Noob humidor help

[wayner123]

First off, GREAT SITE you have here guys and gals. I have learned sooo much just by searching and reading (and reading and reading :P). So here's my problem(s):

I have a desktop humidor. I think it's 20ct. . Well before really reading up I was a avid gel crystal user. However, these dang crystals have seemed to be my downfall. I have about 14 cigars in my humi right now and I checked the crystals about 2 or 3 weeks ( I don't smoke cigars too often). Well the level of the crystals was always around or above the full line. For about 4 months now the crystals have been at the full line and did not move. Which should have been my first red flag. So I decided to inspect my cigars. They are dried out!! Not to the point of cracking but definatly dried out. I was pissed and sadden. Furthermore, I did not know at the time the inaccuracy's of analog hygrometer's. It always stayed right on or around 65%. But now I know different .

So, I read around the internet and found this place. I read about RH beads and got the 65% puck from cigarmony. I also read about the cheap wal-mart hygrometer and bought it as well. I modified it per the ************ write up by drilling some holes in it.

So then, after all that, I got the humi set up and I have let it sit for 4 days now. I have read it may take a while for a dry humidor to regulate properly, but even with the 65% beads in the puck, my hygrometer reads at 52%. I have only had to spray the beads once in the past 4 days to get back to 70% clear.

I have not done the salt test for the hygrometer, but I think I may have to. What do you all recommend??

Should I just remain paitient and allow it to keep regulating for a while longer?
And at 4 months of dry air are my cigars ??

I hope this is not confusing, and I apologize for such a long first post. Thanks for any help.

[Ermo]

Welcome.

Your digital hygro may not be exact, but after 2 weeks with the beads, whatever it is reading is actually 65%. Some are off by 10%, some are accurate.

As far as the dried out cigars, after 4 months of no humidity they'd be dead, but with some they should still be good. There's only 1 way to find out, so start smoking!!

Overall, just try to relax, cigars are fun not stressful. Keep the puck in there and let it regulate for a few weeks and everything will be fine.

Remember, at first you might have to re-hydrate the puck more often than normal because the walls of your humi AND your cigars are sucking up the moisture.

[trogdor | the burninator]

hey bro,

welcome to the jungle. you should probably make your way over to the New Gorilla Forum and introduce yourself for all to see...

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=23


....and here we go.
1. Make sure to calibrate your digital hygro. You could do a salt test (search), but i suggest you just pick up a Boveda Calibration Kit.

2. Did you season the walls of your humidor? What kind of humidor is it or more importantly, what kind of wood is it lined with?

3. Are you using distilled water to season the humi and charge the beads?

4. After four months of being dry boxed, i'd say your cigars will never be the same. In any case, no harm in trying to treat them back to a smokeable condition...there's just no telling how they'll actually smoke.

[wayner123]

Originally Posted by trogdor | the burninator

hey bro,

welcome to the jungle. you should probably make your way over to the New Gorilla Forum and introduce yourself for all to see...

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=23


....and here we go.
1. Make sure to calibrate your digital hygro. You could do a salt test (search), but i suggest you just pick up a Boveda Calibration Kit.

2. Did you season the walls of your humidor? What kind of humidor is it or more importantly, what kind of wood is it lined with?

3. Are you using distilled water to season the humi and charge the beads?

4. After four months of being dry boxed, i'd say your cigars will never be the same. In any case, no harm in trying to treat them back to a smokeable condition...there's just no telling how they'll actually smoke.

Thanks for the replies so far. To answer some questions:

1. Yeah I'm a cheapo, I'll probably just do the salt test.

2. I have seasoned my humidor twice in the past two years. Maybe I need to do it again? It's a cedar lined humidor. It's really nice one for the money. However, I could possibly seal it up better. Any ideas on that?

3. Distilled water ONLY . Learned that the hard way last year, when my crystals got mold on them.

4. Yeah, I hope that I can revive them to at least 50%. I had 3 cohiba robustos and 2 montecristo no. 2's , havana. So it would definitely suck if those are dead.

[john51277]

The biggest thing to remember is to HAVE FUN!!!

[trogdor | the burninator]

if your RH doesn't come back up after the week, i think you've got seal issues. not sure what the best solution would be other than going to a coolerdor or buyin a new desktop. i bet there's some sort of tape or seran wrap or something you could use, but for all that work....a small coolerdor costs very little

[wayner123]

Thanks guys for all the help.

I went and did the salt test on my digital hygrometer from walmart. It came out 69% which as I understand is 6% off. So, I am just gonna remember that number and adjust. The hygrometer has been sitting in the humi for about 5 hours now and it has regulated to 53% (which is really 59%). So there is still a problem. I got the 65% beads in the puck so it should be 65% (or in my case 59%) right?

I also put a flashlight into my humidor to see if it was leaking anywhere. I could see a very faint light coming out where the hinges are but I wouldn't think that little amount would allow it to be off by 6%? Am I incorrect for thinking that?

So I still have a couple of problems, please let me know what else I should do. I don't really want to buy a new humidor, but I fear that's my only option now.

P.S. I also re-sprayed my beads as they looked about 40% clear so I got them back to 70% clear. So it went from 70% clear to 40% clear in 2 days. I don't know enough right now to know if that is sign of something. Thanks.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by wayner123

I could see a very faint light coming out where the hinges are but I wouldn't think that little amount would allow it to be off by 6%? Am I incorrect for thinking that?

If you can see light then its losing humidity....that is probably your problem. If you have a small "six pack" sized hard plastic cooler I would transfer your cigars along with the beads and see if the humidity stabilizes for you. If so, you might want to invest in a new desktop humi with a tight seal. There are a lot of vendors selling small inexpensive desktop humis, and a reputable vendor will guarantee the seal on a new humi. Just my Good Luck and Welcome to the Jungle .

[RGD]

Of course you are going to get different opinions - which more or less will be along the same lines - so here is my take on it.

First thing I would take your smokes and put them in a zip lock bag and then place that bag inside another zip lock bag - and set aside.

Next take a clean new sponge or towel and very lightly wipe the inside of the humi. Take a small bowl/shot glass/cup of water and place along with the Puck inside the humi and shut the lid. Check after 24 hours, 48 hours, etc until it's a stable reading.
At this point your humi should be go to go. Now take out the small bowl/shot glass/cup of water and put your smokes back in.

Understand that there is going to be a sudden drop in RH. This is normal as the smokes are dry. Spray the Puck so it is all clear. You are not worried about the Puck absorbing moisture so it's okay. Keep this up until you reach a normal RH and your smokes are no longer dry. Then go back to the only spraying 70% on your puck.

Good luck with it all -


Ron

[wharfrathoss]

if your humi turn out to be bunk, cheaphumidors.com or cbid are good options for cheap small desktops-might want to think about going larger while you're at it, you'll need the space soon!-small cooler is a good idea too-very thin weathestripping might improve your seal, or i think i read that one of the BOTL uses canning wax

[wayner123]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the help. I am going to order another humidor this week from cheaphumidors. They have a nice selection for the amount that I smoke.

So then, that being said. I opened up the puck and again less than half of the crystals were clear. So I decided to spray them down once again. However, this time something different happened. The crystals turned like really really clear almost dark to the point of looking over saturated. Is it possible to over wet/hydrate the RH beads?? I don't mean in percentages of clear vs white. I mean as far as the clear ones looking really really dark wet. Sorry for all my noob mess ups and questions.

[floydpink]

Cheaphumidors.com is my favorite. They have good deals and even better ones on the "blemished" ones, that are like the RP seconds; hard to see the blemishes.

Best of all, you can assault Dave (the owner) at cheaphumidors with all kinds of questions and he will reply to them all and remain cheerful for your business. He is second to none in my book.

[wayner123]

Hey all,

I just wanted to give an update. I bought a new humidor and seasoned it properly. I also got it to about 90% capacity with cigars. I had already done the mod to my hygrometer to increase the airflow into it. So all that being done, it is now holding steady at 63%, which after doing the salt test again, is right at 65% RH. Thanks to all that helped. The problem was my old humidor wasn't sealed properly and never could hold RH.

Now I have to wait a few months to allow my smokes, that dried out a little, to get back to where they were.

[JPH]

Originally Posted by wayner123

Hey all,

I just wanted to give an update. I bought a new humidor and seasoned it properly. I also got it to about 90% capacity with cigars. I had already done the mod to my hygrometer to increase the airflow into it. So all that being done, it is now holding steady at 63%, which after doing the salt test again, is right at 65% RH. Thanks to all that helped. The problem was my old humidor wasn't sealed properly and never could hold RH.

Now I have to wait a few months to allow my smokes, that dried out a little, to get back to where they were.

Sweet man glad to hear you got everything under control...