Summary: Dry boxing is an essential process for ensuring the longevity of your cigars. It involves storing your cigars in a dry environment that promotes slow and gradual moisture and oil release. In this article, we will cover the benefits of dry boxing, how to do it, and common questions regarding this topic.
1. What is Dry Boxing?
Dry boxing is a process where you move your cigars from your humidor and store them in a dry environment for a certain amount of time. The goal is to promote a slow and gradual release of moisture and oil. This process helps improve the flavor, aroma, and burn of your cigars. When cigars are stored in a humid environment, they absorb excessive moisture, which can lead to uneven burning and poor flavors.
The ideal relative humidity for cigars is between 65% to 70%. When they are stored in a humidor, they maintain this level of humidity. But, when they are dry boxed, they are exposed to a drier environment that encourages a slow and steady release of oils and moisture. This results in better performance and flavor.
If you’re planning to dry box your cigars, it’s best to do it for a short period, like a day or two, or maybe a week at most. This process ensures your cigars don’t dry out too much and become unsmokable.
2. Benefits of Dry Boxing
Dry boxing offers a variety of benefits for cigar smokers, such as:
Improved Flavor and Aroma: Storing your cigars in a drier environment allows them to release their natural oils slowly over time, enhancing both flavor and aroma.
Better Burn and Draw: Cigars that are dry boxed burn more evenly because they don’t contain an excessive amount of moisture, allowing for a better draw and burn.
Less Mold and Beetles: Dry environments discourage the growth of mold and beetles that can damage your cigars. Storing your cigars in temperatures between 65-70 degrees will keep any tobacco pests away, leaving you with the best quality cigars possible.
3. How to Dry Box Your Cigars
The process of dry boxing is simple, and it requires only a few items. You’ll need:
A sealable container: Choose a container that provides good air circulation and keeps your cigars clean, like a Tupperware container or a plastic baggie with holes in it.
Cigars: Select the cigars you want to dry box
Boveda pack: Though optional, a Boveda pack helps maintain a steady humidity level in your storage container. Without a pack, your unregulated environment might dry out too much or too quickly.
Here’s how to get started:
1. First, remove your cigars from your humidor, ensuring they are at room temperature. Never dry-toast your cigars!
2. Place your desired amount of cigars into the sealable container.
3. If you have a Boveda pack, put it inside the container with the cigars.
4. Close the container and store it in a cool, dry spot with low humidity. A pantry, closet, or cabinet at room temperature works fine.
When the time comes to smoke your dry boxed cigars, make sure to allow them to rest for at least an hour before using them. This lets the cigar reabsorb a bit of moisture and lets you enjoy the flavors it has to offer.
4. Common Questions About Dry Boxing
1. How long can I dry box my cigars?
We recommend dry boxing your cigars no longer than a week. The cigars may become too dry beyond that point, which leads to unpleasant smoking experiences and degradation of flavor.
2. Does the size of my sealable container matter?
The size of your container is not crucial, but you want to ensure it can properly house your cigars and provide adequate ventilation. A 5″x7″ Tupperware container can hold roughly 20 cigars and has enough space to allow air to circulate around the cigars.
3. How often should I dry box my cigars?
You can choose to dry box your cigars as frequently as once a month. It’s entirely up to the smoker’s discretion to decide when to apply a half or full-day dry boxing method for their cigars. Just make sure your cigars have equal restoration time in your humidor as they do resting outside of it.
Conclusion:
Dry boxing is an excellent method to help enhance the smoking experience with your cigars. It slowly releases natural oils and moisture out of your cigars, regulates hygrometers and keeps away pests, making it a valuable tool to keep in your cigar maintenance kit. As with any storing technique, it’s best to experiment with different methods and see what works best for you and your cigars.
Cigars should be kept fresh and ready to smoke at all times, and learning how to dry box your favorite cigar brands helps protect them against damaging molds or pests. Whether you’re an occasional or frequent smoker, all can benefit from dry boxing cigars. So, stash away your cigars in a cool, dry spot, and wait for it to complement the essentials of cigar smoking that you’ve grown to appreciate.