Humidor humidity constantly on the rise...

**Owen_** · 12-03-2013, 01:58 PM

Hi guys my names Owen and i am indeed new to cigarsmokers.

I have been smoking cigars for a few short years now yet only recently have i purchased my first humidor, its a small desk top one holding around 25-30 sticks with a glass top.

I followed all the processes correctly, from calibrating my hygrometer so it perfectly reads 75RH to then wiping down the humi leaving a sponge in there for a few days to which the RH had risen to around 88RH, i then removed the sponge and added the humidifier and left to sit for around 6 days, after 4 days there wasnt much drop in RH so i left the lid open for 24 hours and its dropped massively, since then i have had the humi close but slowly but surely it has risen from 65RH to now reading 78RH.

Will it ever drop down ? I havent put in any sticks yet because im waiting for them to arrive but surely i dont want to out them in when the RH is reading 78 ?

All advise welcome, im really confused.

Many thanks guys and i look forward to your reply.

**badwhale** · 12-03-2013, 05:19 PM

Is it a digital hygrometer? If it is an analog, it's probably not reading correctly, even after the calibration process.

Do a search, there's lots of info. Most of it is going to tell you to get humidity beads, and not to fret about the cigars, and keep your humi closed most of the time to keep the humidity stable.

Will

**Mangyrat** · 12-03-2013, 05:46 PM

Fill it with cigars at least half full or better then throw in a humi pack or some beads.
As long as your cigars are not drying out or to damp when smoking them then don't sweat it.

**Owen_** · 12-03-2013, 06:34 PM

It is indeed a digital hygrometer.

Ok i'll keep the humi shut and hopefully i see a drop within the next few days.

**S.A.W.B.** · 12-03-2013, 07:55 PM

I have had this problem before. what I did is open the door and monitor the hygrometer until it leveled out. After it reached what you are calling your desired humidity close it up. But like mangyrat said fill it with cigars they may ballance it out. Humi beads are the way to go with a small unit like that.
Hope this helps it worked it worked for me.

**ggiese** · 12-03-2013, 07:58 PM

I used to fret quite a bit over the humidity - and it was all over the place as you describe. one day it just magically held rock steady. I believe it was two likely reasons - me constantly checking the unit - and the humidityeventually stabilizing once I filled it with cigars. It seems to eventually become a "system" if you just let it be, and humidity seems to hold well for about 6 weeks before I need to add more water.

Bottom line - less is more...

BTW - welcome!

**CptnBlues63** · 12-04-2013, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by ggiese

I used to fret quite a bit over the humidity - and it was all over the place as you describe. one day it just magically held rock steady. I believe it was two likely reasons - me constantly checking the unit - and the humidityeventually stabilizing once I filled it with cigars. It seems to eventually become a "system" if you just let it be, and humidity seems to hold well for about 6 weeks before I need to add more water.

Bottom line - less is more...

BTW - welcome!

I had the same issue....constant checking caused my RH to go up and down so I learned to leave it alone. Well ok, I admit it wasn't just checking RH. I love the smell of Spanish cedar and cigars mixed and used to pop it open just to smell it

Since your humi has a glass top, just put the hygrometer on the top shelf where you can see it through the glass. Then you can check RH without opening the humi. I now have a 500 count that has a glass top and that's what I do.

Putting cigars in will most likely bring the humidity down a bit for two reasons. One, you've opened the humi and some RH escaped, and two, the sticks themselves lose a bit of RH when exposed to open air and once you put them in, they'll absorb some. So, if you're at 78% right now and you put 15 cigars (or more) in, it'll probably drop noticeably.

I think if you were to look around on here you'd find that the majority of members keep their RH in the 60 - 70% range. I find 63-65% is optimum for where I live. So you'll want to experiment with different RH levels yourself to find the one that works best for where you live.

Oh, before I forget.....Hi and welcome aboard from Alberta, Canada

**illilli** · 12-04-2013, 04:54 PM

In my opinion this boils down to how you are humidifying the humidor. Get 65% humidity beads, wet them down, and don't even think about worrying again. (Oh, yeah, you have to wet them down when they get dry, of course!)

I open and close my humidor all the time because I love the smell and it doesn't affect the humidity that much over the course of a 24 hour period. After all, you aren't opening it while you are sleeping. If you are, then THAT is definitely the problem, by the way!

Also, you can't really tell what's going on until you put cigars in the humidor. Cigars are their own little hygrometer/bead controllers. They help even things out almost like magic. I mean, after all, an empty humidor is just a cedar box with something wet inside; it isn't really a humidor yet. (Yeah, I just making this saying up -- it has not been approved by any cool people yet.)

**Owen_** · 12-04-2013, 04:59 PM

OK guys thanks for all the heads up. just sat next to the humidor now and its sitting solid at 79 and has done for the last 2 days still my cigars havent arrived so until they do i cant put anything in there.

**kingbeefy** · 12-04-2013, 06:15 PM

I have nothing to add to the advice in this thread, but welcome.

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**ggiese** · 12-04-2013, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by Owen_

OK guys thanks for all the heads up. just sat next to the humidor now and its sitting solid at 79 and has done for the last 2 days still my cigars havent arrived so until they do i cant put anything in there.

Seriously hoping for your sake it does not stay at 79... That's is a tad too high. 70-72% recommended, but ideal for Cuban cigars is 60-65%.

**Owen_** · 12-05-2013, 08:23 AM

I don't want it at 79 believe me, i want it at 67. God knows how i'll get it there at this rate.

Cant find humidity beads very easily over here in the UK.

Anyone know anywhere ?

**ggiese** · 12-05-2013, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Owen_

I don't want it at 79 believe me, i want it at 67. God knows how i'll get it there at this rate.

Cant find humidity beads very easily over here in the UK.

Anyone know anywhere ?

http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/default.asp

Not sure, but I do believe they ship internationally...

**CptnBlues63** · 12-05-2013, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by Owen_

I don't want it at 79 believe me, i want it at 67. God knows how i'll get it there at this rate.

Cant find humidity beads very easily over here in the UK.

Anyone know anywhere ?

Check the Heartfelt website.

http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/

Email them and ask if they ship to the UK. I emailed and asked if they ship to Canada and it turns out the do. They may just ship to the UK too. If not, they may have resellers there they can put you in touch with.

You can lower your RH by simply leaving your humi open for a while. I would suggest you leave it wide open for 30 min's. Close and check it in an hour or two. Repeat as necessary expanding or reducing the "open" time as necessary. Leave it a few degrees above where you want it as it will likely come down a few points when you put your cigars in.

**ggiese** · 12-05-2013, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by CptnBlues63

Check the Heartfelt website.

http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/

Email them and ask if they ship to the UK. I emailed and asked if they ship to Canada and it turns out the do. They may just ship to the UK too. If not, they may have resellers there they can put you in touch with.

You can lower your RH by simply leaving your humi open for a while. I would suggest you leave it wide open for 30 min's. Close and check it in an hour or two. Repeat as necessary expanding or reducing the "open" time as necessary. Leave it a few degrees above where you want it as it will likely come down a few points when you put your cigars in.

I would do nothing until you load it with cigars. I guarantee the humidity will lower once you add cigars and let it sit for a few days.

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**ashauler** · 12-05-2013, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by ggiese

snip......
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh shit, the apocolypse must be just around the corner. Tapeworm talk.....next thing you'll be wanting to multi-task or sumptin.

**ggiese** · 12-05-2013, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by ashauler

Oh shit, the apocolypse must be just around the corner. Tapeworm talk.....next thing you'll be wanting to multi-task or sumptin.

Csmokers looks all kinds of funky and stuff when I bring it up with the Sarari browser. I gotta use tapeworm talk...

**Owen_** · 12-06-2013, 12:35 PM

So what happens if i buy 65% humidity beads, put them in the humidor which then brings it down the 65% RH then add my cigars ? surely it'll drop even lower than 65% ?

**TheGreekTitan** · 12-06-2013, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by Owen_

So what happens if i buy 65% humidity beads, put them in the humidor which then brings it down the 65% RH then add my cigars ? surely it'll drop even lower than 65% ?

C'mon man, this ain't rocket science. Maybe you should just buy one cigar at a time, and fill your humidor with peanuts. No humidification necessary.

**Stoopy** · 12-06-2013, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by Owen_

So what happens if i buy 65% humidity beads, put them in the humidor which then brings it down the 65% RH then add my cigars ? surely it'll drop even lower than 65% ?

Just get some heartfelt beads, throw them in the humidor with cigars, and spray them with a little distilled water when most of them turn white. Don't even need to look at the hydrometer.
Seriously the beads work great.