Hygrometer Calibration help

[Goose]

I tried searching the forums but did not get the exact answers I am looking for so posting here.

I just purchased two hygrometers (hygroset II) for use in my desktop humidor and when I got the package I went about calibrating them. I didn't want to mess with the salt test thinking I might get the ratios wrong but I used a brand new 65 Boveda pack and calibrated them to show 66 and 65 each at 25c. Calibration was done in an airtight sandwich bag. 25 is the general ambience y temp in my room.

When the hygrometer was moved to the humidor after 24 hours of calibrating to check stability it still registered 66 while I have a 69 boveda inside the desktop. Temp dropped 1c to 24. Humidor is an Ashton Savoy Medium and filled with both NC and CC, about 40 or so cigars and I feel it has a nice tight seal since my hovers packs hardly ever feel dried out for 6 months or more.

Questions

Shouldn't I be registering a rh closer to 69 once in the humidor ?

Is there Something I am doing wrong in calibration ?

I am not in a position to have temp control currently so humidor and room will be around 24 to 26c for the time being. Should I be compensating for the extra temp by doing something differently ?

[Scrubber]

I would just give it another day or so and it will probably register closer to 69rh. One of the many things I have learnt on my short cigar journey is that you need lots of patience as nothing happens quickly.

That being said, 66rh is fine and would be preferred by most on this forum especially for CC.

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[LordAnubis]

Hygrometers are not exact, The number itself isn't all that important. The number staying steady is mainly what matters but ultimately only one thing matters and that is that you're enjoying your smokes.

[Goose]

Hygrometers are not exact, The number itself isn't all that important. The number staying steady is mainly what matters but ultimately only one thing matters and that is that you're enjoying your smokes.

Thanks for the reply, I have been smoking Cigars for a year now, and trying to explore what I like most by getting both NCs and CCs. I feel NC's perform better on the burn than my CCs in the Final third straight out of the box and i was putting that down to slight over humidification. In terms of taste, I dont have the most developed palate but from what I have read the CCs dont seem harsh or hot on the tongue even if the burn goes a little astray at times.

That's the reason I got the digital hygrometers and the lower rated Boveda (69 to 65). Do you all think temperature could be the more relevant reason and would it hurt me long term storing above the oft quoted 70F ? NB I do live in a centrally air conditioned apartment so deviation from 25C would not be significant over the year.

[LordAnubis]

I myself started out in exactly the same boat as you have. Getting hygrometers and calibrating and loosing my marbles when the humidity dropped or jumped. Now i don't even have one. I judge my cigars based on feel and how they smoke. I peprsoanlly store mine at around the 65% rh and 18 degrees C mark.

The only problem for storing at temperature higher than 20 degrees would be the likelihood of beetles hatching. If you freeze everything properly before you store in your humidor then you won't have a problem.

For the record the 70/70 rule is just a guide. You will find pretty much everyone on this forum does not stick to that at all.

[Phinz]

Calibration was done in an airtight sandwich bag.

I think this may be your issue. A standard ziplock type bag is going to allow humidity in and out, likely enough to skew your calibration. I'd suggest you try your calibration a second time, but using Tupperware instead.

[Miner]

Here's what I have found with my set up....

As a really general rule if the temp in the humidor goes up, the humidity in the humidor goes down. This assumes that the room conditions are constant, but they never are.

If you could lower the temp of your humidor (room) then I think you will find the humidity in the humidor will go up. So much depends on the room that the humidor is kept in (what is the humidity in the room?). At 25C maybe a 69% Bovida will only give you 66% in the humidor. Your humidor not a plastic bag and you have cigars in there as well.

I'm sure everyone will tell you this but at the end of the day, if the cigars smoke ok then whatever you % have in the humidor is fine.

You are actually a better judge of your cigars than the hygrometers, for me if they read 40% or 80% then I would be worried, otherwise smoke them and enjoy.

With my humidor, set at 20C, when the cooler kicks in the humidity jumps up to 75%, it then drops to 65% until the next cooling cycle. In the cigar boxes, the temp maintains 20C @ 68% constantly and I'm happy because the cigars smoke really well for me, so ... I'm happy.

Cheers

[Fugu]

The bag is certainly not the issue here, as the diffusion rate of water molecules between boveda and inside airvolume will be much higher then the one across the plastic bag. The latter being negligible in this context.

I’d rather say your humidor is not yet in equilibrium. Perhaps also the 69%-Boveda pack may be too small in relation to the mass of cigars/tobacco contained (tossing in a 69% bag doesn’t automatically mean you get a 69% atmosphere!).

If you want to gross-check the function of your hygrometers repeat the first calibration test with a fresh 69% Boveda and you will get an idea.

If done properly, the two-point calibration using a water-saturated atmosphere and the saturated salt-solution (NaCl) atmosphere is a nice and fairly accurate means for checking the slope of your measurement equipment. Otherwise, it will just be a one-point calibration.

I can only backup on your idea to check your equipment properly (otherwise you’d need no hygrometer at all). You should certainly make sure that you don’t get an underestimation of true humidity from your hygrometer readings. Relying on a systematically wrong reading is worse than not having any reading.

Edit: That being said, I concur with the above mentioned - go for the lower rH

Paul