Congratulations on your fresh box of Eighty5 Cigars! We put a lot of effort into hand crafting your cigar, so we want to make sure that you keep them in good quality.
In order to enjoy your Eighty5 Cigar (or any cigar for that matter), proper cigar storage is crucial. Not storing your cigars properly will cause many problems, including: uneven or too rapid burn, harsh or bitter taste, broken wrappers, difficulty lighting or keeping the cigar lit, mold, and tiny holes in your cigars.
Let’s us show you how to properly store your cigars, so that you can have the premium experience you deserve.
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Humidification
Humidification is the only way to keep your cigar fresh indefinitely. Cigars should be stored under the following conditions:
- 65-70% Humidity
- 68-72 Degrees Fahrenheit
A humidor is simply a well-made box designed exclusively for storing cigars. Many of the better humidors have lift out trays and dividers, which are of great benefit. These features help you organize your cigars and allow easy access to the cigars you might wish to smoke at any given time. Humidors come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Even though humidors can be expensive, there are plenty of affordable humidors that you can find on sites like Amazon, so you should view a wide variety and take your time selecting one. A good humidor should not only serve your needs, but aesthetically pleasing as well.
Breaking In Your New Humidor
- Activate and attach your humidifier and hygrometer (optional)
- Add a cup of distilled water into the humidor and close the lid or scrub the humidor with a lint free cloth.
- Wait 24 to 48 hours, then fill the humidor at least halfway to regulate the humidity.
- Check your cigars every day for freshness. Gently squeeze the foot of the cigar; it should have some spring to it like a loaf of bread.
- Slowly begin adding more cigars to the humidor and continue checking them every day. Eventually, you will be able to go several days without checking them.
- Even after your humidor is completely broken in, it is still a good idea to check them every day for freshness.
The Hygrometer
The hygrometer is a device used for measuring the relative humidity inside of your humidor. There are two varieties.
Analog – This is the standard type of hygrometer. They are the least expensive and also the least reliable. They operate with a needle controlled by a hairspring that points to the correct percentage of humidity.
Digital – Far more reliable, but also more expensive. The digital hygrometer operates on a standard camera or watch battery and digitally reads the humidity as well as the temperature.
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Help! I don’t have a humidor yet.
Whatever you do, don’t follow your uncle’s advice and put it in the freezer or refrigerator — that WILL ruin it. Luckily, there are a number of easy ways to keep cigars fresh without an expensive humidor, using items you probably already own.
Ziploc bag
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If you’re just looking to store a cigar or three, a common Ziploc bag and a moist sponge are all you need. Just take a large freezer bag and place the sticks inside. Next, wet the new sponge and ring out any excess water. Place the sponge in the bag and seal tightly. The sponge will keep the setup humid for several weeks. Just be sure to check in on the cigars occasionally to make sure the sponge didn’t dry up.
Tupperware container or jar
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For a little-added protection, a Tupperware container or glass jar can make for a very nice makeshift humidor. These can be especially nice if you want to store more than a couple of cigars. You can still use a sponge to keep the humidity up, but this time around you should use distilled water—it helps prevent mold and ensures that the cigars will not be exposed to any chemicals found in standard tap water that could affect the flavor.
Small cooler
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If you plan on keeping the cigars around for more than a few months, the best option—outside of a humidor—would be a standard cooler. Any size cooler can work depending on how many cigars you are looking to store. A cooler will do a nice job of keeping the relative humidity where it needs to be to be for an extended period of time. While a wet sponge will certainly do the trick, you may want to consider picking up a gallon of distilled water, a proper humidification device, and a hydrometer. For less than $20 bucks, you can have a full-time humidor that requires very little babysitting.
Read the original article on Cool Material. Copyright 2015. Follow Cool Material on Twitter.