Humidor

{{Short description|Humidity-controlled box or room for storing tobacco or cannabis}}

A humidor is a humidity-controlled box or room used primarily for storing cigars, cigarettes, cannabis, or pipe tobacco. Either too much or too little humidity can be harmful to tobacco products; a humidor's primary function is to maintain a steady, desirable moisture level inside; secondarily it protects its contents from physical damage and deterioration from sunlight. For private use, small wooden boxes holding a few dozen or fewer cigars are common, while cigar shops may have walk-in humidors. Many humidors use hygrometers to monitor their humidity levels. When used and maintained properly, humidors can keep cigars fresh and in perfect condition for decades. {{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Robert |date=April 19, 2024 |title=How Long Do Cigars Last In A Humidor? |url=https://refinedtraditions.com/blogs/cigars-101/how-long-do-cigars-last-in-a-humidor |website=Refined Traditions}}

Another use for a humidor is controlling the moisture level in a baseball, which can have a pronounced effect on its response when hit with a baseball bat. This phenomenon was so great that in order to put an end to much controversy, in 2002, nine years after joining the league, the Colorado Rockies started storing their game balls in a large walk-in humidor at their home stadium,{{cite web|url=https://www.popsci.com/category/ask-us-anything|title=Why Do the Colorado Rockies Keep Their Baseballs in a Humidor?|last=Fox|first=Stuart|website=Popular Science|date=November 7, 2008|access-date=August 26, 2020}} thus counteracting the effects of the low humidity due mainly to Denver's famous mile-high altitude of around 5,280 feet above sea level. After the change, various offensive and defensive statistics at Rockies home games, especially the number of home runs, were found to be more in line with the rest of the league. In 2018 the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose Phoenix home field is affected by the arid Sonoran Desert climate, became the second Major League Baseball team to use a humidor.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/02/23/mlb-mandate-teams-store-baseballs|title=MLB to Mandate That Baseballs Are Stored in Air Conditioned Room for 2018|last=Verducci|first=Tom|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=February 23, 2018|access-date=2020-08-26}}

Types

=Walk-in=

Most common in cigar bars or stores.{{cite web|url=https://robbreport.com/food-drink/cigars/7-best-cigar-bars-in-las-vegas-2848258/|title=Vegas Was Made for Cigars: Here Are the 7 Best Spots to Smoke 'Em|last=Carleton Hacker|first=Richard|work=Robb Report|date=April 26, 2019|access-date=August 26, 2020}} One room is built as or converted to a humidor where all the cigars are stored.

=Cabinet=

Usually placed on the floor as a piece of furniture.{{cite web|url=https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/five-tips-for-building-a-cigar-friendly-man-cave-18405|title=Five Tips For Building a Cigar-Friendly Man Cave|last1=Nagy|first1=Andrew|last2=Droesch|first2=Blake|work=Cigar Aficionado|date=October 15, 2015|access-date=August 26, 2020}} It typically holds 1000–5000 cigars. A cabinet humidor is considered a good option for deep storage.

=Desktop=

The most common type of humidor. Typically box sized with lid on top or with one or more drawers. Vary in size from 25–500 cigars capacity. Zino Davidoff is credited as the inventor of the desktop humidor.{{cite web|url=https://www.vervemagazine.in/travel-and-spaces/geneva-switzerland-travel|title=Geneva: Land of Monsters and Philosophers|work=Verve (Indian magazine)|last=Verma Lal|first=Preeti|date=September 1, 2015|access-date=August 26, 2020}}

=Travel=

Portable, usually holding 2 to 20 cigars. Travel humidors must be especially durable and stand up to repeated openings.{{cite journal|url=https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/storing-cigars-7429|title=Storing Cigars:We explore the ways cigar aficionados can maintain the freshness of their cigars|journal=Cigar Aficionado|issue=Mar/Apr|year=1998|access-date=August 26, 2020}}

=Cannabis=

Typically box sized that maintains 62% humidity level.{{cite news|url=https://www.wikileaf.com/thestash/best-way-to-store-weed/|title=What Is The Best Way To Store Your Weed?|last=Pitts|first=Kelly|website=Wikileaf|date=December 16, 2019|access-date=August 26, 2020}}

=Electric=

Similar to cabinet humidors, these are fully electronically-controlled humidors and function similarly to a fridge.{{cite web|url=https://cigarlounge.crownhumidors.com/humidor-guide/19-electric-cigar-humidors-reviewed/|title=Electronic Humidor|date=October 7, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2020}} These models are generally the most expensive options on the market and come equipped with automated temperature and humidity control.{{Cite web |title=Electric Cigar Humidors |url=https://refinedtraditions.com/collections/electric-humidors |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Refined Traditions |language=en}} Many models also come ready with LED display lights and touchscreen controls.

Construction

Commercially made humidor cases are typically made of wood, although materials such as acrylic, glass, and metal are also used. Carbon fibre, silicon carbide, and polyethylene are rare. Aside from pleasing aesthetics, the casing's purpose is to protect the interior and create a closed environment, so any durable and airtight material can be used.

The interior is typically a veneer of Spanish cedar,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AzWhHidqd9IC&pg=PA73|title=Traditional Box Projects|last=Purdy|first=Strother|page=73|publisher=Taunton Press|isbn=978-1-60085-110-0|year=2010|access-date=August 26, 2020}} a traditional material which possesses several desirable characteristics for cigar storage:

It holds more moisture than most woods, so it helps maintain humidity.
It is not prone to warping or cupping in high humidity.
It imparts its aroma to cigars. For the same reason, some cigars are wrapped in Spanish-cedar sheets before they are sold.
It can repel tobacco beetles, pinhead-sized pests which can ruin entire stocks of cigars by eating the tobacco and laying eggs, causing further infestation. They can also be discouraged by ensuring the humidor does not get hotter than {{convert|20|C}}.Beetle pest control information in Wikipedia The beetle eggs usually only hatch at around {{convert|25|C}}{{Citation needed|reason=varying opinions, this seems to be opinion|date=August 2012}}, although there are also instances where they will hatch at cooler temperatures if the humidity is too high.

Humidors are typically commercially produced, though most walk-ins are custom built and some humidors are homemade.{{cite web|url=https://www.swisscubancigars.com/blog/diy-humidors/|title=DIY Humidors|website=swisscubancigars.com|last=Stauffer|first=Daniel|date=August 18, 2020|access-date=August 26, 2020}} They range considerably in material, size and complexity. Capacity is determined by deducting the space required for the humidification element and some extra room between the element and the cigars. It can also be calculated online for the most popular cigar formats.{{cite web|url=https://www.humidordiscount.com/humidor_calculator|title=Cigar Humidor Calculator|website=humidordiscount.com|access-date=17 March 2018}}

Maintenance

A humidor needs to be seasoned when new or having been out of use for a while.{{cite web|url=https://www.liveabout.com/how-to-season-a-new-humidor-719691|title=How to Season a New Humidor|last=Manelski|first=Gary|website=liveabout.com|date=November 11, 2018|access-date=August 26, 2020}} Wood in an unseasoned humidor will absorb moisture from within, drying stored cigars out. The preferred technique for bringing the wood close to an optimal relative humidity level where it will buffer moisture is placing a small container of distilled water inside the humidor for 1 to 3 days.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

=Humidity=

Some humidors contain a permanent humidifying system which keeps the air moist, which in turn keeps the cigars moist. Without a humidor, within two to three days, cigars will quickly lose moisture and level up with the general humidity around them.{{cite web|url=https://www.galanocigars.com/en/ask/cigars-without-humidor|title=How long do cigars last without a humidor?|access-date=25 March 2017|archive-date=15 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315091715/https://www.galanocigars.com/en/ask/cigars-without-humidor|url-status=dead}} The ideal relative humidity in a humidor is around 68–72%.{{cite web|url=http://cigars.about.com/od/humidors/qt/humidor101.htm|title=How to Correct the Humidity Level in a Humidor|website=about.com|access-date=17 March 2018|archive-date=17 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217004307/http://cigars.about.com/od/humidors/qt/humidor101.htm|url-status=dead}} Though it can vary slightly depending on the cigar smoker's preferences, it should never go higher than 75%{{Citation needed|reason=conflicting numbers with construction section|date=August 2012}} due to the possibility of hatching tobacco beetles. The more empty space, the more readily the humidity level of the box will fluctuate.

Most humidifying elements are passive, releasing stored humidity through evaporation and diffusion. The use of a 50/50 solution of propylene glycol and distilled water is recommended for replenishing the passive humidifying element, as it has a buffering effect on air humidity, maintaining it at approximately 70%.{{cite web|url=https://ourpastimes.com/keep-fresh-rolling-own-cigarettes-8174501.html|title=How to Make Your Own Humidor Solution|last=Volz|first=Samantha|website=ourpastimes.com|date=April 12, 2017|access-date=August 26, 2020}} Retailers and manufacturers claim propylene glycol also has mild antifungal and antibacterial properties; distilled water should always be used, due to its lack of minerals, additives, or bacteria.

Electronic humidifiers are also available, although usually reserved for very large humidors.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} A sensor measures the outside humidity and then activates a ventilator, which blows air over a humid sponge or water tank into the humidor. Once the preset humidity level has been reached the ventilator stops. This way electronic humidifiers can maintain a much more stable humidity level than passive humidifiers. Also they typically will activate an alarm to notify when the moisture supply needs refilling, to prevent humidity drops. The accuracy of electronic humidifiers depends primarily on the integrated type of sensor; the capacitive type are preferred.

Silica gel beads, familiar for removing moisture from packaging containers, are a third alternative.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xy2CDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT286|title=The Ultimate Cigar Book|edition=4th|last=Carleton Hacker|first=Richard|date=2 June 2015|page=286|publisher=Skyhourse|isbn=978-1-63220-657-2}} These are "calibrated" with a coating of mineral salts to absorb or release humidity in various RH ranges (including 65%, 68%, 70%, and 72%), providing a buffering effect on relative humidity. They require only distilled water when necessary, and can be ruined by propylene glycol.

Most humidors contain a hygrometer which is a device that can measure the humidity of the environment. Whether analogue or digital, these hygrometers can be used to measure the levels of humidity inside the humidor.{{cite web|url=https://cigarlounge.crownhumidors.com/humidor-guide/what-is-a-hygrometer/|title=Regardless, digital hygrometers|website=crownhumidors.com|access-date=10 March 2020}} Regardless, digital hygrometers tend to be more accurate when compared to the analogue ones.

=Temperature=

A humidor should never be exposed to direct sunlight.{{cite web|url=http://www.humidor-guide.com/storing-cigars/optimum-temperature|title=Optimum temperature for cigar storage|website=humidor-guide.com|access-date=17 March 2018}} To discourage eggs of tobacco beetles from hatching and to prevent cigar rot, its internal temperature should be kept below {{convert|25|C}}{{Citation needed|reason=same numbers questioned above|date=August 2012}}, as well as below 75%{{Citation needed|reason=science|date=August 2012}} relative humidity. At temperatures below {{convert|12|C}}, the desired ageing process of the cigars is impaired, making storage in wine cellars problematic.