PELLIGRINO HUMIDOR FAQ.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS........

• WHY USE A HUMIDOR?
  
  The purpose of a humidor is to keep your cigars at their peak "smokability". The most crucial characteristic of a fine humidor is that it can provide a
  constant environment of about 68' to 70' F and 70-72% humidity.
  
  
• WHAT DO I LOOK FOR IN BUYING A HUMIDOR?
  
  Starting from the inside of the humidor, look for perfectly squared and fitted seams. Gaps provide an exit for moisture.Unfinished Spanish Cedar
  should line the interior of the humidor. Their should be an "inner lip" protruding from the top of the box into the lid to help prevent the exchange
  of moisture..
  PELLIGRINO HUMIDORS USES A LOCKING SPLINE IN ITS CORNER DESIGN AND THE SELECT SPANISH CEDAR LINING
  OF THE BOX AND LID CREATES A SEAL WHICH ENHANCES THE ABOVE RESULTS......
  
  
• WHAT TEMPERATURE IS BEST FOR STORAGE?
  
  70 degrees. - although cooler storage temperatures are definitely not a problem for cigars (as long as you maintain a reasonable relative humidity).
  Why do we attempt to keep them at 70 deg. then?
  The key is in the subtle difference between stable storage and true aging. Your cigars will not age, mature, mellow, or develop the complex character
  of well cured smokes at lower temperatures. The blended tobaccos will not "marry", and if you're keeping them for a long time you won't get the subtle
  changes in flavor.
  There have been several long threads in a.s.c. on the need to age La Gloria Cubanas, for example. These will stay "green" much longer if aged at cooler
  temperatures.
  At higher temperatures, there are several insects to worry about. The microscopic eggs of the dreaded tobacco beetle, for instance, hatch at
  temperatures above 80 degrees.
  
  
• Why create a humid environment with a constant relative humidity of 70%?
  
  Cigars are naturally hydroscopic products. In common with many organic substances, they dry out in the absence of humidity in the air, or absorb
  moisture from the ambient air. They establish an equilibrium with the atmospheric humidity which surrounds them.
  At 68% a cigar will slowly dry out and loose essential oils. At 74% and higher, organic molecules will break down out-of-order, producing unwanted tastes.
  More importantly, at 80% or higher, you're leaving your stogies wide open to grow mold. Neither cigars or humidors are a particularly sterile environment.
  Note that these are relative humidities - cigars should be stored at 70 - 73% RH regargless of temperature.
  
  The "Variable Humidity Myth...
  Many self-proclaimed "authorities" have been making a serious mistake of confusing moisture content with relative humidity lately. At least one
  well-known Cigar distributor has added strength to this legend by distributing a table recommendinging different relative humidities at different
  temperatures. Don't fall for this "urban legend"! Cigars should be kept at 70% RH REGARDLESS of temperature or you WILL ruin them...
  The modern myth of varying humidity with temperature is based on an entirely false premise. Cigars don't care about absolute moisture content. They need
  justenough moisture to keep the tobacco pliable, but not so much to swell it. This occurs at 70-73% REGARDLESS of temperature.
  Tobacco should be kept at a relative humidity which just keeps the leaves pliable without swelling them. Since that pliability is based on the interaction
  of the cellular membranes with the air surrounding them, *relative humidity*, not absolute moisture content is what's important. This isn't chemistry,
  it's mechanics - on a cellular level. Ideally, the correct point is 70-73% regardless of temperature. At 70% relative humidity (a measure which by
  definition is independent of temperature) cigar leaves become pliable without swelling. at 75% or higher, the cells begin to swell. at 68% or lower, they
  can become brittle. These points are regardless of the ambient temperature or the absolute moisture content.
  Does it make any sense to a rational person to keep their cigars at close to 100% humidity at 60 degrees?
  Anyone living in cold climates can attest to the fact that at 60 deg, their cigars are perfect at 70%, and (as they would at any temperature)
  their cigars are prone to mold and swelling at humidities above 80%. Those living in the tropics will tell you the same thing - their cigars MUST be
  kept at 70% humidity at storage temperatures of 80 degrees. According to "the table", those cigars should be at 50% humidity? I'll tell you what...
  If the humidity drops below 68%, your cigars will become dry and crack - I couldn't even imagine how badly dried out they'd be at 50%!
  Try it yourself. The "logic" of varying RH with temp falls apart in the real world. Moisture content is NOT why we keep cigars at 70% humidity...
  
  Here's a more scientific explanation debunking the myth of varying humidity from David E. Patton, Ph.D. at the Department of Physiology, UCLA School
  of Medicine... ....."There has been extensive discussion on A.S.C. concerning the effects of temperature on humidity and its application to proper cigar
  storage. Much of the confusion concerning these concepts comes from not understanding what is happening at the molecular level. My goal is to explain
  some of the revalent concepts and then to put the concepts together in such a way as to give an intuitive understanding of how they relate to cigar storage.
  
  Cigars are made from tobacco leaves. Tobacco leaves (like most plant material) consist primarily of carbohydrates and proteins. Protein and
  carbohydrate molecules contain many binding sites for water molecules. A certain proportion of the water binding sites need to be occupied by water
  molecules in order for the tobacco leaves to be adequately pliable, to burn properly and to age properly. So when we think about humidity as it relates to
  cigar storage, the most revalent factor to consider is: are the correct proportion of water binding sites occupied? Water molecules bind to other
  molecules via hydrogen bonds. Van der Waals interactions also participate. This applies to water bound to protein and carbohydrate molecules
  (e.g. tobacco leaves) or to other water molecules (e.g. liquid water). For the purposes of this discussion, water bound to tobacco leaves will be treated
  like liquid water.
  Temperature is the main factor determining whether a water molecule will be more likely to be in either the gas or liquid (or bound) phases. This is
  because at higher temperatures, water molecules (like any other molecule) will have more kinetic energy. The more kinetic energy a molecule has,
  the higher its probability of being in the gas phase. This is because it will have sufficient kinetic energy to break out of the hydrogen bonds and
  Van der Waals interactions that would otherwise keep it bound. At lower temperatures molecules have less kinetic energy so when they collide with
  a carbohydrate molecule, for example, its kinetic energy is insuficient to break away from it. The important point here is that at higher temperatures,
  a water molecule is more likely to be in the gas phase and less likely to be bound. At lower temperatures a water molecule is more likely to be bound and
  less likely to be in the gas phase.
  Another point that needs to be explained here is the concept of relative humidity. Simply stated, relative humidity is the ratio of the concentration
  of water in the gas phase divided by the maximal concentration of water the air can hold (the saturating concentration) at a given temperature. Air holds
  more water at higher temperatures. Therefore, if you hold the relative humidity constant and increase the temperature, the concentration of water
  molecules in the gas phase will increase. If you think about this superficially you may think that because the concentration of water molecules increases
  in the gas phase as you increase the temperature (holding relative humidity constant)that your cigars will become over-humidified. This is WRONG.
  Remember, as you increase the temperature, the water molecules are less likely to be bound to the tobacco and more likely to be in the gas phase.
  Thus, to keep the same proportion of water binding sites in the tobacco occupied by water molecules, the concentration of water molecules in the gas
  phase must be increased when temperature is increased."
  Again, cigars should be stored at 70 - 73% relative humidity, regardless of temperature. Period.
  
  HUMIDIFYING DEVICES...
  Perhaps the most important part of your cigar storage system is the humidifying device, or credo. Maintaining proper humidity will either make or break your
  humidor system. There are dozen's of commercial systems available, but perhaps the "king" of them all is the original "Credo". The Credo device is a self
  regulating reservoir. The secret to a Credo is the use of a physio-chemical solution (propylene glycol and distilled water in a mix of approximately
  50/50). Remember this "secret" later, as it will become increasing important...
  The original Credo is manufactured in France by: Credo
  34, rue Roussel Doria
  13004 Marseille, France
  Telephone: 91 85 46 36
  Fax: 91 34 54 31
  Distributed in the US by Holloc-Rohr, Bell, CA.
  
• HOW DOES THE USE OF PROPYLENE GLYCOL (mixed with distilled water) AID
  IN THE HUMIDIFICATION OF CIGARS?
  
  Any solution with a fixed composition has a fixed vapor pressure at a given temperature and total pressure. If the solution has only one volatile
  component (water), then the vapor pressure is caused by that component only (i.e., you won't find PG in the vapor phase). By coincidence, the vapor
  pressure over a mixture of PG and water is about 70%.
  To put it more simply, PG is a hydroscopic substance - It absorbs moisture from the environment (like a salt shaker does in humid weather). The distilled
  water evaporates until the ambient humidity approaches 70%. At that point the PG won't allow any more moisture in the air. Conversely, if there is too much
  moisture in the air, the PG solution absorbs the excess, bringing the system down to 70% as well.
  PG is certainly not the only solution which will regulate humidity properly for cigar storage. As several posters have pointed out, a glycerin solution
  will also work in a credo. Being a thicker substance, I feel that glycerin solutions ultimately "plug-up" the pores of your medium, reducing it's
  effective surface area. Both are non-toxic, but PG actually has anti-bacterial properties, which means you may use it alone, where glycerin should be mixed
  with some sort of inhibitor to prevent "nasties" from growing inside your credo. (this is the "secret formula" in some glycerin based solutions).
  
  
• How much distilled water do I mix with it?
  
  50/50 to start. It's not that critical, as the water evaporates eventually anyway - the proportions are constantly changing because of this. Don't forget
  to usedistilled water to replenish is as needed.
  
  
• .....Does the PG eventually evaporate or dissipate?.....
  
  Eventually is a long time, and evaporate / dissipate the wrong words. in several years the PG will become less effective due to reactions with
  contaminants in the air (er, like tobacco smoke for instance )(G&D). I recommend changing it ever year or so because of this phenomena. Using the
  same PG for 3-5 years with just water replenishment is not uncommon however. If your credo isn't regulating the environment like it used to, it might be
  time for a change. A common problem causing loss of PG is over-watering when recharging. Any water which runs through your credo is removing PG as it runs out! Careful re-charging will avoid this.
  
  
• I just made a credo and my humidity's too high!
  
  A new oasis will take days (up to a week) to stabilize. This is because PG does not regulate through partial vapor pressures, as the salt test does.
  PG regulates through a tenso-active (surface tension) process. The PG and water do not create a solution, it's actually a mixture (with seperate
  components). The PG essentially migrates to the surfaces, sealing in the water in a lower layer. It takes time for these components to migrate to their
  proper positions in the oasis and begin regulation.
  
  
• I used filtered tap water instead of distilled. What's going to happen?
  
  Your credo is going to become less and less efficient over time. Filtered tap water is full of all the dissolved minerals which will ultimately plug your
  credo. The PH is balanced in tap water with chemicals which may interfere with the PG and cause variations in your humidity. Spring for a $0.69 gallon
  jug of distilled water. It'll make a difference.
  
  
• Should I dilute the whole bottle at once and hold onto the solution?
  
  It doesn't matter. Pre-mixed or not, PG is a stable compound - It'll keep well for years. It may pick up odors from it's environment, so be sure to store it
  in a suitable container.
  
  
• Where can I buy Propylene Glycol?
  
  PG is available (though often only by special order from any full-service Pharmacist. The cost varies from $5 to $8 per pint. Pharmacologically, it's
  used as a solvent for oral and injectable drugs.... It also has many uses as a chemical solvent, as well as being used in many cosmetics.
  PG is also available from many feed-stores, as it is used as a feed additive and a medical treatment for livestock.
• By mail-order?
  
  
  
  Chem-Lab Supplies
  714-630-7902
  about $6/pint + about $5 for shipping
  
  also try...
  
  Tri-Ess Sciences
  Burbank, CA
  818-848-7838
  
  Springfield Scientific
  1124 Main ST
  Springfield OR 97477
  1-800-344-2047
  
  Sigma Chemical Company.
  1-800-325-3010
  And FYI, Propylene glycol is also mixed with some pipe tobaccos and cheap
  drug-store cigars so they won't require humidification (YUCK!!!).
  
  

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