How to Season a Humidor: The Essential Guide for New Cigar Enthusiasts

How to Season a Humidor: The Essential Guide for New Cigar Enthusiasts

Welcome to the wonderful world of cigar collecting! As you embark on this sophisticated hobby, one of the first and most crucial steps you'll take is properly preparing your humidor. Think of your humidor not just as a box, but as a mini-climate controlled sanctuary for your prized cigars. Without the right preparation, your humidor can do more harm than good, drying out your cigars and ruining their flavour.

This guide will walk you through the simple, yet essential, process of seasoning your humidor, ensuring it's the perfect environment for your cigars to thrive.

Why Do I Need to Season My Humidor?

Most humidors are crafted from Spanish cedar, a beautiful wood known for its aroma and humidity-regulating properties. However, when you first get a new humidor, this wood is typically dry. If you place cigars directly into a dry humidor, the wood will absorb moisture from your cigars, leaving them brittle, flavourless, and ultimately, ruined.

Seasoning is the process of slowly and gradually introducing moisture to the Spanish cedar, allowing it to expand and absorb enough humidity to maintain a stable environment between 65-72% Relative Humidity (RH) – the sweet spot for most cigars.

What You'll Need:

Before you begin, gather these essential items:

1. Your New Humidor: Of course!
2. Distilled Water: Crucial! Tap water contains minerals and chlorine that can damage your humidor, leave residue, and promote mold growth.
3. Clean, New Sponge or Cloth: Ensure it's never been used with soaps or chemicals.
4. A Reliable Digital Hygrometer: Forget the analog ones that come with many humidors – they are often inaccurate. A digital hygrometer provides precise readings, which are vital for proper seasoning and ongoing maintenance. (We offer a range of reliable digital hygrometers at JohnnyCigar.com!)
5. Humidification Solution (Optional but Recommended): While distilled water works, specialized humidor solutions (like those from Boveda or propylene glycol solutions) can make the process easier and more stable.
6. Boveda 84% RH Seasoning Packs (Highly Recommended for Beginners): This is by far the easiest and most foolproof method for seasoning. If you have these, steps 2, 3, and 4 below become much simpler.

The Two Best Ways to Season Your Humidor:

There are a few methods, but we recommend these two for their effectiveness and simplicity, especially for new enthusiasts.

Method 1: The Boveda Seasoning Pack Method (Easiest & Most Recommended)

This is the most foolproof method and is ideal for beginners due to its simplicity and precision.

1. Place the Boveda Pack(s) Inside: Take the Boveda 84% RH seasoning pack(s) (you'll usually need one 60-gram pack per 25-50 cigar capacity, so check your humidor size) directly into your empty humidor.
2. Close the Humidor: Seal the lid tightly.
3. Wait Patiently: Leave the Boveda packs inside for 14 days. Do not open the humidor during this time, and do not add cigars. The Boveda pack will slowly and safely bring the humidor's wood up to the ideal humidity level.
4. Remove & Replace: After 14 days, remove the seasoning pack(s). Your humidor is now seasoned! You can immediately replace them with your regular long-term Boveda packs (e.g., 65%, 69%, or 72% RH depending on your preference and environment) or your preferred humidification device, along with your hygrometer.

• Why this method is great: It eliminates the risk of over-humidifying, uneven seasoning, or introducing impurities, making it perfect for those starting out.

Method 2: The Wipe-Down & Wait Method (Requires More Attention)

This traditional method is effective but requires more monitoring to ensure you don't over-saturate the wood.

1. Prepare Your Sponge/Cloth: Lightly dampen a new, clean sponge or cloth with distilled water. It should be damp, not dripping wet.
2. Wipe Down Interior (Quickly & Lightly): Gently wipe down all interior Spanish cedar surfaces – the bottom, sides, lid, and tray(s) – with the damp sponge. Do not saturate the wood! A quick, even wipe is all that's needed. Excess water can warp the wood or encourage mold.
3. Place Damp Sponge Inside: Place the still-damp sponge (or a small bowl of distilled water) in a small, clean dish inside the humidor. This allows the wood to slowly absorb moisture from the air.
4. Insert Hygrometer: Place your calibrated digital hygrometer inside the humidor.
5. Close & Wait: Close the humidor and let it sit for 24 hours.
6. Monitor & Repeat: After 24 hours, check your hygrometer reading. If it's not yet in the 65-72% RH range, re-dampen the sponge/cloth (or refill the bowl) and repeat steps 2-5.
7. Continue Until Stable: You'll likely need to repeat this process for 3-7 days until your hygrometer consistently reads between 65-72% RH for at least 24 hours. The goal is stability.
8. Remove & Add Humidification: Once seasoned, remove the sponge/dish. Your humidor is now ready for your cigars! Immediately place your preferred humidification device (e.g., Boveda packs, floral foam humidifier with propylene glycol solution) and your cigars inside.

Important Tips for Successful Seasoning:

• Patience is Key: Do NOT rush the seasoning process. It's better to take an extra day or two than to ruin your humidor or cigars.
• Never Use Tap Water: Seriously, only distilled water. For humidifiers, specialized propylene glycol solutions are also excellent.
• Calibrate Your Hygrometer: Before you even start seasoning, make sure your digital hygrometer is accurate. The "salt test" is a common method: place the hygrometer with a small amount of salt and a few drops of distilled water in a sealed bag. After 6-8 hours, it should read 75% RH. If not, adjust it or note the difference.
• Don't Add Cigars Prematurely: Placing cigars into an unseasoned or improperly seasoned humidor will lead to irreversible damage.
• Maintain Your Humidor: Once seasoned, ongoing maintenance is crucial. Regularly check your hygrometer and replenish your humidification source as needed.

Your Humidor is Seasoned – Now What?

Congratulations! Your humidor is now a ready-made haven for your cigars. You can now safely store your collection, knowing they'll remain fresh, flavourful, and ready for your enjoyment.

Looking for the perfect accessories to complete your cigar experience? From reliable digital hygrometers to the best humidification solutions and sleek travel cases, JohnnyCigar.com has everything you need to enhance your passion.

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