Need Suggestions or Insight

StogiesOnTheGreen

Hey guys, I could really use a little help in trying to regulate my RH. I've got a 100 ct humidor that seemed to be holding at a steady 62-63% for the past 2 months or so. I've been using the analog hygrometer it came with and have been worried about its accuracy. For these 2 months I've had the humidor packed with the foam humidifier it came with, every pillow I've received with orders (~6) and an uncovered shot glass filled with a mixture of distilled water and PG. Now to the point. I went and got a Xikar digital hygrometer yesterday and calibrated it according to the salt test directions. After sitting in the bag with salt water for over 4 hours the reading was 66%, so I recalibrated it to 75%. After putting it in the humidor, it read 90% after about 2 hours! I immediately removed all the humidification and went to bed. This morning (about 8 hours without humidification of any kind) it still read 90%. I understand that the cedar and cigars (49 in the humidor) will regulate the RH for a while, but I would have thought it should have dropped a little over night. Do you guys think there is something wrong with the new hygrometer? Should I try calibrating it again? Should I buy some 65% beads (where I'd like my RH to be) and not even wet them to see if they absorb the excess moisture? I'm really hoping that the hygrometer is off for some reason, but I was very careful to calibrate it correctly. Sorry for such a long post, but I checked past posts and needed to ask my question specifically. Thanks for any help.

kuzi16

buy the humidity beads or Xikar humidity jell jars and that should help quite a bit.


and get yourself a digital hygrometer. the analog ones are no bueno. salt test the digital one and in theory all should be right with the world.
if not post back and we can try and figure it out.

bigharpoon

I think you have both high humidity in your humi AND an inaccurate hygrometer. All that humidification in there for so long without anything that absorbs humidity (like beads) just keeps giving off humidity so I think it's high in there. But not 90% high because running a salt test for only 4 hours isn't long enough. 24 hours minimum for a salt test and 36 is much better at giving true results. Once you calibrate the hygro it's another 24-36 hours again to make sure you calibrated it correctly. Your hygro could have been accurate and you set it 9 points too high. I'd do the salt test again and let some of that moisture out of the humi in the meantime.

StogiesOnTheGreen

Thanks for the ideas. I'm definitely going to recalibrate the hygrometer this weekend and I'll leave it in there for 36 hours this time. One question that I didn't emphasize enough: If my humidity is way too high would it help if I put in some beads without hydrating them first? I worry that if I hydrate the beads first like normal they may not be able to absorb the extra moisture that is in the humi.

kuzi16

i would hydrate about 40% of them.

calibrating a hygrometer that is no good will not help anything. the analog hygrometers are crap. i dont trust them in any way.

The3Stogies

Probably want to calibrate first to see what the rh really is, it may be lower. Done the salt test and the Bodiva Calibrate, prefer the Bodiva, less fuss. May want to think about getting another hygrometer. Have an extra one I rotate through the humi's just for verification. I have added extra heartfelt beads without charging them before, they do seem to absorb moisture but not sure how quickly. You could always open the lid briefly to air it out a little too, but probably better off to just let it set without the humidifiers.

Hays

kuzi16:

calibrating a hygrometer that is no good will not help anything. the analog hygrometers are crap. i dont trust them in any way.

Yo...he bought a Xikar digital hygro..he mentioned that in the OP.

StogiesOnTheGreen

Thanks Hays, I had to double check to make sure I actually put that in there. The digital is recalibrating now and it already looks like it was off from the first calibration. I haven't had any humidification in the humi since 2 nights ago, so hopefully it will be down once the hygro is put back in. I'm looking at ordering some beads today. I'll give an update once I get everything set.

KCW

bigharpoon:

I think you have both high humidity in your humi AND an inaccurate hygrometer. All that humidification in there for so long without anything that absorbs humidity (like beads) just keeps giving off humidity so I think it's high in there. But not 90% high because running a salt test for only 4 hours isn't long enough. 24 hours minimum for a salt test and 36 is much better at giving true results. Once you calibrate the hygro it's another 24-36 hours again to make sure you calibrated it correctly. Your hygro could have been accurate and you set it 9 points too high. I'd do the salt test again and let some of that moisture out of the humi in the meantime.

What he said.

jr_p951

In times like this, I suggest taking it back to the basics. Sounds like you humidor is def seasoned up. I'd pull all the cigars out and put them in a large tupperware dish. They def have enough humidity. I'd take out the humidification device and let the humidor just sit. Then I'd express order a digital hygrometer and 65% rh beads. Calibrate the digital hygrometer, hydrate about 60% of the beads and put those in the humidor. I'd leave them in there for a couple days to balance out or settle. Over all it would be like a week or week and half process. Re-add the cigars and monitor rh. Thats just my idea though.

Krieger

StogiesOnTheGreen:

Now to the point. I went and got a Xikar digital hygrometer yesterday and calibrated it according to the salt test directions. After sitting in the bag with salt water for over 4 hours the reading was 66%, so I recalibrated it to 75%.

he already has one, why order yet another? just leave the lid open for a few minutes, put some partially hydrated beads in there, close her up, leave it closed up for the day, then check your rh and adjust your humidification as needed.

StogiesOnTheGreen

Krieger:

StogiesOnTheGreen:

Now to the point. I went and got a Xikar digital hygrometer yesterday and calibrated it according to the salt test directions. After sitting in the bag with salt water for over 4 hours the reading was 66%, so I recalibrated it to 75%.

he already has one, why order yet another? just leave the lid open for a few minutes, put some partially hydrated beads in there, close her up, leave it closed up for the day, then check your rh and adjust your humidification as needed.

Thats def what I'm in the process of doing. I think my original post was so long winded guys are skimming it and missing the part about buying a digital hygro.

kuzi16

Hays:

kuzi16:

calibrating a hygrometer that is no good will not help anything. the analog hygrometers are crap. i dont trust them in any way.

Yo...he bought a Xikar digital hygro..he mentioned that in the OP.

my bad... im blind