Humidor and Hygrometer Problems

[chenakos]

Hi,

I got in my new 25 cigar humidor in my hands last Wednesday and I started its seasoning procedure staright away. I did not wipe its interior down with distilled water, instead I used a brand new sponge which was saturated with distilled water and its credo alike humidifier which was again saturated with distilled water and both of them were put inside the humidor. They stayed there for 6 days until yesterday night. Every day I was adding a little bit of distilled water in each of the sponges to be sure that they are always well damped. During the seasoning procedure inside the humidor there were an analogue and a digital hygrometer. The analogue hygrometer was calibrated with the wet cloth procedure (according to the instructions I found in this forum). During these 6 days of seasoning the humidor, both of the hygrometers readings were too high. The digital was reading 92% and the analogue 85-88%.

Yesterday night I removed both of the sponges from the interior of the humidor and I placed my cigars inside along with one Boveda 72%RH and a DryMistad tube. I also placed inside the humidor both the digital and the analogue hygrometer. Today I checked the readings of both the hygrometers and I saw that the humidity levels were again too high, with the digital one reading 82% and the analogue one reading 72-75%.

Now my questions are the following:

Why is the humidity level too high in the humidor? The digital hygrometer gives 82 which is too high but even the analogue gives a very high reading of 75%. Is the humidity going to be reduced as the days go by or something else is happening? Is it maybe the fact that I use both the Boveda 72%RH and the DryMistad humidifier in such a small humidor that increases so much the humidity levels?

Last, what is the reason that although the analogue hygrometer was calibrated, reads lower values than the digital one (about 10% down)? The instructions of the digital hygrometer state that it should not be callibrated as it is set by the factory to read exactly the correct levels of humidity and there is no need for it to be calibrated.

What is the value that the analogue hygrometer should read at the end of the wet cloth calibration test? Is it 95% or 100%?

[n2advnture]

I would ditch the current humdification products and get the Humidi-Puck or the beads from Heartfelt Industries. They make RH control effortless!

The RH will go down as you add cigars.

Most digital hygros are 1-4% off and most don't have a calibration adjustment (unless you spend about $80 on a really good one).

The Western Digital hygrometers have been VERY accurate and run about $20.

Hope this helps!
~Mark

[RGD]

Life with your humidor is going to be much easier if you take Mark's advise and get either the Humidpuck or the beads. Since you already have a Drymistat tube and the Boveda - no harm in using those for now. Personally I would take the Boveda out though - 72% is a bit to high RH for most of us. Just leave the Drymistat tube in.
Next thing is that you simply need to give everything time to settle out. Your readings were high to start with and normally adding smokes will raise the RH up due to most smokes being shipped wet anyway - so just give it time and it will come around. I know it's tough with a new humidor and all - but just leave it alone.
As for the analog verse digital - toss the analog and forget you ever saw it. Yes they are neat to look at - but very slow to register and not accurate.
From the directions you stated - sounds like you have a Western Digital - if so - I would just go with it. I did test mine after I got it and it was balls on.

Good luck with it all -

Ron

[Baric]

You may have two broken/miscalculating hygrometers-do you have one that you know works? If you do you could use this to sample the humidity, or try to accurately calibrate the hygrometers using perhaps the salt test (search the forums for that)-it isunlikely to be broken hygros but you may as well rule them out. Second-just follow the advice above-get a humidifier you can rely on and just try and forget about the RH readings, trusting in the magic of the humidi-puck or heartfelt beads. Also, just try a trial period of one week with your humi full just to see if things dont stabilise out-this period will not destroy/damage your cigars irreconcilably, so you can always fix any [unlikely] problems occuring then.

[NCRadioMan]

Open the humi up and let it dry out for a few hours if it's too wet. Salt-test the digital hygro and throw the analog in the trash, they're crap.


NCRM

[chenakos]

I salt tested both of the hygrometers and both of them are ok now! I also removed the Boveda 72RH and left inside only the DryMistad tube na dthe humidity droped already to 77 so far.

[JPH]

I had/am having the exact same problem....I over humidified. I took humidification device (shitty foam) out and let the humidor come down to like 65% after a few days (while drying out the sopping wet foam) Finally the foam is dry and the humidor is at around 65% so I'm reintroducing the humidifier to see when happens I'm praying it doesn't shoot to over 70 again.

I agree with other people posting, saying to get the beads, I just cant afford them. I'm going to find some local smokers and mooch some beads,,,,LOL,,, I only got a 25-50 anyways.

Let me know how it goes with your humidity

-Jeremy

[Teninx]

chenakos: Let me make a reasoned comment..your small humidor will hold enough smokes for how long? Two or three weeks? Just put your cigars in it and smoke the ones you want. If the humidity is too high, leave the lid open for a bit. If it's too low, add a little more humidification medium. Cigars are not as perishible as produce or ice cream. Don't obsess, just enjoy!

When your cigar stock gets larger and you put cigars down for extended aging, the conditions they're stored in will become more critical. But for now, find out what you like to smoke and concentrate on the pleasures of the leaf. Don't worry about a few points of humidity or a couple degrees of temperature.

This isn't meant to be demeaning or critical...just saying that our passion for the fine leaf is all about enjoyment and not about worry. Regards and good luck!

[Viper139]

Originally Posted by JPH

I had/am having the exact same problem....I over humidified. I took humidification device (shitty foam) out and let the humidor come down to like 65% after a few days (while drying out the sopping wet foam) Finally the foam is dry and the humidor is at around 65% so I'm reintroducing the humidifier to see when happens I'm praying it doesn't shoot to over 70 again.

I agree with other people posting, saying to get the beads, I just cant afford them. I'm going to find some local smokers and mooch some beads,,,,LOL,,, I only got a 25-50 anyways.

Let me know how it goes with your humidity

-Jeremy

PM sent.

[qwerty1500]

Originally Posted by Viper139

PM sent.

Listen to the man.

No one is more anal than I am about rh. I read this and thought to myself that I ought to write a book ... freelance myself in the desktop humi seansoning business ... can't believe I said that ... it must be the martinis.

Sorry Viper, I still use the Drymistat tubes. Yes, I think your product is head and shoulders better ... I recommend the beads to everyone I help with their humi. Unfortunately, I have a small fortune invested in these things.

Don't worry too much about the humi. Sounds like it is on the right track. Just enjoy the smokes.

[chenakos]

Almost all of you in here suggested me to leave the DryMistad tube way of humidification and move to the beads or the humidi-puck. As far as it concerns the beads I realy don't see any difference between the DryMistad tube and the beads! Both of them use crystals! So what is the difference between them? What is the magic of beads in contrast with the DryMistad tube which also uses crystals?

[n2advnture]

Originally Posted by chenakos

...Both of them use crystals!...

They are completely different.

The humidi-beads are a moisture sensitive silica media that has been engineered to absorb and release water vapor to maintain a precise level of relative humidity with an indefinite lifespan of the material.

The Drimistat is a plastic polymer (potassium polyacrylate). As quoted on the Drimistat website "This expansion and contraction can occur hundreds of times before the crystals become "used up".

Hope this helps.
~Mark

[chenakos]

Thanks very much Mark for your reply!

Although DryMistad tube promises to keep a stable 70% humidity I would be very much interested to buy something that is generally accepted to be better. So what is your suggestion on this matter? Which of Heartfelt Industries products would you suggest me to buy for a 20-25 cigar desktop humidor?

Many thanks!

Chris

[j6ppc]

Originally Posted by chenakos

Which of Heartfelt Industries products would you suggest me to buy for a 20-25 cigar desktop humidor?

Many thanks!

Chris

(Hope I'm not stepping on Marks toes here)
You might want to consider for that size:
the 1/2 Ounce Humi Tube
or
the Short Humidi-Puck

alternately if you have an existing humidification device just get 1/2 lb
of the beads of your choice, possibly a small mesh bag - retro-fit* the existing device and have enough beads left over for a smallish collidor or other project...

I chose the latter course and my smokes are *happy* as is my wallet.

YMMV

Bests

Jon

*retro fit involves discarding the oasis element; replacing it with a like volume of beads, mesh bag, screen or random stocking fragment may also be needed depending on the size of the holes in the existing humi device. Someone has a helpful howto on this already posted.

[n2advnture]

Originally Posted by chenakos

Thanks very much Mark for your reply!

Although DryMistad tube promises to keep a stable 70% humidity I would be very much interested to buy something that is generally accepted to be better. So what is your suggestion on this matter? Which of Heartfelt Industries products would you suggest me to buy for a 20-25 cigar desktop humidor?

Many thanks!
Chris

Of course, I'd suggest the "Short" Humidi-Puck from Heartfelt but then again, I'm biased It's the most simple and effective way to go for precision humidity regulation. (You'll never need anything else for that humidor!)

Hope this helps
~Mark