If you’re looking for the answer in one sentence, here it is: Spanish Cedar absorbs moisture faster than tobacco.
It also holds moisture better than tobacco. The humidity present in your humidor will always be absorbed first by the Spanish Cedar, then secondly, by your cigars. By giving the Spanish Cedar in your humidor a head start, you ensure that it does not absorb the humidity from your cigars….yes, this can really happen. If you put perfectly humidified cigars into an unseasoned new humidor — your brand new humidor can and will absorb the humidity from your cigars until there is equilibrium in the relative humidity (RH) level inside the humidor, potentially even ruining your cigars — the exact opposite of the intended purpose of your humidor.
Equilibrium is the key here. For the sake of this discussion, we will use the most commonly acclaimed “70/70 rule” for humidors: 70 degrees fahrenheit and 70% RH. The key to establishing the RH level for equilibrium is found in the moisture source you are using for your humidor. Some people use silica gel bead-based humidifiers filled with either distilled water or propylene glycol, a food-grade ingredient that should not harm your cigars. Others humidifier materials can include foam core or oasis blocks that absorb and hold the distilled water or propylene glycol. At least to me, the solution that makes the most sense is one using the most simple and natural ingredients.
I recommend and use Boveda two-way moisture control packs in every humidor I own and for every humidor I make and sell. Boveda packets use two simple, natural ingredients: salt and water. Boveda’s unique two-way moisture regulation capability completely revolutionized the way cigars are kept fresh today. There is hardly a cigar manufacturer in the world that doesn’t ship their product from their factories with packaging them with Boveda packs to keep them fresh until they arrive at your tobacconist. What makes Boveda packs so unique is the fact that they can either add to or absorb from the relative humidity in your humidor, depending on what it needs. The relative humidity level it maintains is printed right there on the pack itself. Their packs which are designed for use with cigar and pipe tobaccos range from 62%-72% RH. And then the debate about the perfect RH level begins…. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. Do you prefer your cigars to be more moist or more dry when you smoke them?
There’s a Boveda RH level for just about every preference.
There’s even an 84% RH Boveda selection designed specifically for seasoning your humidor. By setting its intended RH level at so high a level, it serves to “charge” the Spanish Cedar inside your humidor with more than it needs, so that when you change out the seasoning packet for your regular RH of 62-72%, the new packets will absorb the extra humidity to begin with, and then release it only as needed when the moisture level inside the Spanish Cedar enclosure begins to decline below the target RH, thereby maintaining that level for as long as possible. As Boveda packets begin to dry out, the simplest fix is to replace them. They’re inexpensive, effective and very reliable for keeping your cigars fresh. And unless you let them dry out completely, you won’t have to season your humidor again. The moisture holding capability of the Spanish Cedar continues to work even as the Boveda packets dry out. Just don’t let the packets turn to card stock. Questions? Feel free to reach out anytime. We’re here to help!
—Danny Jackson