Confusing Humidor Issue!

[percussio]

Fairly new to cigar smoking and have inherited a humidor no longer than 5 months ago. This is my second post, my first being an introduction in the Newbie section.

I'm having quite the issue with my humidor. Although I've been letting the RH increase steadily to remedy what seems to be the problem ... my cigars only seem to be getting somewhat dryer. I simply dont get how this is possible.

Here's my situation. The cigars are seemingly getting a little dryer, the wrapeer a littl eless oily and the construction a little harder. I re-calibrated my hygrometer thinking this was the problem, even watched a video online to make sure, but still the problem persists.

I re-seasoned my humidor, not really much of a difference. It's gotten to the point where the RH is nearing 80% and still not too much of a difference, although it's only been a week that it's that high now.

Any comments, suggestions?

While I'm on the topic, I see many hygrometers display a sweet spot somewhere between 68 and 72 yet I've read on many people's posts that they like to keep theirs at 65. Which is best or more importantly why at 65 ?

Thanks.

[maalouly]

I find that keeping my cigars between 65 and 68, allows me to enjy the cigar without having to touch it up or relight it. I used to keep my cigars betwen 70 and 75 % humidity and that affected the way they smoked.

My advice would be get some beeds if you have a big humi or get special solution 50% propyline and 50% distilled water.

Enjoy!

[Kangaroo495]

Fairly new to cigar smoking and have inherited a humidor no longer than 5 months ago. This is my second post, my first being an introduction in the Newbie section.

I'm having quite the issue with my humidor. Although I've been letting the RH increase steadily to remedy what seems to be the problem ... my cigars only seem to be getting somewhat dryer. I simply dont get how this is possible.

Here's my situation. The cigars are seemingly getting a little dryer, the wrapeer a littl eless oily and the construction a little harder. I re-calibrated my hygrometer thinking this was the problem, even watched a video online to make sure, but still the problem persists.

I re-seasoned my humidor, not really much of a difference. It's gotten to the point where the RH is nearing 80% and still not too much of a difference, although it's only been a week that it's that high now.

Any comments, suggestions?

While I'm on the topic, I see many hygrometers display a sweet spot somewhere between 68 and 72 yet I've read on many people's posts that they like to keep theirs at 65. Which is best or more importantly why at 65 ?

Thanks.

I had a similar problem when I first invested in a humidor. It was a desktop, and it took around 9 months before things settled down and I didn't have to monitor it every day. I started using the solution mentioned above, which started to help, then moved on to using beads in a puck (which can be bought on the cigar-czar website).

[tugboat]

I had or thought I had the same problem with my humidor. I finally found a good reason to smoke one of my $30.00 cigars and opened up the tube to fine it way to dry. So I upped my humidity and two weeks later found mold growing on some Monte’s only, (thank god) and was scared I lost my whole stash. Be careful.

Welcome

[Bartolomeo]

If I want my RH @ 65% lets say, does it matter what the actual temperature is?

For example, if I had 65*/65% or 70*/65% or 75*/65%.........Is there one temperature that is ideal or does it not matter b/c my RH is at 65%?

I see some humis plugged in and some not and the temps are all over the place, just curious if temperatue really mattered as long as your getting your ideal RH numbers?

Hope this makes sense

Bart

[jquest63]

Not knowing all the details, recommend RH beads

RH target can vary depending various factors: taste, cigar type (size, blend), tolerance of the hygrometer, hygrometer calibration, storage duration (long term aging vs. cigars consumed quickly)

[Trevor2118]

If I want my RH @ 65% lets say, does it matter what the actual temperature is?

For example, if I had 65*/65% or 70*/65% or 75*/65%.........Is there one temperature that is ideal or does it not matter b/c my RH is at 65%?

I see some humis plugged in and some not and the temps are all over the place, just curious if temperatue really mattered as long as your getting your ideal RH numbers?

Hope this makes sense

Bart

A quick rundown is at: http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/info-ciga..._&_Humidity

[percussio]

I've used the propyline solution for the first time and was told only to soak the sponge in it every 6 months or so (sorry but Im not familiar with the official term used for the piece that aborbs the water).

Should I be using propyline and distilled water for every "refill" as opposed to distilled water and twice a year the propyline?

My humidor is fairly new, bout 6 months and is a desktop as well ... so perhaps having issues is common.

Thanks for your input guys, really appreciate it.

[Ethernut]

Beads + ditilled water = fuggetaboutit.

65%

Done

[aavkk]

Beads + ditilled water = fuggetaboutit.

65%

Done

I agree with everything just mentioned here 100%. Seriously, the beads are your answer and you cant have too many. More beads=better humidity stabilization and quicker recovery when you open the humidor or conditions change. As for temp, you want it under 70 to prevent beetle hatching and ideally you want it as consistent as possible with very little variability. As with wine, cigars will age better with more consistent conditions.

[percussio]

Well I am taking everyones valuable advice and purchasing beads. I have a 100 cigar, desktop humidor (no glass) and was wondering about something. All the beads I'm seeing for sale are 70% beads.

I was wondering if these were the right ones and eventually by adding distilled water the RH would reach 65% on their own. What's the process involved or are there simply 65% RH beads?

Another question, what do I store the beads in? I already have a convenient rectangular humidifier which latches on to the top of the cover with a magnet. Do I just crack that open, remove the sponge and replace it with the beads or do I need to buy a whole new humidifier?

Thanks once more guys.

[jmasterj]

The quick and dirty reply. Welcome and sounds like you're well on your way. The cedar in your humidor is sucking all of that moisture out of your cigars. You've decided on beeds which is great! Place two or three bags made of pantyhose in the humidor in various locations to create a proper environment. Also get yourself a digital hygro and salt test it for accuracy.

Tips from my experience. Always keep your humidor FULL. The tobacco mass will help regulate the cedar which is always in humidity flux depending on your home's environment. When you see your RH going down, take a dampen papertowel and wipe the inner lid and side lip of the humidor. This will help the wood swell and seal up the tiny cracks. Doing this may spike the RH temperarily but your sticks will absorb this and then eventually give it back to the cedar as it begins to soak up moisture again. It's a constant flux until one day, finally, when every last bit of ceder has been properly seasoned that you'll have a well conditioned humidor and a very consistant RH. Remember too, your home's relative heat/cold can raise or drop RH so try to keep it constant.

I hope you find this helpful and I hope you see this forum for what it truely is...it's not a typical cigar forum...it's a special place. And if it is continuously filled with thought provoking ideas and significant substance then it will never become a typical forum. Welcome again and happy smoking. Enjoy the forum!

[percussio]

I have nothing but praise for the gentlemen on this forum! Once again a prompt and valuable reply.

[Wil]

Glad to hear you're going for the beads. I bought a 65* puckifier from the czar to replace the crappy foam in my humi. Within a day I had solid 65* humidity.

[Bartolomeo]

A quick rundown is at: http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/info-ciga..._&_Humidity

Looks like the article states 61*/65%..........I dont agree with the 61* part but good to know I am on the right path I think

Will shoot for 64-66* temp

Bart

[Trevor2118]

Looks like the article states 61*/65%..........I dont agree with the 61* part but good to know I am on the right path I think

Will shoot for 64-66* temp

Bart

Bart, the range of 16ºC / 61ºF and 18ºC / 65ºF is whats recommended by Habanos SA.

The consensus of the lower end of this range is mainly because of the Tobacco beetle, that thrive in temperatures in excess of 18ºC / 65ºF.

Any target temperature will vary.. ...targeting 64F-66F (plus the variation) might be a problem.

In the absence of storage conditions below 18ºC / 65ºF, consideration should be given to freezing newly received cigars.

A conventional household freezer normally operates around -15ºC / +5ºF, so (wrapped / zip-locked) cigars should be stored for several days.

[Trevor2118]

................. When you see your RH going down, take a dampen papertowel and wipe the inner lid and side lip of the humidor. This will help the wood swell and seal up the tiny cracks...................

I believe that directly adding water to the cedar timber is fraught with danger, including the possibility of the dangerous blue / green mould that can attack both cigars and humidor.

Take time to season the humidor before adding cigars is always the safest.

[PigFish]

Humidity range is a personal preference, yet I believe that there is a general consensus as to Cuban cigars becoming bitter, acrid and more difficult to smoke in ranges above 70RH. Even though relative humidify is relative to the ambient temperature, comfort ranges in cigars are dependent on ambient temperatures and perhaps even ambient pressure. A stabilized 85 degree cigar often smokes just fine at 70 RH. Relative humidity and ambient temperature goes hand in hand. The key is stabilization and your individual tastes.

There is a lot to be learned about cigars and humidity. I am not going to bother with a load of science as I am going down the road of what I have noticed empirically. If your experiences are different... I proffer no explanation nor rationalization, doing what you like best makes for whatever your reasons are, the proper default settings for you.

Cigars are extremely flexible and adaptable. Most of us worry way too much about them, myself included. Cigars may be cared for in Cuba, the local tobacconist and even at home, but when shipped they are often stuck in warehouses, customs offices and cargo holds... places where no one loves and cares for them. They live through it! I have smoked cigars left in my car for months! As long as they clip and don't split... they smoke just fine. As far as long term aging is affected, I am not speculating or prognosticating. In any event, regardless of who's guru says what, it is only speculation and theory.

I like my cigars dryer. As long as the wrappers don't crack, the dryer the cigar the better they smoke and taste. The cooler a cigar gets the dryer it should be. Cool moist cigars get damp and musty smelling. Warm moist cigars smell floral and natural, albeit they can be hard to smoke. If you like moister cigars, keep them warmer.

I don't like the idea of refrigerating cigars. Yes, I too use climate controlled humidors but I choose a higher temperature, just below 70 degrees to limit beetle activity, but I want it in a range were it is easy to keep stable. Stability is more important to me than the lower temperature. The lower the temperature the more difficult the climate control will be, the greater the shock to the cigars when the environment is disturbed, the more difficult humidity control will be, and the greater the possibility of problems with the cigar if you don't temper it before lighting it.

People throw around all kinds of numbers. I am not saying they are wrong or criticizing them; to each his own. But with so few people using certified instruments it is impossible to know if they themselves are experiencing the temperatures or the humilities that they claim. With household instruments being non-linear, with inaccuracies potentially running into the double digits, it is a testament to the flexibility and adaptability of the cigar itself that makes it ideal to you and me both.

Lastly look for a good starting point and heed the general rules above. I have smoked thousands of cigars stored in the mid-seventies for temperature and 63 to 65 RH. That is where I like them, that does not mean that you will need to like them there as well. Understand that there are no gurus... no perfect answers, no hard rules! There are only varying, relative factors, your taste and your budget. My cooled, pampered and actively humidified cigars are no better or worse than yours unless one of us ruins them as a result of extreme measures. Happy smokin'. -The Pig

[Bartolomeo]

Humidity range is a personal preference, yet I believe that there is a general consensus as to Cuban cigars becoming bitter, acrid and more difficult to smoke in ranges above 70RH. Even though relative humidify is relative to the ambient temperature, comfort ranges in cigars are dependent on ambient temperatures and perhaps even ambient pressure. A stabilized 85 degree cigar often smokes just fine at 70 RH. Relative humidity and ambient temperature goes hand in hand. The key is stabilization and your individual tastes.

There is a lot to be learned about cigars and humidity. I am not going to bother with a load of science as I am going down the road of what I have noticed empirically. If your experiences are different... I proffer no explanation nor rationalization, doing what you like best makes for whatever your reasons are, the proper default settings for you.

Cigars are extremely flexible and adaptable. Most of us worry way too much about them, myself included. Cigars may be cared for in Cuba, the local tobacconist and even at home, but when shipped they are often stuck in warehouses, customs offices and cargo holds... places where no one loves and cares for them. They live through it! I have smoked cigars left in my car for months! As long as they clip and don't split... they smoke just fine. As far as long term aging is affected, I am not speculating or prognosticating. In any event, regardless of who's guru says what, it is only speculation and theory.

I like my cigars dryer. As long as the wrappers don't crack, the dryer the cigar the better they smoke and taste. The cooler a cigar gets the dryer it should be. Cool moist cigars get damp and musty smelling. Warm moist cigars smell floral and natural, albeit they can be hard to smoke. If you like moister cigars, keep them warmer.

I don't like the idea of refrigerating cigars. Yes, I too use climate controlled humidors but I choose a higher temperature, just below 70 degrees to limit beetle activity, but I want it in a range were it is easy to keep stable. Stability is more important to me than the lower temperature. The lower the temperature the more difficult the climate control will be, the greater the shock to the cigars when the environment is disturbed, the more difficult humidity control will be, and the greater the possibility of problems with the cigar if you don't temper it before lighting it.

People throw around all kinds of numbers. I am not saying they are wrong or criticizing them; to each his own. But with so few people using certified instruments it is impossible to know if they themselves are experiencing the temperatures or the humilities that they claim. With household instruments being non-linear, with inaccuracies potentially running into the double digits, it is a testament to the flexibility and adaptability of the cigar itself that makes it ideal to you and me both.

Lastly look for a good starting point and heed the general rules above. I have smoked thousands of cigars stored in the mid-seventies for temperature and 63 to 65 RH. That is where I like them, that does not mean that you will need to like them there as well. Understand that there are no gurus... no perfect answers, no hard rules! There are only varying, relative factors, your taste and your budget. My cooled, pampered and actively humidified cigars are no better or worse than yours unless one of us ruins them as a result of extreme measures. Happy smokin'. -The Pig

Excellent read once again

Bart

[thechenman]

Humidity range is a personal preference, yet I believe that there is a general consensus as to Cuban cigars becoming bitter, acrid and more difficult to smoke in ranges above 70RH. Even though relative humidify is relative to the ambient temperature, comfort ranges in cigars are dependent on ambient temperatures and perhaps even ambient pressure. A stabilized 85 degree cigar often smokes just fine at 70 RH. Relative humidity and ambient temperature goes hand in hand. The key is stabilization and your individual tastes.

There is a lot to be learned about cigars and humidity. I am not going to bother with a load of science as I am going down the road of what I have noticed empirically. If your experiences are different... I proffer no explanation nor rationalization, doing what you like best makes for whatever your reasons are, the proper default settings for you.

Cigars are extremely flexible and adaptable. Most of us worry way too much about them, myself included. Cigars may be cared for in Cuba, the local tobacconist and even at home, but when shipped they are often stuck in warehouses, customs offices and cargo holds... places where no one loves and cares for them. They live through it! I have smoked cigars left in my car for months! As long as they clip and don't split... they smoke just fine. As far as long term aging is affected, I am not speculating or prognosticating. In any event, regardless of who's guru says what, it is only speculation and theory.

I like my cigars dryer. As long as the wrappers don't crack, the dryer the cigar the better they smoke and taste. The cooler a cigar gets the dryer it should be. Cool moist cigars get damp and musty smelling. Warm moist cigars smell floral and natural, albeit they can be hard to smoke. If you like moister cigars, keep them warmer.

I don't like the idea of refrigerating cigars. Yes, I too use climate controlled humidors but I choose a higher temperature, just below 70 degrees to limit beetle activity, but I want it in a range were it is easy to keep stable. Stability is more important to me than the lower temperature. The lower the temperature the more difficult the climate control will be, the greater the shock to the cigars when the environment is disturbed, the more difficult humidity control will be, and the greater the possibility of problems with the cigar if you don't temper it before lighting it.

People throw around all kinds of numbers. I am not saying they are wrong or criticizing them; to each his own. But with so few people using certified instruments it is impossible to know if they themselves are experiencing the temperatures or the humilities that they claim. With household instruments being non-linear, with inaccuracies potentially running into the double digits, it is a testament to the flexibility and adaptability of the cigar itself that makes it ideal to you and me both.

Lastly look for a good starting point and heed the general rules above. I have smoked thousands of cigars stored in the mid-seventies for temperature and 63 to 65 RH. That is where I like them, that does not mean that you will need to like them there as well. Understand that there are no gurus... no perfect answers, no hard rules! There are only varying, relative factors, your taste and your budget. My cooled, pampered and actively humidified cigars are no better or worse than yours unless one of us ruins them as a result of extreme measures. Happy smokin'. -The Pig

Very well said Piggy...