Kangaroo495 Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Gents, It seems that after my sticks have been in my desktop 30ct humidor for more than two days, they pick up an unpleasant slightly chemical taste. Humidity in there is constantly 60 rh. Can't get it to go up no matter what I try. Anyone ever enountered such a problem? Any ideas for fixing it? Any ideas what might cause it? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krs Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Hey mate, not sure about the chemical taste you have been getting but just recently in this hot weather I have had a hard time bringing up the RH in my humidor like yourself. my thermoelectric wine cooler is running flat out trying to lower the temperature which is drying out the air. even a electronic humidifier like the Le Veil didn't help much, I managed to come up with a device using the electronic humidifier, a relay switch, ultrasonic fog/mister and a few other parts. If I get some time this week I'll take some photos of the setup and description on how it was made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thechenman Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 That is strange. I assume that the lining is Spanish cedar. What kind of finish is on the wood? Could it be the laquer or whatever coating was used on your humidor is seeping in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby07 Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Don't know what it could be, but if your cigars are being affected I'd suggest taking them out and putting them in a Tupperware container until you figure it out. Is it a new humidor? If so, it could be just the glue they use and it could also explain why the RH is low. Season it several times and let it stabilize over a few cycles before putting cigars in it. If it's not new and the wood has picked up some kind of odor that is strong enough to affect your cigars, it's usually a lost cause. Use it to store something other than cigars (matches, accessories, post cards, whatever.) You can try sanding the wood down a bit (gently.) Sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't. Try putting a shallow bowl with distilled water in it then putting the whole thing in a plastic bag for a few days to see if you can get some more moisture absorbed into the lining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartolomeo Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I was dry boxing my cigars for a while in an old RyJ dress box and they started to taste "bitter" so I took them out and now they sit by themselves on top of the Vino until I am ready to smoke them..........figured the dress box was the cause Bart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kangaroo495 Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 All valid responses. Having had the humi for a long time without having any problems, I do suspect that the wood has picked up some kind of odour. My flat is a "one room" with kitchen and bathroom (typical for Moscow) so the humi is in the living room which is only a step away from the kitchen. We're smoking and cooking in the flat all the time, so I suspect that may have had an effect of the humidor. I'll air the thing out or something. Then re-season it. Will put a couple of sticks in for a few days then test it. If it's still bad, will try sanding it down a bit. The wood is all Spanish cedar inside and mahogany outside. The brand is "Marconi" Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semery74 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Any chance it smells like formaldehyde? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kangaroo495 Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 Any chance it smells like formaldehyde? Not sure what that smells like. What would such a scent indicate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semery74 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Have you ever dissected any animals, reptiles, or insects in school? Usually the embalming liquid is formaldehyde. It is also used as a hardening agent in resins to form Plywood, Melamine, paints, polyurethane, and cheap bubble wrap from China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kangaroo495 Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 Have you ever dissected any animals, reptiles, or insects in school? Usually the embalming liquid is formaldehyde. It is also used as a hardening agent in resins to form Plywood, Melamine, paints, polyurethane, and cheap bubble wrap from China. No mate, can't say I have. Where I went to school, the animals, reptiles and insects were more likely to dissect me! In any case, what would a formaldehyde scent indicate? The humidor itself doesn't smell bad. The taste comes out in the cigars... I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that I came home completely drunk one night and started cooking something in a pot. When I woke up in the morning, the flat absolutely reeked as I's left thh thing on the stove all night. The stove had shut itself off at some point during the night, but not before it atomized whatever it was I was cooking and ruined the pot. As I said, my flat is small, and the humi is located just a few steps from the kitchen. Could this be the reason? The problem (I think) started after this incident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberto_Magnus Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 No mate, can't say I have. Where I went to school, the animals, reptiles and insects were more likely to dissect me!In any case, what would a formaldehyde scent indicate? The humidor itself doesn't smell bad. The taste comes out in the cigars... I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that I came home completely drunk one night and started cooking something in a pot. When I woke up in the morning, the flat absolutely reeked as I's left thh thing on the stove all night. The stove had shut itself off at some point during the night, but not before it atomized whatever it was I was cooking and ruined the pot. As I said, my flat is small, and the humi is located just a few steps from the kitchen. Could this be the reason? The problem (I think) started after this incident. Hello! Marconi are Italian humidors, I use myself a desktop Marconi humi to dry box my sticks before smoking them. They are pretty good. I think your problem is due to the very sensitive wood taking in smells and heat from the kitchen. It's a good idea to keep your desktop humi away from strong smells (cooking, incense, solvants, paint, etc) and strong temperature shifts. Try keeping it in a dark and isolated place for a while and see if things change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kangaroo495 Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 Thanks Alberto! I'm going to take all the cigars out of it, and air it out a bit tonight. Though I'm not sure about putting it on the balcony, where the temperature is around 0 degrees at the moment. Not sure if that could damage it. Then I will re-season it, and start over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberto_Magnus Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Thanks Alberto!I'm going to take all the cigars out of it, and air it out a bit tonight. Though I'm not sure about putting it on the balcony, where the temperature is around 0 degrees at the moment. Not sure if that could damage it. Then I will re-season it, and start over again. You're welcome! Well better keep it off the balcony, extreme temperatures can indeed damage the wood. Keep it in a closet (no napthaline!) or in a drawer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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