Desktop Humidors

[McCharlie]

Didn't find a thread dealing with desktop humidors. My question is are they very good for long term storage? I have one and I am keeping a few smokes in there that I don't want to touch for about six months, but they seem a little dry. Maybe it's because it's so small whenever I open the lid all the moist air just goes away and then has to build up again.... Your thoughts on desktops?

[croatan]

I've stored cigars for over ten years in desktops. They work fine as long as your humidity level is correct. You say your cigars seem dry. You may want to look into salt-testing your hygrometer and/or buying a digital one. Odds are that the analog hygrometer that came with your desktop isn't displaying the true relative humidity.

[McCharlie]

Originally Posted by croatan

I've stored cigars for over ten years in desktops. They work fine as long as your humidity level is correct. You say your cigars seem dry. You may want to look into salt-testing your hygrometer and/or buying a digital one. Odds are that the analog hygrometer that came with your desktop isn't displaying the true relative humidity.

I've done the salt thing to them. I still don't really trust the analog hygrometers though.
It may also be that this is a bad quality humidor, towards the hinges the lid is not quite flush with the body, something I just noticed...

[SouthsideCigar]

the success in using any humidor (desktop, display, table, cooler) for long term storage depends upon the quality of the seal on the humidor and the quality of the humidifier/hygrostat.
If your humidor is not sealing properly (you can use the dollar bill test or flashlight test) then it will not keep a constant RH which is bad for the cigars.

Dave

[sikk50]

Not meaning to highjack or anything, but what is salt testing?

[Wolfgang8810]

Originally Posted by sikk50

Not meaning to highjack or anything, but what is salt testing?

Its a method to calibrate your hygrometer. her is a link to the method. http://cigars.about.com/od/humidors/qt/hygrometers.htm

[bobarian]

I have found that dropping the lid is a good way to quickly check the seal. When you drop the lid you should never hear the bang of wood on wood. If the seal is tight the lid should kind of swoosh down as all the air escapes evenly from the edges. If it bangs down you know that the seal is not even all the way around, then you can do a light test and focus on the part that banged down. Hope this helps.