Monday, November 29 1999
This is a tricky topic because if your cigars are too dried out there may
be no hope. However, it can't hurt to try, right? That caveat aside,
here goes, but you will need to be patient as this process can take
weeks or even months:
Put the cigars in a
humidor or other sealable container with a humidifier
that hasn't been re-charged lately. Let them rest in there for a few
days so the cigars absorb what little humidity remains. Then, only
partially fill the humidifier, letting the cigars rest again for about
a week. Then fully re-charge humidifier. The idea here is to allow
slow absorption of moisture, preventing the cigars from getting too
much humidity too soon. If you shock the cigars by adding too much
moisture at once they can actually burst--the last thing you want
to do with really pricey cigars. This can take several weeks more
than a month. Remember, be patient.
If you have a very large humidor or cabinet-style humidor, start by
placing the cigars a good distance from the humidifying device and
every 5-7 days, move them a little closer to the humidifying device.
This could take up to six weeks, so again, patience is key.
Before you light up, make sure the restored-cigars have a little "spring"
to them like a fresh cigars should be. A dry cigar will only burn
hot and the flavor bitter tasting.
