Newbie with humidor issues
Hi all, I had my first cigar a few weeks ago and fell in love. Since then I purchased the chalet glasstop desktop humidor 50 count, drymistat and the hygroset hygrometer. I did thenjoy salt test 3 times to make sure I didn't screw up. First time I got 75% then 74% then 73%. I tried to calibrate but the number didn't change second and third time. So I figured it around where it should be. To season the humidor, I used distilled water with the included humidifier and drymistat tube. It's been 3 days (Sunday night). After placing my hygrometer inside the reading I'm getting 71degrees and 65 percent. Oddly enough the included analog hygrometer reads 64%. My room is usually air conditioned at 65-68 degrees. I found out about the boveda packs too late and that's why I didn't use it. Is there anything else I should be doing? I can't help but feel like I messed up somewhere. I only opened the humidor today to put in digital hygrometer. Please advise
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Best Answers
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johnnyB
Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭✭✭
So I would say,it's never too late to throw a few Bovedas 84 seasoning pack's in. It will put you out about two weeks,until you can load it up with cigars. But it's foolproof. Also don't trust the analog hygrometer.Non Crux sed lux6 -
Patrickbrick
Posts: 7,928 ✭✭✭✭✭
In my opinion 65% is perfect. I also season my new humidors for around a full week. I use a couple of shot glasses with distilled water for five to seven days without opening then remove shot glasses and add charged humidifier and let sit for two or three days to acclimate. Then add sticks, also keep in mind that when you add cigars the rh is going to change, so allow time to let it settle. Cigars are not that picky, so don't worry unless the rh drops way low. Good luck and enjoy."We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give". Winston Churchill.
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Bob_Luken
Posts: 10,734 ✭✭✭✭✭
You're doing OK. Well' kinda' OK. The title of this thread is such a common situation. Seems like almost every new guy gets into this situation. Seems like we've all been there. First thing I want you to know is that small affordable mass market destop humidors can be a real pain in the ass to regulate humidity and, you could actually have a real dud on your hands. By my count you have just a handful of cigars at this point. Put them in a ziploc bag with your hygrometer. Let the hygrometer sit in there with them for an hour or so and get a reading. I bet it will be fine. If it were me I'd put one boveda pack (65%) in there with them in the bag. Or you can experiment with your other humidifiers. Feel free to buy a few more cigars and add them to the bag. Enjoy a few cigars while you're at it. Back to your humidor. Take it outside, open the lid, pour one cup of gasoline in it and throw a match at it from a safe distance. Then pull up a lawn chair and enjoy the fire. Or you could go back and try the wet sponge thing and give it more time. Maybe five days wouldn't be a bad idea. Keep us posted and maybe do some research on tupperdors. I gave up on keeping my desktops humidified throughout the dry winter months. I keep several desktop humidors inside my coolers. I keep all my cigars in coolers. Welcome to the forum. Keep us posted. We want to help.7 -
Patrickbrick
Posts: 7,928 ✭✭✭✭✭
In my opinion you are over thinking this. I don't worry about temp at all unless it gets in the 80s, this has never happened. 63-67% again in my opinion is fine, throw the sticks in and relax."We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give". Winston Churchill.
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Answers
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If you are opening it, stop that.
Really though, 3 days really isn't enough to season it, especially if the humi wood got really dry in storage.
The wood is probaly still pulling in moisture, which is possibly why it is fluctuating.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but you have to have patience and let it stabilize. Some humis will stabilize quickly, some, not so much.
Until it stabilizes, you aren't done.
And what is you outside Rh?
If it is really low, then that will give you some fits with your humi Rh, as the outside will draw moisture out of the humi.
If you live in an area with low humidity, be prepared to battle it. But as was stated, Bovedas generally work well to stabilize it.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
And you will run out of room extremely fast.
They are great, if you remember that they are simply a desktop humi and not a storage humi. If that makes sense.
The long term solution is to get something that will be able to house all of your cigars (bundles, boxes and 5 packs) comfortably, which is why most folks turn to a cooler or something similar.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
@AaeJay 63-67% rh is great, I think wrapping your humidor is a bit of overkill but it's not likely to hurt anything either.
What Opatience said is spot on. I have several "smaller" humidors that I maintain at different rh% these are what I smoke out of. I keep coolers for storage. The temperature is not that big of a factor until you get to the point where you are ageing cigars, with warmer temps you want to reduce the rh to help prevent mold.
The smaller humidors can be a challenge to regulate but it can be done if you are patent enough to learn how, I have 8 'cheap' humi's that have been in use for several year's, three are glass top, they work fine.
I suggest Boveda.