Why does a humidor develop strange odors?

Why does a humidor develop strange odors?

A humidor lined with Spanish cedar naturally gives off a natural cedar aroma. This is the signature scent of cigar culture.

But when the "cedar aroma" turns into a "strange odor", or is covered by other smells, something is wrong.

The 3 most common off-odors:

1. Overly strong new wood smell - common within the first 6 months of a newly purchased humidor
2. Mildew smell - humidity too high, poor ventilation
3. External contamination - chemicals, food, perfume seeping in

Off-odor 1: New Wood Smell

Symptoms: Opening the humidor feels like entering a newly renovated house, with a sharp wood smell covering the cedar aroma.

Why?

The Spanish cedar lining in a newly made humidor has not been sufficiently air-dried. Volatile resins, oils, and processing residues in the wood are still evaporating.

6-step treatment

Step 1: Do not put cigars in yet Do not put cigars directly into a new humidor. Treat the empty humidor first for 1-4 weeks.

Step 2: Ventilate for 48 hours Open the humidor lid and place it in a ventilated location with no sunlight.

Step 3: Humidity pre-conditioning Place a Boveda 75% two-way humidity pack (not 69%) into the humidor and close the lid. Let the wood absorb enough moisture to reach equilibrium at 75% RH. This takes 2-4 weeks.

Step 4: Replace with 69% packs After pre-conditioning is complete, replace the 75% pack with a standard 69% Boveda pack.

Step 5: Wait another 1 week After humidity stabilizes, wait another 1 week to let the odors inside the humidor balance out.

Step 6: Smell test before placing cigars Open the lid and smell it. It should be a clean cedar aroma, with no remaining sharp sensation.

Prevention

When buying a humidor, choose Spanish cedar that has already been aged. The Spanish cedar humidors from the LUBINSKI Italian accessories official website cigarclub.tw have already completed factory aging.

Off-odor 2: Mildew Smell

Symptoms: Opening the humidor gives a "damp basement" sensation, with a moldy smell, visible mildew spots, and blue-green spots on the surface of cigar wrappers.

⚠️ This is 10 times more serious than a new wood smell - it has already affected cigar health.

Why?

Humidity remaining above 75% for a long time + poor ventilation + high temperature -> mold spores multiply.

Plume vs mold identification is critical:

• Plume white bloom: can be wiped off and is an indicator of good cigar quality
• Mold: cannot be wiped off, has color (blue, green, black), and has a sharp odor - must be removed

Emergency treatment SOP

Step 1: Isolate contamination Take out all cigars with mold spots and place them in a sealed bag.

Step 2: Assess the extent of mold spots

• A thin layer on the surface -> salvageable
• Hyphae below the wrapper leaf -> discard
• The entire cigar has gone soft -> discard

Step 3: Empty the humidor Take out all cigars and physically separate them from the moldy cigars.

Step 4: Thoroughly clean the humidor Use a clean cotton cloth dampened with a small amount of distilled water (not tap water) to wipe all internal surfaces.

Absolutely do not use alcohol, cleaners, or perfume - they will permanently contaminate the wood.

Step 5: Open the lid and ventilate for 7 days Place it in a ventilated location with no sunlight for 7 days, allowing the inside of the humidor to dry completely.

Step 6: Re-condition with 65% humidity packs Place Boveda 65% (lower than the standard, to help inhibit microbes), close the lid, and leave for 2 weeks.

Step 7: Replace back to 69% and monitor Switch back to 69%. Monitor the humidor for 1 month with no further mold spots before putting cigars back in.

Prevention

• Strictly control humidity at 65-72%
• Thoroughly clean at least once a year
• Keep temperature at 18-22°C and avoid high temperatures
• Leave gaps between cigars, and do beetle prevention at the same time

Off-odor 3: External contamination

Symptoms: Opening the humidor reveals smells that "should not be there" - mint, perfume, laundry detergent, plastic, paint.

Common sources

• Stored in the same cabinet as food (coffee and chocolate odors seeping in)
• Someone sprays perfume nearby
• The room has just been painted
• Cigars are stored in plastic bags

Treatment

Step 1: Find the source of contamination First find "what contaminated it". If the source is not resolved, deodorizing is useless.

Step 2: Remove the contamination source Move the humidor to an uncontaminated area.

Step 3: Empty, ventilate, and re-condition Similar to the mildew smell SOP: empty it, ventilate for 1 week, and re-condition with 65% for 2 weeks.

Step 4: Monitor Observe for at least 1 month to confirm the off-odor will not "come back" (residual compounds may be released periodically).

Prevention

• Keep the humidor in an independent space, away from cosmetics, food, and cleaning products
• Do not put cigars in plastic bags (use a sealed glass jar + Boveda pack)
• Do not place any odor source next to the humidor

When should you replace the humidor?

3 situations:

1. Mold has penetrated deep into the wood: it cannot be wiped away and the mildew smell persists -> replace it
2. Joints are loose: poor seal and humidity cannot be controlled -> replace it
3. The cedar boards have been conditioned for more than 5 years and no longer have aroma: natural wear -> replace it

New humidor capacity calculation: A complete 5-dimension guide from $1,500 to $80,000.

Conclusion

A humidor is the cigar player's "second humidor" - the first is the body, and the second is the cabinet.

If the cabinet goes bad, the cigars go bad. If the cigars go bad, a 30-year collection is destroyed.

Spending 30 minutes each year cleaning the humidor is the minimum respect due to a NT$50,000 cigar collection.

This site is for adults aged 20 and above only. Smoking is harmful to health. Smoking cessation hotline: 0800-636363.

LUBINSKI Italian accessories general distributor: https://cigarclub.tw/

W Cigar Bar Gentlemen's Cigar Lounge, written and planned by Cigar Prince Wilson Tsai.