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Newly seasoned humidor is waaaaaaay too humid

Let me first start out by saying that I am completely new to cigars and humidors; however, when I do develop new interests and hobbies I do a lot of research, and this is no exception.

I bought my first humidors, the Man O' War and another that I received as part of a sampler. I seasoned the Man O' War this weekend and I've only completed the first step with the glass top humidor, but both are showing rh's around 80%.

When I seasoned them, I only really wet the wood enough to make it change color, I was more conservative than I was liberal as I applied the water. I salt tested the hygrometers twice, the second time because I figured I must have done it wrong the first time, and after the second salt test I was able to confirm that they were reading properly (both at 75% in the bag).

Is this something that happens often? I watched several videos before I did this and the hygrometers in the videos always read right around where they should at the end of the process, so I am stumped.
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Comments

  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,004 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Welcome to the cigar.com (ccom) forum Johan. You seem to be doing it right but still may have gotten it too wet. Hard to say for sure. Can you be specific on the RH percentages during your process? The preferred method of most members here is a non-wipe method. It takes longer but is easier to control. If you feel like you Want to start over, be sure to let your over humidified humi dry out slowly to avoid warping the wood. Look for the thread, " how to season a humidor using kitty litter". (Pretty sure that's the title.) there's a lot of Kitty Litter info but also great info on the non-wipe method. I have a question for you. Are you using the hygrometers that came with your humidors or have you upgraded to digital hygrometers? It's one of the first things a new cigar lover needs in their tool kit. Hygroset & xikar make good ones. If you have not upgraded then you really should do that. Analog hygrometers are OK sometimes but usually unreliable.
  • Thank you so much for replying. I thought I was being very conservative, but this being my first time doing this, I am willing to accept the probability that I made a mistake. Last night I kept my humidor open for a couple of a hours, closed it, and then this morning I did the same. I put the hygrometer back in, and the needle is not moving up towards 80% as rapidly as it did last night. Last night after taking it out and keeping the humidor open for a couple hours before putting it back in, the rh reading rose 3% points after only a very short time. I took it back out, let the needle drop, then redid the salt test and then after I confirmed it was properly adjusted this morning after 12 hours back in the bag with the salt (reading of 75%) I kept it out in the air for a few hours until it read 68%, I put it back in and it's now reading 70% after being back in there for about 90 minutes. As it's rising more slowly it might be that the wood is that much drier now.

    Yes, I am using the hygrometers that came with my humidors. On the smaller 50-count glass-top unit the hygrometer actually plugs the humidor, but not so in the 100-count Man O War. I did not realize that reliability was an issue until I had to start looking for answers for this issue. Additionally, I have refrained from any additional wiping down of the glass-top humidor and I have simply left a damp cloth in a plastic baggy and the fully charged humidity unit in there.
  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    For seasoning you doing good! What should happen is the humidor goes over humidity buy 80-85 then you and your two way humidifiers to bring the humidity to it's desired level. This can take a few days so don't rush it! You'll be ok I do suggest you get either boveda 65 or 69 packs for your humidor
    Money can't buy taste
  • Thank you, Lee. I think the next time I get a humidor I am going to try a different seasoning method, but it's good to hear from you and Bob and to get that reassurance that I have not ruined my humidors or purchased faulty units. Thank you both so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with me.
  • Lee.mcglynnLee.mcglynn Posts: 5,960 ✭✭✭✭
    Not a problem you should stick around here a lot of info and great people on these boards
    Money can't buy taste
  • onestrangeoneonestrangeone Posts: 2,441 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Welcome, Your in a good place. Be patient and let it stabilize 80+ RH is not unusual for a humi that has been wiped. It has been my experience that this method only SEEMS to be faster, it actually takes longer to stabilize. A lot of people like me tend to be impatient and put there smokes in to soon and it's much harder to adjust and stabilize the RH
  • Oh! Good to know! I was actually going to make that same mistake myself! I figured, if it stabilized around 75% that it would be okay to toss 'em in while it drops. I will wait until it stabilizes around 72% and put them in then. Thanks for stopping me from making another newbie error!
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,004 ✭✭✭✭✭
    OK you are not bad off at all. 80 to 85% is not a problem. Your wood is still absorbing the moisture. The key is patience. Don't rush to put your cigars in there. I'm guessing you may have some in ziplocks that you are anxious to get in there? Don't worry. They are better off in a ziplock than in a humi that is still trying to season itself. You've got the right idea. Let it drop down to usable RH levels and See if you can get it to stay there before adding cigars. We should assume your cigars are shipped or purchased in a properly humidified state. Therefore the cigars themselves will not need to draw any additional moisture from your humidor's wood. But the same idea applies to your humidor's wood. You want to know for certain it's stable before adding cigars. If it's too dry, your wood will draw moisture from your cigars. If it's too moist it will cast off excess moisture onto the cigars. You want harmony from the start. And upgrade to digital as soon as you can. Two things new guys need to invest in first is a good cutter ( xikar Xi2) and a good digital hygrometer. Oh yeah! Lee mentioned Boveda packets. They are the best and easiest way to keep proper humidity. Especially for a novice. The humidification devices that come with your humidor are junk. They will get you by for now but they can bd hard to regulate RH and they'll probably get moldy at some point. Upgrade to Bovedas as your first and easiest opition. There are many different ways/devices to keep proper humidity but by far Bovedas are the easiest. Good luck and keep us posted. And stick around. I have learned ten times more info and sound knowledge about cigars here on this forum than I could have ever learned without it.
  • Yeah, I was in a bit of a rush to get them in because this company for some reason actually sent my top-tier sampler that came with the 50-count humidor INSIDE of the unseasoned humidor. There is a part of me that is somewhat panicked because for 4 days they were inside of an unseasoned humidor with nothing but a paper thin, dried out humidor pillow. I have since placed them in a plastic baggy after recharging the humidor pillow.

    I will definitely upgrade as I continue to learn as I go along. I think everything is going to be alright. As of now the hygrometer is only reading about 74%, and that's after a good 7 hours since putting it back into the big humidor and closing the lid. I'll open it up for another couple hours again before bed, close it, and check the reading in the morning. As for the 50-count glass-top humidor, it's still holding strong at 80, but I had not taken steps to dry it out any as of yet.

    Again, your advice and experience has saved me a lot of time, worry, and probably money as well, so thank you so much. I really do appreciate you all having taken the time to share with me.
  • BigDaddyBigDaddy Posts: 124 ✭✭✭
    SOOOOO glad I found this!!!  I too am having the same issues. I think my wood is too wet also.
    But my cigars are in the humidor. I did this because I was told it will help. 
    I have now taken the humidity packs out and hopefully they will bring the humidity down. 
    But, for the record.... Cigars in or out for now?
    Danny B
  • YaksterYakster Posts: 25,530 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Since it sounds like you are having burn issues on another thread and your cigars feel soft, I'd pull them out of there and put them in Ziplok bags with Boveda packs for now until you get your humidor under control.  

    Once you've got your cigars set aside you could open the humidor up to let it dry out a bit and then work with your chosen humidification system to see if you can get it to stabilize before adding the cigars back in.  The Boveda packs will not only add moisture but will also absorb excess moisture so they're pretty easy to use.
    I'll gladly bomb you Tuesday for an Opus today. 

                  Join us on the New Zoom vHerf (Meeting # 2619860114 Password vHerf2020 )
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    100% agree with what Yakster said above.....

    Also @BigDaddy , did you calibrate your hygrometer yet? 

    The easiest way to calibrate it is to place the hygrometer in a heavy duty (freezer-style) ziploc bag with a boveda pack. 

    Set the bag in a cool, dry area of your house out of direct sunlight and away from any A/C vents....let it sit for 48 hours.  The read out on your hygrometer should match the % of the boveda pack.  If they don't match, either adjust the hygrometer to display the correct RH, or make a mental note of what the difference is and factor that in when reading your hygrometer.

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • Dark_RoastDark_Roast Posts: 1,070 ✭✭✭
    Wow! Glad you got your rh under control. It can be frustrating to acclimate/season a humidor. Welcome to the best cigar forum on the net! 
  • FiremanSpoonsFiremanSpoons Posts: 1
    Glad i found this thread , i too recently started in the cigar hobby and seasoned my humidor the way i was told by wiping it down. My rh is currently at 80 its only been 2 days so I figured i had to give it time but was starting to worry! I have added a bodeva bag in as well , as someone suggested that to me.  Alot of great help here , thanks everyone
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,004 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Welcome @FiremanSpoons. (Interesting handle) 
  • 0patience0patience Posts: 10,665 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Remember too, that your ambient (room) humidity will have an impact on your humidor, especially if you get into it alot. 
    If you are on the coast, where the humidity can be in the 80-90% range, you will be fighting moisture.

    In Fumo Pax
    Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.

    Wylaff said:
    Atmospheric pressure and crap.
  • 90+_Irishman90+_Irishman Posts: 12,408 ✭✭✭✭✭
    jgibv said:
    100% agree with what Yakster said above.....

    Also @BigDaddy , did you calibrate your hygrometer yet? 

    The easiest way to calibrate it is to place the hygrometer in a heavy duty (freezer-style) ziploc bag with a boveda pack. 

    Set the bag in a cool, dry area of your house out of direct sunlight and away from any A/C vents....let it sit for 48 hours.  The read out on your hygrometer should match the % of the boveda pack.  If they don't match, either adjust the hygrometer to display the correct RH, or make a mental note of what the difference is and factor that in when reading your hygrometer.
    Awesome advice and right on! I picked up two larger hygrometers from Wally World years back for like $10 each, records high and low and temp even but weren't super accurate. So I did the Nivea bag test and dropped in a known good hygrometer to double test it. When I figured out how much they were off by I wrote in sharpie on the face -5% or +3% etc so I never forget to add or subtract whatever it needs when looking. 

    Brett
    "When walking in open territory bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them."
  • Cigar-20009606Cigar-20009606 Posts: 1
    I'm having the same issues. Humidity reading all over the place. I have a new humidor and used the wipe method. I'm constantly having to leave the lid open to drop humidity levels. Going to put cigars in bag with Boveda pack. Best advice I've heard. Also, going to Cigar Shop for Cedar planks. Really frustrated. 
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,004 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm having the same issues. Humidity reading all over the place. I have a new humidor and used the wipe method. I'm constantly having to leave the lid open to drop humidity levels. Going to put cigars in bag with Boveda pack. Best advice I've heard. Also, going to Cigar Shop for Cedar planks. Really frustrated. 
    Sorry for your frustration. It's normal. and that's unfortunate. Welcome to the forum. let us know if you have any specific questions. :)
  • WylaffWylaff Posts: 5,269 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bob_Luken said:
    I'm having the same issues. Humidity reading all over the place. I have a new humidor and used the wipe method. I'm constantly having to leave the lid open to drop humidity levels. Going to put cigars in bag with Boveda pack. Best advice I've heard. Also, going to Cigar Shop for Cedar planks. Really frustrated. 
    Sorry for your frustration. It's normal. and that's unfortunate. Welcome to the forum. let us know if you have any specific questions. :)
    Bob's drunk.
    "Cooking isn't about struggling; It's about pleasure. It's like sǝx, with a wider variety of sauces."

    At any given time the urge to sing "In The Jungle" is just a whim away... A whim away... A whim away...
  • RhamlinRhamlin Posts: 8,908 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm having the same issues. Humidity reading all over the place. I have a new humidor and used the wipe method. I'm constantly having to leave the lid open to drop humidity levels. Going to put cigars in bag with Boveda pack. Best advice I've heard. Also, going to Cigar Shop for Cedar planks. Really frustrated. 
    Try putting a dish of dry rice in your humi. Just empty it first. It'll suck the moisture right out of it. 
  • 0patience0patience Posts: 10,665 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Stop wiping them down!

    OMG, who ever is telling these folks this should be slapped.

    Most of what I see when this happens is that someone tells them to wipe them down with a wet cloth (that should be "slightly damp" cloth) and people make them wet.
    And then you find out that they are in an area with 75+ humidity and expect the humidor to stabilize and then wonder why it is still at 80%.

    Outside humidity is going to directly affect your humidor humidity, unless you have an absolute airtight humidor, which most of us do not.

    Personally, for small desktop humidors, I like the Boveda 84% seasoning packs or the shot glass with water method. Then switch to the Boveda you like. I personally like the 65%, myself. But that's me.

    While it takes longer, it is far more effective.

    In Fumo Pax
    Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.

    Wylaff said:
    Atmospheric pressure and crap.
  • KituwahDudeKituwahDude Posts: 3

    Hello Everyone. This is my first post. I have read the beginning of this thread as I am on the same boat. I just started getting serious about the hobby and started purchasing some real cigars this year. I just purchased the Man O’ War 100ct humidor as well. I too seasoned it by wiping it down. I also did the same for my 50ct glass top. I had that one for over 8-years, and I only seasoned it once when I first purchased it. I seasoned per the instructions (I forgot how I seasoned it). But I recently seasoned that glass top and my new Man o’ war by wiping with a wet sponge using distilled water lightly. I have (1) digital, and (1) analog hygrometer in each humidor. All have been calibrated with boveda kits. The hygrometer that came with my cheap $25 glass top works better than the new Man o’ war analog hygrometer btw. Anyway, after following some online instructions following the “wipe” method (I now know is the worst thing to do), I was able to get the glass top pretty stable at 68% rh. When I open that guy up, the aroma is incredibly awesome! So I know that one is good!

    Now my Man o’ war on the other hand, not so good. That one seems to be at a constant 75% rh on the top tray, and about 72% at the bottom under the top tray. I have about 60+ cigars in there total. They are all great sticks, and I don’t want to lose any of them. After reading this thread, I removed my sticks and placed in a zip lock freezer bag right away. What rh level should my humidor be constant at BEFORE I put my cigars back in? Is it 72% based on what I read here? I just want to confirm, and know if there is anything I need to do to get to the optimal RH before I add my cigars back in again. Please advise on any suggestions for my scenario. I plan to use my 100ct for aging, and my glass top for immediate smoking fyi. Below is a snap shop to make things clearer of my current setup between the two humidors:

    //50ct Glass top humidor//

    Seasoned with wipe method

    (1)    Original analog hygrometer, and (1) digital hygro-set . Both are calibrated.

    (1)    I am using the humidification device that came with the 100ct, but have it on the far right of the humidor alone in its own section with the divider right up against it. I am also using one of those 2oz cigar.com crystal jars in the middle of the box.

    --This humidor is stable at 68% with 20 cigars that are still inside their original wrapper… and the box smells great when I open it!

    //100ct Man O’ War humidor//

    Seasoned with wipe method

    (1)    Original analog hygrometer, and (1) digital hygro-set hygrometer. Both are calibrated.

    (1)    This one I am using the Humi-Care HX10 rectangle humidifier.

    --This humidor is at 75% on the top tray, and 72% under the tray at the bottom (I placed my digi on top tray for 2-days, and on the bottom for two-days for accurate measurements). All these sticks sit in the humidor out of their wrapper. (I have the wrappers saved just-in-case fyi), and this box doesn’t smell great yet like my glass top.

    Please let me know any suggestions/recommendations based on my detail I provided before I put my cigars back in my 100ct. box. Thanks in advance!

  • deadmandeadman Posts: 8,804 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2017
    Don't use the analog. Get a digital one. I have a $20 unit from ccom and a Wal-Mart one like in the previous post. 

    Switch to boveda packs, I have 5 of the 60 gram ones in my 100 ct. 
  • Usaf06Usaf06 Posts: 10,932 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hello Everyone. This is my first post. I have read the beginning of this thread as I am on the same boat. I just started getting serious about the hobby and started purchasing some real cigars this year. I just purchased the Man O’ War 100ct humidor as well. I too seasoned it by wiping it down. I also did the same for my 50ct glass top. I had that one for over 8-years, and I only seasoned it once when I first purchased it. I seasoned per the instructions (I forgot how I seasoned it). But I recently seasoned that glass top and my new Man o’ war by wiping with a wet sponge using distilled water lightly. I have (1) digital, and (1) analog hygrometer in each humidor. All have been calibrated with boveda kits. The hygrometer that came with my cheap $25 glass top works better than the new Man o’ war analog hygrometer btw. Anyway, after following some online instructions following the “wipe” method (I now know is the worst thing to do), I was able to get the glass top pretty stable at 68% rh. When I open that guy up, the aroma is incredibly awesome! So I know that one is good!

    Now my Man o’ war on the other hand, not so good. That one seems to be at a constant 75% rh on the top tray, and about 72% at the bottom under the top tray. I have about 60+ cigars in there total. They are all great sticks, and I don’t want to lose any of them. After reading this thread, I removed my sticks and placed in a zip lock freezer bag right away. What rh level should my humidor be constant at BEFORE I put my cigars back in? Is it 72% based on what I read here? I just want to confirm, and know if there is anything I need to do to get to the optimal RH before I add my cigars back in again. Please advise on any suggestions for my scenario. I plan to use my 100ct for aging, and my glass top for immediate smoking fyi. Below is a snap shop to make things clearer of my current setup between the two humidors:

    //50ct Glass top humidor//

    Seasoned with wipe method

    (1)    Original analog hygrometer, and (1) digital hygro-set . Both are calibrated.

    (1)    I am using the humidification device that came with the 100ct, but have it on the far right of the humidor alone in its own section with the divider right up against it. I am also using one of those 2oz cigar.com crystal jars in the middle of the box.

    --This humidor is stable at 68% with 20 cigars that are still inside their original wrapper… and the box smells great when I open it!

    //100ct Man O’ War humidor//

    Seasoned with wipe method

    (1)    Original analog hygrometer, and (1) digital hygro-set hygrometer. Both are calibrated.

    (1)    This one I am using the Humi-Care HX10 rectangle humidifier.

    --This humidor is at 75% on the top tray, and 72% under the tray at the bottom (I placed my digi on top tray for 2-days, and on the bottom for two-days for accurate measurements). All these sticks sit in the humidor out of their wrapper. (I have the wrappers saved just-in-case fyi), and this box doesn’t smell great yet like my glass top.

    Please let me know any suggestions/recommendations based on my detail I provided before I put my cigars back in my 100ct. box. Thanks in advance!

    You can just leave the lid open for a few hours a day till you reach your desired rh. What are you using for humidity control? If your not using boveda or heart felt beads then switch to those. 65-69 is what your looking for. 
    "I drink a great deal. I sleep a little, and I smoke cigar after cigar. That is why I am in two-hundred-percent form."
    -- Winston Churchill

    "LET'S GO FRANCIS"     Peter

  • peter4jcpeter4jc Posts: 15,319 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Throw it out and buy a new one.  o:)
    "I could've had a Mi Querida!"   Nick Bardis
  • WylaffWylaff Posts: 5,269 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Where are you located? Is outside humidity above or below your goal? 
    "Cooking isn't about struggling; It's about pleasure. It's like sǝx, with a wider variety of sauces."

    At any given time the urge to sing "In The Jungle" is just a whim away... A whim away... A whim away...
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,004 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2017
    Wylaff said:
    Where are you located? Is outside humidity above or below your goal? 
    Yes. Any higher or lower humidity outside of your humidor will cause trouble especially if your seal is not so good. 

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