Effects of RH

[SteveH]

Gents,
I understand the basic concept of the effects of RH and how it affects burn. However what I'd like to get a better understanding of is how RH affects flavor. Also, certain sticks better at higher RH than lower or visa versa (Eg - CC's vs Central America, Maduros vs Lighter wrappers, etc) ?

Thanks !

[NCRadioMan]

The more wet the tobacco, the more mute the flavors. There is also a point where it could be too dry to taste anything as well. Then, there is that point somewhere in between that each of us prefers. As always when you talk flavor, it's subjective.

Cigars from Cuba and Nica tend to perform better at a lower humidity. Criollo and corojo tobaccos can easily and quickly soak up water like a sponge. Don Pepin has recommended that most his cigars should be kept at 65% rh. I havn't had any problems keeping any other cigars in that range.

Cameroons, on the other hand, need a wetter environment because of their fragile nature.


:2

[shilala]

Ya know what, Steve? Everyone is gonna come in here and tell you something different, and end up telling you their own particular preference.
Like me, for instance. I've tried pretty much everything at pretty much every rh.
Ultimately I found I like my cc's around 55-60%. At first, I like my nc's a little higher, around 65%. Now, I like them down around 59%.
My suggestion would be to find a starting point (65% is a darned good suggestion) and slowly work from there.
I think one thing everyone will agree on is that wet cigars don't perform well, and they don't taste so good. I agree with that, too, but I don't think you'll get even 3 guys to agree on what "wet" is. That's because as you guessed, different cigars do better than others at given RH's.
Being as it's too much work to keep different humidors for all my particular likes, I've just settled. I like them at 55-60%, so that's what everything is gonna be, even if maduros taste better (to me) at around 63%, and maduros are my favorite.
I think I'm starting to hit that phase where I don't want to struggle with my smokes anymore, I just want to enjoy them. The easier it is keeping them, the more fun it is. :D

[SteveH]

Hehe...ya I knew that this was a totally subjective question....I was more curious as to what some of the opions were - not expecting facts for the most part :D

Thanks again for the help. I've been sticking right around 68% or so (although when it was really cold out I had to supplement additional humidification to keep it anywhere near there). Maybe I'll let it fall down towards the low 60's for a couple of months and see what happens.

[pnoon]

Scott (shilala) hit the nail on the head.
I think we over analyze RH and what is optimal. As long as I am happy with the way my cigars are smoking, a few percentage points is nothing to worry about.

fwiw-I prefer my cigars in the 62-65 % range.
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[mosesbotbol]

I keep everything at 65% and I find that to be a good compromise for all cigars. I’d rather give a cigar a quick rinse than raise the humidity of the cabinet.

Lower humidity (and temp) is safer in preventing mold and beetle outbreaks.

I can’t be bothered with segregated environments based on what I think the humidity should be.

[T.G]

I store all my Nicaraguan cigars at 61.8%, except those that were manufactured in the months of December 2nd through March 18th, those are stored at 60.3%

Cuban cigars, the ones from the left side of the box for all the marques that start with a vowel, are stored at 63%. The ones on the right side of those boxes are at 58.9%. For marques that begin with a consonant, those are easy, 62.4%.

Honduran made cigars, with Honduran filler: 64% With Nicaraguan filler: 62.8%

Dominican cigars: For the most part, I typically store in the trash.

[Subvet642]

I store all my Nicaraguan cigars at 61.8%, except those that were manufactured in the months of December 2nd through March 18th, those are stored at 60.3%

Cuban cigars, the ones from the left side of the box for all the marques that start with a vowel, are stored at 63%. The ones on the right side of those boxes are at 58.9%. For marques that begin with a consonant, those are easy, 62.4%.

Honduran made cigars, with Honduran filler: 64% With Nicaraguan filler: 62.8%

Dominican cigars: For the most part, I typically store in the trash.

:tpd: I do the same exact thing except I keep mine in a shoebox with a damp paper towel.

[Brutus2600]

I'll third Scott's assessment and also throw in what I keep my cigars at.

I used to try to keep everything at 70/70 (from my quick google research) and would have trouble with plugged cigars and mediocre smokes more often than not. Once I joined CA and learned more, I've started keeping everything in the 65/65 range, and then will drybox any CC's I have for 24 hours before smoking them and it really helps with burn/draw/flavor.

Again, it's all subjective, but that's what I do :)

[BlindedByScience]

I think I'm starting to hit that phase where I don't want to struggle with my smokes anymore, I just want to enjoy them. The easier it is keeping them, the more fun it is. :D
QFT....thanks for writing my post for me.....:tu I quoted the last sentence as it's the one that I agree with the most.

Anything over 70% and the risk of mold is great. Below that....round up a hundred experienced cigar enthusiasts and ask them what RH they smoke at. You'll get answers from 55% to 70%, I promise you. When I was new at the game, I'd freak out over a point or two in the coolers. You know what? A point or two almost doesn't matter, IMHO.

I have a tall, vertical Staebell humidor. The RH controller is in the upper 2/3 of the cabinet. With a set point of 65%, the RH runs about 63% in the top, about 67% in the bottom. So, I age in the bottom of the cabinet, and smoke out of the top. Works fantastically.

Like most have said - start at 65% and see what you think.

[T.G]

:tpd: I do the same exact thing except i keep mine in a shoebox with a damp paper towel.

Balla!

[Brutus2600]

Anything over 70% and the risk of mold is great. Below that....round up a hundred experienced cigar enthusiasts and ask them what RH they smoke at. You'll get answers from 55% to 70%, I promise you. When I was new at the game, I'd freak out over a point or two in the coolers. You know what? A point or two almost doesn't matter, IMHO.

Hah! So true. I think my little desktop humidor lived in half a dozen different places in my house when I first started smoking, just trying to find the place that was closest to 70 degrees. And using the little Xikar gel containers to keep it at 70% RH was all I could do not to freak out over why it wasn't staying within a point or two of 70%.

Years later I found out that the digital hygro I was using sucked, and was probably off possibly as much as 10 points, so there was a good chance I was keeping them at way higher than I should've been.

[Average Joe]

Some guys here will say this is sacrilege... but...

I don't measure humidity. I keep it somewhere between mold and dry cigars. Where? I don't know. It seems to stay pretty constant, and I've never had any sticks go bad. I've been doing it this way a long time with no problems.

Flame suit on.

[SteveH]

Great stuff guys - exactly the info I was looking for !

[mosesbotbol]

Some guys here will say this is sacrilege... but...

I don't measure humidity. I keep it somewhere between mold and dry cigars. Where? I don't know. It seems to stay pretty constant, and I've never had any sticks go bad. I've been doing it this way a long time with no problems.

Flame suit on.

Not at all from me. If they are smoking good, not getting moldy, you're all set. :tu

[icehog3]

Some guys here will say this is sacrilege... but...

I don't measure humidity. I keep it somewhere between mold and dry cigars. Where? I don't know. It seems to stay pretty constant, and I've never had any sticks go bad. I've been doing it this way a long time with no problems.

Flame suit on.

Not at all from me. If they are smoking good, not getting moldy, you're all set. :tu

Yup...if it is working for you long term, more power to ya.

[shilala]

Some guys here will say this is sacrilege... but...

I don't measure humidity. I keep it somewhere between mold and dry cigars. Where? I don't know. It seems to stay pretty constant, and I've never had any sticks go bad. I've been doing it this way a long time with no problems.

Flame suit on.

I'll ditto Tom and Moses.
If it's working for you, your cigars smoke good, and you're happy, how the heck can that be wrong? :sh

[kaisersozei]

As to your (implied) question why humidity affects cigar flavor, I think it has to do with the oils inside the tobacco leaf. Too dry or too wet and the oils don't come across the same way when burned. I've read where this is more of a factor in long term aging than in keeping your cigars ready to be smoked. More educated folks on here are welcome to chime in & correct me if I'm off base.

What makes for proper humidification is mostly personal preference. My "premiums to be smoked" humidor runs from 59-63%, my cc sits around 60% and my cooler is at 70%. Seems to work for me, and I've never had any problems, but I don't worry too much about it, either (now that my leaky glasstop is fixed.)

[OLS]

The more wet the tobacco, the more mute the flavors. There is also a point where it could be too dry to taste anything as well. Then, there is that point somewhere in between that each of us prefers. As always when you talk flavor, it's subjective. :2

This is correct.