Newbie setting up humidor

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum and this is my first post. I am steadily becoming a avid cigar smoker and my friends bought me a Chelsea 75-100 count humidor for my birthday. I am in the process of setting it up now. With that said I have read alot of material, and used the search on this site, on seasoning the humidor, mine did not come with instructions. So far I have calibrated the analog hygrometer using the salt test. I have wiped down the entire interior very generously with the solution it came with. I have submerged the humidifier in the solution and placed it inside. Put the sponge on a plactic bag and closed it for 24 hours. At the end of the 24 hours I opened it and repeated the process this time leaving the sponge out, which was about 4 hours ago. During the first 24 hours the hygrometer dropped to 40% and then raised to 62% in a couple of hours. It has not moved since even when I had the humidor open for 20 minutes to season it again. My buddy gave me a digital hygrometer which he said would work better. However I do not know if it is any good. The instructions said it did not need to be calibrated but it also said it could be off +/- 5. When I repeated the process I placed the digital inside and it is reading 53%. My problems and questions are these:
When I calibrated the analog it read 80%. I ended up moveing it slightly higher before putting it at 75%. Will this effect it's readings? After the next 24 hours should I season the humidor and humidifier again if the % stay's where it is? Should I add some cigars? I read that at 63% you should add some to help in the stabilizing. Or should I recalibrate the analog and calibrate the digital? I know I need to be patient and I will be, but my friends also gave me a couple boxes of cigars and I don't want them to go bad.

Any suggestions and help with these matter are greatly appreciated!!!!!!!

Buy 65% beads from heartfeltindustries, a pound, and just use those, you can forget your hygrometer and humidifier with those babies.

Thanks for the advice. I will check those out.

Also,

I'm not really sure you want to be using the solution to season. Check out this thread for seasoning a humidor: http://www.cigarsmokers.com/t3814-th...a-humidor.html

Calibrate the digital Hygrometer with the salt test. It will be more accurate. if you calibrate it and the analog one at the same time you can then adjust the analog one to match, however analog ones are notoriously crap. Stick with the digital.

If you don't have a full 75% capacity of cigars for your humidor it might take it a bit longer to level out, but better to have them in some humidity and watch it than have them dry out sitting around. The herfers guide thread above goes into most of this... Good luck!

-W.

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Originally Posted by highlandcontractors

I know I need to be patient and I will be, but my friends also gave me a couple boxes of cigars and I don't want them to go bad.

Any suggestions and help with these matter are greatly appreciated!!!!!!!

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You're way ahead of most newbies! Definately get the 65% beads and get those smokes in the humidor. The beads will speed up the process of stabilizing the humidor and so will adding the cigars. Like Monk said, they're better off in the humidor. Wish I had some friends like your's. Welcome to CS from MS. :smiley20:

Thanks to Monk and WOXOF for the replies!!

I looked at the links you supplied Monk and they were very helpful! My friends are great. But they are to big of wimps to stand up to their wives and girlfriends to have hobby. The presents were probably just as much for me as them!!!! Seems like I have done everything I can do at this point. When the last 24 hours were up the anolog read 69% and the digital read 72%. When I opened it to put my stash in the % dropped to about 60% on both. I loaded it up with about 70 cigars and have not opened it since. It has been 7 hours and the anolog is back up to 69% and the digital is reading 71 degrees F and 72% humidity. Tomorrow I plan on doing the salt test on the digital to make sure everything is up to par.

I used the solution to wipe the interior and submerge the humidifier as well. It has changed the color of the wood inside the humidor to a shade darker. However it is very even, no spots of uneven discoloring and no evidence of any warping. Will the fact that I used the solution become a problem even though it seems to be working?
Should I pickup the beads if the % has remained the same?

I wouldn't think that the solution would have any long term effects on the humidor, But I'm not positive. I still would eventually get some beads just because they require less maintainance. I would try to keep the humidor at 65% RH.

Thanks for the info WOXOF. I will pick up some of those beads this weekend. This morning when I checked the status of my meters the analog was at 71% and the digital was reading 78%. I have taken the digital out and started the salt test. It has been almost 5 hours and it has read 68 degrees F and 75% humidity the entire time. The anolog has not budged all day. I guess I screwed-up trying to adjust it. I planned on keeping my humidor around 68% to 70%. I like them to be on the softer and moister side. At 65% will they be moist or more on the drier side?

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Originally Posted by highlandcontractors

Thanks for the info WOXOF. I will pick up some of those beads this weekend. This morning when I checked the status of my meters the analog was at 71% and the digital was reading 78%. I have taken the digital out and started the salt test. It has been almost 5 hours and it has read 68 degrees F and 75% humidity the entire time. The anolog has not budged all day. I guess I screwed-up trying to adjust it. I planned on keeping my humidor around 68% to 70%. I like them to be on the softer and moister side. At 65% will they be moist or more on the drier side?

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Well most people from what I have seen tend to keep em in the 60-70% range (I use 65% beads) be careful letting it get too high because of mold.

My understanding is that those solutions don't really go away properly and cause buildup. some of the FOGs could prolly explain more... anyhow... get the beads with distilled water and don't use the solution or anything else and you'll be right as rain :smiley20:

-W.

Thanks for all the suggestions! Monk, thanks for the input on the % of humidity and the beads info. Hope everyone had a nice easter! Since my last post my humi setup is still going. I have not had to add to the humidifier. In fact I had to leave the humi open on a couple of occaisions to get the humidity down. So far I have gone about 20 hours with the digital meter moving between 65% and 71%. It has moved up and down slow and because of this I have not messed with anything. I bought some of those beads everybody brags about, but for now I am going to wait until my % of humidity drops a great deal. Again thanks to all that has contributed!!!!!

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Originally Posted by highlandcontractors

Thanks for all the suggestions! Monk, thanks for the input on the % of humidity and the beads info. Hope everyone had a nice easter! Since my last post my humi setup is still going. I have not had to add to the humidifier. In fact I had to leave the humi open on a couple of occaisions to get the humidity down. So far I have gone about 20 hours with the digital meter moving between 65% and 71%. It has moved up and down slow and because of this I have not messed with anything. I bought some of those beads everybody brags about, but for now I am going to wait until my % of humidity drops a great deal. Again thanks to all that has contributed!!!!!

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Heya,

The solution probably has something to do with that as well. :smiley5:

The thing about the beads is that it keeps it consistent. What I would do is wet them only a little if your humidity is high... so leave 60-70% of them white, take out the other humidifier and start using the beads. The thing about them is they will help regulate much better than fluctuating levels since they will absorb excessive moisture as well. This will help maintain a consistent RH. If it turns out that they keep ending up absorbing moisture and end up clear, keep an eye on the Humidity and if it climbs with the beads blow them under a blowdryer to dry them out, then put them back in... hope that made some sense :smiley22:

-W.

Well after a few days of the humidity going up and down I think I got it. Monk I followed your advice with the beads and everything has been perfect. Both the temp. and humidity have leveled out and are staying the same. Thanks alot for the tips.

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Originally Posted by highlandcontractors

Well after a few days of the humidity going up and down I think I got it. Monk I followed your advice with the beads and everything has been perfect. Both the temp. and humidity have leveled out and are staying the same. Thanks alot for the tips.

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great! remember, it can take awhile for it to truly level out, but keep cool and follow the advice and all will be well :smiley4:

Happy smoking! Now if I could just get my new ones to level out :smiley26:

hehe....

-W.

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I have been so busy with work that I can barely find time to smoke a cigar. My humi seems to be holding up pretty good but it seems that it is now leveled out at 63%. I notice that during the day it drops to 61% then slowly climbs back up. Is this normal even though I have the beads in now? Hope everyone is well.

Probably small fluctuations in temp.
Don't sweat the small stuff.

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Originally Posted by BigMacFU

Buy 65% beads from heartfeltindustries, a pound, and just use those, you can forget your hygrometer and humidifier with those babies.

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You cannot go wrong with the beads. I struggled for a couple of weeks with fluctuating humidity before i broke down and got the beads. Now I'm totally relaxed with constant humidity. For the price, it’s probably the best thing I’ve bought for my hobby.