whats the point of analog ?

[Redbeard]

so i just replaced my analog hydrometer with a digital , and man, was the analog off or what, its sitting at around 58 and the digital is at 73% and 75f.
my humidor has probably been ready to use for a day now. and i just went out and bought sponges and tupperware for a temp storage place for my cigars while this thing was seasoning. coulda saved the lousey 8 dollars i spent, which really isnt the point, the point is and im a newbie...DONT TRUST ANALOG !! i want to throw this thing far far away, but its a front display on my box so i cant trash it. but im sitting here looking at it lie to me while the digital in there too is pearling at 73 !! ughhh.
and that floral humidifer is a joke too !! i got the beads in there now and its great..no cigars in there yet..im not sure if i should add em or wait a day. But whats the point of sending you a humidor with a crappy analog hydrometer and a pile of garbage humidifier??? just send me the humidor next time and ill get my own accessories thanks humidor vault !!!!

[Redbeard]

and thanks to everyone who gave me the advice to make these changes !!! i really appreciate the help. everyone on this forum has been great at helping out the newbie here !! thanks again brothers

[MMarsden]

Well, analog hydrometers on the front of humidors look nice. I wouldn't trust them as far as I could through them, though.

As for the foam humidifiers, I don't think I've ever heard good things about them, though they do work in a pinch. I find they make it too wet for my tastes.

[Matt257]

Analog hygrometers arent very good. Even when you salt test them and calibrate it I find they stray off within a week or 2. Beads make life very easy

I would say wait a day before you add your smokes. Just to make sure everything is properly seasoned. What RH beads did you get? I prefer a 'dryer' smoke so have mine at 65% and find it also gets rid of alot of burn problems at that RH level. But thats JMO

[Redbeard]

Originally Posted by matt257

Analog hygrometers arent very good. Even when you salt test them and calibrate it I find they stray off within a week or 2. Beads make life very easy

I would say wait a day before you add your smokes. Just to make sure everything is properly seasoned. What RH beads did you get? I prefer a 'dryer' smoke so have mine at 65% and find it also gets rid of alot of burn problems at that RH level. But thats JMO

hey matt...yah i got the only option they had there, its a small place it dosent say the % they are. its the reel humi-70 jar. they guy at the shop swore by them and he did have the tubes but said to def go with this jar. i didnt know enuf about them to think about that tho i from my experience kinda like the cigars a little on the moist side...but not to heavy...but ive smoked some dryer ones and loved every puff off them as well.

[Redbeard]

so ..i guess its gel not beads then.....

[Webmeister]

I learned the hard way about analog hygrometers - they just sit there an look pretty. As for the "stock" humidifiers with floral foam... I keep them around just in case one of my humidors needs some extra help because I neglected to tend to them. The foam gives me a way to get things back on track while the primary humidifier recovers. Think of it as a backup generator you hope you never have to use.

They are also good for temporary storage - ziplock, tupperware, etc. and travelling when you don't need a permanent solution.

[Redbeard]

Originally Posted by Webmeister

I learned the hard way about analog hygrometers - they just sit there an look pretty. As for the "stock" humidifiers with floral foam... I keep them around just in case one of my humidors needs some extra help because I neglected to tend to them. The foam gives me a way to get things back on track while the primary humidifier recovers. Think of it as a backup generator you hope you never have to use.

They are also good for temporary storage - ziplock, tupperware, etc. and travelling when you don't need a permanent solution.

yah man thats good advice..ill keep it around for when i need to make a quick journey, or need a boost. ive got the old floral and a sponge in a tupper ware rite now with all my sticks while the humidor seasons. the cigars have been out for 4- 7 days ( all different ) and i got worried about them, they felt a tad dry...so that should hold them till tommorw..ill probably go and take the sponge out in a couple hours so i dont over do them. and just let the floral tend them tonight

[Matt257]

Originally Posted by redbeard

hey matt...yah i got the only option they had there, its a small place it dosent say the % they are. its the reel humi-70 jar. they guy at the shop swore by them and he did have the tubes but said to def go with this jar. i didnt know enuf about them to think about that tho i from my experience kinda like the cigars a little on the moist side...but not to heavy...but ive smoked some dryer ones and loved every puff off them as well.

If you like your cigars alittle more 'moist' then 70% will be good. I have 2 humis and im planning on making one 70% as some cigars smoke better at that RH level. But it all comes down to personal preference. If you find you do get some burn problems, try switching it to 65%. But I know alot of people on here swear by 70% RH levels.

[Redbeard]

ok. the hydrometer says 75. on the cedar humidor.....should i do anything.??take the sponge out...add the cigars...let it chill as is...??

[Matt257]

Originally Posted by redbeard

ok. the hydrometer says 75. on the cedar humidor.....should i do anything.??take the sponge out...add the cigars...let it chill as is...??

I would take the sponge out and any other distilled water you might have in there. Just leave your jar of beads/gel in there and let it settle for a day or so and see what it says then

Is it the stock hygrometer or the digital one?

[Redbeard]

thats what ill do then...im worried about it going to high and making the cedar wet to the touch. umm i can smell the cedar good now when the lid goes down and pushes out that air.

[Webmeister]

There are several lines that just don't smoke right at 70% IMHO - just about all ISOM's and anything from DPG, Pete Johnson, Illusiones I keep at 65%.

If it were me, I'd drop the sticks in the humi now at 75% and let things settle to 65-70%. Remember depending on the current condition of the cigars, they may absorb some of that humidity themselves over the next couple of days. If the humidity stays at 75%, add some cedar to bring it down.

I have electronic humidifiers in my larger humidors, and have used the gel crystals in everything else for years. I use distilled water, not PG. Those humidors sit at 68-72% year-round in a cool walk-in closet. When the time comes, all of the crystals will be replaced with beads. The tubes are cool because they sit right in with the cigars, and you don't have to stack around them.

I've heard 70% is better for aging, so I also keep a dry-box to throw sticks in to let them lose a little humidity before smoking them (see the first paragraph).

Good luck!

[DOZER]

Just one question. Did you calibrate the digital before putting it in? The reason I ask is almost all hygrometers need to be calibrated before use. It may also be off. There are a couple ways to calibrate it. One is the salt test do a search here for it. It will take several days to dial it in. The other is the Boveda calibration kit available here. Which will also take a few days.

http://heartfeltindustries.com/products.asp?cat=23

http://www.cigarmony.com/index.asp?P...ATS&Category=7

Also these sites are the best place to get your beads. The important thing is don't rush it. Your smokes are an investment you don't want to take a chance of ruining. Put them in the Tupperware till the humi is ready no matter what.

[karmaz00]

i think there there at the front of the humis now for decoration. they look nice, but are not as realable as the digital readers