After years of maintaining 70%RH in my humidors, I began lowering them to 65 last year ...

I've found that I like the results ... burn and draw problems which I'd had a fair number of have all but completely disappeared ... I've found myself in a position of offering advise to others and can only relate from my own experience ... which got me wondering ...

What is the experience of the rest of you ????? Do you prefer 65 or 70 ??

Steve,

Or anyone in the know...

What about taste? Does a lower humidity allow more oils to dissipate? Do you ever gete plume?

yes, I do ...

had it at 70, still do at 65 ...

remember too, that plume DOES tend to occur more frequently in maduro's and other dark tobacco more easily than in light ...

I prefer around 63 -65 RH for reasons mentioned, i.e., burn and so forth. A couple of disadvantages for me: I don't care for cigars at 60 RH (too dry)and there isn't much spread/range between 60 and 63 - 65, so keeping them at the proper RH takes a bit more fiddling with the credos. Also, I travel a lot and usually take a collection of cigars with me. Unless I use something absolutely airtight (like the otterbox/cigar caddy), they will become too dry for my taste very quickly.

BTW, the drier cigar doesn't appear to effect the taste at all for me.

I store long term at 70/70 and have a dry box that I try to keep at 65%. Although I find that I usually just grab from the ploomidoor (the big box @ 70/70)

I try and keep it between 63 to 67 and it works for me, better burn, better draw, no flavor change.

What barryneedleman said. In Houston summers it can be a real chore to keep under 70. Here a "dry" box is 75. DOH!

Barry

Barry ... you need a humidifier that will absorb excess humidity when that's required or will release needed humidity as needed .... drop me a note first chance you get if you don't know what I mean ...

Robby, we gotta talk. 70/70! Perfect? How do yo do it?

Until now, I believed if the humidity wasn't exactly 70, then your cigars would be ruined.

But now, from hearing you guys and a few cigar storage pages on the 'Net, and from having 25 Indian Tabac Limited Reserve set out of a humi and not one turning bad (and our RH is usually between 60 and 75 here in Indiana), I realize its BS.

Cigars are more resiliant than some would make you think. Though it's better to have a lower humidity (like 60 to 70) than anything over 80, because overly moist cigars get moldy quick and are hard to smoke.

Steve,
I agree with you....my cigars fair better at 65-67% RH. Similar draw problems with RH above 70.

Ed

I keep the Cubans and some Nics at 65.

The rest of my inventory at 70.

Although, long term storage (Regardless of Brand) I keep at 70.


Regards,



B

I used to keep my humidor around 70%, but over the last 6 months or so it has been stable at about 68% and I honestly believe that there has been a slight decrease in the number of tight-drawing cigars I have encountered with no change in taste.

I used to have a smaller humidor that I kept at 63-65% humidity and I personally felt that the cigars were slightly on the "dry" side for me, but "to each his own" is my motto, so if 65% is good for you I say go for it.

O.K., I'm topping this. Slim hasn't even chimed in. I know it's an old subject, but SteveS is waiting for a check from me and I don't know whether to get a # of 65 or 70. Right now I'm considering both for my own experimentation, but I'd still like to hear a few more comments.

I know this has been done, but it's pertinent right now. I did do alot of searching already.

Thanks gang.

I have 2 humis. One holds nicely at 70-72%. The other at 65-67%. I am finding that 65-67% is better. I rotate my impending smokes into the dryer box. It's an improvement! Particularly with Nics.

I opted or the #65 of course. I figger if a product is precise enough, and specifically designed, to maintain control between only five degrees of RH, it must be pretty good.

The wording of my post didn't exactly convey the information exactly as I intended, but you get my general drift.

Using PG makes it easy to maintain 70% but hard for me to get anything else. I like the burn better at 65% as I smoke mostly maduros and sungrowns. The only way I've found to maintain that is to keep my credos just barely wet. Is there an easier way? Please tell me.