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60% humidity-what gives?
- Thread starter SFG75
- Start date
Bobbyson1a
Bobbyson1a
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2003
- Messages
- 1,389
1. Is the humidor new if so maybe it's still dry.
2. How's the seal is it tight.
3. add some more water to the beads.
2. How's the seal is it tight.
3. add some more water to the beads.
Ding ding ding... we have a winner. Start here before you do anything else. Also taky out all your cigars and put them into a ziploc bag, then put that in a tupperware container. If your humi is really that dry, it will suck the humidity out of your cigars. But if the gauge is wrong you could be over humidifying your sticks :0geldor1 said:
Emo
Tony Bones
Grundalier
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2004
- Messages
- 768
There could be an issue of patience here too.
I just went through the same battle. Turns out that the problem was my opening the humi nearly every day to check the hygrometer. That's too often, especially when you are working w/ a new box that is dry.
Here is what worked for me:
1. Put about a quarter of an inch of water in the bottom of the humi and sloshed it around for a minute, then let it sit for about five minutes.
2. Wiped up excess water and used it to wipe down the top and walls.
3. Let humi sit for an hour.
4. Prepared my Credo (humidification element) and calibrated my hygrometer using the salt test...worked like a charm and surprisingly my hygrometer wasn't off by much at all.
5. Closed er up sans cigars and checked every day. **This is where I made my mistake** I just couldn't get above 60.
Through reading past posts here and a couple of other places I deduced that I was checking too often. I put a shot glass of distilled water in the empty humi, let her sit unopened for four days, and I'm now holding a steady 68.
Hope this helps,
Anthony
PS- There could be one more thing that would cause you to run lean. If you have a large humidor you may need a larger humidification source...or possibly two.
I just went through the same battle. Turns out that the problem was my opening the humi nearly every day to check the hygrometer. That's too often, especially when you are working w/ a new box that is dry.
Here is what worked for me:
1. Put about a quarter of an inch of water in the bottom of the humi and sloshed it around for a minute, then let it sit for about five minutes.
2. Wiped up excess water and used it to wipe down the top and walls.
3. Let humi sit for an hour.
4. Prepared my Credo (humidification element) and calibrated my hygrometer using the salt test...worked like a charm and surprisingly my hygrometer wasn't off by much at all.
5. Closed er up sans cigars and checked every day. **This is where I made my mistake** I just couldn't get above 60.
Through reading past posts here and a couple of other places I deduced that I was checking too often. I put a shot glass of distilled water in the empty humi, let her sit unopened for four days, and I'm now holding a steady 68.
Hope this helps,
Anthony
PS- There could be one more thing that would cause you to run lean. If you have a large humidor you may need a larger humidification source...or possibly two.
Snowdust
SnowNYet
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2003
- Messages
- 186
WOAH!!! :sign: IMO I would never put that kind of water in a humidor. Just wiping down the inside is debatable among many. I do believe that a light wipe down, (just enough to change the wood colors) is ok. But you should see it evaporate almost before your eyes.
I would think that much water would soak into the joints and lead to problems (mold) in the future.
Just my .02
From what I have heard, the water will cause the grain of the wood to raise unevenly. This point may be moot if your cigars are covered by cello. If the grain does rise, once the ood is dry to the touch, just sand it lightly with emory cloth/extremely fine sand paper. Not only will it even out the grain, it will release more cedar fragrance.
Emo
Emo
Tony Bones
Grundalier
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2004
- Messages
- 768
Understand where you are coming from here and wondered the same myself.Snowdust said:
Very little water actually soaked into my humi for some reason. I assume that different cuts of spanish cedar have different characteristics?
At-any-rate, this method worked well for me to get to where I needed to be. Ultimately, I'd like to be just a little lower than where I am (68). I think this will come with the addition of more sticks.
Emo hit the best solution, furst get a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill it half full of regular table salt.Then just enough water to make a sortof Paste. Now place that in a baggie, then put your Hygrometer in the baggie with the salt, but not touching it. Zip it up and leave it overnight. The meter should be on 75% in the morning. Note how far off it is if any. This will tell you what your actual RH is in your Humi.
If the humi is determined to still be dry....
Here is my adapted method (I used the wiping method the first time and did not see any problems for almost a year, now the grain of the cedar has lifted and there are tiny little splinters, I am going to sand it lightly soon, but I digress)
Now, what you want to do. First make sure you have the proper amount of Beads, 1/2 pound for 5 cubic feet. Then, rather than pouring any water in beads that have previously been "Activated", I recommend putting a small container of room Temp Distilled water in the humi with the Beads in place. Close the lid and leave it for about 24 hrs.
Climmax Beads are designed to work with Water Vapors, so as the H2O is released by evaporation into the air, the beads will pick it up and store it away until it reaches the assigned RH (70% or 65%, whichever beads you got) Once you take the container of water out, you can put your cigars back in, then check it again in 24 hrs.
If your cigars are very dry, then the beads will start releasing the stored water as the moisture is absorbed by the Tobacco, you may have to perform this 2 times to rehumidify the Wood first, then the Cigars. If you try to rehumidify them at the same time, you may cause too much RH fluctuation in the cigars and end up with cracks on some of your wrappers.
If the humi is determined to still be dry....
Here is my adapted method (I used the wiping method the first time and did not see any problems for almost a year, now the grain of the cedar has lifted and there are tiny little splinters, I am going to sand it lightly soon, but I digress)
Now, what you want to do. First make sure you have the proper amount of Beads, 1/2 pound for 5 cubic feet. Then, rather than pouring any water in beads that have previously been "Activated", I recommend putting a small container of room Temp Distilled water in the humi with the Beads in place. Close the lid and leave it for about 24 hrs.
Climmax Beads are designed to work with Water Vapors, so as the H2O is released by evaporation into the air, the beads will pick it up and store it away until it reaches the assigned RH (70% or 65%, whichever beads you got) Once you take the container of water out, you can put your cigars back in, then check it again in 24 hrs.
If your cigars are very dry, then the beads will start releasing the stored water as the moisture is absorbed by the Tobacco, you may have to perform this 2 times to rehumidify the Wood first, then the Cigars. If you try to rehumidify them at the same time, you may cause too much RH fluctuation in the cigars and end up with cracks on some of your wrappers.
Hey Scott, You forget to mention that your winters are very dry, as long as your half pound of 70% beads isnt dry to the touch, "dont know if you added any dist. water since you set it up", just try to stay out of it a little more, I know its hard been there myself but it does get better . If you still have trouble staying out of it I do have a number of the support group I used, " you should have got that glass top humidor your wife thought was SOO pretty :sign: :sign: :sign:
Oh yea adding an additional 100 or so cigars will help alot
Oh yea adding an additional 100 or so cigars will help alot
Hi Scott,
You do have a lot of empty space still to fill. Here would be my sugestions.
Don't rush it, it may take a while to get up to par. Basically the dry wood needs to stop absorbing all the moisture you put in there. They may have not stopped happening yet.
We live in a very dry area and it can be quite a challenge to keep the levels up even with a humidor that is seasoned well.
Don't discount the posability that the hygrometer may be off. Bring yours down next time you come down and check it against Randy's or a couple of mine. Take the time to do the salt test in the mean time if you like. It very well may be the hygrometer just is not accurate. Look for a good digital one in the near future.
You may need more beads. I believe you have a 1/3 pound of 70% beads. Technically that should be enough but I think I would go with a 1/2 pound. So, yea, more beads may be good. I have been very happy since I moved from 1/3 pound to half pounds.
Your lid seal may need a little wax. Even the most expensive of humidors may need a little wax. If too much air is getting in it's going to be impossible to keep things right were you want them.
Don't panic about 60%. As long as it really is 60% thats not going to ruin anything. I like 65% way better myself, but still it's nothing to panic about as long as it really is 60%. On the good side you will have NO burn issues. :thumbs:
It will be easier to hold things steady once that big bad boy gets up to about 2/3 full. Empty space is harder to maintain.
If you are sure about the humidity don't be afraid to set a shot glass of distilled water in there to help things out. Just don't let the humidity get out of hand the other way. Going from dry to wet can split the sticks. Don't be afraid though.
Don't open the humidor every day if you can help it.
The really important thing that I always obsess on a little too much is making sure the hygrometer is correct. I have several digitals I check against each other and even then feel a little paranoid about if they are accurate or not. That should be the first step, making sure you actually know where things stand.
Hope that helps despite jumping around so much and kind of rambling on a bit.
You do have a lot of empty space still to fill. Here would be my sugestions.
Don't rush it, it may take a while to get up to par. Basically the dry wood needs to stop absorbing all the moisture you put in there. They may have not stopped happening yet.
We live in a very dry area and it can be quite a challenge to keep the levels up even with a humidor that is seasoned well.
Don't discount the posability that the hygrometer may be off. Bring yours down next time you come down and check it against Randy's or a couple of mine. Take the time to do the salt test in the mean time if you like. It very well may be the hygrometer just is not accurate. Look for a good digital one in the near future.
You may need more beads. I believe you have a 1/3 pound of 70% beads. Technically that should be enough but I think I would go with a 1/2 pound. So, yea, more beads may be good. I have been very happy since I moved from 1/3 pound to half pounds.
Your lid seal may need a little wax. Even the most expensive of humidors may need a little wax. If too much air is getting in it's going to be impossible to keep things right were you want them.
Don't panic about 60%. As long as it really is 60% thats not going to ruin anything. I like 65% way better myself, but still it's nothing to panic about as long as it really is 60%. On the good side you will have NO burn issues. :thumbs:
It will be easier to hold things steady once that big bad boy gets up to about 2/3 full. Empty space is harder to maintain.
If you are sure about the humidity don't be afraid to set a shot glass of distilled water in there to help things out. Just don't let the humidity get out of hand the other way. Going from dry to wet can split the sticks. Don't be afraid though.
Don't open the humidor every day if you can help it.
The really important thing that I always obsess on a little too much is making sure the hygrometer is correct. I have several digitals I check against each other and even then feel a little paranoid about if they are accurate or not. That should be the first step, making sure you actually know where things stand.
Hope that helps despite jumping around so much and kind of rambling on a bit.