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A humidor is a simple way of storing cigars in a humidified environment to ensure they are in optimal smoking condition. You can easily create a humidor for your cigars out of items you probably already have at home. Three easy ways to make a DIY humidor are from Tupperware, ice chests or coolers, and repurposed boxes.
Steps
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Gather your supplies. Choose a container that has a tightly fitting lid. There needs to be enough space for all your cigars to fit snugly inside half the container. This is because you also need space for a means to humidify the container.
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Create a humidifier. Carefully use the scissors to cut the sponge to the ideal size for your cigars. The sponge size will depend on the size of the container and how many cigars you plan to humidify. For less than 20 cigar a two-inch square should be sufficient. Humidity results may vary, so be sure to keep the leftover sponge handy to make a different size if necessary.
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Add distilled water. Soak the sponge in distilled water until it is completely saturated. Gently shake away any excess water, so the sponge is not dripping. You can use tap water if nothing else is available. Distilled water helps fight off bacteria and mold while better maintaining consistent humidity levels.
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Line the container (optional). Place a sheet of Spanish cedar along the bottom of the container. Set aside a separate sheet(s) to place over the top of the cigars before closing the container. While Spanish cedar is not necessary, using Spanish cedar in this way will give your cigars a pleasing aroma and cedary nuance when smoking.
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Insert the hygrometer (optional). Place a hygrometer inside of the container to keep track of relative humidity levels. Place it somewhere that is easy to see, preferably so that you can see it through the container without opening it.
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Insert the humidifier. Place the humidifying sponge inside the container so that cigars will not come in direct contact with the sponge. You can use a small bowl or Spanish cedar to separate the sponge from cigars if desired. Be sure to get rid of excess water that might have dripped into the container so as not to damage cigars.
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Add your cigars. Gently place cigars into the container and close the lid making sure the seal is tightly set. Pay close attention to the condition of cigars for the first several days to make sure the cigars are receiving the proper humidification. You can adjust the size of the sponge if necessary, to tweak humidity levels.
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Gather your supplies.
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Prepare the ice chest. Check the seal on the ice chest to make sure it is snug. If you need to strengthen the seal, you can apply weather stripping to the rim. Wipe down the interior to remove any stains or odors from previous use. If you are using an electronic humidification device, cut holes for any cords that need an external plug.
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Add Spanish cedar. Apply Spanish cedar to the interior walls of the ice chest. You can either loosely fit cedar sheets around the interior, build a slide-out box or tray, or affix cedar to the walls using adhesive. Remember not to cover any holes you cut for power cords.
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Moisten the humidifier. Add distilled water to the humidification device until it is fully saturated. Gently shake off and dry any excess water. Repeat as needed to maintain consistent humidity. If using a store-bought humidification unit, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper use. Larger 2-way humidification packets now available for all sizes of humidors, which lets you do away with this step.
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Install both the humidifier and hygrometer. Place the humidifier inside the ice chest where it won’t come in contact with cigars but will offer easy access for maintenance. A humidifier can easily be placed in the lid for the best results. The placement of the humidifier will depend on the size and type of humidification device you plan to use. Place the hygrometer where you can easily check it at a glance.
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Test the humidor. With the humidification device installed, leave the ice chest empty for several days to ensure the humidifier is working properly and allow any odors from adhesives to dissipate. If humidity levels are within the optimal range of 65% to 72%, then the ice chest is ready for use.
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Fill with cigars. Add cigars to the ice chest humidor. Allow space between cigars to better enhance ventilation, as packing cigars too tightly together can limit the amount of moisture that reaches each cigar. Keep an eye on humidity levels periodically and enjoy your smokes.
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Select a wooden box. Locate a well-built wooden box that will provide your cigars with the best environment. While characteristics such as a Spanish cedar interior and a “floating” bottom are preferred, you need to consider five critical points before selecting a box. Select a box that has:
- Thick walls
- A Solid wood bottom
- Joints that fit squarely and tightly together
- A lid that provides a tightly fitting seal
- High-quality hinges
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Add the Spanish cedar lining. Apply Spanish cedar to the interior walls of the box. If the wooden box already has an interior of other moisture-absorbing woods such as Okume or Mahogany, then Spanish cedar is not necessary.
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Install the humidifier. Add distilled water to a humidifier optimized for the size of the container and how many cigars you plan to store. Once it is fully saturated, wipe off excess water and place it inside the box. Most humidifiers will easily attach to the underside of the lid. If using an electronic humidifier, you may need to drill a hole for a power cord, so consult the humidifier’s instruction manual before installation.
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Install the hygrometer. Place the hygrometer inside of the box where you can easily check the status of humidity at a glance. Mounting the hygrometer on the underside of the lid near the humidifier is the most common position as it allows for quick and easy viewing by only opening the lid.
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Test the humidor. Allow the empty humidor to rest several days with only the humidifier and hygrometer. Check periodically to make sure relative humidity is holding in the 65% to 72% range. Once optimal humidity levels have been reached, the box is ready to accept cigars.
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Fill with cigars. Add cigars to the box. Arrange the cigars so airflow can easily pass around them for more efficient humidification. Now you can now enjoy a DIY wooden humidor fully stocked with properly humidified cigars.
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Things You'll Need
DIY Humidor from Tupperware
- Tupperware container
- A sponge
- A pair of scissors
- Distilled water
- Hygrometer (optional)
- Spanish cedar (optional)
DIY Humidor from an Ice Chest
- Ice chest
- Weather stripping
- Humidifier or sponge
- Distilled Water
- Hygrometer (optional)
- Spanish cedar (optional)
DIY Humidor from a Wooden Box
- Suitable wooden box
- Spanish cedar (optional)
- Humidifier
- Hygrometer (optional)
References
- https://www.cigarjournal.com/new-boveda-330-gram-pouch-designed-for-humidors-of-all-sizes/
- https://www.swisscubancigars.com/blog/cigar-maintainance/diy-humidors/
- https://tobacconistuniversity.org/curriculum_tobacco_acc_college_humidors3.php
- https://www.cigarjournal.com/where-to-place-the-humidification-system-in-your-humidor/
- http://tobacconistuniversityblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/spanish-cedar.html
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