Proper humidor seasoning technique?

[omowasu]

Originally Posted by qwerty1500

I usually wipe down the cedar with distilled water once at the very beginning of the process but it's not necessary. It just seems to jump start the process. BUT ... don't soak the wood! Just a slightly damp paper towel and an almost undetectable film on the wood is all you need.

If you have a glass top humi, you may want to avoid heating the water. It can sometimes condensate on the glass a drip back onto the wood inside. If it's an all-wood box, I normally warm a small plastic bowl (avoids condensation on the container) of distilled water and carefully place it in the humi ... you don't want to spill it on the wood. Don't warm it to the boiling point. A nice rule of thumb is ... if it's too hot to stick your finger in it ... it's too hot. I think the warm water evaporates faster.

+1, on my most recent one, I just added a small dish of distilled water on the bottom for two weeks (after wiping down the sides with distilled water). RH went to 85% by the end. Added the beads and removed the water, and the beads sucked up the excess humidity - now it is at a rock solid 65%. And this was a cheap ebay humi.

[Zman2700]

Wow, thanks for the replys.

I used distilled water from Kroger (Kroger brand)

I used a new kitchen paper towel from a fairly new roll and got it damp with my distilled water and very lightly coated the inside - it did not get soaked at all. I wet the paper towel by placing it on top of my gallon of water and tiping it until it got wet.

I got the spanish cedar from a local woodworking store that carries a lot of hard wood supplies. They have stores all around the US I think, but I can't remember the name right now.

I did glue it in and if I really have to remove it and replace then thats $25 down the tube and it may just have to wait a week or two. In that case I may use that time to try and repair it? (not sure how I'm going to do that).

I'll try and get a picture and post it (need to borrow a camera).

Thanks guys...

[doctorcue]

Although many people have different experiences & suggestions, I recommend the Boveda packets like Trent does. It takes the guess work & worrying of wiping/wetting/spraying/etc your cedar. No mold, no water, no worries. Sure it costs more, but this is an investment. Not only the humidor, but the smokes inside of it.

Figure out roughly how many packets you will need. Order them up and throw them in. Without a worry, days to a week later all is ready to go.

With my next humi, I intend to do this again.

[montecristo#2]

Originally Posted by doctorcue

Although many people have different experiences & suggestions, I recommend the Boveda packets like Trent does. It takes the guess work & worrying of wiping/wetting/spraying/etc your cedar. No mold, no water, no worries. Sure it costs more, but this is an investment. Not only the humidor, but the smokes inside of it.

Figure out roughly how many packets you will need. Order them up and throw them in. Without a worry, days to a week later all is ready to go.

With my next humi, I intend to do this again.

I third that suggestion. I love the boveda seasoning packets, I bought them with my first humidor before really joining CS. I have used the same three to season two different humidors. In additon, if i get some extra boxes in, I throw them into a large piece of tupperware with the packets so that they don't suck all the RH out of my other tupperdors that are full with smokes. I have had them open about 3 months and they still seem to work, when I am not using them I keep them sealed in a ziplock bag.

I have two glass top humidors, when I seasoned the first one, I waited 10 days before taking out the packets and putting a humidifier into it (put cigars in the day after that), as the packets recommended 14 days. After about day 4, the RH was stable right around 71% and stayed that way until I removed the packets (never got to 84%, the number printed on the packet). I just monitored the RH through the glass with a digital hygrometer.

For my second humidor, once it stabilized after 3-4 days, the packets were taken out and my humidifier went to work with no problems.

Of course it all depends on the situation, if you buy a 20 dollar humidor, you are not going to spend 10-15 bucks for a couple of seasoning packets. If you are planning on buying a $100-200 humidor than an extra 10-15 bucks isn't going to kill you to season your humidor hassle free.

I only wish the regular boveda packets were a little cheaper, that way I would never have to deal with adding distilled water to anything.

[n2advnture]

The most common variable in taking a RH reading is making sure that your hygrometer is calibrated. Digital hygrometers are typically off by 1% and as much as 8%, so salt testing in essential is determining the exact RH level in your humidor.

Other common variables that can effect your RH level are:
1.) Is it a new humidor or an existing humidor. New humidors need to be "seasoned" properly or they will continue to absorb moisture from whatever humidification device you are using as well as drawing moisture out of your cigars.

To season, simply place a bowl of distilled water into your closed humidor and LET IT SIT for 14-21 days. Add your humidification device and monitor it until the RH level settles. Then slowly start adding cigars.

2.) Opening and closing you humidor frequently will introduce ambient humidity (humidity level outside of your humidor) into your relative humidity (the humidity level inside your humidor). If the ambient humidity is drier than the relative humidity, the humidification device will again be required to release more moisture to compensate.

3.) Adding new cigars to your humidor may quickly reduce the RH level as well. Dry cigars will absorb moisture the same as the wood of a new humidor.

Digital hygrometers are usually more accurate and reliable than analog. Regardless of what kind, it is important to maintain a humidity level of 68% to 72% inside of a humidor to properly preserve and age cigars. In order to monitor and adjust the humidity level inside of your humidor, the reading on the hygrometer must be somewhat accurate (plus or minus 2%).

How to Test and Calibrate a Hygrometer
1. Fill a milk bottle cap or other small container with salt, and add a few drops of distilled water - NOT enough to dissolve the salt, just enough to moisten it. You want the slurry to be thick and pasty.

2. Put the cap inside of an air tight zip lock or plastic container along with your hygrometer. Then seal the bag or container (Tupperware works well).

3. Wait 12 hours, then check the reading on your hygrometer without opening the bag or container (or quickly open the container and check if the container is not clear).
If the reading is 75%, then your hygrometer is accurate and no adjustment is required.

If the reading is not precisely 75%, then adjust the hygrometer to 75% by turning the screw or dial on the back. This must be done immediately after removing from the bag or container, before room conditions cause the reading to change.

If there is no screw (or dial) to recalibrate your hygrometer, then you will just have to remember to add or subtract the difference between the test reading and 75%, in order to determine the actual humidity level inside of your humidor. For example, if your hygrometer test reading was 80%, then subtract 5% from the readings you get inside of your humidor, to determine the actual levels of humidity (e.g. a reading of 70% inside your humidor equals an actual humidity level of 65%).

Of course, once your seasoned and calibrated, I recommend using The Puck™ to regulate your RH perfectly.

Hope this helps!
~Mark

[Ritchie]

Excellent.. Thanks Mark