How does humidor solution work? Propylene glycol is the active ingredient in humidor solution. It is a liquid that does not dry up easily and releases water at exactly 70%. The humidor solution should be in a mixture of 50% propylene glycol and 50% distilled water. This is the perfect balance that the humidifier needs to feed your cigars the water that allows them to continue to age gracefully.

The solution should only be applied when setting up your new humidor or when the humidity level suddenly drops. Depending on the temperature and weather, it should be used once every 3 to 6 months. It should not be used more frequently and never exclusively. After activating your humidifier it should only be refilled with pure distilled water until the humidor solution dissipates, at which time it may be used again.

How do you know when it’s time to use the solution again? When you see that the humidity level is erratic or suddenly drops, even though you have distilled water in the humidifier. If you overuse the solution it will clog up the humidifier and render it useless. When you use it too often, it displaces the water and you end up having a humidifier of propylene glycol with no water to release. What do you do if this happens? It’s a simple problem to resolve. Just buy a new humidifier. It will never work as intended again, even if you think that you cleaned it out.

Lately there have been humidor companies, stores and Internet retailers that have been selling solution that is not a mixture of 50% propylene glycol and 50% distilled water, and claiming that because it has a higher concentration of propolyne glycol, it will work better. This is not true and just a way to get more money from you for a product that will eventually harm you humidifier. The higher the propylene glycol percentage, the less room there is for distilled water in your humidifier. Your humidor needs the water so that it can recreate the the tobacco leaf’s original environment.

What is the best relative humidity level to keep inside your humidor? While the standard 70% humidity and 70 degrees is always used because it is easy to remember, humidity levels between 60% and 75% are just fine. The temperature can also vary from 60 to 80 degrees. Remember that in the tobacco fields the temperature changes from day to night. The tobacco leaf is accustomed to such changes. Most of the world’s best cigar makers prefer drier cigars, anywhere from 50 to 65% humidity. Drier cigars burn better and taste better. You must also use more care when you handle them before lighting as the drier wrapper can crack. But once you light it you’ll notice the difference in burn and taste, and the wrapper will no longer be fragile.

After all, for some smokers, the after-dinner cigar is more symbolic than anything – a conspicuous display, perhaps, of taste and leisure, or a social or familial ritual. If, however, you smoke for taste – which is the best reason to smoke – you should probably invest in a humidor: a specially-constructed box designed to maintain your cigars in near-70% humidity and at a proper temperature when they’re not being smoked.

To understand why humidors are so important, remember what a cigar essentially is. It’s a set of rolled-up tobacco leaves that have been cut, dried, cured, and fermented, then maintained at a very slight but essential level of moisture. If the cigar dries out completely – as can happen in open air, at the wrong temperature, or in low humidity – it loses its taste. If it’s kept in an airtight environment, on the other hand, the necessary low level of moisture will, over time, cause mold. A cigar requires a very special set of conditions in order to maintain optimum taste.

The humidity in which cigars are stored is important because of the specific conditions in which most tobacco is grown. The natural climate for most such areas is in the neighborhood of 70% relative humidity; the tobacco plant has evolved for such a climate. Thus, humidity control is the sine qua non of a humidor – without that, it’s not a humidor but a box with cigars in it. Humidors are able to maintain a relatively consistent humidity level partly because of the relatively porous wood used to line them (Spanish cedar and Honduran mahogany are popular choices for this reason).

Most humidors also, of course, have some sort of device that maintains moisture levels; some use hygrometers, which indicate interior humidity. (Digital hygrometers tend to be more accurate, though they lack the old-fashioned appeal of dial hygrometers.)

When packing your humidor, make sure you leave some room between the cigars to allow air to circulate between them. (Again, you want to avoid an airtight fit, which would promote mold. On the other hand, too much empty space will allow that all-important humidity level to drop. Check on your cigars frequently, at least once a week, to ensure that nothing needs to be adjusted). The cigars should, at best, exude a small amount of oil when stored; this is a sign that the humidor is working. Slight amounts of water can be added if cigars start to dry out.

If your cigars suffer an attack of tobacco beetles – a species of beetle that preys on tobacco and can sometimes bore through a humidor – you’ve probably been keeping the temperature in the box a touch too high (tobacco beetles flourish at temperatures over 75 degrees.) Remove the affected cigars and put them in your freezer for 48 hours, then move them to your refrigerator for another day, following which they should be safely returnable to the humidor.

Spanish-cedar humidors are a popular choice. This wood, as mentioned above, holds moisture well, maintaining humidity, and it holds an aroma many consumers find pleasant and complementary to that of the cigars themselves. It’s also slightly favored for keeping tobacco beetles out, and it doesn’t warp in high humidity.

When you buy your humidor, “season” it by applying a moist cloth to the interior wood and then leaving a small, closed container of water inside the humidor for 12 hours. If the humidor “drinks up” most of the water, leaving the container near-empty after 12 hours, repeat the process for another 24 hours. Once the water stops evaporating, the humidor is ready for your cigars!