Humidor Question

I reseasoned my humidor, and was reading 74% when I finished the process, currently it is reading 63% What can I do to get it back up to 70%?

Thanks,
Flybum62

[Mugen910]

1)Put more 70% beads in.
OR
2)Put more 70% humidification liquid into your puck.
OR
3)Put the humi in a warmer location.
OR
4)Be happy that it's at 63% as a decent amount of cigar smokers find that low 60's makes their cigars burn more consistent with while bringing out more flavor.

[DaBear]

First things first, did you recalibrate your hygrometer? If you didn't that could account for it being that low. Also, if you put your cigars in they'll absorb a bit of the moisture so just give the humidifier a little time to readjust from the additions. Finally, welcome!

[Bill86]

How big is the humidor? Kinda goes with the 2nd question.
What kind and how much beads do you have in it? As much or a little under effects the RH by a few points as I've noticed
How full is it? Near empty will lower the RH
Did you give it a few days or a week to settle down? Usually after a day or two I see an RH jump a few points

All of the above are why my humidors didn't read correctly on their hygros. Everything is peachy now though

[Stinky]

Here's my take on new humidor conditioning. Keep in mind we live in the desert where everything (homes) is very dry. Our constant challenge is keeping the humidor from drying out.

New Humidor:
Use a clean spray bottle full of distilled water. Spray all the interior surfaces until slightly wet. Close it up for an hour or more. Open and check the interior surfaces should appear dry. Repeat spray & close for another hour or more. The distilled water soaks into the porous Spanish cedar very fast. Waiting for days and days is a myth.

Prepare your humidification device and install it inside along with your cigars. Best way to keep a desk top humidor relative humidity stable is when it's full of cigars. An empty or partially empty humidor has a larger volume of air to humidify.

Important:
Keep your humidor in a cool, dark location. Never let the sun hit it. Consistent temperature is as important as humidity. Anything above 75 degrees Fahrenheit will enable tobacco beetles to hatch. Again, we live in a desert where summer home temperatures often run in the high 70's even with air conditioning. I'm lucky to have a separate office with its own a/c unit. It's always cool in here!

Get a good digital hygrometer. Analog (dial) hygrometers need to be calibrated from time to time.

Also Note:
Most cigar enthusiasts like to look at their cigars. (true!) Every time you open your humidor to check or select cigars, the humidity dissipates into the room air within seconds. From time to time I give the top (inside) of the desk top a quick spray of distilled water. Reason? Any humidification device will work VERY hard to bring the humidity back to the desired 68 to 70 percent level. However, these humidification devices are MUCH more efficient at reducing (absorbing) humidity. This method of moistening will spike the humidity for a very brief period as opposed to the hour or two it takes to bring dry air up to the desired RH level.

Humidor Type:
I do NOT recommend humidors with glass (windows). Cigars do not like light! But, the industry knows how lovely we find our stash of cigars and they sell a lot of glass-top boxes. Something to think about . . . if you have a glass-top model, I suggest you find a nice cover for the glass area. You can use some of the excellent graphics found in and on cigar boxes (or bands) to make a beautiful window cover. Then, if you just want to look-in on your beautiful cigars, just remove the cover without loosing the humidity.

[Hudaddy]

63% is good. I keep my humidor at 64%. 67% is probably the highest I would ever want.

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by Hudaddy

63% is good. I keep my humidor at 64%. 67% is probably the highest I would ever want.

Anything higher that 65%, I begin to get tight draw issues, especially with CC's.

[Goldie]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

Anything higher that 65%, I begin to get tight draw issues, especially with CC's.

I'm right there with ya, above 65% my CC's are tent pegs.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by DaBear

First things first, did you recalibrate your hygrometer?

Originally Posted by Bill86

How big is the humidor?
What kind and how much beads do you have in it?
How full is it?

Where were you last Tuesday night?
What is Pi to the 5th digit?
What's the firing order for a 1968 Rocket 350?
Does your dog bite?

[Bill86]

Originally Posted by T.G

Where were you last Tuesday night? Work then drunk and posting here
What is Pi to the 5th digit? 3.14159265
What's the firing order for a 1968 Rocket 350? Engine firing order: 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
Does your dog bite? Don't have one

NO FAIR! I only asked 3 questions. Never the less there you go.

[bigdix]

Lots of good info here. I keep my humi 63%-65%. It should be ok where it is, and sometimes they can take a WHILE to balance out. More beads never hurt anything....except maybe your wallet!

Thanks for the info! Currently running @ 63%.