How often should you season your desktop humidor?
LadyDieHard
Posts: 4 ✭
in Cigar 101
My desktop, hygrometer reads a 63 humidity level and a 23 temperature. what am I doing wrong? Should I season again?
"Aficionado my ass...I just love to smoke cigars". James Woods
0
Answers
Lots of reasons why humidity is low and it's hard to diagnose without knowing more but assuming you have a proper seal (google the dollar bill test) it all comes down to a few mechanics. Seasoning your humidor, if it wasn't done properly might help (but not if you have a bad seal). Sometimes changing the means of humidification - A lot of us like boveda packs, others use kitty litter. Most of us distrust the little foam hockey puck things that come with most inexpensive humidors.
Say more about your set up and we might be able to better diagnosis.
By the way, I actual prefer a lower humidity -- mine is right around 66% and sometimes a bit lower.
I've been using Boveda packs and re-charging them. They work great.
I find Boveda packs and the little round plastic things with the beads are a perfect combo.
What is causing a vinegar smell in a small desktop humidor. Not a top of the line unit but it ain’t no cheapy either. Seals very well. However, Bovedas dry out quickly (like one month…big one).
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.
Are you sure it seals well if the boveda are drying out that fast? Does it have a built in humidifier still inside or anything?
Negative. Could it be that the cedar walls are so thick it’s drawing out too much moisture?? Spitballing here. What about the vinegar smell??
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.
The vinegar smell was why I was asking about a humidifier.
How long have you had it?
20 something years
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.
You're not keeping McClelland pipe tobacco in there with your cigars by any chance.
If Edward hasn’t nailed it I’m stumped. I would think over saturation could cause the smell. Bovedas drying out counter act that theory.
I’m stumped
@Rdp77 @OutdoorsSmoke_21191
I got you on this. First, throw The desk top in the trash. Second, Tupperdor. Third, new Boveda. Boom! Solved!
No seriously tho. I would open it for a week or two and restart. Dry it out. Slow humidification, 2-4 weeks should do by adding a bowl of water till it's 82 RH. Then add Boveda till 70 (no matter your desired RH). I fill with cigars in 1/4s. 1/4 full, 1/2 full & so on. I'm no expert but that's worked for me.
Full transparency. I dumped my wooden this year....
Sounds like a Summers Eve commercial from the 80’s
My favorite cigar list here
@OutdoorsSmoke_21191 you think that desktop will hold the 200-300 cigars on their way to you?
Wipe it down with Grapeseed oil then put it in the oven at 400 degrees for a couple hours
I know, You're a big dog and I'm on the list.
Let's eat, GrandMa. / Let's eat GrandMa. -- Punctuation saves lives
It'll be fine once the swelling goes down.
After closer examination with the ol nostrils…it smells like old old cedar. Still doesn’t explain the rapid moisture loss from the Bovedas. It’s not really a big deal. I was only using it to hold cigars I don’t like. For the occasional visitor wannabe cigar smokers, that have zero vitola knowledge, usually take 3 or 4 puffs and then put it down because they are done smoking. That’s what it was used for.
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.
20 something years? What is causing that smell?at this point,The question I would be asking myself is this, are any of these cigars, covertly infused or flavored?. sometimes I have been surprised to learn something was infused when I thought it wasn’t. Or did the cat piss on the boveda?
No flavored sticks and no golden kitty showers 😏
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.
The cat would have smelled more of ammonia than vinegar. I wonder if the vinegar smell was just old glue?
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Well if you only have a few cigars in there, that's part of the problem. The best humidification device that you can have for a wooden box is a bunch of well humidified cigars. Packing it in will slow down the drying out. For those kind of boxes, half full is really the minimum. Are you low?
Secondly, if the smell is actually what you might think is old cedar or stale wood or whatever, then lightly sand it. Don't have to do anything major, some very fine grit paper will work. You don't even have to worry about getting to the corner super good. That should rejuvenate it.
If you're worried about the seal, throw one layer of masking tape around the lip to tighten it up a little bit. After you open it a few times you won't even notice it anymore. Unless, of course, you decide to use blue masking tape like a psychopath.
Then, just reseason that **** and stock it at least halfway full.put a fresh 60 gram pack in and keep a second one handy. When the first one dries out, rejuvenate it in a baggie full of distilled water. Put the second one in there while the first one is rejuvenating.
Of course, put that 60 g pack on the top of the cigars, not on the bottom of them. Humidity is not leaking out of the bottom.
Wow 🤯. Thanks Francisco, thank you 🙏🏼 for your help.
by the way……
N O T L O W !!!!!!!!
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.