it out in a line the length of the size you want your cigars. You will also need to pay attention to how thick you want it to be. This is one area of how to roll a cigar that you will need to experiment with. As time goes by you will have a better idea of how much tobacco leaf you need for each cigar you wish to make.

How to Roll a Cigar Step 3: Your binder and filler will be very brittle so you need to be careful with it. You want to place them into the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. This will be the process for drying them out. To help your cigars keep their shape you want to have a cigar block which you can either make or you can purchase.

How to Roll a Cigar Step 4: After they cool from the oven you are ready to add the wrapper. For the best results you want to have a thin wrapper. You will find that different types also have a different texture to them. You may want to try out a couple of wrappers so you can make up your mind which you like the best. To keep your wrapper in place you can use glue or even egg whites to keep it securely in place.

Through the process of trial and error you will get better with how to roll a cigar. You will find what works well for you and what doesn’t. You can also experiment with different combinations of tobacco to develop a taste you enjoy very much from your cigars.

Nothing is more disappointing than realizing your cigars have dried out. Before you toss them out though you need to know there are ways that you can remedy the situation. With a bit of effort you can learn how to put moisture back in dry cigars. Since cigars will slowly lose their moisture, that is the way you want to put it back – through a slow process. If you do it all at once you will only further ruin your cigars.

How to Put Moisture Back in Dry Cigars Part 1: One of the best ways of how to put moisture back in dry cigars is to use a humidor. This is a type of box that will be able to retain moisture and that you can buy for a very reasonable price. They come in a variety of sizes. Some of the humidors out there will hold about 10 cigars. Others though will hold several thousand so it depends on what your needs are.

This will allow them to get about 70% humidity. However, the length of time they will need to go through this process will vary. It depends on the types of cigars, the size of them, and how long they have been dried out. You want to handle your dried out cigars as little as possible too. If you handle them too much they will crack and that can result in damage that can’t be repaired even when more moisture is added to the cigars.

How to Put Moisture Back in Dry Cigars Part 2: There are some other home methods that you can use for how to put moisture back in dry cigars. However, they generally aren’t going to give you the same results as the humidor. If you don’t have one though you can try these other methods. Placing the dry cigars in a plastic bag with all but a corner sealed can help. You will want to place a small piece of apple or a small corner of a clean sponge with water in the bag to offer the moisture.

Within a couple of days your dry cigars should have the right amount of moisture in them again. Many people believe that the taste has already been ruined but you will find that isn’t the case when you re-introduce the moisture slowly through that process. It is a great way to avoid tossing out cigars that you spent money on or you took the time to make.

Cut A Cigar

Here’s How to Cut a Cigar…

To fully enjoy a cigar you need to cut the end of it before you smoke it. Learning how to cut a cigar is very important. It is also easier than you might think as long as you have the right information to work with. Many people assume it is fine to do this with anything you have, even their teeth. When it comes to etiquette though there is a right way of how to cut a cigar and that option isn’t part of it.

How to Cut a Cigar Tip 1:

You may be wondering why it is important to learn how to cut a cigar properly. When it isn’t done like it should be though you will have some problems with your cigar. The biggest problem is that improper cutting leads to the wrapper to come undone. It will also cause damage to both the binder and the tobacco inside of the cigar.

Here’s How to Cut a Cigar Tip 2: Many people carry a sharp pocket knife with them to cut their cigars with. Make sure you keep the blade sharp because if it gets dull it won’t cut the cigar like it should. At home a pair of sharp scissors can do the cut for you very nicely. You want to cut the closed end of the cigar called the head. Never cut it until right before you are ready to enjoy smoking it.

There are also cutters you can buy at locations that sell cigars and online. This is the very best way of how to cut a cigar right every time. You also don’t want to cut very much of the cigar with this process. You want to cut off from 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch. You want to make sure you aren’t cutting into the actual body of the cigar. Most cigars have a cone end and that is what you want to take off. Where the cigar widens is the body and you don’t want to cut into that part of it.

If you know someone that loves cigars, teach them how to cut it properly. That way they will have the right tool for the job readily available. The more expensive the cigar happens to be the more important it is to have it cut properly. With a little bit of practice though a person can learn to do this very well. It is going to allow them to enjoy smoking the cigar more than one might think.

I love cigars, and the people that relish them. It seems to me that cigar lovers are a fun, intelligent group for the most part. And who wouldn’t want to hang out with these types of folks.

Anyway, thanks for coming and I look forward to providing you with interesting, time and money saving cigar and humidor tips, guides, and reviews.