When the situation is serious, there are signs of fine cracks on the cigar surface. Analysis: It may be caused by water loss during long-distance transportation, insufficient humidity in the maintenance environment and long-term exposure to low temperature. Countermeasures 1: Increase the amount and frequency of adding moisture to the humidifier: If there is no humidifier, take out the whole box of cigars and stack them one by one in a sealable container (clean plastic boxes can be used). Cigars should be placed on both sides of the humidifier as far as possible, because moisture always diffuses from all sides to the middle, and the same is true with humidifiers. For cigars that are not seriously dry, you can use this method to recuperate slowly, and you can recover it in about one to two weeks. In the meantime, the position of cigars should be adjusted regularly. Countermeasure 2: If the cigar is seriously dry, please go to the "clinic" for special care! Just as many old cigar shops have professional "moisturizing rooms", you can also make a simple "moisturizing room" at home. Methods: Take a large plastic box, spread a layer of plastic film on the bottom of the box, put a cigar in the middle, put a cup of pure water in each corner of the box, put it in a microwave oven to make it slightly steaming, then seal the box mouth with plastic wrap and then cover the box tightly. Change water once a week. You can only put warm water for the first time, and then you can put normal temperature water directly for several times. When changing water, you must adjust the position of cigars. Don't forget to seal the box mouth with plastic wrap every time. This cycle takes about three weeks, depending on the feel. If you think cigars recover quickly, you can reduce the number of water cups appropriately. In addition, a large absorbent sponge can also achieve the effect, but a high-edge box cover should be placed under the sponge to prevent water seepage. Cigars coming out of the moisturizing room can be temporarily placed in an environment without a humidifier for two to three days to prevent the core leaves from breaking due to the alternation of wet and dry cigars. Countermeasure 3: Emergency treatment method for cigars to be enjoyed in the near future: Dry cigars can quickly recover moisture through rapid treatment, but only for cigars to be enjoyed in the near future. Please use this method carefully! Wipe the outside of the cigar box repeatedly with a sponge soaked with water until the water completely penetrates into the wood. Based on the water spots on the box surface, throw off the excess water, put the cigars in, and then seal the cigar box with a sealed bag. After three to five days, cigars can regain moisture. Cigars recovered by this method of "quenching thirst by drinking poison" are just reflections, so you must not stay for a long time. Sequela: No matter how to remedy any cigar after drying, its recovery state will decline to varying degrees, especially the aroma can not be compared with cigars that have been well maintained! Cigars that are too dry and wet are slowly formed, and you need to pay attention to your "physical condition" from time to time. Too dry is more harmful to cigars than too wet. Symptom 2: The cigar body is too wet: it feels wet, cool and soft to pinch, and some clues can be seen visually. Some smokers will have faint water stains and a little musty smell. In severe cases, cigars will have dense mildew spots. Analysis: It may be because the humidifier frequently adds water, and the humidity adjustment in rainy season is not in place, and the water in the humidifier accidentally overflows and wets the cigar. Countermeasure 1: It is relatively simple to handle cigars that are not very wet. Just take out the humidifier for three to five days, let the cigar match the cedar and the natural environment temperature, and dry some water. When putting the humidifier in again, add a small amount of water first. Key points; Never let cigars touch any strong light source! Don't try to absorb water with napkins or something, it won't help! If it is an emergency when a cigar is accidentally wet by water, according to the usual handling experience, I personally recommend a method: immediately roll a piece of chalk in a wet place repeatedly and slightly to absorb the moisture on the surface, then take a glass bottle horizontally, spread half a can of green tea in it, bury the cigar in the tea, then cover the jar tightly, move it into the freezer for one day, then leave it at room temperature for one day, and take out the cigar. Cigars treated in this way can generally be smoked, otherwise they have to be discarded. Countermeasure 2: Treatment of slightly mildewed cigars: Don't panic when you see mildewed cigars! When mildew spots are evenly distributed on the surface of cigars, it just shows that cigars are in good condition at present. If you look closely, you will find that the mildew spot is round and small, which is the same as the acne that teenagers sometimes have. Just take a very soft and clean flannel and gently wipe off the mildew (the flannel for glasses is fine). The strength of the hand should be appropriate to prevent the leaves from being scratched. Check and dispose of all cigars in turn, and try to keep the existing maintenance environment unchanged. Pay more attention in the days to come. If the same situation occurs again, it can be handled as above, but the humidity should be slightly reduced. Countermeasure 3: When dense mildew spots or flocculent mildew spots appear on the cigar surface: Unfortunately, there is no remedy, which basically declares that the life of this cigar is over! It also shows that his master didn't take good care of him, which is very sad! The only thing to note is that most cigars will have signs before they start to be seriously moldy, such as the musty smell of cigarette butts and light green stains on the surface of cigars after being wet for a long time. Special attention should be paid to the top of cigar hood, from which mold flocs are usually drilled. Sequela: Under normal circumstances, although excessively wet cigars can recover better after treatment, they should be monitored from time to time to prevent mildew and moth. The third symptom is to treat cigars eaten by insects; Pinhole-sized holes appear on the surface of cigars, and insects fall out of cigarette butts. This cigar was badly damaged by pests and had to be discarded. The main problem is to keep those cigars stored together. Analysis: Insect pests may come from high temperature, long-term high humidity of smoke, improper placement and factory infection. The ultimate countermeasure: In addition to controlling humidity, we should regularly check cigars and put the cigar ends on white paper several times. If something black and sandy falls out, it is an egg, which should be treated before hatching and eaten through the leaves. Cigars with good dryness and wetness can also be infected by external influences, so try not to store cigars in bookcases; Attention should also be paid to the vicinity of particularly green areas, and cigars should not be exposed to outdoor or air for a long time, especially in spring. I found a very strange phenomenon when I was working in a cigar company. The probability of a certain brand of Havana cigars being infected with pests is always high! For example, some large-size cigars such as "Montcristo" have this situation. So if you buy a whole box of cigars, you should take precautions in the first two months to avoid unnecessary losses. Don't let cigars come into contact with the smell of any pesticides, and there is no need to put so-called insect-proof pills in cigar boxes. As long as a cigar is eaten by a bug, all cigars put with him should be treated and prevented together, and it is best for newly bought cigars. "Non-surgical operation": When cigars are found to be eaten by insects, they should be treated as soon as possible: take out those irretrievable cigars, squat the remaining cigars on white paper one by one, and take out the eggs inside. Next, wrap the cigar as tightly as possible with two layers of plastic wrap to ensure that it will not seep in. The wrapped cigars can be moved into the "operating room" (refrigerator). First put the cigar in the freezer for two or three days, and completely freeze the eggs that may remain inside. Next, put the cigars in the refrigerator for two or three days, in order to slowly raise the temperature of the cigars and prevent the tobacco leaves from bursting because of the excessive temperature rise. Finally, remove the plastic wrap and let the temperature of the cigar body be buffered at room temperature for another three days before it can be put back into the moisturizing box. In the meantime, you can wipe the inside and outside of the moisturizing box with a cloth dipped in a little water. Cigars treated in this way are best not to be enjoyed for a short time. Give them a few weeks to recover! Summary: Although the above methods can help you save some injured cigars, the usual preventive work is more important. Cheap hand-rolled cigars are very fragile, and the quality of any baked cigar will decline. Like the second fermentation of wine in a bottle, cigars are slightly fermented in tobacco leaves during the usual storage process, and well-maintained cigars; The color of the cigarette body will gradually become darker (even if it is slightly fat, as long as it is within the normal range), and the taste will become more mature. All this depends on the control of ideal temperature and humidity and the correct treatment after mildew. Treat cigars as living things! humidor