How to set up a humidor

How do I set up my humidor?

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is how to set up and start up a new humidor. In fact, Burkina The Magazine tells us that many people have referred this question to them. And since here at Wacota Humidors for Cigars, we love to answer your questions and help our fellow cigar lovers, we have dedicated this post to do just that. In this case, the answer is a simple one: you have to turn it on and leave it running until it reaches around 70% humidity.

Activate the humidification system

If you have a humidor with natural humidification, you should moisten the sponge with distilled water. The damp sponge will release moisture and the cedar wood will absorb some of that moisture. The important thing is to look at the hygrometer to check if the humidity reaches the ideal level of 70%.

It may be necessary to moisten the sponge more than once. It could also be the case where the humidity rises a lot and you have to remove the sponge for a few hours. Or you have to leave the humidor open to lower the humidity in case it has risen far too high. In any case, you have to control the humidity levels until you reach the ideal level.

The climate of the place where you live greatly influences the humidity of the environment and, therefore, that of the humidor. Thus, depending on where you’re located, you can leave the humidity inside your humidor slightly below or slightly above the 70% estimated as the ideal level.

For example, homes in cities or towns with a beach are very humid. On the other hand, houses located in cold places or very hot and dry places (far from the sea) are less humid. These issues must be taken into account when starting and maintaining the humidity levels of the humidor.

In the case of having a humidor with an electronic humidification system, the idea is the same. You have to put it into operation: pour distilled water into the humidity generation device and monitor the levels. As with natural humidification, it is necessary to take into account the humidity of the environment to regulate the humidor accordingly.

When can I put cigars in my humidor?

Another question that usually arises after having the humidor at home and putting it to work is when to put the cigars inside. This all depends on the state of the cigars and where they have been stored so far. If the cigars are drying or there is a certain urgency to put them in the humidor, they can be put in directly at the time of starting it.

If the cigars are well kept at that moment, you can wait for the humidor to reach the perfect humidity level before putting them inside. In any case, remember that there is no better place to keep cigars than inside a humidor.

Remember: You can automate the task of maintaining your cigars with an HR6 cigar humidifier.

Once the hygrometer reads around 70%, your humidor will be ready to keep your cigars for years. Of course,  the maintenance is as important as the start-up. You should periodically check that the humidity has not fallen or risen excessively. And if any of those situations occur, you must act to fix them.

Although temperature is not as crucial as humidity for the maintenance of cigars, it is also important. The temperature inside the humidor should range between 16 and 23 degrees Celsius. This is also influenced by the climate in which you live in.

In addition, it is important to know that humidity and temperature are closely related: the higher the temperature, the lower the humidity; and vice versa. This is because the cold removes moisture from the environment, but the heat causes it to rise. Therefore, both values ​​must be controlled, ensuring a good balance between humidity and temperature. If your humidor has an air conditioning system, you have to start it up and control it so that it does not alter the humidity levels.

Other common questions about setting up the humidor

The belief that it is necessary to moisten the interior of the humidor to set it up is widespread, but this is not the case. You can wipe the inside walls of the humidor and the shelves with a damp cloth to clean any dust or sawdust that may remain. But this is more a routine cleaning practice than a necessary start-up for its correct operation.