Summer Cigar Maintenance

Summer is here again and this is not a good time of year for cigar smokers. Especially in the lower latitudes, the high temperatures and humidity can be a great challenge for cigar care. So, if you want to enjoy a good cigar this summer, please take care of your cigars.

Recently, temperatures have been rising rapidly, even breaking record highs in many areas, so it is important to keep an eye on cigar temperatures during the summer. For cigars, 16-21°C is the ideal storage temperature, and a good humidor is necessary to reach this temperature in the hot summer months when external forces are necessary.

In addition to temperature, humidity is also a concern for many cigar lovers, however, although summer is on the humid side, most of the time it is within the normal range of humidity required for cigars. What we need to be really concerned about is the fluctuation of air humidity during summer thunderstorms. In a warm environment, the humidity can vary much more than in a colder environment, and the uncontrollable risk factors are much higher. A dry spell and a wet spell can easily cause problems such as wrapper bursts and poor draws, so a stable humidity environment is very important. A stable humidity environment is therefore very important. Also, if cigars are exposed to excessive humidity for a long period of time, there will be a very big problem of cigar mold, so please control the humidity to prevent mold.

In addition to temperature and humidity, it is also important to keep an eye on the insect problem in summer. If the cigar temperature is above 26°C for a long time, cigar bugs can easily appear. Insects can be fatal to cigars, so if you find tiny bits of tobacco in your humidor or insect eyes on your cigars, clean your humidor as soon as possible and throw away any cigars damaged by cigar bugs.

From the above, the main problem in summer is that temperature and humidity are difficult to control, so cigar care has to start from this problem point as well. If the cigars are in an air conditioned room or a cigar cabinet with temperature regulation, be careful to hydrate them even if they are in an air conditioned room, as air conditioning can cause the humidity of the environment to decrease. If you are in a humid summer area and do not use air conditioning to assist with temperature regulation, it is recommended that you leave the humidor open for a period of time each day to allow excess moisture to be released from the box.

Also, it is important to check your cigars thoroughly every week or two to note the humidity level and to observe if there is any insect damage or mold. You can also turn the cigars with the purpose of inspection, which can effectively avoid the problem of uneven cigar temperature and humidity inside the box. At the same time, do not overfill the humidor. It is best to leave 20-25% space in the humidor to promote the flow of air and moisture around the cigars, and if necessary, add some cedar wood to partition the cigars.