Humidifier element oversaturated?

[PJD]

Originally Posted by apevia

Glad to hear everything is going well. 65% or 70% is just personal preference. I keep mine at 70% but have heard of many keeping theirs at 65%. Do you have a picture that shows your problem? That would help. Otherwise you can always email heartfelt and see what suggestions they have to offer.

No pics (still too much of a noob on this site to post 'em anyway, even if I did). But it's simply a matter of the plastic case containing the beads won't snap fully shut, because the small beads moved around. I've tried poking them back in but I'm deathly afraid the whole case will just open up and I'll have a very expensive beadstorm on my hands.

[Herf N Turf]

Originally Posted by PJD

Hi guys,
An update. I contacted the good folks at Heartfield and based on what I described, they recommended 4 ounces of 70% beads. They arrived 4 days later. I squirted distilled in the case and about 2/3 of the beads turned clear. In just a couple of days the RH is holding steady at 70% give or take a point and the 'gars and I are both as happy as can be.

Incidentally, when I fist put distilled water in the squirt bottle and moistened the clear front to the case the water just seemed to collect and not go through to the actual beads. I carefully cracked open the case along one long seem and squirted a little water inside, but now I can't seem to get the case properly sealed up again. Is there a trick to this somehow?

Also, everything I've read says that 70% is ideal yet many here are claiming 65%. Not sure what to believe.

First off, trust me or not, but I'd lay dollars to donuts that your cigars are still too moist and will have draw and burn issues.
Secondly, 70% works fine in arid climates like the american west, but here in the east, where RH is significantly higher, I was finally forced to drop my storage humidity down to 65%. I hate the taste of crow, but I was forced to eat an entire entre of it, since I was one of the staunchest advocates of the 70/70 ideal. I simply had too many stiff draws and too many cracking wrappers.

Once you break the seal on the beads tubes, it wont hold again unless you glue it back in place. I know what you mean about not thinking the water is making it inside to tubes, but it is.

[PJD]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

First off, trust me or not, but I'd lay dollars to donuts that your cigars are still too moist and will have draw and burn issues.
Secondly, 70% works fine in arid climates like the american west, but here in the east, where RH is significantly higher, I was finally forced to drop my storage humidity down to 65%. I hate the taste of crow, but I was forced to eat an entire entre of it, since I was one of the staunchest advocates of the 70/70 ideal. I simply had too many stiff draws and too many cracking wrappers.

Once you break the seal on the beads tubes, it wont hold again unless you glue it back in place. I know what you mean about not thinking the water is making it inside to tubes, but it is.

Haven't had any cracked wrappers and I vastly prefer a stiff draw over loose, but I'll consider getting a container of 65% beads in a few months, especially if I get what I'm planning on getting to fill the humi up (which will likely require long-term storage if what I've read is accurate).

So far all seems to be good, though. Other than the original over-humidification of the humidor, it's kept in a heavily air-conditioned room with a RH in the low-50% range and never above 75*F (usually closer to 70). The only problem I've found is when I'm smoking outside and the ambient night-time humidity is 75% or more, the last third of the cigar is generally very soggy and requires many re-lights. The first 2/3, or at least the first half, usually burn nicely. Before, when I had the problems I first mentioned, I'd get no more than 1 to 2" of burn then it would go out after 30 seconds of non-puffage.

[e-man]

I put the spray bottle in direct contact with my bead pucks, then squeeze. It helps more water get into the unit. Of course, I have to wipe off any excess water before putting them back in. For the tubes, I pop off an end and dribble water on the beads, then put the cap back on and do the same to the other end.

[PJD]

Originally Posted by e-man

I put the spray bottle in direct contact with my bead pucks, then squeeze. It helps more water get into the unit. Of course, I have to wipe off any excess water before putting them back in. For the tubes, I pop off an end and dribble water on the beads, then put the cap back on and do the same to the other end.

I have what Heartfelt calls their medium humidifier bead case, a snap-together metal case that has the same dimensions as the plastic one that came with my humidor. I won't say it's a sealed unit, but clearly it's probably best if it's never actually opened. I did open it up the other day and, carefully using a straight-edge and a light touch, managed to get all the beads seated back inside the case and away from the lip, which was causing the problems. I then moistened a good number of them with the squirt bottle full of distilled water (about 60% or so are clear now) and carefully reassembled the case.

Since all that was done on Sunday, my humi is holding nicely at about 68% RH (according to a digital hygrometer that was checked for accuracy last week). When I enjoy my burnt offering after supper tonight I'll take another look and see if there's been any change since this morning's reading.

Since the air is cooler and dryer outside than earlier in the week, this should also give me opportunity to see if the burn improves and hope that what was an acrid taste on the first of the lot of 5 White-label Monetcristos improves in this drier smoking environment and with a drier storage environment.