Posted: 1/28/2009 6:37:01 AM EDT
| I've got a small humidor that I've had for the past half year. Normally its worked great, so long as I keep it filled. However, just recently, it stopped at 50% humidity and I can't seem to make it get any higher. The humidifying device was refilled just last week, and out of desperation I've even thrown in a drymistat ( one of these doohickies), but it won't budge. I've got a digital hygrometer from radioshack, which has always been accurate. I'm getting rather worried about the upmanns I've got in there, and I don't know where else to turn. What am I doing wrong? |
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It's winter time. You're in Indiana...so I'm guessing it's not exactly warmer weather and winter is the absolute worst time of year for a humidor.
Try sticking your gars in a ziploc baggie and wiping the inside of the humidor down again as if you were reseasoning it. I recently had to stick a bowl of distilled water in the bottom of my humidor to help it make it until spring. If all else fails...take your humidor into the bathroom with you for the occasional shower. Stick it in the bathroom closet. Also, make sure to keep your humidor at least half full of cigars or it will not hold humidity properly. Soaking a couple cedar blocks in distilled water and keeping them sitting on top of some plastic inside the humidor could also work. Fight the dryness! |
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First and foremost, when buying humidors you get what you pay for. I've done it all, cheep $25 humidors and high end davidoff humidors. The latter is still working 10 years down the road the former was given to a friend to use as a jewelery box 3 months after i got it. An inexpensive humidor will perform like an inexpensive humidor. You don't have to drop $1K on a davidoff box but spending $3-500 will be a worth-while investment if you are smoking premium sticks. If you smoke cheep stuff just get a "Cigar Jar" for $20 http://www.cigarsinternational.com/prodDisp.asp?item=M-CJ02
Have you been using tap water in your humidification device? If so it's likely been ruined. The pores in the humidification foam can become clogged by contaminants in tap water, only distilled water should be used. Most likely your 2 main causes of the problem are going to be a combination of a poorly sealing humidor and the dry winter months. My recommendation would be for you to take a tupperware container, 2 Boveda 69% humidipaks and season the humidor. To season the humidor do this...take a bowl and fill it with distilled water and leave the humidor untouched for a week and a half. Don't open it. DO NOT wipe down the sides of the humidor with anything. Doing so can pull fine parts of the wood up and possibly cause sap leakage. I've seen more than one humidor come back with this problem at my old shop. After the 1 1/2 weeks open the box, you should see a humidity level somewhere around 65-85% If you are at or above 70 you should be good to go. Put the new humidification element in after it has been treated with a 30/70 mixture of Propylene Glycol to distilled water (this will help maintain a 70%RH). In the summer months you can go as high as 50/50 but since it's dryer in the winter I do a weaker mix. I typically add the PG mix every 3 months as PG evaporates at a much slower rate than water does. And last but not least be sure that your hygrometer is properly calibrated. To find out how it's reading do a salt test. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=salt+test+hygrometer&aq=0&oq=salt+test+hy |
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What is the temperature reading?
Cold air do not hold much moisture, thus the water in your passive humidifier just don't evapourate. Same holds for beads, which rely on the air to hold moisture. Use an active/passive system, add a Cigar Oasis, or warm up the humidor. |
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Humidity beads are a good way to go. It seems that most people prefer 65% beads rather than 70%. I've read good about Heartfelt beads.. |
| Heartfelt beads. Yes a higher end humidor would work too but some people cannot afford it. I had to go the route of the wine cooler humidor due to the amount of cigars I have at this time. I put a pound of heartfelt beads in there and it keeps 70% all the time now. |
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Heartfelt beads. Yes a higher end humidor would work too but some people cannot afford it. I had to go the route of the wine cooler humidor due to the amount of cigars I have at this time. I put a pound of heartfelt beads in there and it keeps 70% all the time now. What brand did you end up with ?? Vinotemps are sold out around these parts... 
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email me your snailer and I can send you some gell that should help you out. its the same stuff thats in the little plastic jars , I've got plenty , just mention it in the email. use either PG or distilled water if its real dry there. I use this gel and its great stuff. I don't know how it works so well on two tablespoons of water every 60 days but it does! |