Care

Once the box is seasoned, the work is keeping the reading in a band instead of chasing it every day. The target is about 70°F (21°C) and about 70% relative humidity. Cigars dry out in the open air. They mold, or they can pick up tobacco beetles, if they stay too warm and too wet.

How often to look

Check the hygrometer every couple of weeks at first, then as often as your climate needs. A heated house in winter dries a box faster than a mild room. Trust a digital hygrometer over an analog dial unless you have calibrated the dial.

Rotate the cigars every few weeks if some sit against the humidifier and others sit against the wall. Leave the vents clear. A box that is almost empty swings more than one that is about two-thirds full.

When the reading is off

If the humidity stays high and the cigars feel spongy, open the lid for an hour and hold off on adding water. If it stays low, check the seal: a slip of paper at the edge of the lid should tug when you close it. A seal that does not hold is the usual reason a seasoned box will not settle. Replace a humidifier element that has gone hard or moldy. Pouring more water into a ruined element does not fix it. How to recharge a sound one is on The humidifier.

Mold and beetles

If the box runs hot and wet for a long time, look for a fuzzy growth on the wrapper, and for tiny holes that mean tobacco beetles. A pale dust or a bloom that brushes off is not always mold. Fuzzy spots that do not brush off are. Take those cigars out, and wipe the box. Freezing is a last resort for beetles and can damage the cigars. Do not put a moldy cigar back with the others.