The ideal storage condition for a cigar is approximately 70% humidity at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Air at different temperatures will hold completely different amounts of moisture. Warm air can hold a tremendous amount of moisture. If your cigars are stored in a warm place, you will have to continuously add water to the humidifier. The result will be very spongy cigars. Cold air holds almost no moisture. Air with 70% humidity will be dry at freezing temperatures. Relative humidity is defined as the percentage of the maximum amount of water that air can hold at a given temperature without condensation. As a general rule, when the air temperature is reduced from 68 degrees by one degree, the humidity should be increased by 1%, and vice versa. Therefore, if your cigars were stored at 58 degrees Fahrenheit, the humidity should be kept around 80%. Dry cigars can be moisturized, but will never be quite as good as they were from the factory. To remoisturize, a cigar, put it into a properly humidified environment for a very long period of time (6 months or more). The cigar will gradually absorb the surrounding humidity. Overhumidified cigars that have become damp should be thrown away. The binder and filler of a cigar make up about 90% of the total mass of the cigar. Therefore, the binder and filler will also absorb over 90% of any excess humidity. When this happens, the body of the cigar swells, forcing the wrapper to expand. When you attempt to dry out a damp cigar the following will happen:
- The body shrinks rapidly.
- The wrapper will be loose and wrinkled.
- The wrapper will peel when you attempt to smoke the cigar.