Morning panic!

[Styler]

I've been smoking out of my 2 large tupperdors recently and have only looked into my desktop every now and again to check it's RH. This morning I decided to take something different to work but when inspecting the selection from my desktop I noticed that they were all making that dreaded crackling sound when rolling them in my fingers. I checked the RH and it read a solid 65% but when pressing the temp units button nothing happened, then the reading flickered, then went to 17%, then up to 35%. I looked on in horror, realising that the thing has all but run out of battery power and had obviously just 'hung' on 65% giving me a very false sense of security!

I'm going to get new batteries for all three of my hygrometers and get them recalibrated tonight but I'm very worried that I've ruined some very expensive cigars as I'm not sure just how long the reading was inaccurate for. How long does a cigar have to be in a low RH environment before the oils to start to dissipate?

[bfg84]

sorry i cant help you with your question but just wanted to say sh*t!
fingers crossed all will be ok for for.

Dan

[SmokeyDave]

Ouch!

I think we are blessed in the UK with a climate that doesn't instantly destroy cigars if kept out of a humi, as long as they are rehydrated slowly I don't see why they shouldn't return to normal.

Fingers crossed!

[Bad-Yeti]

Oh man, that sucks.

Like others have said just re-hydrate them a little slowly and you should be fine, they are stronger than you would think.

Just don't change the atmosphere to much too quickly to avoid splitting

[monkey66]

As said slow and low and almost certainly no damages.

Sent from happy tappy tap.

[Nightwingvyse]

As said by someone else in another recent thread, cigars are far more robust than we give them credit for. As long as there's no physical damage, they'll be fine, as long as they are given a nice long few weeks at a good humidity to return back to their optimum condition. It's more about the humidity they are at at the time of smoking that is the big issue.

What's the absolute maximum amount of time that the hygrometer may not have been working? I would estimate that it would take months at a low humidity to cause permanent damage to a cigar.

[Stevieboy]

Hi Styler.
I have a thermo-hygrometer at work which is really only used to monitor the temp in the storeroom. I just checked the RH and it's reading 55% for 20C air. I think your device showing 35% was a glitch as I'm pretty sure a normal room wouldn't go lower than 50%...I don't think it'll be as bad as you fear. Gentle rehumidification is the answer. Good luck mate

[Styler]

Thanks guys, it was just a bit of a shock. Stevieboy, I know the 35% can't be trusted any more than the 17% or the initial 65% but the sound of some beautiful REs and LEs crackling under my fingers was horrible indeed. You're probably right though, how low is my ambient RH actually going to go. My only concern is that my wife has had the heating on quite a bit recently as it's getting pretty cold now and I'm sure I read somewhere that central heating dries the air out.

Slow and sure will be the way forward then, got new batteries and I'll salt test all my meters tonight just to make sure the readings are accurate. Nightwingvyse, we are maybe talking a month-6weeks since I actually handled any of the sticks so I suppose the moral of the story is don't put total faith in your hygrometer readings. With regards to location, do you guys place your humidors/tupperdors in the coldest parts of your homes or the most temp stable parts?

[Nightwingvyse]

A little thing to add. Don't stick them straight into a 70% environment from their current low humidity. Sticking dried cigars straight into a humidified environment will do damage. Sudden flux in conditions is often more of a hazard than the condition itself. If you want to be totally safe, rehumidify them in steps if you can.

[spirit_of_will]

With regards to location, do you guys place your humidors/tupperdors in the coldest parts of your homes or the most temp stable parts?

Sounds like a bloody nightmare! But (fingers crossed) it's not as bad as it sounds. I store my humis and tupperdors in the most stable place temp wise which just so happens to be the coolest (certainly in the summer). I tend to find that while I've got the lid open that the reading is going up not down...

I'm sure you'll be able to nurse them back to decent health!

Good luck!

[Nightwingvyse]

With regards to location, do you guys place your humidors/tupperdors in the coldest parts of your homes or the most temp stable parts?

I store mine in my bedroom, which has the radiator turned off, but has the boiler cupboard in it. It seems to create a good balance of temperature. Try your best to go by the 70-70 rule. Mine are usually about 65-70, but cigars aren't really bothered by slightly low temperature, it's high temperature that causes problems.

[Zigatoh]

Not sure about the 70/70 rule, contoversial I believe, seems to be pretty widespread in the UK to store at 65% humidity, and the 70 degree thing... Definitely read somewhere that this was to stop the beetles as they only come out to play above that but that it had been found they did so even under 70 degrees... but not to go too low either or the aging process is slowed as well...

Think it's all a bit up in the air even now tho.

[Bigboned]

65 or 70 def better than 35 but just take it slow n steady nothing drastic and u should be ok fingers crossed

[Nightwingvyse]

Not sure about the 70/70 rule, contoversial I believe, seems to be pretty widespread in the UK to store at 65% humidity, and the 70 degree thing... Definitely read somewhere that this was to stop the beetles as they only come out to play above that but that it had been found they did so even under 70 degrees... but not to go too low either or the aging process is slowed as well...

Think it's all a bit up in the air even now tho.

They are also far more prone to mold when too warm.

But your point is very true, there are so many aspects to the storage of a cigar that are of split opinions and ideas. It does make a lot of sense that colder temperatures will slow the transference of oils between the various layers of cigars.

[Simon Bolivar]

Just a further tip, you mentioned rolling the cigar to test humidity, you are not Leslie Carron, squeeze gently between two fingers will reveal if it feels rock solid, gives slightly, or gives alot. Rolling will damage the wrapper, espeocally in a slightly dry stick.