Storing cigars is not all that difficult if you abide by a few simple rules.
- Do not make a home-made humidor unless you are a skilled craftsman or a fool
- Do not store your cigars in the refrigerator, no matter what kind of container you use
- Use only distilled water
- Add distilled water regularly
- Don't add too much distilled water
- Rotate your cigars periodically
OK, I know that sounds a little simplistic, so I'll go into a little more detail.
Buy a humidor if you plan on storing any cigars for more than a day (or a few hours depending on your home's climate -- air-conditioning and heating will kill them). You can buy a decent humidor for far less than a box of decent cigars, and is a wise investment. The humidor should be lined with Spanish cedar. Most people will tell you this is because it is an aromatic wood that enhances the cigars over time and holds humidity well. While this is true, it is also true of other woods. The other reason is that Spanish cedar repels bugs, particularly the Tobacco Beetle, which feasts on your precious cigars.
Your refrigerator is just a bad idea: it is way too cold and way too dry. Cigars are not lettuce. Tobacco grows in tropical climates; it should be stored in one. The ideal is to have a relative humidity of 70% and a temperature of 70 degree Fahrenheit. The most important of these is the humidity. To help regulate this you can purchase a humistat along with your humidification device. Humistats are, however, subject to error. To really test the proper humidification of your cigars is to lightly pinch them. The cigar should be firm and come back to its original shape. If your cigar is at all brittle, add more distilled water. If the cigar is spongy, let your humidor air out for a short while and adjust the amount of distilled water you've been adding.
Why distilled water? Because other water sources can carry various bacteria that will turn into mold on your cigars, from which there is no recovery.
What about the cellophane wrappers that are on some cigars? Should I take them off or leave them on? I have asked a number of people this question and have received two answers in equal proportion:
- Leave them on. Those wrappers protect the cigars from their flavor being tainted by the other cigars in your humidor.
- Take them off. Those wrappers prevent the cigars from "marrying" with the other cigars in your humidor.
Both of these arguments make a certain amount of sense. If you buy several cigars (like a whole box!) that come in these wrappers, take the wrappers off half of them. This will allow some of them to maintain their "pure" flavor, and some of them to mingle with your other cigars, giving you two cigars for the price of one! Well, not really, but you get my point.
