Relative humidity advice please

[Powderfinger]

I have a 70-100 cigar humidor for several years now and have had a hard time keeping the box at a constant RH. The box came with a strange glass tube system that I replaced with a Credo 70. I decided to use an electronic combo Temp/hydro unit from I think Radio Shack.
I was keeping up with the Credo juice aswell. So recently I decided to get a Cigar Oasis Ultra.
The unit comes from the factory set at 70%, I set it at 68% which I thought would be a reasonable initial setting. After several weeks allowed to equalize the cigars I feel they are way over humidified. The oasis unit was reading a fairly constant 68%. So I stuck my Radio Shack unit in it and it read 75%. I called Cigar Oasis and the sent me a new one, that did the same thing. I don't know what is going on. I am starting to think that all these years the RS unit was reading high, and that I infact like my cigars much less humidified. At 68% the cigar feet were beginning to swell. I am really confused. When one gets a ciger at a shop do you think they are generally 68-70%. What kind of humidity level do you guys like. I was told by Cigar Oasis that in England they like them about 62%. I did put a flashlight in the box in the dark and no leaks. I would like to keep the Oasis since I payed $85.00

Gimme some advise

Thanks Rich

[drew_goring]

Search for the "salt test" and do it. Let us know your results.

[spiffykyle]

The only thing I can think of is that your humidor seals really well and has sealed in the humidity from the cigars and cedar from before. Is the Oasis running (using water)? Maybe your humidor is at a high humidity to begin with and just staying that way. Try taking the humidifying devices out for a while and see what the RH does. Once it gets to 65% try putting the Oasis back in at 68% and see what happens.

I keep my cooler a little "wet" at around 72% for aging. The ones I'm going to smoke soon are kept in a little desktop humi at 60% to 65%

my $0.02

spiffy

[Powderfinger]

Doing salt test will report back.


Thanks for the replies

Rich

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

You might also pick up some 65% beads and add those dry to the humi to absorb the excess moisture (leave the oasis out) and as the beads absorb the moisture you can dry them out and keep reusing until the humi and cigars have equalized at 65% and then put the oasis back in once you have it figured out. Just a thought.

[ashauler]

Welcome to the board. All the suggestions you have gotten are good ones, the salt test on your remote hygro is the right place to start imho.

[Powderfinger]

Results are after 12+ hours:

Radio Shack stand alone unit (no remote) = 66%

Ge weather station 5805ws6 (with remote) = 39%


My conclusion : you can't trust any of these things unless they can be calibrated.

Also I was told by the owner of Heartfelt Industries that salt tests in his opinion can vary as much as 6% depending on the type of salt and the amount of water used in the slurry.

He suggests using a Boveda Calibration Kit or a Humidipak Kit.

I have ordered a HygroSet II Digital Hygrometer With Calibration Feature and a humidipak kit.

I will report back with additional results after I calibrate the Hygroset and put the Radio Shack unit in the Humidipak. This should give a comparison to the salt test also.

Rich

[drew_goring]

Results are after 12+ hours:

Radio Shack stand alone unit (no remote) = 66%

Ge weather station 5805ws6 (with remote) = 39%


My conclusion : you can't trust any of these things unless they can be calibrated.

Also I was told by the owner of Heartfelt Industries that salt tests in his opinion can vary as much as 6% depending on the type of salt and the amount of water used in the slurry.

He suggests using a Boveda Calibration Kit or a Humidipak Kit.

I have ordered a HygroSet II Digital Hygrometer With Calibration Feature and a humidipak kit.

I will report back with additional results after I calibrate the Hygroset and put the Radio Shack unit in the Humidipak. This should give a comparison to the salt test also.

Rich

Good call. The salt test is reasonably accurate and obviously 39% is reading way too low. I would give the salt test another 12-24 hours and see what transpires.

[Powderfinger]

Spiffy and puffy you were right. After getting a hygrometer calibrated properly I have discovered your hypotosis was correct. I have disconnected the oasis for about a week now, and put the hygrometer in and it reads 75%. So this box got over humidified at some point and the box and the cigars have retained this moisture. I didn't realize how well my humi sealed. I have some 65% beads coming from heartfelt. I will leave the oasis of till the beads draw it down to 65% and then try the oasis again, as obviously the oasis has no ability to decrease the RH. Thanks for the great advise. Is there any scenario in which you think beads could work in conjunction with the oasis, provided you would set the oasis at 65%?

Rich

[spiffykyle]

Beads never hurt. It could be construed as overkill to have an oasis and beads in a relatively small humi, but hey, who am I to judge. Keeping both in there will probably just increase the amount of time between refills of H2O.

spiffy