Common Humidor Mistakes

While owning and maintaining a humidor is a simple process, both new and experienced cigar smokers frequently make a few common mistakes! Check out our list below to make sure keep your cigars in prime condition! 

Buying a humidor that is too large for the amount of cigars you are storing:

Your humidor should be at least 50% full of cigars. Remember, air is the enemy here. The more air you have in your humidor, the harder your humidification has to work to keep the correct moisture content. While that large 300 ct humidor might look great, if you don’t have the cigars to fill it you are going to have more drastic humidity swings that can affect your cigars! 

Failing to calibrate your hydrometer: 

Analog hygrometers require calibration before use to ensure proper function. While this typically involves using a salt+water mixture, each hydrometer is slightly different. Refer to your hydrometers manufacture guidelines on how to best calibrate it. Hydrometers also can go bad over time, so if your humidity is way off the target numbers, it might be time to recalibrate or purchase a new one. 

Electronic hygrometers are slightly more accurate than analog and typically come pre-calibrated from the factory. Again, if your humidity reading is drastically different then where it should be, it might be time to purchase a new one or re-calibrate it (some cannot be re-calibrated). 

Running out of humidification:

This is more common in “storage” humidors that people set aside for special cigars. Remember to check in on your cigars occasionally to make sure everything stays safe!  Change the humidification packs if you start to feel the crystals inside the pack!

Failing to re-season after your humidification goes dry:

If your humidification begins to run dry, you might need to re-season your humidor all over again. If you are at low humidity after running dry, pull your cigars and season again. While this might feel like a chore, it is the best way to not ruin your treasured cigars! 

Not using distilled water:

Using any other water other then fresh distilled water can lead to mold in your humidor and cigars. If you aren’t going use humidification packs, make sure you are only using distilled water!

Storing cigars in leaky humidors:

Your humidor should be air-tight. While that humidor you picked up at a garage sale might look like a great deal, you’ll lose a whole lot of money in the long run if it doesn’t hold humidity! A good test to use is the dollar bill test. Insert a dollar bill halfway in the humidor and then shut it. If it pull out easily then your seal is bad. Repeat this all the way around the seal.