Cigar and tobacco care has been the subject of hundreds or even thousands of tortured, sometimes totally useless and sometimes actually harmful methods and theories.

Tobacco and cigar care is simple. 
The cigars or tobacco need to be stored in a sealed container.  This can be a $500.00 humidor, a humble Tupperware type container or the most simple plastic bag.  There are many types of humidifiers available.  All of them are very effective provided you buy one that is big enough to handle the volume of the container you are using.  Most humidifiers simply need to be moistened with water regularly without any other chemical cocktail. 

Propylene Glycol or PG can be used in most humidifiers with the exception of the clay elements that will be harmed by PG.  Propylene Glycol is a surfactant. It acts to reduce the surface tension of water to allow it to evaporate more easily.  It will stabilize the relative humidity in a humidor.  Is it useful? Yes.  Is it essential? No, but it sure helps with a foam humidifier!
PG can be purchased in pure form for occasional recharge of a humidifier or pre-mixed PG and water combinations can be had which takes the guesswork out of how often to add PG.

I know, the title of this piece is Cigar Humidor Myths Exposed.  I'll get to that now.

Myth 1

You must use distilled water in your humidor or your cigars will become hopelessly tainted.

Myth 2

70% is the only ideal relative humidity to keep tobacco and cigars stored in.

Myth 3

A humidor must have a Spanish cedar lining or it is somehow counterfeit.

Myth 4

You must take the cigars out of their cellophane wrapper prior to stocking them in your humidor or they will not taste right.

My answer to these myths may be controversial to some, dead on to others, and dead wrong to another group.  I am offering my opinion based on thirty years in the cigar and tobacco industry.  I have maintained walk-in humidors, 40 foot-long cabinet wall humidors, barkeep humidors for 200 cigars and my 10 cigar humidor I keep at home. I have encountered every type of problem one can imagine, and my tobacco and I have survived.  So, my qualifications have been established. 

Answer 1

 The myth about distilled water got started by the makers of the foam-type humidifiers.  Problem:  tap water has minerals and other impurities that tend to clog the vent holes of these humidifiers.  Solution: clean the vents!  That's it! *SEE ADDENDUM BELOW* Unless you are obsessive-compulsive, you are concerned with taking care of your cigars first, and the aesthetic beauty of your humidifier second.  Most tap water is chlorinated. As much as the connoisseur protests the perceived tainting of the flavor of a cigar humidified with water containing chlorine, it is better to use chlorinated water because without its anti-fungal properties, you will run the risk of building a moldy science project in your cigar box.  There are other anti-fungal agents on the market and PG has some anti-fungal properties.  These products do work.  Unless you think your taste buds are so sensitive that they can tell the difference between identical cigars humidified with and without an anti-fungal agent, you will be much better off using one.    I am not suggesting that there are not some people with a Golden Palate, but I know of none, and I sure as heck don’t have one.

Answer 2

Relative humidity is just that: Relative!  Air is capable of holding more moisture at higher temperatures.  The best gauge is to monitor the actual cigars.  If the wrapper is pliable and the cigar yields to gentle pressure between the thumb and forefinger, it is happy.  Do not rely on a hygrometer alone as they are only accurate at certain temperatures and remember: Humidity is relative.  Digital hygrometers are cool, but they are no more accurate than the analogue variety.  An analogue hygrometer can be calibrated, but most digitals cannot be so adjusted.  I had to return 72 digital hygrometers to a well-known seller of them because they were inaccurate by 20 points!  Use the hygrometer as a reference after you have actually checked the cigars, make note of the setting, and adjust the amount of humidification to achieve the desired results.  I have had people come in to my shop with a good humidor complaining that their cigars are dry. When I ask them why they think that, the answer usually is:  I can’t get the gauge up to 70%.  Most of the time, when I actually check the cigars, I find they are either fine or over-humidified!  Why is this?  It is because the gauge is not accurate at all temperatures!

Answer 3

Humidors with Spanish cedar linings are beautiful and are quality products.  I will be the first to trumpet that.  However, many beautifully well-made humidors use copper linings, tin linings, maple linings or no lining at all!  If the box has a reasonable seal, it will perform the task of cigar humidification!  Face it; a cigar humidor is a piece of furniture that is used to store cigars.  It is like any other piece of wooden furniture in your home.  You may be able to afford the very finest hardwoods or you, like me, are broke and have particle board furniture.  Are the hardwood products better quality?  You bet!  Will a hardwood chair be more comfortable to sit on than an identical one made from pine? No way!  You should be the judge as to how exotic you want to get with the humidor you buy.  It is a decorative and functional accessory.  A laminate humidor with a counterfeit maple liner will store cigars as well as the Spanish cedar-lined box.  Yes, Spanish cedar has a wonderful aroma.  If you have to have that aroma, you can put the divider sheets from the box your cigars came in into the humidor.  The aroma will be there.  Bottom line:
Buy the humidor you like and can realistically afford. Do not buy a box that is too big!  It is easier to maintain humidity in a box that is nearly full than one that has one or two hapless cigars rattling and rolling around in the bottom of it.  It will work just fine if you monitor the condition of the cigars in the box and not cave in to the notion that this $250.00 box is more effective than that $30.00 box.  It just is not so!  *SEE ADDENDUM BELOW*

Answer 4

Most cigars on the market are cellophane wrapped. Why? It is easier to keep them in good condition that way.  Cigars that are not cellophaned can lose their moisture very rapidly once removed from the humidor.  Not only that, the cigar wrapper can easily be damaged without the protection of cellophane or tissue wrapping.  It is foolish to take the cellophane off of cigars when storing them for these reasons.  Any flavor enhancement, aging, or marriage will be meaningless if the wrapper falls off of the cigar because the wrapper was damaged when the cellophane was removed or a mishap occurred in storage.  If you think you can tell the difference, go ahead, most of us can’t, and I would rather have a cigar in top condition than one that has been damaged even if it is somehow better by a subjective standard, because it married.  If your cigars come to you without cellophane, be very cautious in handling and make very, very, sure you check the cigars frequently to see if they are losing their moisture faster than the humidifier can supply it. 

Obviously, this is a brief guide and not intended to be the Bible.  I will leave that to the prophets.  I just hope it is helpful to dispel some myths and disinformation that make cigar care more difficult, and more expensive than it has to be.  For those who wish to go the ritualistic route, knock yourselves out.

Remember, this is a hobby for crying out loud!

Lori Born AKA loriborn831

Addendum:

I have had many kind suggestions and corrections to the above. I appreciate them sincerely.

Distilled water and foam humidifiers:

The foam can also be fouled by minerals from hard water.  This is true. However, I would rather replace a foam humidifier occasionally than pitch $300.00 worth of cigars because of mold.

Remember, the foam in a humidifier can also be clogged with mold!

Solution:Replace your foam humidifier periodically if you notice a decrease in humidity output. You can also clear clogged foam by vigorous cleaning with anti-scaling solutions such as C.L.R. or coffee maker cleaner.

Wood Warpage:

Different woods react differently to high humidity.  Spanish cedar is reputed to not warp.  This is not necessarily so.  Many humidor manufacturers are fighting poorly dried wood of all varieties.  I have seen gross warpage at all price levels and material combinations.  The bottom line is:  Don't overspend on a humidor.  Even if it does warp some, there are some remedies available for this.  As long as the lid has not done a complete curly-cue, the box will still protect your cigars.  Remember, a humidor is a functional furniture accessory.  A $300.00 Spanish Cedar humidor might warp.  A $30.00 laminate with a fake maple liner may also warp.  Your budget and aesthetic needs should determine your choice.  The cigars don't care either way.

I'm sure other topics will come up.  I will address them one by one.  Remember, this is my opinion, not gospel.  This is supposed to be fun.  I am having a blast.  Make an informed choice and don't lose focus on what you are using a humidor for. Keep those observations coming in.  I love 'em!

Happy puffing,

loriborn831