So You've Neglected Your Humidor?

I have a humidor with a cedar lining that holds 50 cigars. It has been unattended for over a year and is dry as a bone. How can I save it?

Posted: August 27, 2012

Submitted via CigarAficionado.com

The humidor is not a goner, but you've got some work to do.

First you need to get a Tupperware container, place a sponge inside, fill it about halfway with distilled water and place it inside the humidor. Close the top of the humidor, and leave alone for a day.

When you return, the water should be gone. Remove the Tupperware. Place a charged humidification device—and if you neglected one for a year, buy a new one—inside, making certain that it is filled, and close the lid. Leave the device in the humidor for three days, keeping the lid closed the entire time. After three days, take a reading of the humidity inside the box, preferably with a digital hygrometer.

You're trying to get the humidity back to 65 percent to 72 percent. If the reading is still too low, refill the device and leave it for another day. If you're at the proper humidity, place you cigars inside and have a happy smoke. Repeat the process until desired results are achieved. If you can't achieve the desired results, your regulator should be checked out or your humidor may not be closing properly. (Be careful not to let the humidor get too moist, which could be just as detrimental to the cigars. If your readings are too high, use some cedar to bring it down.)

Now that your humidor is back in working order, it's ready for your cigars. Enjoy, and make sure you keep it humidified, because it's a lot easier to refill the device every few weeks than to go through all this again.

Have a question for the Cigar Aficionado editors? Submit it here