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QHowdoIsalvagedried-outcigarsAQHowlongwillcigarslastifproperlycaredforAQHowaccurateismyhygrometerAQHowdoIcalibratemyhygrometerAQWhatisbloomAQWhatismoldATOBACCOOUTLETBUSINESSJANUARYFEBRUARY201126SourceVigilantInc.www.vigilantinc.comtoitspre-damagedavordependsuponthecigartheextentofthedamageandthemethodofrejuvenation.Wesalvagedsome40-year-oldTampa-madecigarsthatwefoundinanoldhumidortoverygoodcondition.Thekeytore-humidifyingdried-outcigarsistodoitveryveryslowlyforaboutamonthsothecigarsdonotswellupandcrackmuchlikeaboiledhotdogwillsplitopen.Startatalowhumiditylevelofaround50percentRHandincreaseitby3percenteachweekuntilyougettoaround70percentRH.Electronicsystemswillgiveyoumoreaccuracysoyoucancontrolandmonitorthehumidity.Cigarsarebiodegradableandwontlastforeveralthoughweveallheardthestoriesaboutthe100-year-oldcigar.Howevercigarsifproperlycaredforwilllastforalongtimeandwillactuallyimprovewithage.Ourinformalpollsaysthatcigarsgenerallygetbetterwithageforatleast5to10years.After10yearsassumingidealconditionsthecigarswontgetanybetterorworse.After15yearsmanycigarsbegintolosesomeoftheintensityofavorbutthatisntalwaysbad.Whileamildcigarwillprobablylosecharacteracigarthatmayhavebeentoostrongforyourtasteyearsbeforemaywithtimemellowandsoftentoyourliking.Ifitisananalogdial-typehygrometeritsnexttouseless.Ifyoucareanythingaboutyourcigarsyoushouldownagooddigitalhygrometer.Mostdigitalhygrometersareaccurateto-5percentto7percentRHwhichmeansthe70percentreadingonyourdisplaycouldtranslateto65percentto75percentinactualhumidityinyourhumidor.Evenifthemanufacturerspeciesthehumidorisaccurateto-5percentitdoesnttellyouthecalibrationoftheparticularhygrometer.Adifferenceof5percentwillmakeabigdifferencetoyourcigarssoyoushouldcalibrateyourhygrometerannually.TocalibrateuseplaintablesaltNaCl.Asaturatedsolutionoftablesaltandwaterwillmaintain75percentRHinasealedenvironmentatroomtemperature.Ingredients1tablespoonofsalt1smallbottle-cap-sizedcontainer1ZiplocbaggiePlacethetablespoonofsaltintothesmallcontainerandaddafewdropsofwatersoyouhaveawetpilenotdissolvedsalt.Ifyouaddtoomuchwaterjustaddsomemoresalt.Placethewetsaltsolutionandyourhygrometerintothebaggiemakingsurenottospillthesolutiononyourhygrometer.PressmostbutnotalloftheairoutofthebaggieandsealitmakesurethatthebagiswellsealedLeaveitforaminimumofvehoursatroomtemperaturebeforecheckingthereading.Aftervehoursreadthehygrometerthroughthebaggie.Itshouldread75percent.Ifnotnotethereadingandrepeattheprocedure.Taketheaverageofthetworeadingsforagoodcalibrationgure.Forinstanceifyouhavereadingsof70percentand72percentyourcalibrationgureshouldbe-4percent.Whencheckingyourhumidorusingthathygrometeralwayssubtract4percenttogettheaccuratereading.Bloomoftencalledplumeistheslowrisingofessentialoilstothesurfaceofthecigar.Itrstappearsastinycrystalsandwilleventuallymakethecigarappeardusty.Amoreadvancebloomgivesanopaquewhitelooktotheentirecigar.Bloomisntharmfultocigars.Itsanindicationthatthecigarhasbeenmaintainedat70-pluspercentRHforalongperiodoftime.Manysmokerspreferacigarinthebloomstate.Moldisafungus.Itappearsonthesurfaceofcigarswhentherelativehumidityinahumidorexceeds80percent.Itlookslikebluegrayfuzzypatchesonthesurfaceofthewrapperandwillspreadbyproducingspores.Ifmoldappearsyoushouldremovetheaffectedcigarsandcheckforanymoldonthewoodofyourhumidor.Itsimportanttoseparatetheaffectedcigarsimmediatelyandtowipedowntheinteriorliningofyourhumidorwithisopropylordenaturedalcohol.Thiswillkillmoldandmayleaveslightstainsonyourhumidorsinteriorwood.Gentlywipethemoldoffthecigarsandleavethematroomhumidityfor36hoursthenplacethembackintothehumidorobviouslyafteraddressingthemoistureproblemthatcausedthemoldintherstplace.Checkthesecigarseveryfewdaystoensurethatmoldgrowthhasstopped.Somepeoplerecommendmoredrasticmeasuressuchasplacingthecigarsinthefreezertokillthemold.Tryourmethodrstbeforegoingtosuchextremes.Iftheproblemcontinuesyoumayneedanewhumidor.TOB