Distilled water for my Humidor....at last!!!

[soprano85]

At long last I have managed to find a place where I can purchase distilled water online. thank god.

I'm having 5x1 litre bottles sent, since thats the smallest they do.

My humidor, believe it or not which I bought some 5 weeks ago now is STILL wrapped in its box because I haven't taken it out because I can't season it. I don't want to risk any problems with it by taking it out of its box and having it sitting around, unseasoned. though i'm sure i'm just being paranoid

looking forward to getting a box of stogies at new year. Was hoping to get a box for xmas but I simply can't afford it.....so i'm HOPING i'll have money for a box for new yearish time :S

but we'll wait and see

[mastershogun]

man... didn't realize it was so hard to get over there
good luck on your new/old humi

[soprano85]

Erm, after making this post i've gone nuts and taken the humi from its box.

I don't know if this is cause for concern, but, the humi is unseasoned....but the hygrometre is already reading 70%. no way this can be right surely?

I've read that you can put your hygrometre into a bag blah blah blah to see what level its actually acuratly reading, but my metre is stuck fast and cannot be removed from the humi

Surely this isn't right......is it? Should I leave the lid open a few days and see what happens with the metre?

How will I know if its reading accuratley?

[whiteboard]

I wouldn't trust the built in hygrometer anyway. Get yourself a small digital online -- such as a western digital -- and test it using the salt method. Plenty of information on CS and on the Web on how to do the test. Then you will know for certain what your RH is. Those built in analog hygrometers can be way off. Get something you can test and then trust -- or you will always be worrying about it.

[soprano85]

Just in case anyone wants to know, my humi is one of these ones:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MARSEILLE-DELU...ayphotohosting

I bought it from my work, Costco, because we're selling them at only £41. It is a great humi, no doubt about that.

But, what if I got myself another digital hygrometre, tested it to see what the real RH is, and if the two metres match, surely then my built in metre is ok?

[Airborne RU]

Is distilled water that hard to find in Scotland? It is available here in the states at 86 cents a gallon in every Wal Mart (triple processed by filtration, distillation, and reverse osmosis). I usually fill up my spray bottle as soon as I open a jug, then use the rest for drinking water.

As for your hygrometer readings this could be one of three things.

1. The interior of your humi is laminated (some Davidoffs are laminated) and thus does not require seasoning. Consequently, the aromatic properties of spanish cedar are lost, but if you are not doing long term aging I suppose it doesn't matter.

2. You hygrometer is off, way off. Unfortunately this is very common, even in the middle of the measured range and not just the extremes. What type of hygrometer btw, digital? analog? You should probably test your hygrometer.

3. The interior of you humi has yet start absorbing water in earnest. Normally this doen't take too long, spanish ceder is fairly porus and takes up water and gives off water fairly quickly.

Just my 2 pence.

Have some Laphroig or Springbank for me.

[soprano85]

Originally Posted by Airborne RU

Is distilled water that hard to find in Scotland? It is available here in the states at 86 cents a gallon in every Wal Mart (triple processed by filtration, distillation, and reverse osmosis). I usually fill up my spray bottle as soon as I open a jug, then use the rest for drinking water.

Well, I've been having a hell of a time finding distilled water, so I gather its tricky to find here. lol.

I have noticed something though. You say you find it easy to get distilled water whreas i've had a hell of a time finding it.....but....I can get cuban cigars at the drop of a hat which i believe are still illegal in the states

only messin bud. i've left the lid open on my humi just to see what happens, but the instructions that came with it all say it needs to be seasoned blah blah.

[omowasu]

If all else fails, you can distill your own water by boiling a pot of water and catching the steam somehow. There are a few ways that this can be done, you can google the topic or if all else fails, PM me.

As for the hygrometer, it could be off or there may have been 70% RH when it was stored. Let it sit out for a day or two and see if the needle goes down to match the RH in your location. Then place it in a ziploc bag with a wet paper towel and see if it rises to 90-95% RH. If it fails either test, it needs adjustment or replacement.

Dont worry too much about seasoning the humi, I just put a bowl of distilled water right in there for about two weeks. That worked well, there are also seasoning kits available if needed.

[Airborne RU]

[QUOTE=soprano85;649145]
I have noticed something though. You say you find it easy to get distilled water whreas i've had a hell of a time finding it.....but....I can get cuban cigars at the drop of a hat which i believe are still illegal in the states
QUOTE]

Yes, yes, *sigh* good point.

Off topic and out of curiosity what kind of non Cuban cigars are available at your local Tobaccoist? Or is it basically all Cuban all the time? Perhaps we could work out some sort of cigar exchange...

[soprano85]

[QUOTE=Airborne RU;649347]

Originally Posted by soprano85

I have noticed something though. You say you find it easy to get distilled water whreas i've had a hell of a time finding it.....but....I can get cuban cigars at the drop of a hat which i believe are still illegal in the states
QUOTE]

Yes, yes, *sigh* good point.

Off topic and out of curiosity what kind of non Cuban cigars are available at your local Tobaccoist? Or is it basically all Cuban all the time? Perhaps we could work out some sort of cigar exchange...

Oh he sells non-cubans alrite, my fav non-cubans are definatly the Macanudos he sells. But he sells heaps of others, such a small shop...yet so MANY cigars Gotta love those Cubans

[whiteboard]

Originally Posted by Airborne RU

You should probably test your hygrometer.

Originally Posted by omowasu

Then place it in a ziploc bag with a wet paper towel and see if it rises to 90-95% RH.

Originally Posted by soprano85

I've read that you can put your hygrometre into a bag blah blah blah to see what level its actually acuratly reading, but my metre is stuck fast and cannot be removed from the humi

Guys, it's going to be difficult for him to test his current hygrometer. As he posted, he has a humidor with a fixed hygro.

Soprano, get a Western Digital hygrometer and test it using the salt test. Don't use the moist paper towel test. It's not as reliable. You want to know exactly how much the digital is off. Usually, they are +/- 2. Once you know how accurate the digital is based on the salt test, you can compare it to your analog that is fixed in your humidor.

Here's how to perform the salt test.

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25746

Originally Posted by soprano85

But, what if I got myself another digital hygrometre, tested it to see what the real RH is, and if the two metres match, surely then my built in metre is ok?

The Digital will likely not be 100% accurate either. But the test will tell you just how accurate. And yes, by comparing the two hygrometer readings, you will then know how accurate the hygrometer is that's built into your humidor.

[replicant_argent]

Easy simple fix. Don't go crazy trying to find distilled water. Get some drinking water at your local store, read the label. Buy anything that says "purified with reverse osmosis"

Done. Cheap. No hassle.


The above has been posted by a certified water specialist.

[Viper139]

The Western Calibre hygros are good units but I really like the new adjsutable hygros I sell. When you finish the salt test or the Boveda Calibration pack you can just adjust the inaccuracy out. This way you don't have to remember the amount the hygro is off.

They are the bottom 2 hygros on the linked page below.

http://heartfeltindustries.com/store/index.php?cPath=35

[soprano85]

I left the lid on my humi open all night last night and all through today. The built in analogue hygrometre has dropped from 70%rh to 65%rh.

Not sure if these means anything except its lost humidity. lol

[Warhorse545]

Some here from the UK stated the found distilled water at a auto parts store. It's the water they used to fill batteries. Might be an option for ya.


Stacey