HELP! Humidity experts, look inside....

[KASR]

Ok...I don't know what the deal is - but i can't seem to get my humidor to keep a rH of 68 or above. The solution I am using is rated for 70-75 rH - I've checked the humidor leaks (light method) and I think I'm using enough humi-elements/beads....so i leave it up to the Club Stogie P.I.'s

Wha the heck is going on here???

Here's the facts:

• The humidor is in a room with it's own AC - I usualy keep the room anywhere from 65-73 degrees.
• The humidor is away from direct light
• I had 3 of the stock humidifying blocks in the humidor, but I hate them becuz they leak all the time and saturate the wood.
• Most of my humidification comes from beads and 70-75 solution

Here's the pics to prove the gore:

Humidor in question:



Crappy stock blocks...I hate these things, up until this morning, i had them inside the humi - I don't think they were holding much solution - do you think they are absorbing what the beads are giving off??



Example of the beads and holders that I have placed throughout the humidor trays:



Top shelf:


<cont>

[KASR]

Middle tray:



Bottom tray:



Bottom shelf - obviously, I am trying to really protect my babies down here:



To provide scale of the bottom shelf bowls:



The disheartening levels:



OK, so what do you guys think/suggest I should do here. The cigars on the trays (above the shelf) are all alittle dry...when i roll them in my hand, I hear them crackle a bit...nothing dramatic, but certainly more than I would like...and lately the sticks have even tasted a little dry.

Thanks in advance guys!

[Mindflux]

Those beads shouldn't be in standing water for starters. But that shouldn't/wouldn't make humidity lower, afaik.

Is your hygrometer calibrated?

[zemekone]

honestly looks fine to me...

[LeafHog]

Originally Posted by zemekone

honestly looks fine to me...

Attachment 13480


pm sent

[zonedar]

I'd salt test the hygometer and make sure that it isn't lying to you. What 'solution' are you using and what kind of 'beads' are you using? Thought "percentage" beads were only to be used with distilled water only.

[Major Captain Silly]

Air conditioning removes moisture from the air. If you are keeping the temp between 65-73 degrees, that will affect the humidity inside the humidor. The wood in the humidor is also expanding and contracting which may cause gaps in the seals. The air exchange through those gaps might be bringing down the humidity if the air in the room has low humidity. Put the hygrometer outside your humidor for awhile and see what your room humidity is.

MCS

[DennisP]

Was the humidor properly seasoned?
What beads specifically are those? How much of them do you have?
Are the seals all good?

[garilla]

Originally Posted by Major Captain Silly

Air conditioning removes moisture from the air. If you are keeping the temp between 65-73 degrees, that will affect the humidity inside the humidor. The wood in the humidor is also expanding and contracting which may cause gaps in the seals. The air exchange through those gaps might be bringing down the humidity if the air in the room has low humidity. Put the hygrometer outside your humidor for awhile and see what your room humidity is.

MCS

Completely agree with this post and the others. First off, check Cigarmony or Heartfeltindustries sites' for instructions on what the beads should look like when they are "charged". They shoudln't really be standing in water (and I only used distilled water, no 50-50 or other mixture). Spray the beads with distilled water until 60 - 70% of them turn clear, then you're good to go. Also spread them out as much as possible (i.e. tray/mesh bag vs. a bowl), the more surface area they have, the more efficient they are.

Second, salt test your hygrometer, and even though they are inaccurate, go to Wal-Mart and buy a couple of those cheap $8 digital hygrometers, salt test those (just so you KNOW how far they are off, trust me, they'll be off) and put them in the room in a couple of different areas. The great thing about the Wal-Mart cheapos is they have a temp and humidity HISTORY stored within the unit, which will tell you EXACTLY how far your room is swinging between 2PM and 2AM.

While this may sound like a lot of work initially, it's not that bad, and well worth it for a humi (and stockpile) of that size.

Hope this helps.

- Garilla

[smokinpoke]

we could always get a cold moisture humidifier from wally world for the room.

[KASR]

OK gang! I'm draining the sanding solution from the beads....looked like I was cooking drugs there for a second! HA!

Gonna go move things around so i can spread the humidifiers around the humidor. Also going to salt test, to make sure I'm getting accurate readings. Might also check the batteries in the hygrometer. Updates to come and thank you all!

Originally Posted by smokinpoke

we could always get a cold moisture humidifier from wally world for the room.

I've been thinking about that too...

[Mindflux]

Originally Posted by KASR

OK gang! I'm draining the sanding solution from the beads....looked like I was cooking drugs there for a second! HA!

Gonna go move things around so i can spread the humidifiers around the humidor. Also going to salt test, to make sure I'm getting accurate readings. Might also check the batteries in the hygrometer. Updates to come and thank you all!





I've been thinking about that too...

You may want to also dry them out a bit. 70% of the beads should be clear while 30% should be opaque. This allows them to draw humidity in if it's slightly too high, and of course give humidity if it's too low.

[Blueface]

Lose the water on the beads.
Make sure your hygrometer is accurate.
I LOVE 65-68 humidity.

[BigVito]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Lose the water on the beads.
Make sure your hygrometer is accurate.
I LOVE 65-68 humidity.

[RPB67]

The beads are to wet.I only wet 1/2 of them. The other 1/2 are white. So you should have a mix of white ones and clear ones in the bowl. To wet is no good.

As for the temp, leave the humidor open for 5-10 minutes fresh air is good anyway. It will also let some cool air in there.

Stop opening and closing it to check it...

Leave it shut for about 12 hours after you do that and you should be good to go.