Monday, November 29 1999
Q. To bring overly humid cigars to smokable condition more quickly, what do you think about removing them from the cello, snipping the
head as if you were planning to smoke them, but instead, returning them to the
humidor for seasoning? It would seem that opening the head would allow moisture to escape much faster. Good idea or bad?
- Bob M. in Secor, IL
A. Traditionally, many cigar smokers remove the cello wrappers before placing their cigars in the humidor. There's no problem with pre-clipping them, either. However, to pre-clip them prior to smoking removes one neat aspect of the cigar smoking "ritual:" clipping a fresh cigar before lighting-up.
IMO, pre-clipping the head may actually cause more moist air to enter the cigar. For that matter, you might be better off leaving the cigar out of the humidor. (I've done this on occasion with samples I've received that are particularly spongy.)
If your cigars are over humidified, the best solution is to remove the humidifier until the RH adjusts to the level you prefer, then try to "stick-it." An average RH of 68% within a temperature range of 65 to 70 degrees should keep your cigars fresh and supple. Note also that some cigars take longer to "settle" than others. Like some other aspects of enjoying premium cigars, the key here is patience.
