Can't seem to get humidity correct in humidor

[EdgeMan]

Hello gents,

My large humidor is always giving me problems keeping the humidity right.
It is similar to this one (without the glass). -> http://www.thompsoncigar.com/catalog...tyType=product
It came with four thompson humidifiers with some sort of green looking fabric in them. Two for the bottom slots and two for the lid. When it gets low I soak them in distilled water, let them drain etc, and stick them back in. The problem is that is always either too high or too low. After soaking them the humidity is around 78-79% every time I open the humi. Then when they dry out it goes to the mid 60's. The cigars are smoking fine. I am just wondering if this is bad for the long term. It seems as if it never get s in the 70-72 % range. It either drops below or is above that range. What am I doing wrong? I was told by the local smoke shop that these humidifiers from thompson with the green fabric in them are no good and he suggested to get beads ( One jar for each of the three levels) I want to keep it more consistent but it is just not working out that way. Am I being too picky? Suggestions welcome.

Thanks all

[TravPSU]

Search is your friend.

The green stuff is florist foam. It isn't great. It can only give off moisture. The beads (heartfelt beads) can absorb and release moisture. They are designed to maintain a certain RH. Most people buy the 65% beads, your mileage may vary.

I suggest reading the many, many threads on this subject already. Most of the people posting answers in those threads have forgotten more about cigars and keeping them than I could hope to know.



EDIT: To answer your question, I suggest getting some heartfelt beads and maybe a small fan to circulate air. Also, make sure your hygrometer is calibrated, although it doesn't matter as long as you can tell that there is a change in humidity, not the specific RH. Make sure the humidor is seasoned and maintains a good RH before putting sticks in it.

[EdgeMan]

Thanks. I will search some more on this subject. I am assuming this humidor was already seasoned as I bought it from someone who had been using it for several years already. Would it hurt to RE-season it to make sure?

[TravPSU]

What's the RH of the room where this humi is located? What's the temp range throughout the day?

Over what time period is this RH swing happening? (does it take a day or two or is over a week or two?)



I don't think re-seasoning will hurt anything. At least that way you'd have peace of mind that it is done correctly. It could be that the humi doesn't have a good seal. Not sure how to test a humidor like the one you have (coolerdor's can do a flashlight test to see if any light is leaking).

I say maybe start seasoning it now and go order some beads. Hopefully it will be seasoned by the time they arrive and then you can put them in to see if you can get a steady RH.

Good luck!

[mail man]

here is the link for the beads that TravPSU was refering to
http://heartfeltindustries.com/

[EdgeMan]

What's the RH of the room where this humi is located? What's the temp range throughout the day?

Over what time period is this RH swing happening? (does it take a day or two or is over a week or two?)



I don't think re-seasoning will hurt anything. At least that way you'd have peace of mind that it is done correctly. It could be that the humi doesn't have a good seal. Not sure how to test a humidor like the one you have (coolerdor's can do a flashlight test to see if any light is leaking).

I say maybe start seasoning it now and go order some beads. Hopefully it will be seasoned by the time they arrive and then you can put them in to see if you can get a steady RH.

Good luck!

The RH of the room where the humidor is kept is 50%. The temp in the room stays between 74-78 degrees.
The time period of the RH UP-swing takes a day or two.The RH DOWN-swing takes about 2-3 weeks. I think I will re-season and order (or get at my local shop) the beads. I have a cooler I can keep my smokes in for the meantime.

Something occurred to me when taking out the hygrometer to check the room RH. The hygrometer is right in between and practicality touching the two lid humidifiers. (all velcro'd) I wonder if I put the hygrometer in the middle tray (three layer humi) or for that matter the top tray if I would get a different, or for lack of better words, more correct reading? I guess the real question is "Does it matter where the hygrometer is located in the humi?"

Thanks Again.