A number of questions about humidity and a new humidor.

[srsfsu]

I recently purchased a new a 100+ count humidor and it has seasoned for a week. I took the bowl of distilled water out and put a 2 oz tube of 65% beads in (saturated half the tube). Both of my digital hygrometers have been calibrated. Currently there are no cigars in the humidor.

I live in Florida and my humidor temps run high. Currently the humidity in the humidor has been holding steady at 70-72% with the 65% beads in. Now, I have a few questions:

1) I am hesitant to put a bunch of cigars in there until the humidity drops a few %'s.

2) If I do put a large amount of cigars in there, will the humidity go up or down?

3) I thought the 65% beads would give me a lower humidity level. I did the flashlight check and it seems to be a good seal. What gives? I really would like that humidity to be around 65-68%.

4) I have a real small humidor (about a 20 count) and it holds 68 percent with no humidifier in it at all. Is this common? In Florida should I even bother with a humidification device 9 months out of the year?

Thanks for the help.

[muziq]

1) I am hesitant to put a bunch of cigars in there until the humidity drops a few %'s. Don't be.

2) If I do put a large amount of cigars in there, will the humidity go up or down? Depends on the humidity of the sticks--are they from a B&M or have they been shipped? If shipped, domestic or overseas, and how long in transit? Were they packed with a humipac or other humidifying device? Not going to be able to give a stock answer on this one.

3) I thought the 65% beads would give me a lower humidity level. I did the flashlight check and it seems to be a good seal. What gives? I really would like that humidity to be around 65-68%. Don't worry too much about micromanaging the RH, esp. in a warm, humid state like Florida. If you're not actively cooling the innards of the humidor, then the ambient humidity of the room it sits in will probably be the determining factor in the internal RH of the humidor. If if spikes up to 80%, then you'd want to take some measures to try bringing it down.

4) I have a real small humidor (about a 20 count) and it holds 68 percent with no humidifier in it at all. Is this common? In Florida should I even bother with a humidification device 9 months out of the year? Every humidor, like every car and every woman, is built different and reacts different to ambient/environmental conditions. Everything from the finish on the humi to the grain/quality of the sp cedar to the alignment of the Dogstar is going to affect your RH differently. You may not need to bother with humidification much in Florida, but that will be something you have to determine for each humi you have over a long period of time. Good luck!

[Nabinger16]

Muziq is wise! Pretty much the same thing I would have said.

The only thing I would add is, higher ambient temperatures will hold humidity longer. Since you have just seasoned your humi, and the temps are higher than optimal it will hold the higher RH longer.

[srsfsu]

Thanks for the tips guys. I just got back from the B&M! I also moved the humidor into an interior closet. Hopefully the temp will drop and the humidity levels as well.

[Nabinger16]

Another thing a few people have done in attempt to lower temp is to set the humi on the floor or the lowest possible point in the house. The whole heat rises thing...

On the other hand, I have read posts about guys that live out in south western states that their humi's maintain 75+ degrees without them having any problems. I'm glad I don't have to deal with such an issue, but it shows it is possible to maintain smokes successfully in warmer environments. I personally strive to keep mine as cool and consistent as possible.

[Marlboro Cigars]

I wouldn't worry about it too much,
but more dry beads may help.

[srsfsu]

Originally Posted by Nabinger16

Another thing a few people have done in attempt to lower temp is to set the humi on the floor or the lowest possible point in the house. The whole heat rises thing...

On the other hand, I have read posts about guys that live out in south western states that their humi's maintain 75+ degrees without them having any problems. I'm glad I don't have to deal with such an issue, but it shows it is possible to maintain smokes successfully in warmer environments. I personally strive to keep mine as cool and consistent as possible.

I am certainly not an expert, but I read a quote on here that I thought was interesting and spot on:

"Most of the places you visit in Cuba, the Caribbean, and Central America don't have air conditioning and it doesn't seem to affect the quality of the smokes down there."

I live in a climate similar to places that grow and manufacture some of the worlds best cigars, so I guess I'll be o.k.