Proper humidity for aging?

[SammyO]

Hello all, hope everyone is well. Just purchased a humidor strictly for aging certain cigars. I'm getting a few different numbers on what is the best humidity for this process. Wanted to get a couple opinions from the group. Thanks!

[NSXCIGAR]

Lots of discussions over 12 years here about RH for all purposes. It's ultimately subjective between the acceptable range (60-70%) so do your research, take as many other's opinions into account as possible and form your own conclusion.

Personally, I have generally adhered to lower humidity (just above 60%) for medium-to-long-term aging (3+ years) and higher RH for short-term storage (mid-high 60s).

[SammyO]

Thanks for the advice 

[stogieluver]

I assume you're talking Cubans and not the "other kind".  LOL  If Cubans, do a search on this forum and you'll find reams of threads regarding this topic.  In general, you'll find a large number of us store in a range from 60% to 65% at 70dF.  Some here will tell you they age Cubans long term (say, 5+ years) at a slightly higher humidity level, maybe 68%,  but I don't think many here store at much more than 65-68% for long term aging. 

I store all of mine in the 60-62% range.  Noncubans are generally stored around 70%, but if you store/smoke Cubans at that level, you'll probably find them to have burn issues and taste harsh.  JMHO.

[SammyO]

I didn't think there were such as thing as  "other kind" lol... appreciate the advice 

[SaintMickey®]

I'm 62/64- but for "long term" I'd probably do a bit higher but my long term ain't that long term!


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[SammyO]

Hahaha I hear ya! Thanks bud

[Mattb82]

65/65 long term here and 65 degrees and 59%  in my smoke now humi 

[Shunamaji]

I'm in the 65/65 boat myself for aging.

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[SammyO]

Thanks. I have mine at 67% just trying to also get a ceiling of what % not to go over 

[zeedubbya]

I am a White Belt in training by Sensei @PigFish thus I sit down cross legged  and meditate about 60% 70dF every night religiously.  

[SammyO]

Nice!!! Lol

[Jfeath74]

I'm currently at 63/63, temp is steady, when rh drops to 60 I spay my beads and it shoots up to 65ish. I repeat that cycle 

[Philc2001]

39 minutes ago, SammyO said:

Hello all, hope everyone is well. Just purchased a humidor strictly for aging certain cigars. I'm getting a few different numbers on what is the best humidity for this process. Wanted to get a couple opinions from the group. Thanks!

I think it depends on what your purpose is for aging cigars and your expectations. Is it to enrich the flavor so the cigars will taste better? Is it to improve the perceived value? Is it because you have a bunch of cigars that taste like crap right now and you're wondering if aging them will make them more approachable?

I personally do not subscribe to disparate environments for long-term aging versus short-term storage. I keep them all in one place, young and old. I have cigars 20+ years old, some of which I personally believe have improved with time, others have changed but not necessarily for the better. There is also a common school of thought that some cigars may peak and then pass their prime and actually begin to decline after a period of time. It's mostly subjective, but there may be some science behind it you might want to explore. 

I've come to believe that tobacco oxidizes over time, which means that oxygen causes a chemical reaction of sorts that effectively decomposes the tobacco. So aging basically is about controlled oxidation. The RH likely plays a significant role in the oxidation process, but it is not clear how, or how much. It could be that certain tannic or other harsh tasting elements gas off over time, or it could just be that decaying aged tobacco simply tastes better than fresh tobacco. I take nothing for granted here.

That said, there is a school of thought that one can slow down the oxidation process by vacuum sealing cigars, effectively minimizing the amount of air that interacts with the tobacco. I've also thought (not verified) that vacuum sealing and reducing the storage temperature could potentially further slow the oxidation process so the cigars may remain fresher longer. I have some friends who swear vacuum sealing is the best way to preserve the taste. But that is all theoretical.  

Well, good luck with the aging, I hope you will be satisfied with the outcomes.

[SammyO]

I really appreciate the feedback. I just know the flavor in certain cigars pop when they have age to them. That's pretty much what I'm doing 

[hiperkemanci]

I'm currently at 63/63, temp is steady, when rh drops to 60 I spay my beads and it shoots up to 65ish. I repeat that cycle 

I wonder what sort of beads you use. No-matter-which types I use, they always shoot up to 70.

[SammyO]

Thanks bud

[SigloVI]

I keep my regular stash at 60-65%.  For my long term aging coolers I use 69% bovedas.  

[Dave001]

so much great advice you always shall receive here im just going to add my opinion since ive been aging cigars for over 10 years and my RH is always around 58-63 range (the swing is for the winter and summer months) using 60% HF

[ck475]

I have 1 pound of Heartfelt beads in 2 mesh bags in a 52 qt coolidor that stays at a rock solid 65%. There are 11 boxes in there so far and at the rate that I smoke they could last for several years so it is a long term aging humidor for my purposes. I also have a 300 ct treasure dome humidor that has a mix of CC and NC that sits at 59-60%. I take a cigar from the coolidor and put it in the 300ct about a week to a month before smoking. This has worked well for me and I have noticed 60% tastes and burns a tad better than 65.

[PapaDisco]

When I started out I did the dogmatic "70/70."  I quickly bumped into a touch of mold here and there, and found my cigars somewhat problematic to keep lit.  Otherwise they seemed fine.  It was the mold, and all the posts I read on here about lower rH, that moved me to try 65/65 and it was such a happier setting for me!   I really like my cigars for current consumption so much better at 65%rH.  The sticks that I keep in Vietnam are also stored at 65%rH (I use Bovedas in the States and over there) but they suffer more temperature swings (power outages and such) and so have more harsh moments; but the sticks in the States at 65/65 are just glorious.

What's the best for long term aging?  I've not found a definitive answer and it seems that no one really knows the chemistry.  I would expect that rH and temperature would affect not only the speed of aging, but also the chemical interactions, but that's just a guess.  I do know that the boxes I've had for a few years and that I've saran wrapped (or just zip locked, a more porous alternative) are absolutely delicious and rich in flavors, so I'm sticking with a program of minimizing air exchange for long term aging.  I wish there was some definitive knowledge about the benefits of different levels of humidity in the chemistry of long term aging though.

[SammyO]

8 hours ago, Dave001 said:

so much great advice you always shall receive here im just going to add my opinion since ive been aging cigars for over 10 years and my RH is always around 58-63 range (the swing is for the winter and summer months) using 60% HF

Thank you all for the words of wisdom I always look to you guys for your knowledge 

[soutso]

11 hours ago, stogieluver said:

I assume you're talking Cubans and not the "other kind".  LOL  If Cubans, do a search on this forum and you'll find reams of threads regarding this topic.  In general, you'll find a large number of us store in a range from 60% to 65% at 70dF.  Some here will tell you they age Cubans long term (say, 5+ years) at a slightly higher humidity level, maybe 68%,  but I don't think many here store at much more than 65-68% for long term aging. 

I store all of mine in the 60-62% range.  Noncubans are generally stored around 70%, but if you store/smoke Cubans at that level, you'll probably find them to have burn issues and taste harsh.  JMHO.

Hi Stogieluver,

I only smoke Cubans but some time ago I was gifted around a dozen sticks of various Padrons. I kept them at 70RH and was disappointed with all of them. I gave up with just two left. I will add that all sticks were flawless in wrapper and construction, kind of indicating to me that Cuban quality control is pretty poor as the non Cuban sticks are so consistent with construction and wrapper (from the small sample I've seen)

After a couple years I decided to store the last two at 60RH in my normal humidor (set at 60RH and 70degrees)

I smoked them after 6 months and was surprised that they were actually pleasant! They were far superior to the previous 8 or so that I had. They were like a really good Quintero.

Have you ever experimented with your non Cubans and if so what did you find at ones stored at 60RH?

Cheers,

Nik

 

[hiperkemanci]

I like 63% but I still try to find a better way to store my cigars. Should I put more 62 % boveda or less 65% to keep it around 63? Which way would be better ?

[stogieluver]

2 hours ago, soutso said:

Hi Stogieluver,

I only smoke Cubans but some time ago I was gifted around a dozen sticks of various Padrons. I kept them at 70RH and was disappointed with all of them. I gave up with just two left. I will add that all sticks were flawless in wrapper and construction, kind of indicating to me that Cuban quality control is pretty poor as the non Cuban sticks are so consistent with construction and wrapper (from the small sample I've seen)

After a couple years I decided to store the last two at 60RH in my normal humidor (set at 60RH and 70degrees)

I smoked them after 6 months and was surprised that they were actually pleasant! They were far superior to the previous 8 or so that I had. They were like a really good Quintero.

Have you ever experimented with your non Cubans and if so what did you find at ones stored at 60RH?

Cheers,

Nik

 

I don't have any non Cubans and haven't smoked any in the last 3-4 years.  When I had some, I always stored them at the recommended 70/70.  I've never smoked a non Cuban as good as the average CC.  Yes, I'm a CC snob.