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Help W/Humidor
Hello all, I am getting more into cigars and got a gift set from ThompsonCigar as a gift. Came with sticks and a humidor. I cannot get the humidor to maintain a constant setting. I have tried wiping it down, shot glass, etc. It came with an analog hygrometer and the floral styrofoam. I am new to the gel beads and everything too. Do you just put a couple beads into the round screen thing by swapping out the styrofoam? I have had the humidor seasoning for a couple of days now, close to a week. please help. Thanks.
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The gel and jar that Cigar.com sells are both the same chemical, they're just in differrent quantities. The jar is sufficient for 75 cigars and the one listed as gel will humidify 125 cigars. Just get the one that fits your humidor capacity the best.
I use the same gel (though I purchased mine before I found CCOM so it's from a different manufacturer) that comes in small tubes. Seems to work fairly well for me maintaining humidity in the range I want (66-70) with never more than a 1 degree fluctuation throughout the day so far. I have had to use more gel to get the job done than was recommended though. When in dobut, go with more humidification rather than less (for gel or beads which both can regulate humidity down somewhat).
I have one of these, I would say it takes fairly longer to season. Most likely becaus it sitting in Tomsucks dry a$$ warehouse for too long. Just stick with it and it will keep after a while. Also if this is any less then 60% full it will have trouble maintaining.
You can get gel filled pucks and bricks that replace the stock ones that usually come with a humidor, check out this link
http://www.humidorvault.com/Humidity-Kit-50-p/acc-humkit50.htm
The link above is a kit that will give you a digital hygro, a relacement humidifier that is gel filled a Boveda seasoning pack and a boveda hygro calibrating pack, everything you need to setup a humi!
Anyhoo..... do some thinking and figure out how serious you are about this hobby. Then decide what size humi you want. I suggest 150 ct or higher. Go with a reputable brand, Ccom and CI have lots of decent options and decent prices. Why beat around the bush, right? Then go to heartfeltindustries.com and order some Boveda seasoning packs, 3-5 depending on size of humi. The sight will help you figure that one out. Then order some beads. I'd go with the tubes of beads. Again the site will help you figure how much you will need for the size of the humidor. I'd go with, at least, the 65% rh beads. Follow all the directions given to you and you should be okay. Then all your gonna need is couple gallons of distilled water. And boom! Good ta go!
It's gonna take some work and some tweeking here and there. Cigar care and humidification is not an exact science. Time and experience are huge factors.
2) Buy RH beads. I got 65% RH ones from heartfelt that come in a nice puck that you can stick where your humi's humidifying device was gonna go and it'll help keep the humi at a relative consitency
3) you gotta fix that seal. The seal's gotta be airtight. Kuzi gave you a great suggestion with the THIN rubber weatherstipping and I think it's absoultely worth doing if you like the way the box looks. If you got an air leak you wont be able to keep the humidity in the box no matter what yo do.
Now, you use the shotglass with distilled to absorb all that moisture into the cedar and it's gotta sit for awhile, like A FEW DAYS. If you buy the beads online I would leave a shotglass in there until the beads come. Many people suggest you check it once every 12 hours and mark how much water is being evaporated into the wood - once the water stops evaporating you know the cedar is retaining the needed moisture. I would just leave it for a few days though. Thats what I did. Dont even open it to look at it just leave it be for at LEAST 48 hours. I had a hard time with waiting myself cuz I was nervous about my sticks. Just take a small piece of that foam, lightly dampen it with the distilled water, and put it in some tupperware with your sticks or a freezer bag if you are that worried. As long as you dont fry the sticks in a warm area or freeze them they'll be ok in a tupperware thing for a week even without humidity until your humi is at a RH% you are happy with. If the sticks get a little dry, they'll bounce back after a week once your humi is set up.
I'm tellin you though, the patience paid off. My little 20 ct is working very nicely for my needs and I love it. The RH% tends to be a bit higher than 65% but it's summertime and I'm fine with that.