humidity question
It seems that everytime my humi doesn't have as many sticks in it (between orders) the humidity jumps up to like 80%. Is this normal? Should I switch out the humi device that came with it for some heartfelt beads or gel? What can I do at the moment to remedy the problem?
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cigars themselves are hygroscopic. so in a way they act as a humidification device and a stabilizer. a humidor will hold its best humidity at about 75% full.
however, switching over to a two way humidity system will help. there are a few things out there that will soak up humidity above 70% and give it off below 70%. give those a look. that should fix the issue.
of course you shouldnt let your humidor get that low, but thats a bit more of a personal decision.
How big is your humidor?
Some of the smaller humidors can be harder to maintain. And like Kuzi said, keeping your humi stocked with cigars helps maintain the humidity. The cigars all by themselves keep things stable. I happen to have a small cooler into which that I transferred some already humidified cigars and I haven't used any humidification device in there yet and that's been a month and a half ago. The cooler is full and the cigars are holding their humidity all by themselves.
Are you using a digital hygrometer?
If yes, have you salt-tested/calibrated it? Accurate readings are important.
"The humi device that came with it". Would that be the green foam inside the round puck? Toss it.
What can you do at the moment?
Put your cigars in a ziploc bag then Take out your humi device (whatever it is) and leave the lid open for a while. Then close it up and see what reading you get overnight. If it's still high, put some rice in a sock or stocking and leave that inside there to absorb some of the unwanted humidity.
Yes heartfelt beads would be a better option. I never had them myself. I skipped the expense and went straight to Kitty Litter. (100% Silica - scent free kitty litter) It's the same substance but cheaper. (1lb heartfelt beads for $34 vs 8lbs kitty litter for less than $20) I even use kitty litter and gel jars at the same time. Not all the time but if I need to raise the humidity I'll set the gel jar in my humi right beside the kitty litter and remove the gel jar after the humidity rises and I get the desired results.