Matches and pipe lighters can be used. Special pipe matches are produced from sulphur-free, untreated wood. Most pipe lighters produce a flame that comes from the side of the lighter rather than the top, enabling the user to light the tobacco with ease and precision. Naturally, GERMANUS offers a whole series of pipe lighters.

Rather than apply the flame to a single point, move it around in a circular motion. Flame contact should be brief, meaning 1-3 seconds.
If the wood shows clear signs of charring, the flame contact was obviously too long.

When lighting up, draw gently and evenly on the pipe.

In most cases, the tobacco on the surface will swell up. This is entirely normal.
Most experienced pipe smokers will let their pipe go out after first lighting it, then carefully press down the unravelled tobacco with a pipe tool and light up again. Applying flame is much easier second time around, with the tobacco surface now perfectly even.
Tobacco tampers are one tool in the pipe smoker’s arsenal primarily designed for this purpose. Under no circumstances should a tamper be used to tamp the pipe forcefully in the manner of an old-fashioned muzzle-loader.

Our pipes are made of solid briar wood. Scorching of the surface can impair taste. Provided the pipe is properly used, burnouts are physically impossible.

Assessment
Fundamentals of significant burn damage (burnouts) to pipes:

In this case, the damage results from overheating, i.e. temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius during smoking. In many instances, honeycomb-like charring (which only forms at around this temperature) is observed at the burnt spot. The normal smouldering temperature for a pipe is between 650 and 800 degrees Celsius. There are several possible reasons for excessive heat while tobacco is smouldering.

• A constant draught can cause such abnormal temperatures to arise.
• It is also possible that the pipe is held in the mouth at too steep an angle, with the user pulling on the pipe too strongly and too frequently, exacerbated by insufficient temperature control by hand.
• Defects in the wood (pockets, soft spots) can be generally ruled out. Where a defect is present, burn damage will ensue at a much lower temperature and will be minor and more specific.
• Finally I would note that excessively damp tobacco can exacerbate the situations outlined above.

We GERMANUS are here for you even in case of an accident of your pipe. More deatils in our GERMANUS Pipe FAQ

This is what other manufacturers say: Burners of Rattrays Tobacco Pipes

This is what the manufactruer Rattrays says about burners and warrenty claims. Briar is a very heat resistant material, nevertheless it is still just wood, which can be damaged by heat. Your pipe works in a similar way as a fireplace. If you open the air valve the wood burns much faster and more furious. If you draw with too much force at your pipe, the ember will get to a small fire and probably will damage the inside of your pipe. If the pipe gets too hot, immediately put it aside and let it cool down.

Burners taste and smell unpleasant and beyond that are visible. If you recognize fire damage inside the bowl, under no circumstances continue to smoke the pipe. You will provoke a total loss, which in most cases will not be replaced by the manufacturer. Bring the pipe to your pipe shop, and your dealer will send the pipe to a repair shop. In the first states of a burner the pipe can be saved with a protective coating without any difficulties.

Customer complaints of Rattray Pipes

Most burners will not be replaced by the pipe manufacturers for the above reasons. There are some exceptions however. If the pipe does not show a large burned area, but a small pointed funnel shaped hole, it suggests that this was a faulty spot – a small stone inside the wood or a cavern. Also, if the smoke channel was drilled too close to the outside and the pipe is very thin walled, an eligible reason for reclamation can occur.

If the pipe has a large burned area with fissures, in most cases the pipe was smoked too hot. Most burners are situated around the blowhole, there the generated heat is very strong if the suction is too high.

The bottom of a lot of complained pipes is very thin, but pipe manufacturers would never ship out such thin walled pipes. Even if every series pipe is slightly different, the wall strenght is the same in every single piece.

If the pipe is still warm and moist, the wood is especially prone to damage from scratching out the bowl, so please let the pipe cool down before cleaning. Also the attempt to smoke the last crumb ob tobacco often ends with a burner, because the lighter flame gets too close to the wood.

Fire damage in the upper part of the bowl are usually caused during the lighting process. You should always move the flame in a circular and even way. If you hold the flame to the same spot too long, the wood can burn very fast. You can easily identify left-handed pipe smokers with a burner on the right side of the bowl and vice versa.

In the end we have to mention one more thing: If you want to smoke on the bike, in the car with open windows, or on a boat – you should use a pipe with a lid. The lid will protect the pipe from generating too much heat caused by the increased wind.

The pipe is now smouldering. It is not accurate to say a pipe is ‘burning’: a pipe is not a device that smokes like a steam engine. The tobacco should only smoulder, and re-lighting is completely normal.

Draw on the pipe slowly and cautiously, leaving a certain amount of time between draws. Over time, this becomes an automatic and subconscious process.
Guideline for newcomers: If you notice smoke or even fumes, you are either drawing too hard or the pipe is overheating. In this case, bring the temperature down immediately. Ideally, no significant amount of tobacco smoke will come from the bowl while smoking.

Drawing resistance is critical to a good smoking experience. If the resistance is too high, you will need to draw heavily. This will make the pipe overheat faster and more condensate will form, which often makes new pipe smokers draw even more hastily.

This indicates the tobacco is tamped down too strongly.

If the filling burns easily but the tobacco fails to glow despite an appropriate moisture content and soon goes out, it is likely that the tobacco was tamped too loosely.

No, absolutely not. It's entirely natural glue. The Missouri Meerscahum Company told us: "The glue is a white, food grade glue similar to Elmer’s glue. It is water based and completely non-toxic. Heck, I think I ate Elmer’s glue when I was a kid."

So, please don't be afraid. Corncobs always were and will be fully natural and disposable products just like in the old days.

This is a feature of the Missouri meerschaum Co. products. A corncob pipe without wood on the bottom would break very soon. A cob of corn has no solid shape in cross section. There sits only corn starch. This would become damp by condensate or burn through quickly. Depending on the corncob model, a wooden plug is therefore installed on our corncobs. Alternatively or additionally (depending on the shape), the stem is pulled into the chamber. Another advantage: The opening of the stem is fairly vertical and at the lowest point of the chamber. A very positive feature that many Cob smokers appreciate is the positive result and side effect: The draft enters the chamber at the lowest point of the tobacco load. The stem in the chamber is intentionally built in and an important feature that distuingishes these pipes from other brands. Please note: These pipes have been made since the 1860s many hundred millions of times. Corncobs are iconic US products and iconic pipes with a rustic appearance and outstanding smoke properties. Please trust in this, if a corncobs for you at first may also appear unfamiliar and as a new kind of smoke pipe.

Most tobacco is too moist when sold; pipe tobacco fresh from the packet often has the texture of wet leaves. The effect of fire on wet foliage is well known: it produces fumes and the fire soon extinguishes. Tobacco like this is difficult or impossible to smoke, even for the most experienced pipe smoker. Regrettably, the fact that pipe smokers let their tobacco dry out before smoking is rarely mentioned.

We have advised thousands of new pipe smokers. Repeatedly attempting to light excessively moist tobacco with a lighter or matches is a factor behind most problems. Anyone who went camping as a child will recall how hard it is to light damp wood.
Damage to pipes is nearly always caused by applying flame to the wood for too long. At some point, the pipe really will smoke as the wood of the pipe starts to burn. Needless to say, this has nothing to do with pipe smoking and has no place in the proper usage of a pipe.

Applying forensic fire investigation methods to the wood of the pipe will quickly determine the causes of damage or excessive temperatures. Having advised many clients, we can say that in the vast majority of pipe damage cases, temperatures that cannot be brought about by smouldering tobacco played a part. Therefore, you should not be concerned about smoking a pipe. However, please take care to avoid applying excessive ignition sources to the pipe.

What should I do if damage occurs despite this? Nobody is perfect and people make mistakes. Simply contact us and we will find an answer for you. :)

Corncob pipes turn out differently depending on their age. This concerns both the age of the corncob itself and the age of service. In addition, there may be slight colour differences in the OBerface sealing.

In spring, for example, the fairly fresh maize harvest from last year is processed. Therefore, the pipes produced then tend to be lighter than later in the year.
Important: The pipe darkens through use. You can speed this up by applying an odourless grease or hand cream. The photo shows a pipe of average age as it looks after a few weeks.

Please do not try to smoke the pipe until empty, right down to the last crumb. The tobacco in the bottom of the bowl collects moisture and tends to be so moist that the pipe no longer tastes good. You should definitely avoid applying excessive flame to consume this moist tobacco: many a pipe smoker has inadvertently charred and damaged their pipe in this way.

Smoking a pipe is not a science, but it is surely an art that calls for a measure of skill and experience. Errors can easily impair enjoyment and bigger mistakes can cause irreparable damage to your pipe, or destroy it completely.

There are many different tamping methods. We recommend starting with a tried and trusted method that has stood the test of time for good reason.

Please note: No special tools are needed to tamp a pipe; you only need your finger.

Add tobacco to your pipe until it is one third full and press it down very carefully. The next third should be pressed in a little firmer. The final third is the stopper: take some tobacco between thumb, forefinger and middle finger and form a small, springy ball. Insert this into the bowl and press it down quite firmly.

When you are finished, the tobacco should spring back when pressed with the thumb. Also test the draw: there should be a little resistance, but no need to suck on the pipe. The feel should be similar to using a drinking straw.

Question: As an avid pipe smoker, I also want to have the opportunity to consume my tobacco during my lunch break ... Unfortunately, this is difficult because of the pipes ... Now, the idea has come to enjoy the pipe tobacco as a cigarette. Stopfmaschinge bought, unfortunately went backwards. Now I wanted to ask you, which possibilities there are pipe tobacco in cigarette form (with filter) to bring?

Answer: You can absolutely do that. Pipe tobacco stuffed into cigarettes is of course possible and was not uncommon in the past. The cut of the pipe tobacco should be rather fine. Then manual winding by hand or a winder is recommended. The winder are not designed for these tobaccos and the tobaccos are not intended for cigarettes. The tobacco should be quite dry (not too dry) and the cut and the amount of tobacco should not be too big.
I personally came away from it. More recommendable is a cheap little whistle, which may only 50% stuffs. A shag whistle is also useful. Any corncob would be an option.

Most normal pipes are also suitable. And of course, such a Shag pipe for fine-cut tobacco: This was used decades ago during the lunch break or in the 10-minute break. Ideal are also plugs that you can cut yourself and thus has influence on the width. In a corncob and you can enjoy a wonderful 5-40min smoking pleasure depending on stuffing quantity and pipe.

Over time, a protective layer often referred to as ‘cake’ forms on the inside of the pipe. This does not comprise charred wood. You should never burn out a pipe: no pipe tobacco of any description is meant for this.

Most pipes at the breaking-in stage have a paste that protects the wood and facilitates the formation of ‘cake’. However, many pipes are also supplied with a bowl of plain wood. Please allow such pipes an acclimatisation period and avoid smoking at high temperatures initially, at least until a layer of cake is formed.
In any pipe, the first fillings may taste different to subsequent fillings. This is completely normal and part of the breaking-in process.

Nearly all pipe tobaccos require a certain amount of drying. This prevents undue temperature development when attempting to light excessively moist tobacco, and avoids correspondingly high levels of condensate.
We believe pipe tobacco should have a dry consistency, without being so dry that it crumbles to the touch.

After smoking, allow your pipe to cool and rest for 1-2 days. Let your pipe rest in a well ventilated place so that it can dry out (a closed pouch is not suitable, but a pipe stand would be fine).

Do not remove the mouthpiece while the bowl and mouthpiece are still warm; otherwise, both pieces can warp as they cool. Although this is relatively simple to fix, proper fit may be impaired in the long term.
Leave the ash and the tobacco remnants in the pipe for a while as these will absorb moisture like a sponge. Cleaning should only be carried out after (complete) cooling.

Do not leave your pipe unattended outside, and never leave a pipe out in the rain.
At first, you may own just one pipe. Although you can smoke a pipe several times a day without causing any damage, this does not do the pipe any good in the long run. In fact, we would advise newcomers against this: since most beginners unintentionally smoke tobacco that is too moist, the pipe needs time to recover. If you enjoy the meditative aspect of pipe smoking, we would recommend acquiring a second pipe: a small pipe collection makes the everyday life of a pipe smoker much easier.

We do not varnish pipes. Different colours are made by staining.
The problem with lacquer: When the pipe is heated during smoking, the wood expands and the lacquer can blow bubbles. That is why our pipes are waxed. I generally advise against painted/varnished tobacco pipes.

If the mouthpiece of your pipe becomes loose, help is needed. Low rotatability when cold, especially in winter, is normal, as the wood and mouthpiece expand or contract differently. Please do not leave your pipe outside in the cold at night. In the unlikely event that such a problem arises: Put the pipe together and let it warm up to room temperature. Please separate your pipe if possible only at room temperature. When it is warm, the material usually expands again so that the gap dimensions should fit again. Therefore: Always let it cool down and never remove the mouthpiece in cold conditions.

A loose mouthpiece can be reattached with some home remedies:

Possibility a)  

1. Warm the cones
2. Insert the 9.1 mm drill shaft
3. let cool  

Possibility b)  

1. Warm the cones over the tealight
2. Quench the cones in ice watern
3. Check accuracy of fit
4. Repeat the procedure several times if necessary  

Possibility c)

1. Fill the spigot with pipe cleaners
2. Warm the cones over the tealight
3. Let the cones cool down
4. Check accuracy of fit
5. Repeat the procedure until the pin is secure  

Possibility d) – in somewhat stubborn cases

1. Warm the cones over the tealight
2. Tap the tenon lightly and gently on a solid plate
3. Quench the cones in ice water
4. Check accuracy of fit
5. If necessary, repeat the procedure several times

To enjoy using it, your new pipe must appeal to you. Generally, classical shapes are good for newcomers. A straight or slightly curved channel is easier to handle than a deeply curved channel.

We sell many of our pipes as part of a ‘set’, which includes high quality accessories as well as a pouch. With a set, not only do you receive your pipe in sound condition, you have useful accessories to hand as well.

Our sets are ideal for pipe smokers of all levels of experience. The pipe is an item in its own right, and the set provides a useful context; this does not mean you are getting a ‘set pipe’ of mediocre quality. We believe it is best to start with a good quality, good looking, regular pipe.

From time to time come questions and opinions on allegedly different variants of the Pipe Reamers. There may be differences. However, we could not find any difference in size between these variants. The product is the same size, identical. Only the packaging deviates.

Sometimes one reads that the product is incompatible with a bowl, because it is too narrow. There may be such pipes. The rule is by no means.

Beginners tend to smoke excessively moist tobacco too fast, thereby applying too much flame to the tobacco. This causes a build-up of bad-tasting condensate. Once you accept you are being too hasty, simply give the pipe a few seconds to cool down before continuing with a little more caution. If so much condensate accumulates that the pipe only delivers an acrid taste, let it burn out and give the pipe a whole day to dry out so that the wood can regenerate.

If you carry on smoking the pipe with greater haste and apply even more flame, you will soon burn your tongue and perhaps also notice the aroma of burnt wood.

Important: As soon as you notice the scent or taste of charred wood owing to a hasty approach, you should stop smoking the pipe immediately: smoking a pipe does not mean smoking the wood of the pipe. It is therefore a simple matter to avoid burnouts.

An inexpert approach can give rise to a vicious circle, potentially ending with the destruction of the pipe itself. However, do not be concerned: it is an extreme case in which you experience the taste of charred wood before you burn out a pipe. With just a little caution and consideration for the pipe, burnouts are very unlikely, even over many years.

Our advice is to be sceptical of any reports you may read stating that pipes from quality manufacturers like ourselves can be burnt out because of material defects. This may be theoretically feasible, but in practice it is all but impossible. (For more information on this, see below.) Burnouts are not an issue for the sensible beginner, so please set about your task in a carefree and optimistic spirit.

Remember that pipe smoking requires calm; it is an almost meditative experience.

As your partner and as experts in the sector, of course we are there for you. We collaborate as necessary with leading pipemakers and the big names of the pipe industry, who attend to such cases in a neutral capacity. So far, we have managed to help every concerned client – so every problem can be resolved.

All products that are not pure new are clearly marked as such and can only be found in corresponding subcategories. So you can always be sure that we handle returns carefully. A well-stocked B-grade category is a good indication for a customer that the manufacturer or dealer is working properly.

A personal comment on this as the owner of GERMANUS Today, a core problem in online trading is that revocations may be considered as new goods at the will of the legislature. No customer wants to receive used goods. I myself am a cyclist. Absolute care should be taken when purchasing material online, as e.g. saddles are often driven for a 200km test and then returned. For safety-critical parts, you have to choose the dealer well to be sure. A good criterion in this selection is "2nd choice categories”. Is there a stock of 2nd choice grade quality products you know that there is usually well sorted.

From the point of view, we separate all such products into 2nd choice B-grade subcategories per product group. Who accepts small signs of use, gets there a bargain price. Conversely, anyone else can be sure that we are scrupulously checking.

Special offer here means that this is not a regular product manufactured by us. But we sometimes buy large stocks of 3rd parts products and sell them to our customers at a price advantage. We mark such products as special items.

All returns are examined personally by us. I take the example of a wooden humidor cabinet. Of course, this cabinet would not be disposed of by us, but refurbished. However, this takes so much time that, based on the customer, only an exchange in the sense of the guarantee would make sense. After a while the product would be declared accordingly and then resold at a discounted price.

As a brand and company, we draw part of our positive reputation from the sustainable use of our products. Our cigarette cases, for example, can be used for many years thanks to spare parts. A worn closure or rubber strap does not mean the end of the product. We give away more badly damaged things that are no longer suitable for sale according to our quality standards.

With this, we managed to get by practically without disposal from the start. The amount of waste produced has remained astonishingly low to this day. In addition to ethical considerations, this was primarily due to economic considerations. Processes that produce a lot of waste are more complex to handle. It was therefore practical for us to keep the amount of waste as low as possible.

All our GERMANUS lighters are looked after extremely courteously. If you ever have a problem with one of our lighters, contact us. We are happy to help and as a rule the service is free of charge for you.

Almost all problems can be solved. Most defects can be repaired of our service ladies. If the lighter cannot be fixed or replaced, because the product is no longer produced: For tougher cases, we have an "enthusiast" at hand, who enjoys miniature mechanics.

The service is free of charge for you (as a rule). Of course, any service is free of charge for you within the warranty anyway.

For third-party products or if you have a lighter that you particularly like to hang on we recommend the following alternative:

https://www.pl-center.de

It is a lighter enthusiast. The services of the PL Center are external. The costs are there, however, according to information that customers gave back to us in an affordable price range. So far, we only received satisfied feedback from customers

There are several simple solutions to countering the smell of leather that is personally perceived as too strong. The methods are sorted by gentleness descending. Please start with a gentle method.

1.) Airing

The airing of the leather piece in the fresh air is the simplest and best solution to deal with distinctive smelling leather fragrances that you personally perceive as too strong. Please be sure to let the leather air out at room temperature. The leather should not be cold, damp or even wet. (This would increase the smell unintentionally.)

2.) Wrapping in newsprint

For this purpose, wrap the piece of leather firmly in a newspaper for a few days and then store this bundle in a cardboard box. The paper will absorb odors

3.) Grease with leather fat

If this is not enough, use a high quality leather fat to reduce the odor or change. The fat acts as an insulating layer and seals the pores of the leather, so that the scent molecules are more likely to remain bound in the leather.

4.) Neutralization with baking soda

Leather odor can be neutralized as with vinegar with soda (baking soda). Comparable to the application with vinegar also Natron is suitable for the neutralization of leather odor. Please cover the piece of leather completely with the powder and seal it overnight in a plastic bag. The leather must then of course be cleaned and greased again. (Point 3)

5.) Neutralization with vinegar as impregnation

For this, mix in equal parts (a transparent) vinegar with water and rub the piece of leather with it. Important: Please test necessarily before the effect of the mixture on the leather. Spots or discoloration could otherwise be the unwanted consequence. After this form of impregnation, the leather must be greased again. (Point 3.)

6.) Detergent for leather

Leather detergent can be used as a last resort, if all other measures did not bring the desired success. Please pay attention to the instructions of the leather detergent. Important: Use only special leather detergents to wash leather goods. Drying must be slow. Drying in the sun or on the heater would make the leather brittle. Again, the leather must be re-greased. (Point 5)

We exclusively use natural substances and materials for our inlays. These don’t demand for a special treatment. To keep the latex flexible and intact for a long period of time, we recommend to treat it with a corresponding treatment product. We recommend Ballistol Universal Oil for that very purpose. Please apply a thin layer of Ballistol Univeral Oil to the latex surface and expose it to air for at least 24 hours then. In this way you will have a long living inlay, which remains flexible.

The following funny post from Ballistol was found on their facebook page. We do not recommend drinking Ballistol. But it shows how the manufacturer stands behind his product.

Thanks for your question.

It gets difficult at the temperature. (I strongly advise against using converted Vienna air-conditioning cabinets. In principle, these are refrigerators with a humidifier. I would advise against them with cigars, even more so with films because of the possible evaporation. See the FAQ)

Our beads are actually ideal for this. These are also used in archiving, for example.

https://www.german.us/en/68-germanus-beads

An alternative would be Boveda:

https://www.german.us/en/76-boveda

You could combine this with a refrigerator.
I would be cautious in general. 13-20°C is also relatively good all year round in a basement and in a food-safe food storage container (Lock & Lock).

All the best,

Philipp Pietsch

Owner GERMANUS / Owner & Operator GERMANUS

Boveda Cigar Humidifiers are a popular system these days. The Boveda system was used with cigar cases initially, whereonly regulation is demanded. That’s what Boveda does: It’s a salt-like substance that regulates humidity.

We offer all Boveda types of all sizes and all conidtions. Here you can buy Boveda. In particular, we also offer Boveda for its original purpose: musical instruments and storing food correctly. Please note the scale prices and benefit from the price advantage when purchasing complete boxes, e.g. a 12 pieces or a whole packing unit Boveda a 120 pieces.

So, Boveda is a good system for airtight humidors. However, it cannot generate and dispense enough moisture for regular humidors itself. It only works really well with airtight humidors. That tightness isn’t wanted. Quality humidor cabinets aren’t airtight. Boveda is available here. We offer single packs of Boveda, scale prices for packs a 12 Bobeda sacchets or even lower prices for whole cartons with 120 Boveda sacchets included.

We receive a lot of questions these days about Boveda. Yes, it's an interesting system. That's why I decided to give information about all the aspects that we're asked about. The reason for the questions is usually the fact that the regulator Boveda is used in an environment without enough moisture. Boveda Humidipaks are meant to be replaced after ca. 2-3 months. It's a 2-way moisturing system, but can only be used for a limited period of time each. Boveda is a good and exact system to regulate humidity, but it cannot provide enough moisture by itself depending on the case. If the humidipak is already dried out, it's too small for the volume of your humidor; you won't get the exact values. Please also remember, that it actually tries to achieve the printed level of humidity. But it's possible that it won't reach e.g. the 72% mark under all circumstances. Please also remember that a hygrometer is never absolutely exact. Examples ex praxis will be described in the following field test.

Boveda explains in their FAQ that not only the things inside the box, but also the whole wood needs to be provided with moisture. If you compare the moisture saved in a Boveda with the demand of water that's needed for a regular seasoning process of a cigar humidor, you can estimate how many sachets you will need. "Boveda has some catch-up work to do, so your first Boveda won’t last as long as subsequent ones."

The moisture after storage of new cigars can drop. This is completely normal. The Cigars must first be moistened. Especially in newly seasoned humidors you will usually observe this. Boveda points out in her FAQ.

Please also remember: Basically, a humidor is a box. It cannot be broken as long as there's not fist-size hole in the walls. Each of our humidor models is tested with our humidifying solution before it gets listed.
In the same way, a Boveda cannot be broken as long as the sacchet isn't ripped open or dried out. So a new sealed Boveda is OK. If your system won't work, the reason is usually and outdated Boveda Humidipak or an under dimensioned quantity of humidipaks in your humidor.

Boveda is a 2-way system. It absorbs humidity and dispenses moisture. In this way, you can compare it to our GERMANUS Bead System. Our system consists of a regulator and a tank. It’s a system with 2 separate boxes. While I worked out the function and created the new system, I did a great lot of tests with most existing humidifying system out there on the market. Among the testes system, I also gained experience with Boveda. It used to work great in airtight travel humidors and cigar cases. But I had problems to keep a constant level of humidity, when the air outside was drier than the Boveda regulation limit, which is usually about 70%. This way I observed that that moisture was missing in the system. There was simply nothing to regulate. I added a cup of water and it worked quite well.

I don’t know if Boveda changed the prescriptions, but speaking form my experience, when you have too low humidity in your cigar humidor, add a source of moisture and check how it changes. Of course we aren't Boveda. Boveda is not my trademark and humidipaks aren't my products. It will do my best to give you support, when you want to use Boveda in one of our systems. But we cannot guarantee for Boveda. Each of our humidor models is tested with the included GERMANUS humidiying system before you will see it online. For final answers to questions inherent with Boveda please try to reach out to their US based support.

Here you can access pictures of our testing Boveda in a standard humidor as PDF

Test 1 (One picture each day). Please see the used amount of Boveda. That quantity was used according to the recommendations of Boveda, who recommend 2+ sachets of Boveda for this cabinet size. I recommend using 3-4 sachets for this size of humidor. Multiple seasoning kits for each humidor are recommended to season a humidor. Regular cabinets will demand for a dozen or more Boveda (60g) if one uses the experiences from this test as base of a calculation for cabinets. Pictures of our test as PDF

Customer Questions

Why does the humidity level in my humidor cabinet fall with Boveda and won't keep steady

The amount of water is not sufficient for the job it should do in your humidor cabinet. For comparison, the example "Electronic humidifier" and the amount of water contained therein. If you want to humidify the same humidor converted in Boveda, you will need a certain amoutn of Bovedas. You can quickly get to dozens of packs of Boveda (60g) depending on the humidor size that you need for this task. If you use the appropriate amount of material, this is of course a good way.

Boveda is available here. We offer single packs of Boveda, scale prices for packs a 12 Bobeda sacchets or even lower prices for whole cartons with 120 Boveda sacchets included.

Cigar Spa is made by hand in the west of Cologne, Germany. The product is technically beyond doubt. However, it is advisory intensive. The technical requests we want to take into account with this entry.

Field of Use of Cigar Spa

CigarSpa is characterized by a particularly sensitive release of moisture. High-quality components are used, which ensure appropriate accuracy. CigarSpa wants to moisten cigars carefully. Too rapid a change in moisture can cause cover sheets to burst and, if broken, can present risks.

However, this cautious operation has the side effect that CigarSpa is a great accurate solution, especially for table humidors, where a lid closes a bottom firmly. It looks different with cabinets. You can also use CigarSpa in cabinets. Here I would use CigarSpa but from experience rather than regulator as the only humidifier. So if you have a Schrnak with passive sponge humidifiers or acrylic polymer humidifiers, we recommend using CigarSpa as a regulator, as CigarSpa itself does not provide enough performance in many cases. We believe that this does not pose a major barrier in the application.

The major problem of electronic humidifiers is usually a possible Fehlbefeuchtung with defective sensor / other electronic defect. As a result, you should keep a closer eye on electronic humidifiers than passive solutions. Unattended passive solutions that work well can dry out or slowly over-moisten. An electronic humidifier, which acutely fan assisted cigars in the event of a defect so to speak, can cause actual damage after years of good function. The risk of a defective humidity sensor can also lead to such a result. This is unlikely for CigarSpa due to its cautious nature.

In short: CigarSpa alone in normal table humidors / small chests. In cabinets often like in addition to passive solution as a regulator.

As always, with questions of this kind, there are different opinions that one can talk shop. We would advise from experience accordingly.

Wie bei so mancher Frage allgemeiner Natur möchte ich mich aufgrund der praktisch denkbaren Einzelfälle auch hier differenziert äußern. generell stellt dies überhaupt kein Problem dar. Der Dom.Rep. Zigarre ist es im Endeffekt egal, ob sie neben einer Habanos liegt und nebenan ggf. noch ein Nicaragua Stumpen eingelagert wurde. Nun gibt es aber durchaus Raucher mit feinem Gespür, die genau das Gegenteil behaupten. Ich persönlich bin aus eigener Erfahrung der Ansicht, dass es gewisse Wechselwirkungen geben kann. Um diese zu erschmecken, braucht es aber eine feine Nase und Erfahrung. Jede Zigarre gibt ihrerseits Duft an die Umwelt ab. Der Umgebungsduft am Lagerort spielt eine gewisse Rolle. So zweifle ich einen "Aromenübergang" an wie ihn manche Raucher behaupten festzustellen. Gleichwohl wird man bei 2 sehr prägnant duftenden Zigarren, die sehr unterschiedlich sind, eine gewisse Abhängigkeit nach einiger Zeit feststellen. Ich denke da etwa an eine ölige Maduro, die nach Pferdemist duftet neben einer ganz trockenen Dom.Rep. Zigarre mit leicht blumigem Trockengeruch.
Wichtig jedoch: Bitte lagern Sie niemals aroamtisierte Tabkwaren und keine aromatisierten Zigarren in einem Humidor zusammen mit nicht aroamtisierten Raucherzeugnissen. In den Fällen ist eine Vermischung sehr wohl ein Problem und zu erwarten.

Viele Zigarren kommen in Cellophan (Cello) oder Tube. Hier kann man überlegen, die Lagerung in der Eigenhülle durchzuführen.

Generell möchte ich aber unterstreichen, dass eine "Aromenhochzeit" einer der Mythen ist, die heutzutage durch das Internet katalysiert werden. Bitte machen Sie sich nicht zu viele Sorgen.
Zwecks Ordnung gibt es für die meisten GERMANUS Humidore Teiler separat zu bestellen. Wenn Sie in dem Punkt Sorge haben, wäre dies ein einfacher Ausweg.

Baiscally, there are 3 kinds of woods that are used or should be used for humidor veneers. Each of them is usable for cigar humidors.

Most popular among these is Spanish Cedar Wood, which is also known as Cedro. It provides for a pleasant aroma inside the humidor. Cigar Smokers, who have their first humidor, are sometimes a bit irritated about the smell, which can be surprisingly strong. This odour is wanted. Cedar Woood is expensive. Not every well aged wood conveys that smell. But when you encounter the smell, you know that it guarantees for a certain level of quality.
In addition to the positive effects on teh cigar aging, the odour helps to keep tobacco worms away and therefore helps to protect cigars.

It’s cedar wood, but not Cedro: American/Canadian Cedar wood. Better known as Red Cedar. The odour is different from the Spanish Cedar Wood, but also quite pleasant. The shade of the wood in your humidor mainly depends on the tree where it comes from. It doesn’t allow a sure identification of the used kind of wood.
Each of this precious woods has nothing in common with the regular domestic cedar from our forests. The wood of the domestic cedar cannot be used for humidors. To keep it simple and the text readable, we refer to cedro and the cedar wood of humidors as „cedar wood“ or simply “cedar”. This never refers to the domestic cedar from our European forests.

Finally, Mahagony. It’s also called Mahogany or Mahagoni or Mahogani. No matter how it’s spelled, this refers to a precious wood that smells neutral. Mahagony is often used for humidor-veneers. It’s not bad, but most smokers prefer cedar for the above given reasons.

We stay away from Mahagony, even if products with a Mahaogony veneer can be of good quality. The vast majority of our customers is in favour of cedar wood. That’s why we concentrate on cedar.

Distilled water from the local drugstore is not identical with water that is offered in pharmacies. Distilled water that is sold at drugstores is usually only decalcified, not sterilized. Pharmacy water is also sterilized. If you have no opportunity to buy sterilized water, decalcified water is better than just water from the main. Like many cigar smokers we simply use the cheap decalcified water with some of my personal humidors and never had any problems with mould. Depending on the worth and quality of your cigars, nevertheless, I recommend to use sterilized water. A good cigar needs something nice to drink while aging. J If you have a distiller for decoration purposes, you could also take it and make some sterilized water yourself.

Please remember, that the kind of water you fill in your Humidifier just sanitized your Humidifier. The cigars rolled by a normal human person, touched by a lot of hands, packed in a wooden box, opened and loaded in your humidor with your hands already contain germs and bacilli. (Cigars from the shop sometimes are already infected with mould, which you cannot see, because it just grows inside the cigar. Placing such a cigar in your humidor can infect your other cigars.) The same applies to the food we eat. Everything we see and touch is contaminated with germs.

However, the whole issue is not a main problem as which it appears on some sites on the internet: In order to prevent germs from mass spawn, which means mould, check your humidor regularly. The humidity should always be at a level of ca. 60-70% and the temperature should not be higher than 20°C. If you, additionally, clean your hands before touching your cigars, you will probably have no problems at anytime.

If you would like to buy anything to reduce the risk of mould, I recommend an exact Digital Hygrometer: The humidity is not always identical at any place and in each corner of your humidor.

Alternatively, you can simply boil water and let it drain off. Please never use water from the tumble dryer, because of possible.

If you use liquids, please make sure that the humidifers don't become to dry, because some fluids could drain off accidentally, when the H2O contained is gone and only the thicker parts of the liquid remain.

We recommend using distilled water as not all customers have clean water from the tap as is available in the UK and Germany. It is important to use water that is as germ-free as possible. For example, you can simply boil water yourself if you are unsure. A low lime content is important to avoid blockages.
Distilled water from the pharmacy is the safest recommendation worldwide.

Again and again we receive emergency calls from cigar owners who are looking for a humidor in time trouble. What to do if no humidor is available, but the cigars are already waiting at home? Please respond calmly in such cases. :) It is only important that you do not expose the cigars to extremely fluctuating environmental values. So keep them away from the sun, coolness and heat. Leave the cigars in the box or outer packaging. Even more resistant are cigars in tubo or cellophane (cello).

As far as available, a food-safe and preferably air-tight box provides a good deposit. If such is not available, the wardrobe or similar would be recommended.

The background: Possible loss of water is not a problem at first. The loss must not be very abrupt. Otherwise cover sheets may be ruptured by the different moisture content in the cigar. (The same applies to humidification.)

Water can easily be replaced by gentle moistening later.

The problem is a dehydration that lasts more than a few weeks. The oils of the cigar leaves (tannins) are not replaceable. However, the volatilization of these oils is slow and only plays a role over a few months. So there can be no really acute emergencies when cigars without humidor are owned.

If the cigars are supplied in tubo or cellophane, dehydration sometimes does not play a disastrous role, even when persisting over decades. We have been able to revive finds of Davidoff cigars from Cuban production in the 1970s. This product is packed in cellophane. The oils in dried form were therefore still preserved.

In general, even with the volatilization of oils after a few months may be perceived negative nuances in the taste. But there is still no talk of ruining the cigar. After rewetting, it usually takes a skilled palate to distinguish a few months of dried goods from properly stored goods.

Please store your cigars promptly. From a panic or worry, we can only advise against experience. Your cigars will forgive you as described above.

Question: Should I let a cup with distilled water for about 1 week inside the Humidor? Or should I just steep some towel with the distilled water, pass it through the wood, and wait for a couple of days?
Answer: Both ways will lead to the same end. The booklet is formulated in a way that should prevent mistreatment. If you wipe the humidor out with a wet towel and let it absorb the humidity for a couple of days, that's OK. (The water could leave stains, however. And some people tried to fill the whole humidor up with water. "The more the better" they thought. That's what I wanted to prevent from happening again.
Placing a cup inside is safe and easy, but take more time.

Question: My humidity level dropped from inital 70% after seasoning the humidor to a lower level? (65, 60, 55 percent)
Answer: The humidor itself cannot be broken. We sold over 50.000 units o f these over the past 12 years. It's maybe the most popular model all over Europe. As long as the glass isn't broken, it's OK. The construction of the humidor is very good.

A dropping humidity level after storing the cigars inside is totally OK: The cigars absorb moisture and the humidity level therefore drops in the first time. The exact reaction depends on the condition of your cigars and the saturation of the humidor.
If correctly calibrated the mentioned drop in humidity sounds totally OK and explainable.

1. Have you adjusted the hygrometer? Hygrometer calibration If there's a need to adjust the hygrometer, depends on the actual purchased model.
   Please also see our article on hygrometers: Humidor Hygrometer accuracy Please see the displayed value as a guidance value.
2. To make sure: Please setup the humidor according to Humidor setup
3. The humidor needs a certain minimum quantity of cigars to provide stable values. How many cigars have you stored inside?
4. Have you filled the humidifier? If the humidifier(s) aren’t enough in the first time, you can simply add a little cup of water, which you place inside the humidor.

Antwort am Beispiel eines Einsteigers, der rund 20 Zigarren unbekannter Größe einlagern möchte.

Danke für Ihre Anfrage. Die optimale Humidor-Kapazität hängt in der Tat von der beabsichtigen Lagermenge ab. Die genannten Kapazitäten sind natürlich nur grobe Richtwerte und in Corona Zigarren gerechnet. Lagern Sie also vor allem Panatela, werden Sie vermutlich mehr unter bekommen, rauchen Sie Churchill Zigarren, kann die Kapazität in Ihrem Fall für weniger Zigarren reichen.
Wenn Sie eine gute Kiste Zigarren einlagern, ist ein Modell für ca. 50 Zigarren durchaus sinnvoll. Aus Erfahrung lagert man doch mehr ein als man denkt. Damit empfiehlt es sich, tendenziell eine Nummer größer zu kaufen. Es gibt aber durchaus viele Raucher, die wirklich nur ein gutes Dutzend Zigarren vorhalten wollen.
In dem Fall würde ich eine Nummer kleiner kaufen.

Die Befeuchter aller Humidore sind an einer normalen Füllung ausgerichtet. Diese sollte bei zumindest 50% der Gesamtkapazität bzw. des Gesamtvolumens liegen. Der Humidor sollte zu >50% ausgefüllt sein. (Wie viele Zigarren Sie dafür benötigen ist nicht wichtig.)
Alle unsere GERMANUS Humidore wurden mit einem Befeuchtungssystem ausgestattet, dass dem Humidor angemessen ist. Wir rechnen dabei nicht nur grob Pi mal Daumen, sondern prüfen real jedes Modell durch.

We are asked regularly, which kind of glass was used in humidor xy. The used glass is different depending on the manufacturer and product. For our GERMANUS humidors I follow this view: My opinion is rather tolerant of both kinds of glass, acrylic glass and genuine glass.

Genuine glass makes a nice impression.
Acrylic Glass got some advantages on its side, however. These are in my view:

• Better Light protection
• Resitant against Scratches
• Less risk of breaking/damage
• Affordable, but can be hardly distinguished optically from genuine glass, if of good quality

In general most humidors of the lower or middle price glass are made with windows of acrylic glass.

Above all, the danger for the cigars is that they are exposed to humidity that changes too quickly:

Put dry cigars in a humidor or humidor wet cigars on dry wood,so the cover sheets can tear through the tension and the cigar wrapper is ripped then.

In your case, please carefully increase the humidity step by step. The process may have time for a few days or weeks. The slower the less risk. We recommend wiping out the humidor with a wet towel to prevent cigars from being placed on completely dry wood and then supplied with extra moisture because the humidor itself is supposed to absorb them. This can lead to the described problems. Please do not dispose of such cigars, but use a cover slip glue.

For comparison: I have recently put a cigar cabinet into operation. The cigars in foil (cellophane) or box were simply put into it. Then a cup of water was placed inside the humidor. So the the whole seasoning procedure lasted only 5 minutes. The humidity level inside soon reached 65-70%, which is ideal. I did not do any more. If possible, I would therefore leave foils and boxes as possible around the cigars. In a sense, one does not operate on the open heart and can do something "more brutal".

If you store normally stored cigars, this will not occur at all. Helpful in such cases is to insert the cigars only after a certain drying out or not fully in the humidification phase of the wood. You have the problem, for example, if you find a cigar somewhere in a compartment in your car after 2 years. I first bring it up to about 60% and then let it be further moistened. I am absolutely not a supporter of Boveda. But here Boveda resp. Boost do a good service. Exactly for this purpose we offer the 62% variant. This one doesn't need a humidor. A cigar box will do just fine. Boost or Boveda can also be used as a regulator in addition to existing humidifiers in a humidor.

If the child has already fallen into the fountain, i.e. cracks have appeared, please proceed as gently as possible. In most cases, the problem can be limited if you do not humidify further for the time being, but leave the values stable. In any case it is not advisable to bring a dried out cigar from 40% to e.g. 80% in a humidor that is just being put into operation.

A frequently discussed topic in newsgroups and forums is the wood used for trays and drawers of humidors. In the following, we would like to introduce some possible forms of processing and in particular to clear up prejudices.

Wood in pure form

Again and again, especially on the Internet, the processing of wood panels is considered as ideal or expected value in Humidorbau. Often, such discussions arise when it turns out that some high-end products still have fiber plates in their price. It should be said that a humidor made of simple wood panels will not last long. Even if the wood is completely dried out, it will at least be slightly forgiven over time. A humidor should be wetter inside than outside. As a result, wood inevitably warps. A composite construction (sandwich construction) is therefore obligatory. It's not about the cost of a wood panel. It would be nonsensical to build a humidor body out of it.

MPX, multiplex

These are especially stable hard-glued wooden boards. When wet, they are stable. Anyone who has ever seen driftwood on the beach knows about the function. MPX works well as a core of a carcass. Depending on the construction method, further layers or veneers are applied.

MDF

Completely misused and negative feedback is the use of MDF. MDF is known as pressed cardboard. Valuable humidors would never include such. It is correct that MDF is also disrespectfully called pressed cardboard. However, MDF is currently used by very high quality humidor manufacturers. This may surprise some. The claim can be traced in any well-stocked specialist retailer. The background for use is simply that MDF is very flexible. It does not easily swell under moisture. Therefore, such humidors are quite durable. As everywhere in the humidor no smelling adhesives should be used. MDF as a material is not a problem. The advantage of moisture resistance comes just in the body of the humidor wear. There are different types of construction. A body made of MDF adapts well to changes due to moisture. It is not for nothing that famous cigar importers rely on MDF for the body of their humidors. It depends on how well the humidor has been processed with the material. You will find on the market quite high-priced and very popular models that rely on MDF.

Among the famous users of a MDF made product is Boveda. Boveda builds its wooden holders with a corpus of MDF and uses the advantages of the material for its product:

Solid Wood

A good alternative to MDF are solid wood shelves and drawers with solid wood floors. Solid wood refers to thinly glued thin layers of wood, which are therefore very stable and resistant to moisture. Solid wood is quite expensive in the production. For many of our humidors, we already rely on solid wood processing and thus create added value compared to MDF production.

Solid wood cedar

Very nice but also very expensive is the use of cedar (Cedro) for the production of trays floors or drawers. The valuable processing has a very important disadvantage: Cedar bends through damp very quickly. Especially if the floors are provided with large holes or the wood in the drawer of the humidor has no room for expansion, long-term or even medium-term damage to the humidor can occur.

Alternative materials

There is still a narrowing on wood plus cedar. For a long time, various successful trends have been heading the other way. Sapeli (also mahogany) has similar characteristics as cedar, but smells more neutral. Some smokers do not like cedar wood or are afraid of resinification. Therefore he prefers Sapeli. Other manufacturers coat their humidors inside with plastic. Such products are also available in the high-priced segment. The company CigarSpa offers about such cabinets. The ulterior motive: What does not suck is not a factor. A humidor without absorbent surfaces is easier to moisten. Everything depends of course on the humidifier.

I hope to have given a little insight into different materials in Humidorbau. In particular, I wanted to be able to offer anyone interested a point of view from a long experience, which once classifies the belief in good wood and cedar finish. Humidor construction, like many other topics, has different views and currents and several correct answers. Some are just myths. :)

Standard Analog Spiral Hygrometer

These hygrometers are reasonably priced and are visually beautiful to look at.
However, since spiral hygrometers give only rough guideline values, which in itself does not detract from the actual function of the humidor, the following recommendation:
As an accessory, I would recommend a small digital hygrometer

Calibration of hygrometers

Every hygrometer has an effective range in which it measures accurately. A setting with extreme value against 100% is therefore always somewhat dangerous, no matter which make you use. Personally, I would rather advise to compare with a second hygrometer. In terms of percentage point exactly is no product under a four-digit price range.

Digital Hygrometer and the accuracy of the humidity measurement

The sensors have a certain spread, the electronics also. This results in an interval of 7%.
It is more likely to measure whether it is 65, 70 or 80%. But it can not be more exact, which is not necessary.
If you are in the interval 65-75%, that fits. Then everything is OK.

In recent years, the belief has become common in some places that exact 70% rel. Humidity must prevail in a humidor. Everything else is dangerous. There are two theses to counter.

1. 70% is a possible value. In fact, long-term storage tends to occur at around 60%, while cigars for consumption are readily stored by many smokers at 75% or more. Personally, I have for the purpose of a small humidor with about 75% humidity in operation for which I exceed the regular amount of humidifier capacity.
2. For more accurate measuring, the measuring devices do not exist or are too high priced for the private user resp. are not available. However, none of the commercially available hygrometers are able to measure 70% accurately. Achieved ideal values ??thus give a good picture and convey an idea of accuracy, which is deceiving to some extent. Those values are not based on valid measurements such as would be necessary in medicine. I therefore recommend only aiming for a value "about" 70%. Such thinking saves the user time, nerves and costs.
   Cigars do not need an exact 70%.

Unfortunately, the assumption is still carried into the world. At fairs, I often meet people who make me smile in conversation. People put themselves under unnecessary pressure and would to well to convey a more realistic idea.

I can only advise prudence in the point of measuring moisture. Who likes to invest in a dew point meter and medical hygrometer, of course, can do that. These are great devices. The costs are in the more or less elevated four-digit area. The effort drives no cigar lounge known to me, because it is not necessary. On the other hand, they definitely use the same devices that we manufacture or sell.

Marc Andre, who is a German humidor manufacturer, once made very meaningful comments on the subject.
I hereby exceptionally allow myself a direct quote:
Do not let it drive you crazy

"With a commercial hygrometer you can measure whether the humidor tends to have 65, 70 or 75% rel. Damp lie. You can not expect more. Again and again I get calls from worried cigar smokers, who, quite upset, report that they are moistening with the electronic humidifier HYDROCASE but simply can not get to the 70%. At 66% is over. Considering that the sensor in the HYDROCASE has a 1.8% error, the hygrometer itself is about 3-4% (if it is calibrated perfectly), and then there are temperature variations - then 66% is a perfect value.
High precision measurement with dew point mirror

If you really want the rel. Humidity measured with high precision, you can only do this with a precision electronic hygrometer with a capacitive sensor or with a dew-point mirror. Such electronic precision hygrometers start at about € 280.- and for a dew point mirror you have to lie down a four-digit amount. But then measure to half a percent exactly."

My own 50 Cents: There are many discussions on the internet. There are many interesting, useful and very useful forums. However, forums also always run the risk of artificially problematizing topics on scientifical issues and thus problematic topics. The topic Humidity measurement is m.E. such a case. As Marc Andre so sensibly describes, no one with normal technology is able to make such accurate measurements. This is also not necessary: We receive daily questions on all sorts of topics. Humidity measurement is one of the central topics. There are absolutely heartfelt letters from desperate smokers, who only measure 71% and genuinely fear for their enjoyment and are honestly driven by fear of losing their whole stock of cigars. I am always personally very sorry for this. There is a person who is really worried and is spending a lot of time driven by fear. In fact, everything is in the best order. As a result, it can happen that people completely lose the pleasure of cigar enjoyment. I am humanly responsible for this suffering, I am personally personally sorry and is also regretful on business.

Therefore, my earnest request: Please do not go crazy. :) Use a sensible hygrometer like our GERMANUS Digital Hygrometers . Please enjoy your cigars and look forward to it. Cigars are made to relax and enjoy the smoker. A cigar will not break if it is 65, 68, 72 or 75% rel. Humidity is stored. Care and reflection are useful as always in life. But cigar storage, as we offer it, is not rocket science for the user. Do not worry. Please also visit our article about long time impacts on cigars, which are stored in a dry environment.

best regards, Philipp Pietsch
Owner of GERMANUS

How crystals absorb moisture resp. water or other fluids:

YouTube: Acrylpolymere Crystal Humidifier Befeuchter Setup

Positioning the humidifier box inside the humidor:

YouTube: Position Humidor Befeuchter Humidifier

Question: Should my cigar be exposed to as much air as possible? Is storage on shelves that are open at the bottom necessary / reasonable / advantageous?

Answer: The slots of the trays should prevent waterlogging (which in normal humidification anyway does not occur.) Most customers store at least sometime complete cigar boxes in the humidor. There is no ventilation to one side.

I know that there is the advice to air cigar as much as possible. However, in our opinion, it is all about preventing moisture nests. The cigars themselves can, as in boxes, be stored with very little air. In fact, a close / rather airtight maturation of the maturation will even do well in the long term, as the major oils have less air contact. (A cellophane cigar that dries out tends to rewet much better than an open-topped cigar, even after a long dry period, that is, more than 6 months.)

Mould in a Cigar Humidor is a popular topic on internet forums and facebook groups about cigars. I already explained how the illogical search for the “ideal” 70% can be a delusional idea. The topic cigar mould is connected to that obvious fear.
We receive questions on a regular basis asking for a diagnosis. In almost each case cigar bloom or non-toxic food mould fungi is the diagnosis. This text is meant to give a basic overview. As Owner and Operator of GERMANUS we’re asked for diagnosis.

In most cases the found condition is cigar bloom. Cigar bloom is a good sign of aging and also an absolutely normal sign.
To give a rough guideline: Doesn’t a cigar smell unpleasantly, can you smoke it (because it isn’t too wet), does she taste at least acceptably, and you most likely won’t have a mouldy cigar at issue. A mouldy cigar smells rotten. Nobody would eat rotten meat, because it smells so badly. In the same way you won’t accidentally smoke a rotten cigar. The standard bodily functions should prevent accidental consumption. Just like the alarmism in connection with best before dates, mould and cigars are a topic of alarmism.

The cigar Journal published some very useful articles about the topic.

Cigar Bloom

Important: There are most astounding stories that smokers tell. I can tell stories about smokers, who fill their humidor up with water like an aquarium and give their cigars a nice swim in the pool. There are smokers, who soak their humidifiers before they go on vacation. They add an additional humidifier to make sure there’s enough moisture during absence. And they place the humidor with windows in the bright sunlight. Then they go away and leave their greenhouse alone.
But these are exceptional incidents. The usual cigar smoker pays at least some attention to his cigars and thinks his actions through. He sees a little white fluff on his cigars, which he soon recognises. Please keep calm in such moments. That’s a viable situation.

If there’s an actual case of mould, the experienced smoker doesn’t put to much attention to the issue. Cigars are a natural product, which are usually hand rolled and have seen many hands before finally be packed into boxes and later be smoked. The box will get through changing climate. Germs and Spores are included in either case. Affected cigars can be isolated. If the humidor shows fluff e.g. at the humidifier’s grille, you can wipe it off and have an eye on the area during the next time.

There are two reasons that should reassure you.

Cigar Bloom

Good and Bad Mould

There are different kinds of mould. I repeatedly discussed the topic with Marc Andre, who writes articles about cigar storage for the European Cigar Journal. In consultation with the 5th Avenue (Importer of Habanos in Germany), they gave the following statement, which I quote in original German language and an English translation:

In praxis cigar bloom is often mixed up with food mould fungus. From the view of the smoker, it’s almost identical and there’s no real difference: Both are signs of aging and are not affecting cigars.

„This white fungusis no toxical food mould fungus and shouldn’t be mistaken with such fungus. Food mould fungus is an organic product and toxical. The fluff on the cigars is odourless.
The white fluff is Eurotium – a not toxical fungus. Most cigar boxes automatically contain this fungus. In contrast to classic food mould fungus, which demands for a high humidity level to be able to grow, Eurotium sperms can grow at rather low humidity levels of ca. >60%. Eurotium inhabitates almost every cigar. You just can’t see it, because i’s invisible. Only when the cigar evaporates water and transports the salts (Minerals of the tobacco) to the wrapper, it makes a visible impression. That salt is a perfect fertile soil for the spores.
The fluff doesn’t look nice, but it absolutely doesn’t affect your cigars. Just wipe it off and wait. After some time, when the cigar will have evaporated its minerals, it won’t appear any more.” Marc Andre

„Allerdings ist dieser weiße Flaum nicht mit dem nach Schimmel riechenden Lebensmittelschimmel zu verwechseln. Lebensmittelschimmel ist ein Zersetzungsprodukt organischer Substanz und ist giftig. Das ist bei dem weißen Belag auf dem Schwamm nicht der Fall. Der Flaum ist praktisch geruchlos.
Dabei handelt es sich um so genannten Eurotium – ein nicht toxinbildender und geruchloser Pilz. Diesen haben Sie in praktisch jeder Zigarrenkiste automatisch drin. Im Gegensatz zu klassischem Lebensmittelschimmel der eine hohe Luftfeuchte zum wachsen benötigt, können Eurotium-Sporen schon bei einer relativen Luftfeuchte von 60% entstehen. In jedem passiven Befeuchtungssystem haben Sie diese Sporen drin – Sie sehen sie nur nicht. Und Eurotium ist auf jeder Zigarre . Sie sehen ihn nur nicht. Es sei denn, die Zigarre verdunstet Wasser und transportiert das im Tabak enthaltene Salz (Mineralien des Tabks) auf das Deckblatt. Ein perfekter Nährboden für diese Sporen.
Der Flaum sieht unschön aus, ist aber vollkommen unschädlich für die Zigarre. Wegputzen und warten. Nach einiger Zeit (wenn der Tabak seine Mineralität ausgedunstet hat) wird das nicht mehr auftreten.“ Marc Andre

Temperature

The perfect temperature for growing mould is ca. 5-15°C. A simple experiment to prove the assumption can be performed with a piece of cheese. If the temperatures are higher, the cheese won’t soon grow mould. If a white fluff appears, it’s most likely Eurotium, which is also known as a benign food mould fungus.

Once again an excerpt of Marc Andre:

“If mold does grow on the cigar, this is almost always Eurotium.spp, a fungus that does not form toxins and that grows in every mattress and in every environment with a relative humidity above 60%. This fungus only grows on the surface of the cigar, on the wrapper, is entirely harmless and is easily confused with cigar bloom. If this fungus structure appears on the cigar, you simply wipe it off. If cigars are stored cool at a storage temperature of 16°C and 65 to 70% relative air humidity, you will notice that the cigars feel relatively dry. This is due to the fact that as the temperature falls below 18°C, the relative air humidity must be increased in order to ensure the 13% by weight of water in the cigar. Hence the air humidity is increased to figures between 75 and 80%. And that is where the attentive reader will see the problem: the low-temperature and ongoing high air humidity increases the risk of mould. As long as it is only Eurotium, it is harmless, but if in fact Apsergillus flavus is growing on the cigars, it becomes a problem. And this risk occurs where storage is at a low temperature and high relative air humidity.”

"Sofern tatsächlich Schimmel auf der Zigarre wächst, handelt es sich fast immer um den Erotium.spp, einen nicht Toxin bildenden Pilz, der in jeder Bettmatratze und in jeder Umgebung mit einer relativen Feuchte von mehr als 60 Prozent wächst. Auf der Zigarre wächst dieser Pilz nur oberflächlich auf dem Deckblatt, ist vollkommen harmlos und kann leicht mit der Zigarrenblüte verwechselt werden. Tritt dieses Pilzgeflecht auf der Zigarre auf, so wischt man es einfach ab. Wenn nun Zigarren gekühlt gelagert werden, so wird man bei 16 °C Lagerungstemperatur und 65 bis 70 Prozent relativer Luftfeuchte feststellen, dass sich die Zigarren verhältnismäßig trocken anfühlen. Das liegt daran, dass ab Temperaturen von weniger als 18 °C die relative Luftfeuchte sukzessive erhöht werden muss, um die 13 Gewichtsprozent an Wasser in der Zigarre zu gewährleisten. Also wird man die Luftfeuchte erhöhen auf Werte zwischen 75 und 80 Prozent. Und da bemerkt der aufmerksame Leser das Problem: Geringe Temperatur und andauernd hohe Luftfeuchte erhöhen die Schimmelgefahr. So lange es sich nur um den Eurotium handelt, ist das harmlos, wenn aber tatsächlich ein Aspergillusflavus auf den Zigarren wächst, dann wird es brenzlig. Und diese Gefahr besteht bei Lagerungsbedingungen."

Video of the most popular German Pipe Youtuber: Ralligruftie

Ralligruftie and me came across the topic of mouldy tobacco in connection with natural pipe tobaccos. Ralf’s interest into the topic grew and therefore I put forward the idea of making a video about the mould topic. Ralf made this video about tobacco and how tobacco can change under circumstances. I presented some of the materials to him, upon which the video is based. He’s a pipe smoker. He therefore puts more emphasis on pipe tobacco.

Thanks to him for also mentioning cigars and cigar storage in his video. I asked him to do so and of course are very happy that he made some comments. He made once again a great video. I like the way how he discusses the topic and also the calm way in which he classifies mould as one peculiarity among others inherent with tobacco.

Cigar humidors shouldn’t be airtight. They should always convey elimination of air to a certain degree. A well built cigar humidor cabinet is built in such a way that it constantly looses an amount of moisture. That can be achieved e.g. through intentional gaps and clearances.

On the internet tightness of a humidor is usually falsely presented as quality characteristic. In general, there are 2 topics, which contradict that opinion:

Cigars breathe

Cigars evaporate they react with and in air. Air Exchange is crucial.

Exchange

If the surrounding conditions change, that will have a direct impact on the humidor and the cigars in it. They must react to the changed conditions. Fluctuations of temperature and rel. Humidity outside the humidor are compensated. The cigar humidor cabinet should maintain a constant level of relative humidity. That doesn’t mean that a humidor should be airtight, however. When the temperature falls, the rel. humidity rises.

When the temperature rises that won’t lead to falling humidity. In fact the humidity will rise. Cigars and humidor have absorbed moisture, which they set free now. If the humidor was hermetically airtight, this would result in too high levels of humidity. The moisture needs to be transpired to the outside of the humidor. Gaps in the door are a possible measurement to guarantee that transpiration.

Important hint to prevent a popular misunderstanding: 

Misunderstandings are a common issue, when it comes to humidors with built-in clöearances, gaps and door-seals. That seals aren’t meant to seal the humidor to stop transpiration. Those seals in our humidors are meant to protect the wood of the door and frame, when it’s closed. One could also call the door-stops. They are built in our humidors for the same reason that room doors have such little seals. Isolation isn’t the pursued goal. It’s protection.

Links: An essay of Marc Andre on Tightness and Cigar Humidor cabinets, published in Cigar Journal

Frage: Lagern Sie alle Zigarren bei um 70%?
Wir und auch ich persönlich lagere Ware zum Rauchen bei ca. 70%, die eigentliche Langzeitlagerung erfolgt aber bei eher 65%. 60% sind auch noch OK. Langzeitlagerung meint Zeiträume von deutlich über einem Jahr. Typischer Weise sind das Zigarren, die 3,4,5 oder auch >10 Jahre lagern.

Es gibt Meinungen, die in die Richtung gehen, dass eine geringere Luftfeuchtigkeit langfristig besser als eine hohe sei. Ich vermute, dass die Öle in der Zigarre leicht flüchtig werden, wenn der Feuchtegrad zu hoch ist. Daher ist es bei längeren Lagerungen tatsächlich eher sinnvoll, die 70% eher zu unterschreiten.
Ich persönlich meine, den Eindruck mit eigenem Gaumen bestätigen zu können.

Frage: Welches ist Ihre Empfehlung für die optimale Luftfeuchtigkeit für Langzeitlagerung von Zigarren? Sie empfahlen um die 60% als optimal. Stimmt dies?
Das ist eine gute Fragestellung. Konkret zur Frage: Wir und auch ich persönlich wähle 60% für die Langzeitlagerung. Den Verzehr plane ich nach einer Lagerung bei gut 65%.
Bei mehr empfinde ich die meisten Zigarren als zu süffig. Zudem steigt das Risiko bei technischen Defekten im Falle elektronischer Befeuchtung.
(Ist man 1 Woche verreist und der Sensor hat einen Messfehler von 10%, sind es maximal 75%. Lagert man bei 72%, kann man bald bei >80% liegen. Wenn dann dazu noch Hitze kommt, kann das schon zu viel sein.)
Aber die Grundempfehlung ist wirklich aus dem Bereich der speziellen Ansichten. Fragt man 4 Leute, hat man 4 Meinungen dazu.
Ob nun 60% oder 65% sollte das persönliche Gustum entscheiden.
Der Gedanke ist einfach, dass die Öle in der Zigarre bleiben sollen und die Nachfermentierung möglichst sauber ablaufen soll. Und das funktioniert nach dem Empfinden einiger (so auch von mir) besser bei eher 60% als bei eher 70% auf lange Sicht.
Es gibt auch wissenschaftliche Erklärungsversuche, die im Cigar Journal auftauchten. Ich persönlich bin skeptisch, ob man die biologischen Prozesse so sehr vereinfachen kann. (Ich denke nicht.) Meiner Erfahrung nach unterscheidet sich die Idealfeuchtigkeit auch abhängig von der Zigarre, also je nach Tabak und Ernte. Aber damit belastet sich eigentlich niemand. :)
Populär wurde die These um 2003 herum durch Min Ron Nee, der sich entsprechend in seiner Enzyclopädie äußerte.

Time and again, 16-18 °C is recommended as the optimum storage temperature. While one may still almost reach such values in winter, these are hardly achievable in summer. The solution for some cigar smokers: you put the cigars in a humidor with cooling function. In most cases, these are very simple wine climate cabinets that are rudimentarily converted into a humidor.

What effect does the temperature have on the maturation of a cigar?

If the cigar is stored open and surrounded by fresh air, the ammonia notes will be gone after a few months and after 2-3 years the cigar can smell flat. The bouquet has virtually evaporated into the surrounding air. To prevent this, one uses a humidor.
However, not the temperature, but the amount of fresh air the cigar is exposed to and the relative humidity are the really relevant influences. The temperature is only a relative factor that is used to calculate the relative humidity. Therefore, we recommend storing cigars as much as possible in boxes, cellophane or tubo as shipped. Open storage is of course also no problem and is also carried out, for example, in cigar stores. However, such cigars should be smoked over time. For periods longer than 2 years, i.e. about 5 years or even 10 years, storage in box, cello or tubo is recommended.

Answer to the above question: Even higher temperatures are not a problem, if they do not start abruptly. The relative humidity remains the same. Abrupt onset would be, for example, positioning a humidor in the blazing sun. From approx. 20°C, the temperature can increase to values >50°C. In addition, please reduce the humidity in summer a little to about 65%, so that the cigar does not become soft.

For the purchase of cigar refrigerators, that is, a cigar humidor with temperature control, this means accordingly that such are superfluous. This is more a nice gimmick than a necessity.

Does a low temperature affect the risk of mold?

The answer to this question is easy to reproduce: when does a piece of bread become moldy? The fastest way for a piece of bread to go moldy is in the refrigerator. In a bread box at room temperature, on the other hand, mold is unlikely to occur. The bread will dry out at most. Other foods would wither. It is hardly possible to create mold on cigars at temperatures above 22°C. So to anyone who wants to store his cigars as safely as possible and cools them down to do so, we have to say that he is exposing his cigars to an unnecessary risk. At more than 22°C you will need permanent values of > 75% relative humidity to produce mold.
You can already tell from this: When it comes to a real mold infestation, a lot must have gone wrong in the storage over a longer period of time. Our separate FAQ on the subject explains this in more detail. If mold actually grows on the cigar, it is almost always Erotium, a non-toxin forming fungus that grows in any bed mattress and in any environment with a relative humidity of more than 60 percent. On the cigar, this fungus grows only superficially on the wrapper, is completely harmless, and can easily be mistaken for cigar blossom. If this fungal growth appears on the cigar, simply wipe it off.

About the problem: Relative humidity states that cool air can store fewer water particles than warm air. So a chilled cigar must absorb more water than a cigar stored at room temperature. Now humidity is necessary nutrient condition for fungus growth.
Low temperature and constantly high humidity increase the risk of mold accordingly. As long as it is only the Eurotium, it is harmless. Other fungal species (Aspergillus flavus), however, should not be grown. Exactly this danger exists however and in itself also only, if one stores in such a way cooled. Note: Please do not confuse mushrooms with cigar blossom, which occurs increasingly in the summer months and is a harmless sign of maturity. It occurs in both warm and cold storage.

Does coolness protect against cigar bugs?

The short answer is no. There are several classic harmless "problems" that are really just noticeables with no effect. Eurotium mold (wicker-like fibers on the cigar) Plum mite (small, white dots running around on the cigar) Cigar bloom (white, mostly dot-like efflorescence) Unfortunately, the cigar beetle is a real problem.
The beetle larvae perforate the cigars by eating tunnels into the cigar. The little animals are not poisonous. But they can destroy the cigar comparable to the bark beetle in trees. Should you find a cigar with a circular passage, this was probably a beetle. The solution for cigar beetle infestation: freeze the cigars in the icebox for several days at a minimum of -30 to -40 ° C. The freezing process must start quickly, as cigar beetles can adapt surprisingly well to slow-onset coolness. So do not perform a gradual freeze from 9°C to 0°C to - 10°C to -40°C. The beetles will probably survive it and lay new larvae as soon as it warms up again. Answer to the question: The 10°C in a cigar fridge is of no use except to latently harden the beetles against freezing.

Conclusion: Is refrigerated cigar storage and the use of a cigar refrigerator worth it?

The answer is almost always "no". Only if a constant climate is necessary for many years (decades), such a solution may be appropriate. In practice, we have not encountered any case in about 20 years where this would have been the case. Exceptions may be non-air-conditioned rooms in desert areas, which are exposed to the changing temperatures between day and night. However, such rooms almost always have air conditioning and even extremely stable values.
Anyone who wants to store cigars of correspondingly high quality for 30 years usually invests a correspondingly large amount of effort in the project. Here, too, solutions other than a wine climate control cabinet are then the obvious choice. Query: What happens if such a product should be defective after a few years of continuous operation?
Then you have cigars inside with too much water content, which are heated in an enclosed space. They will sweat and you will have unintentionally stored your cigars in a greenhouse. Therefore: moderate temperatures make sense when storing cigars, too much variation is never good, but you will hardly need a refrigerator. (Our customers come from all parts of the world. From Australia to Siberia, from Norway to South Africa).

Viele Zigarrenraucher frosten ihre Zigarren. Frosten meint dabei die Einlagerung im Gefrierfach, Kühltruhe oder Gefrierschrank für einige Tage. Auf diese Weise sollen vor allem Tabakkäfer abgetötet werden. Nach Deutschland importierte Zigarren werden vom Importeur in der Regel ausreichend gefrostet. Bei Eigenimporten etwa aus dem Kuba-Urlaub kann es jedoch Sinn machen, dies manuell zu Hause zu erledigen.

Das Vorgehen ist relativ simpel. Die Zigarren sollten möglichst luftdicht verpackt werden, damit diese nicht austrocknen bzw. platzen. Neben Ziplock Gefrierbeuteln und ähnlichem eignen sich insbesondere wirklich dicht schließende Kunststoffdosen, die mit einer entsprechend guten Versieglung angeboten werden. Die Zigarren sollten dann für einige Tage in der Gefrierung verbleiben. Sofern die Zigarren luftdicht verpackt wurden, würde ich diese langsam auf Raumtemperatur auftauen lassen. Die Umgebung im Humidor sollte nicht zu feucht sein.

Generell gilt ja, dass warme Luft mehr Feuchtigkeit aufnehmen kann. Wird es also demnächst kühler im Humidor, wird die relative Luftfeuchtigkeit steigen. Beim Frosten sind platzende Deckblätter als Folge osmotischen Drucks ein Problem. Luftdicht verschlossen wären meine Sorgen da aber gering.

The question of storing cigars with or without wrapping is a common classic. There are certain degustators who argue that the resins of cigars mix and thereby change the taste of a cigar.
Personally, I can taste it during long storage (> 5 years) with optimal storage. Of course, there are cigars, the mixing up of aroma can be clearly heard. I do not consider it dramatic. That's why I would not separate cigars for me (and I'm sensitive).

However, the storage in Tubos or cellophane casing is advantageous in the maturing process (longer than 2 years). I take the view that such packaged cigars are juicier, better ripen. In comparison, one can use the considerations of the storage of wine in bottles instead of barrels. Any fluctuations in the humidity in the humidor thus have only a very indirect effect.

Important: Keep perfumed cigars (vanilla flavoring) and fire cured cigars (like Toscani) out of Humidor together with regular cigar as far as possible and keep them away from anything else. Here the aroma is indeed coloring.

The mostly green sponge is a simple sponge as it has been known for decades in humidors of cigar humidors. Advantage: A sponge easily absorbs various liquids, regardless of the type of liquid. Disadvantage: A sponge does not regulate during release. So a sponge is a good and still up to date humidifier as well as the basis for regulating fluids.

Crystals give moisture quite regulated. Crystals also absorb most liquids. However, some caution is needed if the water (H2O) has evaporated and only thicker liquids remain, which have been added to the water for the liquid. These viscous residues can then run off unintentionally.

Today's standard in cigar humidors is likely to be humidifier crystals. Our GERMANUS humidifier crystals are a German product made in Germany that is personally packed by us. More details about GERMANUS Humidor crystals can be found here.