Addressing Mold In A Humidor

Ryder Michaels — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:43:52 +0000

If you look at the basic necessities of premium cigars it would seem like they are actually trying to develop mold. For instance, the list of common cigar accessories includes the tightly-closing box known as the humidor, the humidifier, and the hygrometer to ensure that moisture levels are at the best range possible. Consider that cigars thrive in the same conditions that their tobacco was grown – hot and humid – and that this environment is then contained inside of a wooden box. The reason that mold is not a very common problem has to do with the properties of the wood and the tobacco itself.

The main reason that mold will appear on the inside of a humidor is the existence of too much humidity. Just having a level above 75% is not instantly going to create a widespread problem, and the real trouble tends to come from the moisture being kept to a smaller area within the entire container. For example, a tray full of cigars might be blocking the top of the humidifier which causes the moisture to soak into the tray, and then the cigars. This leads to a remarkably high level of humidity and the quick development of mold.

The first reason is that the Spanish cedar wood that lines all humidors is highly acidic and home to very volatile oils that will often prohibit mold and mildew development. Next, we have the cigars themselves, which also harbor volatile oils and tend to be a poor host for bacteria too. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that mold won’t be able to find somewhere to survive.

Interestingly enough, both approaches could allow bacteria to be introduced into the warm and humid environment beloved of most mold spores. A fingerprint on the plastic sleeve, or the oils from a dirty finger on the cigar itself could all become a rampant growth of mold throughout the entire box.

If mold does appear it is important to remove the cigars (treating moldy ones according to an approved method) and to properly disinfect the entire interior surface with Isopropyl Alcohol in order to kill off any residual spores.

Ryder is a consultant for an online specialty butane lighter store and has expert knowledge of cigar accessories, including where to buy zippo lighters.

Getting The Right Cigar Light

Ryder Michaels — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:55:20 +0000

There is something of an art and science to lighting a cigar properly. A cigar, of course, has a much wider area to it than a cigarette and requires special techniques to ensure that the tobacco burns evenly and at the correct temperature. There will inevitably be occasions when an individual like their cigar improperly and where they will be required to repeat the process to ensure the best-possible tasting smoke. The relighting process is very similar to the initial lighting process.

Cigar lighters have certain characteristics that help to provide an excellent light every time. Most often, these lighters have a wider flame area which ensures that the heat from the flame is distributed more evenly across the tobacco which prevents hot-spots that must be evened out. If this happens, however, the process of correcting the light and making it more even is fairly easy.

If the cigar is burning hot in one area and smoldering in others, one may simply blow on the foot to even out the temperature. It’s common enough to see even experienced cigar smokers doing this. If this proves inadequate, one may hold the flame to the unlit portion to heat the tobacco up to a good burning temperature. This should be done without drawing on the cigar in most cases. If the cigar is burning very unevenly, one may wish to start over.

Cigar lighters can make certain that one doesn’t have to correct for a bad light but there will still be occasions where this occurs. If the light is particularly bad-for instance, if only a very small portion of the cigar’s foot is actually burning-it may be easier to simply stub the cigar out and to start over entirely. Before relighting after stubbing out the stogie be sure to toast the tobacco again to ensure that it is warmed and ready for an even and proper light.

Cigars can be lit with liquid-fuel lighters but this leaves a chemical taste. This taste will be intensified by relighting a cigar to make up for a bad burn. Butane lighters can provide a flavor-free light no matter how long it is held to the tobacco but one must be certain not to overheat the tobacco when relighting it. This will result in a sharp, unpleasant taste. Getting the perfect light takes time and practice but is part of the art of smoking cigars.

Ryder is a consultant for an online specialty lighters store and has expert knowledge of cigar accessories, including Colibri lighters.

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Addressing Mold In A Humidor

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Getting The Right Cigar Light

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