Not your normal humidity issue...

taftbs

I've had a 130 count humidor for 2 years now that until recently has held humidity decently well (it does not have a glass top, all wood). I've got around 70 sticks in it currently. Recently the humidity has dropped significantly (now sitting at 47%) and it's been this way for a few weeks. I first thought it was the cold, but now i'm not so sure.

In the last month I've:

- Recalibrated my hygrometer
- Changed humidification method (i went from beads to an electronic humidifier
- Reseasoned the humidor using a sponge and left it in for 48 hours
- and finally I checked seals with the dollar bill test all the way around.

I'm at a loss on what to do next…any advice?

catfishbluezz

Analog or digital?

when you reseasoned, were the cigars in it?

I would suggest putting the sponge in for a week without cigars in it. If that does not work, start spraying the seal lightly with distilled water. It will bulge the seal a bit, and get he rh spiked over night. Do this for a week ro two straight, or until the rh comes back up consistenly and put the electric humidifier in. I do not recommend that often really, so be careful, as I've only employed this twice on troublesome humidors and it worked, but took almost a month.

taftbs

Thanks. The electronic humidifier has a digital hygrometer but I have an analog in there as well that I did the salt recalibration. I'll try the sponge and any other advice is greatly appreciated.

Bob_Luken

Welcome. I have Just a few questions to help me understand the hygrometer situation. What type of hygrometer, specifically? How did you calibrate it? And for how long did you calibrate it? Did you get a 75% reading while you were calibrating it?

If it's an analog hygrometer, I wouldn't trust it any longer. I would buy a xikar digital or a hygroset digital. If you already have a digital, try changing the battery. If you've had a digital hygrometer two years it might be a good idea to change the battery.

We have all been experiencing a cold winter and lower indoor humidity. Lots of us have had problems this winter with humidors that are just not quite able to handle these low low humidity situations. These low low RH conditions will prove which of our humidors have the best seals and which do not have the best seals. But the first thing you must be sure of is if your hygrometer is giving you true readings or not.

catfishbluezz

taftbs:

Thanks. The electronic humidifier has a digital hygrometer but I have an analog in there as well that I did the salt recalibration. I'll try the sponge and any other advice is greatly appreciated.

The analog is your first problem. Use the one on the electronic my friend, you may have no problems at all.

taftbs

I have an analog hygrometer that I've recently calibrated to 75%, but i also have a brand new la veil electronic humidifier with a digital hygrometer on it, both in the humidor and both reading in the 40s.

I'm ok with some humidity loss during the winter and from what i know it is to be expected, but down to the 40s with an electronic humidifier?

I'll try the reseasoning again for a longer period, but could my humidor just have gone bad? or could i have a few bad cigars in the bunch that's sucking all the humidity?

taftbs

Just realized that i reseasoned my humidor with expired distilled water. Have i inadvertently sabotaged my humidor and cigars?

New_Boots

taftbs:

Just realized that i reseasoned my humidor with expired distilled water. Have i inadvertently sabotaged my humidor and cigars?

It expires?!?!?!

Rhamlin

taftbs:

Just realized that i reseasoned my humidor with expired distilled water. Have i inadvertently sabotaged my humidor and cigars?

I doubt it. I think that's more a cya thing for the company. There could be a number of reasons for your problem. I still think it's winter seasoning problem. Hopefully anyway. Is it only half full of cigars or mostly full that will have an affect they work better full because the cigars help to regulate the humidity as well. You might have to reseal the glass don't know how much a pain that would be. But I'm sure it can be done without to much fuss but might not look as pretty anymore.

FireRob

OP said "NO GLASS, ALL WOOD"

Cigary

That is a drastic drop in humidity esp. from a unit that previously was working well so that leads me to believe it is one of two issues: Hygrometer and humidification. If your have a humidor that holds 130 cigars and only have 70 inside then that is one problem already but not where the RH is at 47%...that means there isn't enough moisture inside. For something that size which is normally a decent size humidor you need the right kind of media inside to keep your RH where it needs to be otherwise those sticks are going to be so dry that the only thing they will be useful for is kindling. A few weeks worries me at that range....if anything put a small shot glass of DW or a small sponge with DW inside a case that will prevent the moisture from getting on the wood or your cigars. I would advise using a boveda pak or KL...both will work but I am partial to KL because it's a one way media that works. If your issue is ok now then I'm glad but if not PM me or use this thread to give me more info as to what is going on...where you are now, etc.

bigharpoon

It sounds like a seal issue to me. I don't have much faith in a dollar bill test. Last I knew water vapor was a helluva lot smaller than the thickness of a dollar bill. I'd concentrate my efforts on regaining that proper seal, re-bed the glass and/or put some tape around the cedar lip where it seals against the lid to make that joint tighter. I also like Catfish's suggestion of spraying the seal with water to get it to swell. With a cold winter like we've been having it's possible your wood is reaching new moisture level lows.