RH 65% or 70%

[drew_goring]

It comes down to personal preference..... We can arugh over what weight oil to run in our cars to. 5W-30, 10W-30. There really is no wrong answer to this question. Some guys like it around 65ish and some like theirs around 70ish. My beads keep my humidor at 68% almost all the time. That rh seems to work for me, so I dont mess with em.

Exactly. I was just saying that Sethie is wrong saying 70% is "best", or that higher is better. There is no best humidity. Find out what works for you and do it.

Also, some people's hygrometers may be out of whack, so that 70% could easily be 65% or 75%.

[dHUTCH]

Also, some people's hygrometers may be out of whack, so that 70% could easily be 65% or 75%.

That is also a very good point

[basil]

I feel good about my cooler as long as it's in the mid-60s to 70 range, with no abrupt fluctuations like what would happen if the lid were left open. And the beads keep it in that range. I live in a dry climate, which requires me to recharge the beads once every 6-8 weeks, and more frequently in the summer.

From what I understand, 70/70 is for long-term storage and aging and if you're doing this, then you're set up to maintain these "ideal" conditions for years at a time, rarely opening the unit. Cigars bought and smoked within a few weeks or even months (or even a year) will likely receive no noticable benefit in a perfect 70/70 environment. While keeping them in the "range" will preserve a decent draw, minimize burn problems (but it won't eliminate them), and you'll be able to have a place to put all the cigars you get in trades, order online, or bring home from your b&m, which is likely most cigars for most of us.

Cigars I tend to want to store for a wihle go to the bottom of the box, for minimum impact.

[JStrider]

I like to keep mine 65ish tending a little over...

when I kept em at 70 I seemed to have my cigars split while Iwas smoking them and they tended to go out more and I'd have to relight a half dozen times.

[dHUTCH]

I like to keep mine 65ish tending a little over...

when I kept em at 70 I seemed to have my cigars split while Iwas smoking them and they tended to go out more and I'd have to relight a half dozen times.

What do you mean by split? As in the wrapper got a crack in it and would start to peal back? This is not caused by higher RH; in fact the higher the RH the less likely a leaf is to crack. Think of leaves on the ground. A dried up non wet leaf will crumble easier than a non-dried up leaf.

[mauied1101]

Think of leaves on the ground. A dried up non wet leaf will crumble easier than a non-dried up leaf.

... but does it make a noise if no one is there to hear it?

[JStrider]

the wrapper would crack kinda *shrug* it was back when I was first getting my tupperdor first setup, maybe it was something else... I get what your saying tho.

*shrug* they dont do it anymore and I dont have to relight as much... so its all good