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Winter weather killing my humi.

musiciannameddavemusiciannameddave Posts: 26
in Cigar 101
So with the relative humidity hovering at a nearly-constant 30% the past couple months it's started to take a toll on my humidor. I've got a 100-count humi, with one of the humicare jars that humidifies 125 or so cigars. During the summer/fall (only been smoking cigars since last summer, so this is my first winter with a humi) it kept things around 68% which is just about perfect for me, but lately it doesn't matter how often I recharge my humicare beads, the RH just keeps dropping. It had been hovering around 60% for the past week or so, and now it's down to 58. My cigars are getting pretty dried out. I went to smoke a couple with my roommates last night and all of our cigars were on the verge of being too dry to really enjoy.

I know that spring will be here soon, but is there any way to keep my humidity up to where I like it (65-70) besides buying another humicare jar?

Comments

  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263 ✭
    I ran into the same problem when we turned the heat on in our place for the winter. I had gotten into a groove with my humi, so before I noticed, it had dropped into the mid-50's. I also had to re-calibrate my hygrometer, because the weather change also knocked it out by a few %. I struggled with trying to keep up the rH until I gave up re-seasoned the humidor. It still had trouble, so I stuck in some 70% beads in addition to the 65% beads. I've been carrying 6 times (!) the recommended quantity of beads all winter, and it's finally stabilized in the low-to-mid 60's (61-65%), with a bead re-charge about every 2-3 weeks.

    That was probably the biggest motivation behind my wanting to get a new humidor. Interestingly, my tupperdors never waivered from their 67% all winter long.
  • PuroFreakPuroFreak Posts: 4,131 ✭✭
    Personally what has helped me is that I keep my Humi in my bedroom and keep a cool air humidifier running in the room pretty much 24/7. The RH in my room stays probably around 50%-60%... I've never tested with my Hygrometer to see exactly what it does stay at in the room, but there is a noticable change when you walk into the room.
  • bbc020bbc020 Posts: 1,422 ✭
    sounds like some troubled seals on humis. Of the four I have, the smallest has a struggling seal and somewhat thin walls and it has struggled all winter until I added an extra foam humidifier in it. I has gells and foam and beads and it sits in the higher 60s right now. I'd check the seal and the walls of the humidor. I can't remember what they suggest on thickness, but my other three humis have thick walls and great seals.
  • FourtotheflushFourtotheflush Posts: 2,555 ✭
    Any way to repair a bad seal on a humi? Can it be that when its dry the seal is bad and humid it works. Just like the doors in your house?
  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    I also had the same problem with my 100 ct humi. I could not get the RH back up to 65-70, it was staying down around 60. I finally had to reseason it. That pretty much fixed it.

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    Fourtotheflush:
    Any way to repair a bad seal on a humi? Can it be that when its dry the seal is bad and humid it works. Just like the doors in your house?
    Very possible.
  • musiciannameddavemusiciannameddave Posts: 26
    Fourtotheflush:
    Any way to repair a bad seal on a humi? Can it be that when its dry the seal is bad and humid it works. Just like the doors in your house?
    That might be the problem. When I first bought the humidor/seasoned it and everything I tested the seal. It passed the dollar test and everything so I put the thought out of my mind. The seal may have gotten worse as the humidity has dropped.

    As for the thickness of the walls, I just checked and they're just a little over 3/8's of an inch. Not sure if that's thick or thin when it comes to humis.
  • musiciannameddavemusiciannameddave Posts: 26
    Actually just thought about it...would re-seasoning my humi help?

    Of course, that would mean that I'd have to make a temporary coolidor to store all my cigars while the humi was being seasoned.

    Then again, that might not be a bad thing, since I could turn it into a permanent secondary humi and pretty much double my storage capacity.
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263 ✭
    The seal on my old humidor was never great, but was always good enough. I think the biggest problem is that the lining is not very thick. It just seems to have a hard time when the ambient humidity is so low. Next winter, I'll probably try the room humidifier trick. It'll also make us more comfortable, since the ideal winter spot for the humidor is on our dresser.
  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Posts: 3,296 ✭
    dutyje:
    The seal on my old humidor was never great, but was always good enough. I think the biggest problem is that the lining is not very thick. It just seems to have a hard time when the ambient humidity is so low. Next winter, I'll probably try the room humidifier trick. It'll also make us more comfortable, since the ideal winter spot for the humidor is on our dresser.
    I have a room humidifier. Doesn't work to well. I that is because the one I have is not that effecient. Sometimes you can walk into the room and the air is thick and sometimes you can't tell is it on. I think most of my humis need to be re-seasoned. Maybe when it gets warmer out and I have killed some of my inventory I'll do it.
  • d_nowelld_nowell Posts: 57
    I was having the same problem. I asked and asked and nobody had a good solution so I just set a shot glass of distilled water in the back of the humi and its been around 67% ever since... just a suggestion
  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517 ✭
    I had to bump the RH up in mine, too, a couple weeks ago. No seal problem; things just seemed a bit on the dry side.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    i just recharge more often in the winter. it really isnt a big deal to me.

    something else to think about:
    keep the humidor away from vents. the moving air will mess with it.
    Dont open the lid just for a look. keep it closed as much as you can. Even when picking a stick i try to shut it again quickly. many times ill know what i want before i even open it. keep it quick.

    this usually effects the smaller humis more.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • mustluvcigarsmustluvcigars Posts: 686
    I have found that the room temp affects the humdity as well,, started to get warm here, I put the humi back in a cool corner, got cold here gain all of a sudden, then went to check humi- 55 f 59 rh, moved the humi turned heat back on rh snapped right back without doing anyhting else
    im using a humi jar and have the 2 wps in there for support for 100ct.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    the cold air outside cant hold the humidity. after you heat the air and blow it through your house you have warmer but dryer air.

    anyone use a home humidifier? I was thinking of hooting that up in my house but our water is so freakin hard that it may not be worth it to blow through one in less than 3 months.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • dafeeshdafeesh Posts: 9
    If I put a small container of distilled water in the humi will that help at all? At least to boost the humidity in the meantime. At the moment my humidor is at about 58%. Not terrible but I'm in FL.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    it would help a bit. you still arent in "panic range" i really start to worry about my RH at about 55%
    ill try and boost it and keep it at 65% but i wont do anything drastic unless it gets to 55%. Usually you can correct the issue and have little to know notable difference in taste before it gets that low.

    i also recommend using heartfelt humidity beads or some other two way humidity system... especially if you have less than a 300ct humidor.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • GoldyGoldy Posts: 1,638 ✭✭
    I have had trouble with keeping my humidity around 65%, MN winters are pretty dang dry. 
    What is the dollar test?  I'm guessing its something like opening the door, putting a dollar in, closing the door and see if you can pull it out.  Am I close?

  • laker1963laker1963 Posts: 5,046
    Give the man a cookie. If the dollar bill pulls out easily you have a poor seal. If it holds firm you got a good one.
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263 ✭
    Why not give the man a dollar? Seems a bit more useful than a cookie in this case.
  • laker1963laker1963 Posts: 5,046
    dutyje:
    Why not give the man a dollar? Seems a bit more useful than a cookie in this case.

    Oh contrare' my good man. Have you seen a "Loonie"?
    We're friggin Canucks remember, we don't use "dollar bills" ! The cookie was for his cool and logical thinking under stressful conditions (the ultimate surival of his cigars, no less!) and I thought he might have worked up a bit of an appetite. I know I enjoy a cookie in such situations. What you don't like cookies?
    Oh yeah... umm, about your car... Did you still want it back ?
    Cause it's outta gas and there's a problem with the steering.
    On the "up-side" I have it safely parked about 40 feet off the side of the highway, in a nice grass lot, so it will be easy to find :)
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263 ✭
    Loonies and Toonies won't go very far in the humi seal test.

    Dude, where's my car? I just changed the battery in that thing!
  • laker1963laker1963 Posts: 5,046
    Exactly. And I sure as hell wasn't sending him a $20.
    Cause with the exchange rate what it is again right now, that's like... let me see...tica tica tica tica tica... holy ***... that's like a $8.52!!!! US (LMAO) and obviously $8.52 won't be very useful for a seal test either ;)
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263 ✭
    But it'll buy a lot more cookies
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