If the cigar is wrapped, it can be stored for up to 30 days, if it is not wrapped, it will lose texture for up to 3 days.
Are you fond of smoking from time to time? If that is the case, you wonder for how many hours you shall keep a cigar without a humidor. This depends greatly upon your local climate, however, plus where in particular you are placing it.
However, a better place to keep any cigar at all times is in a good humidor. The cigar will dry up and go unsmokable if you have no humidor for storage within a day based on the prevailing weather. Alternatively, avoid putting it in the fridge or freezer because they can ruin everything for you.
Luckily, there are several easy ways that you can preserve your cigar without having an expensive humidor.
In this blog post we will discuss what makes cigars lose their original flavor over time and how long do cigars stay good without a humidor. Finally, we will give you some pointers on how to keep your smokes at their peak.
So keep reading for a wonderful smoking journey.
1. 70/70 rule and ideal cigar conditions
The golden rule in cigar storage? The 70/70 rule. Aim to keep your cigars at 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% humidity. This is seen as the sweet spot for cigar humidity.
Softer or, rather ‘spongy’, cigars – are good since they should be fresh ones? Wrong again. There is also danger associated with cigar being too wet or being soft, which burns inappropriately and produces an array of issues. Ideally, your cigars should be soft and yield when you do a tiny grip between your two fingers without cracking the leaf wrapper. Remember also that not all cigars are made equal. The firmer consistency comes about through rolling more tightly some mixtures.
2. How Do Humidors Operate?
A humidor’s primary purpose is to control airflow so that your cigars can breathe without being overly damp or dry. The ideal temperature range for your fine tobacco is between 20 and 21 degrees Celsius, and the internal humidity should be kept within a restricted range of 70 to 75%.
To ensure that your cigars are in the best possible condition, pay close attention to the texture of the cigars inside the humidor. If there is a small amount of oil on the outside of your cigars, they are being stored under almost perfect conditions.
However, it’s crucial to remember that a humidor cannot guarantee perfect cigars on its own. Continuous observation and maintenance are necessary to keep mold from growing and to ensure that your cigars are properly spaced out and not crammed inside a box.
To maintain your humidifier functioning at its peak, clean it on a regular basis with distilled water. With the right maintenance, your humidor could be a long-term solution for keeping your cigars’ quality intact.
3. How long do cigars last without a humidor?
Your store is full of new cigars, but there is no humidor and you can’t smoke immediately. What do you do? There is a slight panicking in you since you don’t know whether cigars without a humidor can last for years or they might rot.
Related:
How Long Can a Cigar Last in a Humidor
However, the sad truth is that a cigar normally stays in the wrapping and does not require humidor for only one or three days at most. However, there are ways to make this better as I discuss further below, but when you plan to purchase large quantities of cigars then you might want to consider buying a humidor.
4. Factors Affecting Cigar Longevity
Tobacco leaves form cigars which are again a natural product susceptible to environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and light similar to every other plant. That is the reason why storage, and they don’t last long when unwrapped. In this section, I will present on the three major affecting factors that shorten cigar’s life-span:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Light
a. Temperature
While it may be less of a factor than humidity, smoking duration in a cigar is equally influenced by the level of temperature. In an optimal situation cigars must be kept at about 65-70° that resembles conditions the tobacco is used is born in.
Tobacco leaves inside the cigars will eventually get spoilt if they are subjected to extended durations of temperatures below the stated threshold value.
b. Humidity
The best or rather the most significant factor has always been and will be humidity, why a humidor as it is the only effective humidification method of controlling the humidity level within a cigar storage. Cigar are hygroscopic hence should be kept at about 70% relative humidity in order to ensure they have sufficient flavoring moisture.
c. Light
Cigars are also vulnerable to UV radiation, hence that the humidors are mostly stored somewhere dark without direct sunlight.
5. How to store cigars without a humidor
- Storing Cigars without a humidor, using Ziploc bag with sponge
- A step-by-step way of keeping cigars fresh using a homemade tupperware humidor
- Small Cooler
- Refrigerator
- Plastic Bag & Humidification Pack
a. Storing Cigars without a humidor, using Ziploc bag with sponge
This is a great thing for those who are young, with low income and do not own a humidor, who know how to store cigars for some time until necessary.
One of the easiest ways to achieve all these is purchasing a few packs of large Ziploc bags and small sponges. Personally, I prefer the gallon sized bags–if your plastic bag is too tiny, your cigars may not fit in. In addition, also employ a new sponge that has not been put into use before.
First, you put your cigars into the bag. You then place a moist (but not drowned out) sponge into the zip lock bag along with your twigs. Make sure it is saturated with water when you squeeze it. Take a thin sponge as well.
Make sure that you zip the bag securely.
This is an inexpensive way to store cigars for about 21 days and still maintain the freshness of the cigars.
b. A step-by-step way of keeping cigars fresh using a homemade tupperware humidor
The Tupperware humidor will also preserve the cigars by containing a humidification disk. Such pouches are available for purchase at a nearby tobacco shop, or alternatively via an online store.
However, it does not necessarily have to be Tupperware either; it can be any airtight and clean, odorless plastic container.
Recommended NewAir 250 Count Electric Cigar Humidor
Therefore, you could use a wet sponge too, as I said while talking about a Zip lock bag.
With this method, cigars will keep fresh for three months.
You should confirm that the Tupperware you’re utilizing is odor-free and clean. Additionally, you need to switch up your cigar collection a few times a week.
By employing this process, you’ve produced an inexpensive homemade plastic humidor.
c. Small Cooler
You can store your cigars in a small cooler or a small fridge if you do not have a humidor as well.
As long as you have adequate ice, a cooler can always provide enough room for any count of cigars. Relative humidity can be maintained at a tolerable level for a very long period by a cooler. A wet sponge would work but why not buy one gallon of distilled water and a suitable humidification device plus a hydrometer?
This is a great approach that will ensure cigars stay fresh for up to several months provided they are checked on frequently and that humidity levels remain constant. Nevertheless, if there is extreme fluctuation in the temperature, it may spoil the cigars.
d. Refrigerator
The same goes if one has a larger fridge and does not want an additional humidor. The refrigerators are perfect for long cigar term storage because they have tightly shut doors that maintain humidity in the box.
Related: 11 Best Humidor for Cigars 2024
Nevertheless, you should ensure that they are not stored next to any food, since cigars tend to absorb all the odors in their surroundings.
However, it is not advisable to store costly cigars using this technique because one does not know what could happen in future.
e. Plastic Bag & Humidification Pack
Perfect for travel.
The pouches are handy and can help you store your cigars in great condition. This, therefore, is one of the best methods of having your cigars with you during a trip
Keep the cigars and the humidification pouch in a plastic bag.
At last, you must seal the bag. As such, you can fix a rubber/hair band on top of the bag. Subsequently, place this bag into your luggage.
This provides a good short-term solution for newbie cigar smokers who can’t get their hands on a humidor.
6. Conclusion
How long are cigars good without being in a humidor?
The answer to this question is “not quite long enough”.
Fortunately, you still have options if a humidor is out of your price range.
Keep in mind that the strategies and advice listed above are just temporary fixes. I can’t stress enough how great a humidor is for storing cigars and preserving their amazing flavors if you want to keep a lot of them.
You can avoid using a humidor if you are only purchasing one or two cigars to smoke that day or the following day, but it is still important to preserve them out of direct sunlight and in their original wrapper until you are ready to fire them.
Though, let’s be honest, a homemade, improvised humidor isn’t quite as elegant or useful as a quality humidor.
Recommend you to see:
How Long Can a Cigar Last in a Humidor?
11 Best Humidor for Cigars 2024
FAQ
Is it OK to keep cigars in the refrigerator?
Cigars can be stored temporarily in the refrigerator, but keep away from food. When purchasing the humidor, transfer the cigar to the humidor as soon as possible.
How long will cigars last in a sealed box?
In a sealed box, cigars can generally be kept for 4-8 weeks. The storage time of the cigar and the quality of the cigar, the degree of sealing of the Ziploc bag, the tightness, the storage environment have a great relationship, and the most important thing is to be kept dry.
How long do cigars last in Ziploc bag?
In the Ziploc bag, the cigars will keep for about a month. The storage time of the cigar and the quality of the cigar, the degree of sealing of the Ziploc bag, the tightness, the storage environment have a great relationship, and the most important thing is to be kept dry.