My cabinet is in my basement where it is 60 degrees F plus/minus 3 degrees. Is 75% too high of an rh at this temp? I have heard both bad and good since cold air holds less water vapor I should be find though, right?
I'd try to get it down a bit myself...with the low temp you might not be risking beetles, but you may find the cigars don't perform so well at that rh%.
I see your point. My two cents... 70 or below has worked for years for everyone I've ever talked to, so if it were my sticks, I'd stay at 65. The guys I know running wineadors run 65/65
Food for thought...someone who is very respected in the Cuban cigar world keeps his cigars at a steady 62-63°/65%. He says this is ideal for aging, and given that he has boxes upwards of 50 years old...I'd tend to believe him.
You know...I'm smoking a cabaiguan tonight and I had just refilled my bead tubes yesterday and the rh spiked a bit. I honestly prefer them at 62 and could care less if they hit 59-60 at times. They always tend to smoke wet and have draw problems in the final third, which this one is.., when they get over 65 and that humi hit 70 last night so I let it air a bit before bed and it went back to 65ish. Now that is my preference, but honestly after doing experiments with boveda packs in controleld environments at every rh with different smokes, I had more issues at 69 and above then 65 and below. My grab humi is as dry as can be and I don't even have a hygrometer in it anymore...I just know when it is too dry.
While your chart is correct, the RH is still too high. 75% is 75% of the water vapor that the air temp can hold. Yes, cooler air will hold less volume but it is still 75% of the total so your cigars are too moist. Even dropping it to 72 would be better then 75 IMO. At that temp, beetles will not be an issue but even at 60 mold still could be.
If the rh is 75% in the box, and you smoke it in a desert, you'll be fine. However, if its' the least bit humid outside it will get too moist and probably have trouble burning.
I'd try to get it down a bit myself...with the low temp you might not be risking beetles, but you may find the cigars don't perform so well at that rh%.
+1 to this. I actually prefer my rh kinda high in the 69-72% range, becuase burn issues don't bother me as much as others and I like the way the moister smoke tastes, but even I'd try and reduce it a little.
But joe is spot on with the fact that there's nothing to freak out over here, with the temps in the low 60s. As wth everything in this hobby make your own normal but try not to overreact to anything while you figure out where your own personal preferencs lie.
I'd try to get it down a bit myself...with the low temp you might not be risking beetles, but you may find the cigars don't perform so well at that rh%.
+1 to this. I actually prefer my rh kinda high in the 69-72% range, becuase burn issues don't bother me as much as others and I like the way the moister smoke tastes, but even I'd try and reduce it a little.
But joe is spot on with the fact that there's nothing to freak out over here, with the temps in the low 60s. As wth everything in this hobby make your own normal but try not to overreact to anything while you figure out where your own personal preferencs lie.
+2 here, with an asterisk. LOL Petey isnt bothered much by burn issues, but they drive me absolutely batshit. 75% RH is the ABSOLUTE MAX I would let my humi's get to, but thats only because of the difference I see in my cigars between the 65% I like them to be at (very few burn issues) vs the 70% I start taking action at (puff / touch up/ puff puff / touch up / puff / touch up).
My suggestion for getting it back down (if thats your desire) is to throw some dry beads in the humi, should bring it right down and keep it steady at the lower RH.
It's a cause for alarm if i'm getting anywhere near 70% or above, have found pretty much all my sticks smoke best between 62%-65%. Not sure about the temp differential though. Mine are at 70 deg. F so it may be different for me. May also want to beware of mold which could form in stagnant areas or under cedar wrapped cigars if rh is consistently kept higher than 70%. Best of luck!
Comments
But joe is spot on with the fact that there's nothing to freak out over here, with the temps in the low 60s. As wth everything in this hobby make your own normal but try not to overreact to anything while you figure out where your own personal preferencs lie.
My suggestion for getting it back down (if thats your desire) is to throw some dry beads in the humi, should bring it right down and keep it steady at the lower RH.
Hope this helped. :-)