humidor help

gripitandripit

I am new to cigar smoking.  My question is with my new humidor, it has a round humidor that has a sticky surface.  I am assuming that I put it in the center of the lid.  Do I wipe down the pine surface with distilled water first and then place the humidifer on it or do I wipe it down after I place the humidifer on the surface?  I was also told to pour a small amount of water (shot glass) in the humidor.  Is this accurate?  Thanks for you're help.

interpim

The round piece I am going to assume is your humidifier. You can pretty much put that anywhere inside the humidor you want, but I would put it in a place that will make it easier to recharge. As far as wiping down the inside with distilled water you will get mixed answers on. Some say it will warp the wood because it is enabling it to absorb to fast, others say a light dampening won't hurt it. I personally would stay away from wetting the inside. Putting a shot glass with distilled water in the humidor can help the seasoning process. Leave it in there for 4-5 days, checking your humidity along the way. The wood inside will naturally draw in the evaporated water, and eventually you should be good. I would recommend you get a digital hygrometer, and humidity beads... they both are more accurate, and less hassle in the long run.

wwhwang

Welcome to the Cigar.com forums! Wish we had a sticky on these forums for these types of questions, but I'll be happy to answer any questions you have!

First thing I would suggest is the Dollar Bill Test. Put a dollar bill on all sides of the humidor and close the lid. If any bills slide out easily, the seal on your humidor isn't good. If you have trouble taking it out with the lid closed, then your seal's good.

Next thing is, calibrating your hygrometer (the round thing that tells you the humidity inside). I'd suggest you get a digital one that can be adjusted. Do the salt test. This is putting a bottle-cap with a teaspoon of table salt, put a few drops of distilled water on the salt, then put it in a ziplock bag with your hygrometer inside. Let it sit for 12 to 18 hours (some would say 24 hours). It should read 75% humidity. Adjust your hygrometer to 75% after the test is done, and it's ready! If it's not adjustable, I suggest you label it by how much it's off (ex. If it reads 72, label +3. If it reads 81, label -6).

Now, you're ready to season the humidor. NEVER pour water into your humidor. Some "cigar experts" will tell you to do this. This will only warp the interior and risk the wood swelling inside, which could break the seal on the outside. Instead, charge your humidifier (with DISTILLED water only) and put it in (I prefer on the bottom of the lid) with your hygrometer. Also, put in a shot glass or bowl of DISTILLED water and mark the water level. Close the lid and let it sit for about 3 days. Check your humidity and the water level. Your humidor will skyrocket in humidity during this point. If your humidity is low, check your seal again.

The water in the bowl should have evaporated and have been soaked into the wood. Refill up to the mark and close it and check again every day and mark your water level. Once the water has stopped evaporating, you're ready! Let it stabilize to around 70%, then put your cigars in. Make sure the humidity stays within the 65% to 75% range.