We are coming to the end out our Journey in our beginner stage of cigar knowledge. It has been an honor to share what I have learned as a newbie. In this section, we will discuss a little science on the holy trinity of cigar care. Temperature, Humidity and Airflow. But, why should we care about these attributes of nature? Well, we want to replicate the environment in which the plant grew in the first place. We need conditions in which it will allow for the cigars to remain fresh, develop flavors, prohibit the growth of cigar beetles, and expel what
remaining toxins are left in the leaf. (we’ll discuss fermentation in Cigars 102)
How do we accomplish this? Well, we need to apply the 70/70 rule. We will need to try to get our humidor to 70 degrees F and 70 % relative humidity. We season our humidors and add humidification devices and place the box in a area where temperature can be regulated. How do we manage airflow? (we’ll talk about wineadors at a later date) When you add sticks to the humidor, don’t pile as many as you can fit while still closing the lid!! Fill the box, but
loosely. Allow the cigars to breathe and not be overcrowded. One question I get asked a lot is “why 70% humidity”? There is a very simple answer, cigars are made from tobaccos from all over the world, all from varying environments.
Some leaves require 65% while other may need 72% or higher. This is a happy medium
to ensure each type of tobacco gets what it needs to stay fresh and delicious. If you enjoyed this series, stay tuned. Cigars 102 – Fermentation, Cigar beetles, “The Farm” Field-Plant-
Product.