Because of their natural oils, cigars can be difficult to store and maintain.If you don't have a humidor, you might find yourself with dry, brittle cigars that have lost their smoothness and complex flavors.There are a few tricks you can use to bring a dry cigar back from the brink that only require basic materials and a little patience.
Step 1: To store cigars, find a humid environment.
The cigars should be stored in a place with abundant natural humidity.It is possible to expose dried out cigars to constant, steady levels of humidity.You should only choose a place that is slightly warmer or cooler.Don't leave cigars in places that get sunlight or heat.
Step 2: The cigars should be left in the box with the lid open.
The cigars should be evenly distributed inside the cigar box if the lid is cracked open.Leaving the top of the box open will allow the tobacco inside the cigars to be more easily penetrated.If the cigars are not completely dried out, leaving the lid open will allow the box to be moist.Leave the lid off for cigars that have been desiccated.A warm, damp towel can be folded and placed beneath the cigar box to provide an extra boost of humidity.It is advisable to change the towel out frequently.
Step 3: Allow cigars to sit for a period of time.
For a couple weeks to a month, leave the cigars in the humid location.Make sure the cigars are not knocked over, wet or exposed to direct heat or cold.The simplest method of rehydrating dry cigars is this one, but it will take a long time.Slow rehydration works best as it takes time for the cigars to get rehydrated.It can be difficult to keep a cigar lit because of overhydration, which can result in deadening the cigar's flavor, and even cause mold to grow on the tobacco.
Step 4: The cigars should be changed every few days.
You can check back on the progress of the cigars.The entire outer edge of each cigar will receive the same amount of water so that they are hydrated evenly.
Step 5: Place the cigar box inside of a large bag.
Take a large bag and poke small holes in it to let the cigar box in.Put the cigar box inside the bag.A quart-sized bag is sufficient for most smaller cigar boxes.The cigars may become over saturated if the holes are too large.For poking small holes, a paperclip or the point of a knife is a good choice.
Step 6: Put a damp sponge inside the second bag.
Ring out the excess water with a sponge.The sponge should be placed at the bottom of a larger bag.The cigars can be revived from this artificial source of moisture.If possible, wet the sponge with bottled or distilled water.You can cause your cigars to mold by using old, used sponges and tap water.When you rotation the cigars, you should re-wet the sponge every couple of days.
Step 7: The second bag should be sealed with the cigars.
The bag containing the cigar box should be moved into the second bag.The moist sponge will slowly diffuse through the second bag and into the dry cigars.The method will probably take a week or more.Don't let the cigars get wet.A wet cigar is not a problem.
Step 8: The two bags should be left in an out of the way place.
To see if the cigars are absorbing water, take a look at the bags every couple of days.If necessary, switch up the positions of the cigars inside the box.
Step 9: The cigar box should be left in the bathroom.
You can keep the cigar box in the bathroom where you take your daily shower.During the rehydration process, the cigars will become a fixture in the bathroom.You can keep the box of cigars out of sight.The ornate construction of cigar boxes makes them look like decorative pieces while they are being salvaged.
Step 10: You can open the box while you shower.
Before showering, take the cigars box out and open it.You can put the box on the sink or toilet seat near the shower.Once you are done showering, close the lid of the box and return it to where it is being stored.The humidity from the shower will be trapped inside the box and start leaking into the cigars.Don't let the cigars get wet.The hotter the shower, the higher the concentration of steam that will come from the water.
Step 11: The cigars should be turned occasionally.
You should rotation the cigars every other day when you bring the cigar box to the shower.Take note of how the cigars look and feel.They should be shuffled around in the box every 3-4 days to make sure that no one gets more or less water than others.Most cigars will feel supple and sticky to the touch, and can be a bit dark in color.
Step 12: Do not overhydrate the cigars.
It is important not to allow them to stay in the humid bathroom environment for a long time, as an overhydrated cigar is an equally difficult and time-Consuming fix.You can inspect the cigars to see how they are coming along.You can leave the cigars open in a damp cellar if you store them near the shower.You should keep an eye on the cigars and their rehydration environment to make sure they don't change suddenly.When cigars are rehydrated, they should be moved to humidity-controlled storage or smoked immediately.