Setting Up a Humidor

August 25, 2006

Set Up

Setting up your humidor initially will take a little time and patience. When you first get your new humidor, don’t go throwing any cigars in there without “charging” your humidification device and re-humidifying the wood inside the humidor. This process with take a few days to get the humidor between 70 and 75 percent humidity, a safe range for cigars. Until the wood has had a chance to re-humidify, you will notice your hygrometer yo-yoing. This is normal.

Calibrating Your Hygrometer – When you get a new hygrometer, unless its digital, you will need to calibrate it. This is a relatively easy process. Things you will need: table salt, small dish (Gatorade bottle caps work nicely), water, zip bag or small plastic container. 1) Fill the dish or cap with a teaspoon or so worth of salt. 2) Add water to the salt. Do not dissolve the salt, just make it damp. 3) Place your hygrometer and dish inside the bag or container and seal, leaving air inside. 4) After 8-10 hours the humidity in the bag will be 75%. If your hygrometer does not read 75%, use a small screwdriver and adjust throw the hole in the back until it does read 75%.

Prepare Your Humidor – While your hygrometer is waiting to be calibrated, you can go ahead and start on your humidor. Make sure you use distilled water (or humidor solution) for any of the following steps.

1. Wet either a new sponge or some paper towels and wipe down the inside of your humidor with distilled water. This will help get some moisture into the wood faster then just allowing water to evaporate inside the box.
2. Charge your humidification device by soaking it in distilled water or dripping humidor solution onto it. The humidification device is similar to a sponge and simply holds moisture to be absorbed by both the wood and your cigars. Once the sponge inside the device has absorbed some water or solution, shake off any excess and attach to the inside of the lid.
3. I usually add some distilled water to a small bowl and place it in the bottom of my humidor to give it a kick start for a day or two. After the first few days I remove this bowl and check the humidity daily. You’re looking for something between 70 and 75 percent before you can put any cigars in there (most analog hygrometers have this range marked on their face).

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