humidor humidity wont go above 58%

Got my first humidor. It is a small desktop humidor (could hold maybe 40-50 cigars). I went through the whole seasoning process. Wiped down the whole interior with distilled water. Let it sit with the foam humidifier that came with it as well as a shot glass full of distilled water. It eventually stabilized at around 68%. I took the shot glass out at this point to see if it would hold steady, but it dropped down to around 55%-58%. I figured that maybe the humidifier that came with it wasn't enough, so I replaced it with one of the gel/propeline glycol humidifiers. I saw no change with this. It just hangs out around 55-58%. I took it to my local tobacconist to see if there was something I was doing wrong. He said everything looked in order and that a lot of people have trouble keeping their humidity where they want it during winter months (I live in Pennsylvania and have been having an unusually cold winter). The humidor seals well. The hygrometer is the analog one that came with the humidor (yea, I know digital ones are better). I really want to keep the analog hygrometer as it is on the outside of the box and a digital one would take away of the aesthetics of the humidor. The humidity levels do not change if I fill the box half full with cigars. I did a salt test on the hygrometer twice now and it seems to be functioning correctly. The air in my house right now is around 35%. I do not have a furnace (I have radiant heat). I try to keep the temp in my house around 65-70 degrees. What are your thoughts on this?

I keep a shot glass full of water in my desktop humidor for this very reason. I can't ever seem to get a grasp on keeping the humidity in check in that thing. I've tried beads, keeping the foam wet every week, etc.. its just dosn't like to stay steady. The shot glass helps.

I keep most of my cigars in a Coolidor these days. I don't seem to have the same issues I have with the desktop humidor.

What size gel humidifier do you have?

You can always try a bigger one or supplement with a second one. Winter is hard on humidors. Heaters really suck the humidity out of the air inside your house. Its a very common complaint during winter months that a humidor is hovering below the ideal RH.

If you are sure your seal is good and you are refilling your element often enough then you need more surface area. IE another element.

One true test is to smoke a cigar that's been resting in your humidor for a week or two. If it smokes bad (burning hot, harsh, really black/dark ash) then it is too dry. If it is squishy and you always have to re-light, then it is too moist.

If it's the first scenario, then your Hygrometer is reading correctly and you just have to leave a shot glass full of water in your humidor during the winter months. If it's the later, your Hygrometer is reading wrong and you have too much moisture.

If it smokes just fine, you don't have to worry. Humidity fluctuates and it's not exact science when you keep cigars. If it smokes fine, leave it be and hopefully in the summer it'll correct itself. If you have issues like ripped wrappers and so forth, then definitely worry.

You are just starting out. I freaked out when my humidity was 1% off. Now, I don't even bother checking (I use Beads), unless I experience consecutive bad smokes.

Andrew

well, i just retested my hygrometer (for the 3rd time), and it is right on the money. i shouldn't have to (considering the size of my humidor), but i guess i might need to consider adding a 2nd humidifier. i was talking to my tobacconist yesterday and he gave me a "water pillow" to throw in there and see if it helps. It definitely does. Now my rh is hanging out right around 70%.

so, is there a particular brand of beads that is best? i see a lot of people on this forum say that they use some sort of beads and that they have had no problems with rh once they started using them.

thanks!

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Originally Posted by sushiboy

well, i just retested my hygrometer (for the 3rd time), and it is right on the money. i shouldn't have to (considering the size of my humidor), but i guess i might need to consider adding a 2nd humidifier. i was talking to my tobacconist yesterday and he gave me a "water pillow" to throw in there and see if it helps. It definitely does. Now my rh is hanging out right around 70%.

so, is there a particular brand of beads that is best? i see a lot of people on this forum say that they use some sort of beads and that they have had no problems with rh once they started using them.

thanks!

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Take a look here: http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/c...ies.asp?cat=11
all you have to do is pick the amount and the RH you want, lots of options.

are the bead tubes any good? if so, what size do you think i should get for a 40-50 cigar desktop humidor? how do they work? do you just recharge the beads with water or propeline glycol once in a while? how long do the beads normally last before they are shot?

Ok, I just want to put in another testimonial for the Heartfelt Beads. Got mine about a week ago. Got a tube that was rated for a higher volume than what my desktop humi actually is. Man, these things are great. It holds my desired rh no problem and the rh quickly recovers after having the lid open for a few mins.

Just from my own experience......I just bought a 50 cigar humidor about a month ago. I did the exact same thing as you described. Here are some things i discovered. The first time i seasoned mine it went to about 50-55. The second time i seasoned it, about 2 days later, it went to about 60. The THIRD time i seasoned it, it went up to 70 but slowly dropped to about 65. The FOURTH time i seasoned it, it shot right up to 70 and has stayed there ever since. I personally think that the more wood a humidor contains the more moisture. Everying in the humidor that is below the humidity that you want to achieve will constantly wich away the moisture until everything reaches an equilibrium. And when i mean everything, that includes the cigars. I bought a 20 pack of Flor de Olivas that i know were a little dry and tried putting them in all at once before the humidity was high enough. The process has to be a slow one. Hope this helps.

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Originally Posted by sushiboy

Got my first humidor. It is a small desktop humidor (could hold maybe 40-50 cigars).

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i'm hardly an expert, but from what i understand, your humidor should be about 75% full to help hold the humidity as the cigars retain humidity better than just empty air. how many cigars do you actually have in there?

if i'm wrong, someone please correct me.

Keeping your humidor full of cigars is the best way to improve stability.

Beads definitely work but take it from someone who has used/sold/seen it all beads are not the easiest and best way to humidify a desktop Now if you are talking a cabinet then they are a must. For a desktop you need a crystal gel humidifier.