Checking humidity

Q. I would like to know, what is the humidity that I should keep my humidor, and how often should I look at it to check on the humidity?
– J. Suarez
A. My so-called, “magic formula,” is to keep the RH (relative humidity) at an average of 68% within a temperature range between 65 – 70 degrees. Unless you smoke cigars every day, check the box every two to three days and add distilled water only as needed.

Note that if the RH reads somewhere around 65% or lower you may only need to add a squirt of distilled water to get it back up, rather than soaking the entire humidifier, which could lead to too much humidity. In fact, some cigars do quite well at lower RH levels. As long as the cigars are supple when lightly pinched, they should be fine.

Eventually, with time and a little cautious experimentation, you’ll know exactly how to gauge your humidor’s conditions, especially as it becomes more seasoned.