Wanna do things right, the more I read the more nervous I get

Lasabar

I have a 150 count Humi coming in the mail tomorrow, I have 5 Boveda Seasoning kits to put in it, I have TWO circular holders of Heartfelt beads to cover 2100 cubic inches, I have a jar of Humi-Care Gel coming, I have a digital hygrometer with calibration kit. The question is what is your best choice? With my new cigar humidor the Boveda packs get it to 84%... I heard A) that can create a scenario for mold and if it humidifies too quick the Cedar can split Am I just being nervous, or what is the best way to set this up... Keep in mind that my goal is to rest/age cigars for ALONG time in this humi to one day have a collection of awesome smokes. Any suggestions duly appreciated! Nate

j0z3r

If you have the time Nate, take it slow. Put a small dish with distilled water in the bottom of your humidor and charge up one of your heartfelt humidifiers and put that in as well. Then just let it sit for two days or so to get it ready for your cigars. You certainly don't want your humidity to be 84%, I'd say you'd want to go no higher than 72% at any point in time. When the Rh holds pretty stable, you can remove the dish of distilled water as your humidor is probably seasoned by now

After the seasoning step, you really just have to figure out what is going to work through trial and error. I'd say try with the beads and see how it holds your humidity. If it is too low try adding the humicare jar and that may bump your RH up a few points. That is the combo I find works best for me is beads plus a humicare jar for the extra boost to keep me around 68%.

And don't be nervous, as long as you maintain your humidor properly and make sure the RH stays in check you'll have nothing to worry about. There is no room for worrying in this hobby, it is all about relaxing and letting your worries get carried away on a cloud of blue-grey smoke.

Enjoy!

Joe

kuzi16

j0z3r:

If you have the time Nate, take it slow. Put a small dish with distilled water in the bottom of your humidor and charge up one of your heartfelt humidifiers and put that in as well. Then just let it sit for two days or so to get it ready for your cigars. You certainly don't want your humidity to be 84%, I'd say you'd want to go no higher than 72% at any point in time. When the Rh holds pretty stable, you can remove the dish of distilled water as your humidor is probably seasoned by now

After the seasoning step, you really just have to figure out what is going to work through trial and error. I'd say try with the beads and see how it holds your humidity. If it is too low try adding the humicare jar and that may bump your RH up a few points. That is the combo I find works best for me is beads plus a humicare jar for the extra boost to keep me around 68%.

And don't be nervous, as long as you maintain your humidor properly and make sure the RH stays in check you'll have nothing to worry about. There is no room for worrying in this hobby, it is all about relaxing and letting your worries get carried away on a cloud of blue-grey smoke.

Enjoy!

Joe

all of that. it gets easy over time. you fall into habbits. you check your humidity every now and then you refill your humidification device when it needs it. you put the cigars in order. its all about your cigar routine. once the routine is set, its all second nature.

pilot711

The Boveda seasoning packs work great. I have used them with no mold or other problems. It raises the rh higher than you would use for actually aging cigars because the new dry humi needs to soak that up and be saturated before you introduce your regular humidification device. Just follow the directions and this is probably your safest bet for seasoning. I have done the bowl of water, the inside wipe down, and the Boveda and they all work if you do it right. Since you have already spent the $ on the Boveda I would use them.

madurofan

I completely agree with pilot. I used the Boveda seasoning packs as well. You aren't leaving them in there for weeks and you don't have any sticks in there when you are seasoning so mold shouldn't be an issue. The key is make sure your humidor is back down to 72% or less before you put your sticks in. If you set a bowl of water in ur humi and checked the hygrometer, likely it would be over 72% as well. Mold happens not because humidity is too high but because whatever the mold grows on is saturated and this is caused by high humidity. The boveda packs aren't in there long enough to saturate the cedar enough for it too grow mold, in theory. Finally I am just as paranoid as you are about doing everything right. Best advice I can give is make sure you keep your hygro calibrated and I LOVE the Xikar adjustable digital hyro.

kuzi16

once you see how easy it is you will ove all nervousness.

that and youll have cigars that can help you relax

Lasabar

Allright! Thanks for the advice and I currently have 4 packs in two levels in my new Humi...I also charged my beads (2 large circular containers on the lid) and it is sitting pretty right now. Next question though, to those that HAVE used the Boveda seasoning pack it says to let it sit for 10 days? Any truth to this, because I thought that if you used the bowl method of water that it took maybe 3 days?

kuzi16

i guess it depends on the amount of wood used. Iduno, i would go longet than 3 days but ten seems a bit much.

madurofan

I left mine in for all 10 days and never opened the humi, its probably overkill but I just wanted to be sure.