Finding dry cigars is no reason to panic. In most cases, they can still be recovered and smoked with pleasure. The safe rehydration of cigars is a matter of patience. It takes several weeks and several steps before a dry cigar returns to its original fresh state.
As long as there are no tears or cracks in the wrapper and the cigar has not completely lost its natural oils, it can be rewetted. It is possible to re-humidify cigars with or without a humidor.
Don't throw your cigars away until you've tried it, because with the help of a few humidor bags or a humidor, you have all the tools to revive a dry cigar.
In this article, we will discuss the following points:
- Answers to questions about humidifying cigars.
- Two methods to re-humidify your cigars.
- Mistakes you should not make.
Once you have read the information we have provided here, you will know how to identify a dry cigar and how to re-humidify it without losing its texture and flavour.
CAN A DRY CIGAR BE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE ?
Absolutely ! You can revive a dry cigar, provided that you carefully follow the rewetting process.
This consists of gradually increasing the moisture content of the cigar. The worst thing you can do is to pour water directly on it or to turn up the humidity level of the humidor to the maximum.
When a cigar is dried out, it is fragile. Taking it to the other extreme immediately would completely ruin your cigar.
As long as the integrity of the cigar is still present, you can save it. By integrity we mean these two conditions:
- The cigar is not so dry that all the natural oils have evaporated.
- The wrapper is intact. (no cracks or tears)
If the cigar meets these two prerequisites, you have a good chance of reviving it with its flavours intact.
HOW DO I KNOW IF A CIGAR IS DRY ?
Hold the cigar between the thumb and forefinger of both hands. Then press gently on the cigar. If the cigar is a little soft, but immediately springs back into shape when you release the pressure, it is still fresh.
If pressing on your cigar has no effect and you feel it is hard, it needs to be moistened.
In this case, do not force the cigar and do not apply any more pressure, as this could damage the wrapper. A dry cigar can still be saved, but this is no longer possible when the wrapper is cracked.
ARE DRY CIGARS STILL GOOD ?
Dry cigars that are not damaged and whose wrapper is intact can still be stored. By gradually rehumidifying them, they will regain their desired texture. Once they have regained the right moisture content, they can be smoked without any problems.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR CIGARS TO DRY OUT?
A cigar can dry out in a few days or over several weeks, depending on the type of cigar and the environment. Short-filler cigars dry out faster than long-filler cigars.
Outside a humidor, a cigar can dry out in a few days, whereas in a humidor it can take several weeks.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SMOKE A DRY CIGAR?
It is possible to smoke a dry cigar, but you will not get the same flavour or experience. Dry cigars burn more quickly, which does not give the leaves enough time to transmit their flavour.
A dry cigar has a bitter taste and a more pungent smell.
HOW TO REHYDRATE A CIGAR WITH A HUMIDOR?
Having dry cigars does not mean that your humidor is no longer working. It is likely that all it needs is a cleaning and a reset. Here's how to do it.
- Empty your humidor. In the meantime, keep the cigars in a zip lock bag.
- Moisten a clean cloth with distilled water and clean the inside of your humidor.
- Also clean the humidifier of your humidor with a cloth moistened with distilled water.
- Re-moisten the humidifier of your humidor. The best way to do this depends on the humidor and the humidor in question.
- Put the humidifier back in your humidor and leave it for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, remove the cigars from the ziplock bag and put them back in your humidor.
- Every two days, change the position of the cigars by moving them from the bottom to the top. This will rehumidify the cigars evenly and gradually.
- Continue rotating the cigars for 1 to 3 weeks.
After the first week, you can
check the texture of the cigars every few days. You know that the cigars are ready to be smoked when they have a certain softness when you press them.
It is important to use only distilled water, not tap water. Tap water contains chemicals that affect the efficiency of the humidor.
There is no problem if the humidor has not yet reached the ideal humidity level for the cigars. The humidity level of the cigars improves as the humidity inside the humidor improves. If you place dried out cigars in a container that is too humid, they may be damaged.
HOW TO RE-HYDRATE A CIGAR WITHOUT A HUMIDOR ?
You don't store your cigars in a humidor ? No problem, you can always rehydrate your dried out cigars. All you need is two different sized ziploc bags, a sponge and distilled water.
- Take a small ziploc bag and pierce a few small holes with a paper clip.
- Place the dry cigars in the small ziploc bag.
- Take a clean sponge and wet it with distilled water. Squeeze the sponge to remove the excess water.
- Place the sponge at the bottom of a larger ziploc bag.
- Place the small ziplock bag containing the cigars inside the large ziplock bag.
- Let out as much air as possible before closing the ziplock bag.
- Once a day, rotate the cigars from left to right so that the cigar closest to the sponge alternates each day.
- Once a day, check whether the sponge is still wet. Repeat steps 2 to 6 if the sponge has lost its moisture.
The holes in the bag should not be too large, so we recommend using a paper clip.
A sponge that is too wet will soak the whole bag, and thus the cigars will be dry. If the cigars are wet, you may as well throw them away.
MISTAKES TO AVOID
Drying out a cigar does not happen overnight if you store it properly. Even with poor storage, it can take several days for a cigar to dry out.
We mention this because it is a fairly common mistake. Many cigar lovers think their cigars have dried out when they have not.
Sometimes people think a cigar is dry when it is simply near the end of its life. All cigars lose some of their natural oils over time. If you notice that the cigar is not as "fresh" as when you bought it, it is probably time to light it.
In this case, there is no need to go through the lengthy rewetting process. Just sit down, cut the end off and enjoy it, sooner rather than later.
The second common mistake is that people think the cigar is dry when in fact it is the opposite. When a humidor is set too high, the structure of the cigar changes; cigars become softer and spongier.
Dry cigars are bad, but cigars that are too wet are not good either. Cigars that are too wet do not burn well, and if they are left wet for too long, they can even develop mould.
So pay close attention to the settings of your humidor and make sure it does not exceed 21°C.
To avoid making these mistakes, follow our identification tips given at the beginning of this article to make sure you are doing the right thing.
CONCLUSION
No one is happy to find dried out cigars, but you now know that it is still possible to save them. Rehydrating cigars takes a little patience, but you will appreciate a cigar you have saved all the more. No cigar should be wasted !
