If you’re someone that enjoys cigar collecting, there are some top questions you ask yourself to ensure your cigars stay in good condition. One of these main questions that we’re going to try to answer is this: What’s the process of rotating my cigars in a humidor and how often should I be doing this? The answer is a complex one because there’s no set in stone method for doing this. There are a majority of cigar experts out there though that do agree that by shifting the cigars around in the humidor, it gives each one of them an equal chance to maintain their quality.
It all starts when the cigars are being made, as the tobacco leaves are rotated to help ensure an even fermentation. The objective of a humidor is to keep your cigars at the proper level of humidity. If you fill your humidor to capacity, especially large humidors with multi-levels, you’ll need to assume that not all areas are getting even amounts of humidity as others. This is why you need to shift them around. It’ll ensure that all of your cigars have the same chance at the best spots in the humidor, and that there are no uneven layers.
Now, when it comes the amount of times you should rotate your cigars, that’s an opinion, as there’s no real direct answer. For the most part, it would seem most levels of cigar enthusiasts would agree that rotating their collections every 1-4 months seems to keep them in good shape. This also gives you an opportunity to show warm approval for your cigars, inspect them to be sure they’re all holding up, as well as making sure your humidor is working properly.
Many take out each cigar and lay it on a layer of wax paper for sanitary purposes. You want to make rows of the cigars that were on top, and when the ones on bottom have also been removed, add them to the bottom of the humidor. You can line them up with unlike sizes next to one another to permit the highest amounts of air circulation.
Prefer not to rotate? There are some humidors on today’s market that talk with excessive pride about never having to rotate. These ones are supposed to be crafted to maximize the circulation of air. That means all the cigars inside get an even amount of humidity. These humidors often have different than the usual trays with ventilation areas built in. There are openings along the walls and the bottom as well. This allows the humid air to circulate evenly.
Finally, for those of you on a tight budget or with a tech practical knowledge type of mind frame, there have been those that hooked up small fans inside their humidors to circulate air. Try this at your own risk!