Humidor problem

Macbranson

I recently got Cigar.com's sampler that comes with  a 40 cigar humidor. The humidor is fine and the cigar selection is great. I seasoned my humidor with a shot glass of distilled water and did not wipe down the inside. I bought a digital hygrometer and started using it after fully seasoning the humidor. When I added the hygrometer, the RH was at 72% and stayed there for about a week. I had 15 cigars in there and have only smoked one since then. Lately, my humidor is at 65% which is lower than I want it. I figured my humidifier needed recharging so I added some water to it. No change.  So I added a water pillow for a whole day and when I checked again, it was still at 65%! So I added another water pillow and still at 65%. So, now I have two water pillows and a fully charged humidifier and get my humidor past 65%. I want to add come more cigars, but the it will probably drop even lower. What gives?

avengethis

Well first I would salt test the digital hygro to verify its accuracy (normally not an issue but worth checking).  2nd Where are you located?  If you climate is really dry it might be tough to get the RH up to 70%.  I actually keep mine at 65% in my humidors and cooler.

The other issue you could be running into is the cigars current rh might be a bit low so its pulling a bunch of that moisture into them trying to balance out.  

I would look into something other than the cheap green foam humidifier if that is what is in there as well as the water pillows.  Either some Boveda packs, gel cans or beads would work and help it stabilize better.

Woodguarden

Welcome to the forum. You need to keep a humidor at least half full for it to work properly. That would be at least 20 cigars, more would be better.

Are you using the foam sponge humidifier that came with the humidor? Those are not very effective. Water pillows don't release much humidity either, they are good for shipping etc. I would recommend this:

http://www.cigar.com/humidification/38336/cigar-com-2-oz-crystal-jar/#p-31346

One of those, add more cigars and you will be good to go...

Usaf06

And make sure your using distilled water

peter4jc

As Brad said above, 65% is a good point to be at, especially if your cigars are smoking fine.  Remember too, that the percentage we're talking about is 'relative humidity' and the temperature of the room enters into the equation.  It's best if you can keep your sticks from going too far above 70 degrees.

Unscented kitty-litter crystals are a great, inexpensive way to go too.  With winter coming up, you may need to increase the amount of moisture, and a good way to do that is with a larger amount of humidification material.

As someone said a while back, it's too bad that the hardest part of cigar storage is the humidification that has to be figured out at the onset of a new smoker's career.  Wood humidors are great and they look so cool, but remember that they will either suck up moisture from a humid environment, or lose moisture to a dry environment.

I've found that most cigars aren't all that fussy, and the sleep I lost trying to be perfect wasn't warranted.

Macbranson

Never heard that you had to keep the humidor half full to regulate humidity. Guess I'll order some more sticks and toss them in. Also, it seems 65% is actually a good RH anyway, so I don't need to mess with it. I do make sure to use distilled water. Thanks guys. 

Skull57

I am new to cigars and I also have a new humidor. Mine is staying at around 70%,
I have had 2 cigars that lit fine, but after a few puffs, they felt spongy at the lower half and started burning strange. Are my cigars too humid? And what should i do to get them right for smoking.

Usaf06

Skull, several things can effect it. The rh being high is definitely a possibility. Are you toasting the foot before lighting? Your target for conditions is 70/70 but you will find that a rh at 65-68 may be better for you. The temperature of your humidor should remain at 70 or below also. What hygrometer are you using, digital or analog? If you don't have a digital one you should invest in one. They are more accurate than the one that came with your humidor. 

Bob_Luken

There are plenty of duds (doesn't seal well) when it comes to "made in China" desk top humidors. Even the ones that aren't duds aren't all that easy to regulate in the winter when the humidity plummets. I'm talkin' indoor humidity. Ya' know, when we get static electricity, you know it's dry.

New guys, and anyone else getting frustrated this season might want to consider a tupperdor. Myself, I abandoned all hope of regulating my handful of desktops through another winter, bought another cooler last winter and stuck all my desktops inside and threw a few Boveda packets in there on top. Worked out good.

@Macbranson
@Skull57

I know you guys may not like the idea that your new humidor might be less than efficient. But, you gotta consider what's best for your cigars. There's plenty of info here on the forum about tupperdors and coolidors if you use the search feature. And also elsewhere online. Sorry if I'm a Debbie Downer on the subject of these little wood humidors but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. 

Welcome to the forum. We are here to help. Keep asking questions as necessary. We'll keep giving our two cents. 
 

Macbranson

@Skull57Like you, my humidor was around 70% after the initial seasoning and stayed there for about a week. I'm not sure if the weather affected it since it's gotten a little cooler and drier here in NY as Fall sets in. There is no other reason I can see for my humidity dropping. 
I understand it's very common for humidors to drop in RH during cold, dry seasons. 

Also, after doing a bit of research online, many people recommend a RH of around 65% for your humidor. Although people have personal preferences, I'm not going to debate a veteran's opinion when I'm very new to collecting cigars. Your cigars feeling spongy sounds like they may have been too moist, but I'll let the veteran's offer their insight on that matter. 

Finally, a digital hygrometer is generally recommended over analog hygrometers which tend to be more inaccurate and have to be calibrated. I snagged a digital hygrometer on Amazon for a measly $8. It's called Qooltek Super Wireless LCD Display...it has a long name. But it's very small (about 1" x 1.5") and you can actually fit it right next to your cigars because of it's size. You could also attach it to the lid, but I prefer keeping it closer to the cigars so I can get a better sense of what RH they're at. 

Getting the hang of keeping your humidor at a certain level can be a real problem for beginners like us, but don't stress it. I hear that getting the RH right in your humidor can be kind of tricky even for pros. Surprisingly, I removed the two water bags from my humidor yesterday and my RH went up from 65% to 67%. I have no idea how that works, but I'm not going to question it. 

I hope some of this info is helpful, but bear in mind I am also very new to this being a mere 3 weeks in. Enjoy your new hobby. 

Bob_Luken

Skull57 said:

I am new to cigars and I also have a new humidor. Mine is staying at around 70%,
I have had 2 cigars that lit fine, but after a few puffs, they felt spongy at the lower half and started burning strange. Are my cigars too humid? And what should i do to get them right for smoking.

You should not assume that your humidor conditions are to blame. Some cigars are poorly constructed and/or will burn badly. It happens.

Bob_Luken

Macbranson said:

Finally, a digital hygrometer is generally recommended over analog hygrometers which tend to be more inaccurate and have to be calibrated. 

Some digital hygrometers can be calibrated, some cannot. Either way, with any hygrometer I would recommend a salt test or Boveda calibration test to determine accuracy. Some fixed units might read a few % high or low and then you'll know to add or subtract those % points to get your correct reading. 

onestrangeone

Skull57 said:

I am new to cigars and I also have a new humidor. Mine is staying at around 70%,
I have had 2 cigars that lit fine, but after a few puffs, they felt spongy at the lower half and started burning strange. Are my cigars too humid? And what should i do to get them right for smoking.

There is a good possibility that you might be smoking to fast, this will cause almost any cigar to feel 'squishy' and burn funky. Are you or were you a cigarette smoker? I was when I started with cigars and suffered many a squishy, funky smoke until I was able to change my smoking habit's, from what I have seen this is fairly common.

Of course every now and then you do get a dud, not very often but it does happen.   

transplant

I'm no expert, but have been babysitting my humidor (actually now 2) for several months. As long as the RH is between 62% and 72%, I'm good.  If it gets too low, I soak some cotton in distilled water and throw it in.  If it gets too high, I fill a bottle cap with "Damp Rid" and put it in there (keep a close watch if you do this).

Obviously, you've got to trust your hygrometer(s).  The salt test is the best way I know to ensure accuracy.

I'm new at this stuff too.  Welcome and I wish you good luck.

Skull57

Thank you all for the tips. I do have a digital hygrometer,and my humidor is fluctuating between 65 an 70 percent RH. I have it 1/2 full of cigars. Onestrangeone said I may be smoking too fast.. I do smoke cigarettes, maybe that is the problem. I will need some practice...LOL

onestrangeone

Skull57 said:

Thank you all for the tips. I do have a digital hygrometer,and my humidor is fluctuating between 65 an 70 percent RH. I have it 1/2 full of cigars. Onestrangeone said I may be smoking too fast.. I do smoke cigarettes, maybe that is the problem. I will need some practice...LOL

Practice, practice, practice! It seems like you have a handle on the humi, the minor fluctuations are not that big of a deal in a smaller humi, A good rule of thumb on the smoking cadence is one draw per min, typically a draw is actually two puffs, one short and quick followed by a long slow, consistent draw. how tight the draw is has a lot to do with it also, a lot of the box-pressed smokes have a very free draw so it easy to over smoke these. I think you will find that you get more and better flavors out of a stick by slowing down.

I smoked a CAO Black the other night (toro 6x52) I think, it burned for about 2hrs, 20 min. perfect razor sharp burn line and the flavor profile stayed true throughout, set it down with about 1 1/2" left.

Good luck, welcome to the forum and I hope both of you stick around a bit!   

avengethis

Yeah in a wood humi I like 2 way humidification devices as well (boveda, beads or Kitty litter) they can either pull out or add humidity when needed.  

I would agree that the problem could be smoking a bit too fast.

Skull57

Hi all again, I think I've got it figured out. Watched a video on lighting a cigar, slowed down on the draw, and really enjoyed a Romeo Y Juliet vintage last night. No problems. Thanks all.

jarubla

I started small, then went two desktops, then a cooler, and now a second. 

I love Boveda packs; rock solid rh.

I also keep mine in the basement, keeps temps right at 65.

I worried and sweated getting rh right at the beginning; I can promise you that it'll settle in and soon be a distant worry.

Welcome to the forums!

-Jay