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Should I start over w/ new humidor

richg315richg315 Posts: 5
in Cigar 101
Hello all,
Received a humidor for Xmas, seasoned per manufacturers specs, and put only a couple sticks in it for now. Just ordered a digital hygrometer and humi sticks to better calibrate the humidity. My question is due to the irregularity of analog hygrometers should I start over seasoning my humidor when I get my new hygrometer? I didn't realize how unreliable the stock hygros are until I started doing some research. FYI I haven't been able to keep my humidor even close to z70%. Any help/suggestions are appreciated!!!
Rich

Comments

  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    Welcome! First have you calibrated the stock hygrometer? Second I wouldn't throw it out unless it's under the lid. Third yeah you might want too reseason it.
    Money can't buy taste
  • richg315richg315 Posts: 5
    Hi lee and thanks for the response! I did not calibrate the analog hygrometer so as far as I know the humidity could be way off. That being said should I just open my humidor and let it dry out, then start over when I have my digital hygro?
  • J.S.J.S. Posts: 754 ✭
    You have calibrated the hygrometer, right? Even analogue's can be close, especially when new. You most likely will not need to reseason the humi if it was done right, it should be OK as long as you have RH even the PG solution works fine although you will want to toss that later too. Most likely it is off because you only have a couple of sticks in it. When low or full RH can drop. You might also try the dollar bill test to make sure the humi is sealing properly too.
  • J.S.J.S. Posts: 754 ✭
    richg315:
    Hi lee and thanks for the response! I did not calibrate the analog hygrometer so as far as I know the humidity could be way off. That being said should I just open my humidor and let it dry out, then start over when I have my digital hygro?
    I would not I would keep it and simply do a salt test and set the hygro as close as you can for now. Just google salt test and you should be ready to go.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    how big is your humidor? and... how many cigars are in it?

    a 150ct humidor will only hold about 100. so dont be shocked when this happens.
    if your humidor is less than 70% full then it will have a harder time maintaining humidity no matter how good the box or hygrometer is. wood, air and cigars are all hygroscopic (they hold moisture). however they are all hygroscopic with different rates of moisture loss. the hygrometer reads the humidity in the air. when you open the humidor the air will almost instantly go to the RH of the room.
    wood helps the recovery.
    cigars help the recovery. Humidification devices work harder with less wood and fewer cigars.

    if you have few cigars and you check the RH often, the recovery will be more difficult so even though your humidor is working correctly the humidity will be low.


    scientific reasoning that you need more cigars.



    youre welcome.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    Put your cigars in a ziplock bag with a humidifier in there. Take a dish of distilled water and place it in your humidor for three days. Them put the humidifier back in...if it's the one that came with the humidor I'd throw it out and buy boveda or beads!! Pucks are known for growing mold. But let the humidor stable out for a day then add the sticks and you'll be ok
    Money can't buy taste
  • New_BootsNew_Boots Posts: 2,651 ✭✭
    kuzi16:
    scientific reasoning that you need more cigars.



    youre welcome.

    Love it!
  • richg315richg315 Posts: 5
    Thanks everybody for the responses. A little bit more info: 100ct humidor with analog hygrometer installed on top(can't remove). I seasoned the humidor by wiping down w distilled water and also leaving a cup of distiller water in it a couple different times due to low humidity reading. Should I just wait until I get the digital hygro, see what it reads and go from there? Just want to do this right before I start adding some more pricey sticks. FYI it has been reading 60-65 for the last couple weeks.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    richg315:
    FYI it has been reading 60-65 for the last couple weeks.
    that is nothing to freak out over.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    kuzi16:
    richg315:
    FYI it has been reading 60-65 for the last couple weeks.
    that is nothing to freak out over.
    kuzi keep in mind it has not been calibrated!!
    Money can't buy taste
  • New_BootsNew_Boots Posts: 2,651 ✭✭
    Lee.mcglynn:
    kuzi16:
    richg315:
    FYI it has been reading 60-65 for the last couple weeks.
    that is nothing to freak out over.
    kuzi keep in mind it has not been calibrated!!
    True...but it may not be right, but it is generally stable. He may be at 50-55...or 70-75...but he's stable. A little rH movement at this time of year is normal....he may be in good shape.
  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    New Boots:
    Lee.mcglynn:
    kuzi16:
    richg315:
    FYI it has been reading 60-65 for the last couple weeks.
    that is nothing to freak out over.
    kuzi keep in mind it has not been calibrated!!
    True...but it may not be right, but it is generally stable. He may be at 50-55...or 70-75...but he's stable. A little rH movement at this time of year is normal....he may be in good shape.
    really I would freak out if I was up @70-75 and below 60...calibrate!!!!!
    Money can't buy taste
  • New_BootsNew_Boots Posts: 2,651 ✭✭
    Lee.mcglynn:
    New Boots:
    Lee.mcglynn:
    kuzi16:
    richg315:
    FYI it has been reading 60-65 for the last couple weeks.
    that is nothing to freak out over.
    kuzi keep in mind it has not been calibrated!!
    True...but it may not be right, but it is generally stable. He may be at 50-55...or 70-75...but he's stable. A little rH movement at this time of year is normal....he may be in good shape.
    really I would freak out if I was up @70-75 and below 60...calibrate!!!!!
    Oh, I would too...but if he just needs to raise/lower his rH, that's good. If he needs to re-season completely that's, well...not bad...but not as good.
  • richg315richg315 Posts: 5
    I guess my game plan is wait for the new digi hygro, calibrate, then test my humidors ph and go from there. Any other suggestions? And once again thanks for the responses!
    Rich
  • New_BootsNew_Boots Posts: 2,651 ✭✭
    richg315:
    I guess my game plan is wait for the new digi hygro, calibrate, then test my humidors ph and go from there. Any other suggestions? And once again thanks for the responses! Rich
    Is the analog hygro inside, or "part" of the humi?
  • richg315richg315 Posts: 5
    Unfortunately part of the humi.....looks nice but unfortunately not as accurate as digital.
  • New_BootsNew_Boots Posts: 2,651 ✭✭
    richg315:
    Unfortunately part of the humi.....looks nice but unfortunately not as accurate as digital.
    It pops out though, right? I have one just like it on my 50ct. Get the digital in there, after the digital has been in there a few hours, you can pop the analog out, and set it to what the digital was before you took the analog off. BOOM! Analog calibrated!
  • RhamlinRhamlin Posts: 9,052 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Im assuming you did a salt test on the hygrometer if not you'll want to do it. Even the digital you'll want to do a salt test because they are not always spot on but they are very consistent once you got it calibrated. But it's nothing to fret about you can keep your smokes in a ziplock bag till the humi is ready. I think we all make it more complicated then it is when we first start out. Plus winter time can take longer to get a humi properly seasoned.
  • webmostwebmost Posts: 7,713 ✭✭✭✭✭
    kuzi16:
    scientific reasoning that you need more cigars.



    .
    I like the way you think.

    “It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
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