Humidor RH too high ...

[eggtimer]

Hi all, I saw that my desktop humi is at 84%. Now, without boveda I have not idea what to do. But a post on facebook made me think: if the RH is too high, what mechanisms does a wooden humi have to regulate to a "reasonable" rh? Surely the little bit of thin cedar is not match with a sponge full of water?

Can someone enlighten me why and by what mechanism a wooden humidor without boveda is supposed to be about 70% rh?

Many thanks for all the patience and help given on here!

[NSXCIGAR]

  On 3/14/2023 at 11:29 PM, eggtimer said:

my desktop humi is at 84%

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What's your ambient rH? 

[Low]

You open the lid. 

[Nevrknow]

Wow. What a question. Good one too.

Dirty answer? Season the humidor BEFORE you add cigars. After? Boveda or some other effective regulating method. And keep tabs on it.

Cigars come in at different RH's so everything is variable. All the time with MY wooden humidors.

Enough dirty talk. You'll get longer better answers.

@PigFish tagging the resident expert. 👍

[El Presidente]

Step 1. Move the humidor from the shower.

Step 2. Throw out the humidifier you are using

Step 3. Put the humidor lid open in an air-conditioned room for a day or two.

Step 4. Buy a couple of Boveda packs. 

[NSXCIGAR]

The good news is you may be able to harvest some mushrooms from that humi pretty soon.

[Tunkat92]

Definitely make sure the Hygrometer is accurate (several ways to do so via internet search). The analog ones on humidors and notorious for being inaccurate.

Boveda packs work both ways (add and adsorb humidity). They are pretty slow at adsorbing though. So add plenty of boveda packs.

[Murphestopheles]

  On 3/15/2023 at 12:47 AM, NSXCIGAR said:

The good news is you may be able to harvest some mushrooms from that humi pretty soon.

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You mean “plume” right?

[NSXCIGAR]

  On 3/15/2023 at 2:00 AM, Murphestopheles said:

You mean “plume” right?

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Well, we never asked what his temperature is. At 100°F 84% rH might be appropriate! Just have to watch for the beetle fiesta. 

[El Presidente]

  On 3/15/2023 at 2:11 AM, NSXCIGAR said:

Well, we never asked what his temperature is. At 100°F 84% rH might be appropriate! Just have to watch for the beetle fiesta. 

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......."At 100°F 84%" the eggster will need a lawnmower. 

[eggtimer]

  On 3/14/2023 at 11:35 PM, Nevrknow said:

Wow. What a question. Good one too.

Dirty answer? Season the humidor BEFORE you add cigars. After? Boveda or some other effective regulating method. And keep tabs on it.

Cigars come in at different RH's so everything is variable. All the time with MY wooden humidors.

Enough dirty talk. You'll get longer better answers.

@PigFish tagging the resident expert. 👍

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Thanks mate. I though along the same lines and let the humidor stand open for a while. I then re-seasoned it and since then the humidity has been far too high (for about 3 months ... I thought it might be higher for a while but it's not coming down anymore. )

 

  On 3/14/2023 at 11:31 PM, NSXCIGAR said:

What's your ambient rH? 

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About 55 -60%

 

  On 3/14/2023 at 11:32 PM, Low said:

You open the lid. 

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And then? I know you are trying to be funny but I am serious. What do I do? I can't keep regulating it by opening and closing the lid. That's insane!?

 

  On 3/15/2023 at 12:57 AM, Tunkat92 said:

Definitely make sure the Hygrometer is accurate (several ways to do so via internet search). The analog ones on humidors and notorious for being inaccurate.

Boveda packs work both ways (add and adsorb humidity). They are pretty slow at adsorbing though. So add plenty of boveda packs.

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Hygrometer is spot on. Boveda, sure but how should this work and why in the absence of boveda?

 

  On 3/15/2023 at 2:11 AM, NSXCIGAR said:

Well, we never asked what his temperature is. At 100°F 84% rH might be appropriate! Just have to watch for the beetle fiesta. 

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Good point. 19.8C.

 

  On 3/15/2023 at 4:02 AM, eggtimer said:

Thanks mate. I though along the same lines and let the humidor stand open for a while. I then re-seasoned it and since then the humidity has been far too high (for about 3 months ... I thought it might be higher for a while but it's not coming down anymore. )

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And yes, once the humidifier dries out, the RH goes down to 55%. 

 

  On 3/15/2023 at 3:10 AM, El Presidente said:

 

......."At 100°F 84%" the eggster will need a lawnmower. 

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Don't laugh but I did think I saw some little mushrooms! Like long stem mould. To be clear, I haven't been using this humidor for ages. My main humi works ok. Just this one is odd!?

[NSXCIGAR]

  On 3/15/2023 at 4:03 AM, eggtimer said:

About 55 -60%

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Yeah, I'd just open the humi and start over. Wipe it down with a 1-3% hydrogen peroxide & distilled water solution. Leave it open for a week then season it. 

In the meantime just keep your cigars in some ziplocks. If they've been in 84% just dry box (or dry bag in this case). If not throw a Boveda in there. 

With normal ambient rH you shouldn't have to fight to keep your rH low in a desktop humi. One Boveda should do it. 

[Ford2112]

What is the RH in the room? That's the first order of business. Your cigars should be from 62-65 imo for ccs

[PigFish]

The ambient temperature and rH in the room is the most important. Without the data solutions are hard.

[eggtimer]

  On 3/15/2023 at 1:31 PM, PigFish said:

The ambient temperature and rH in the room is the most important. Without the data solutions are hard.

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Thanks PigFish; I should have stated it from the beginning and added it to the above answers but its about 55% and temp 20C in the environment the humi is in.