How To Rehydrate a Cigar?
Nobody likes dried cigars because they are often flavorless and without all the essential oils that make them of interest to us. Although they do not dry out overnight, learning how to keep cigars fresh is one skill that will always come in handy. The purpose of this article is to help you revive your dried-out cigars. As we proceed, you'll learn in detail how to rehydrate cigars and keep their flavors intact, without so much of a hassle.
Can Dried Out Cigars Get Rehydrated?
Yes, you can rehydrate your cigars, and you can always revive them. However, before you decide to, it is necessary to assess how dried out your cigars are before proceeding. You can do this by inspecting your cigar wrappers and ensuring that they are not already showing signs of cracking. If your old cigar wrappers are already breaking, reviving it might not be the best option because smoking a dry cigar with cracked wrappers is almost impossible. If your old cigars feel hard as a stick, there is probably no hope of rehydrating them. To put it simply, you can rehydrate all cigars but not the ones with cracked wrappers and the ones whose oils have entirely dried out.
How Do You Rehydrate Your Dry Cigars?
With that said, let us proceed to how you can rehydrate those dried cigars that can still be redeemed. Rehydrating cigars is not an easy task, it could take weeks or months, and you always have to take it slowly. It is not a process that can be rushed, particularly if you want a perfect result. The Rehydrating process for your cigar is all about gradually improving the moisture level of your cigar. It usually takes several weeks, days and certain stages before your dried cigars can get re-humidified. As long as there are no cracks on the wrappers, and the natural oils are not completely dried out, your cigars will return to its fresh state. Now, what are the quickest ways to revive your old cigars? Some of the fastest ways you can rehydrate your cigars are by using a tabletop humidor or a cigar box. Let us discuss in detail the process of rehydrating cigars using both methods.
Rehydrating Your Cigar with A Humidor
When using a tabletop humidor, the first thing to do is ensure that your humidor is at 70% humidity. Place some distilled water into the humidor till it absorbs all the moisture if it can. This will help rehydrate your cigars and keep them fresh inside the humidor. Use your humidifier to hold the humidity within the humidor. Stick your hygrometer inside your humidor; ensure you keep it within 68 to 72% and nothing more. After a short while, your humidor should be ready for use; place your old cigars inside your tabletop humidor without removing the cellophane, remember to monitor and adjust the humidity. Check your cigars every three to four days. When the humidification level reaches about 69 to 70%, you're good to go.
If you do not have a tabletop humidor, you can use a makeshift humidor with a ziplock bag. This is done by getting a ziplock bag and putting your cigars which should already be in a box inside the bag. Put small holes on the ziplock bag for better ventilation. Avoid making holes too big on your ziplock bag, as this might cause oversaturation of your old cigars. The ziplock bag to be used depends on the number of cigars you are hydrating. Any more significant amount might require something like a gallon-sized bag. Get a second more giant ziplock bag, and put in a wet sponge. This sponge will provide an artificial ventilator that will help moisturise your dry cigars. Check on it constantly, and rewet the sponge whenever it goes dry. After a few weeks, your dried out cigars will reach their regular cigar humidity level.
Rehydrating Your Cigar Using a Cigar Box
The cigar box pretty much works the way a humidor works, except it is easier to use. To dehumidify a cigar using a cigar box, get the box, a digital hydrometer, and two boveda humidity packs, one with 67% and the other 69%. When you place the cigars in the box, make sure that there is a lot of extra space left. Start by using the 65% bovie to get the right amount of humidity that you need. Too much moisture can be shocking to your cigars, providing too much humidity, which would most likely result in cracking your cigar wrappers. Place your 65% bovie pack in the box with your old cigars. Drop-in a digital hydrometer. There, it monitors the temperature and humidity. Shut the box and constantly check the cigar to monitor the progress. In about two to three weeks, your cigar will start to feel supple and more alive. At that point, your dried out cigars would have stabilised to 65%. Switch the bovie pack to 69%, shut the box and wait for another two or more weeks. Eventually, your cigar will reach the average cigar humidity level, usually 69-70%, and you can begin smoking. Be careful not to over hydrate your cigars; it is essential to ensure they do not remain in that same humid environment for long. Once your dry cigar has been successfully hydrated, it should either be smoked immediately or kept in humidity-controlled storage for a short while.
Conclusion
Ideally, your cigars should be stored in a humidor to avoid them being dried out. The hygrometer and humidification device are specifically designed to keep your cigars from drying out. However, your cigars might dry out sometimes, when they do remember that all hope is not lost. You can revive your cigar humidity, and still maintain their flavor and smoothness using any of the tips given above. I hope this article was helpful to you. If you want to rise to the next level of smoking, do not pass by our best cigars reviews. Here you will find everything that fits your budget and taste.
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