Hard to find a PERFECT humidor or is it just me?

[YellowSmoke]

Alright guys, here is a quick rant!
Is it me or what? I am having a hard time finding the perfect humidor!
I had several humidor ever since I started this hobby but its not quite right... RH wise. Here is what I have owned so far:

- Cheappy from Thompson, POS
- Small Diamond Crown
- Medium Diamond Crown
- End Table from Aristocrat Humidor

Don't get me wrong the Aristocrat is the closest thing to perfect but still have some minor issues... My main complaint is that I am pretty sensitive to RH fluctuation, a 2% flux and I can taste the difference. And it only occurs as far as I can tell when:

- Add substantial amount of new boxes in
- Season change

Additionally, The end table as basically 3 layer of storage, even tho the RH is set at 65.5% (Don't even know is this is accurate, my diamond crown Hydro says 75...)

- Bottom Layer, whee the humidification system is, I found out that it accommodates best for non CC its a little wetter
- Middle Layer, it turns out that it's perfect for CC
- Top Layer (loose cigars trays), its too dry even for storing CC

Here is what I want, a perfect desktop humidor! Just enough for me to store ONE my favorite cigars, different wrapper, taste differently at different RH. But what I find out is that the humidification system used in desktop humidor is not good enough...
I tired beads, gel, and even foam!

I want to get either a elie bleu humidor or maybe one of those prometheus Opus humidor BUT what can I do about the RH? I don't seam to be able to get it right, and even with an active humidification system like the aristocrat, it is still not perfect.

Sorry guys is I don't make a lot of sense I just came back from a 19hr run at work... they are killing me but they are paying for the humi lol

PS:
Basis for Perfect: my local cigar shop, he has a huge humidor and EVERY TIME I pick a stick up its smokes perfect... unless he just got the cigars off the UPS truck

 

[Acclaym]

What did you say?

 

[Backslide]

I also have a end table by Aristocrat. Set it for 67.5%. Your singles tray will be at 65%. I hold 69% at the bottom.

 

[YellowSmoke]

I also have a end table by Aristocrat. Set it for 67.5%. Your singles tray will be at 65%. I hold 69% at the bottom.

What about the middle? Does it actually hold at 67.5?

 

[wkoti]

I've had several Vinotemp-adors, only problem I've ever had was sooner or later, I need to buy a bigger one. But it's a problem I'm willing to manage!

 

[BlindedByScience]

....My main complaint is that I am pretty sensitive to RH fluctuation, a 2% flux and I can taste the difference...

Respectfully, my friend....I think you are paying too much attention to the RH on the digital readout and not enough to how the smoke tastes. I'm sure you can convince yourself you can taste the difference in 2% RH (I know I did early on) but allow me to remind you that cigars don't snap to the RH in their environment....for quite some time. My Staebell is shaped like a phone booth (custom size) so it's tall and relatively skinny. My controller is set to 66% and runs 68-ish is the bottom (where I age) and about 65% in the top...where I smoke from. I've found it to be a perfect environment and I don't sweat a point or two in RH....at all. Mine is a cooled cabinet so when the pelt coolers run hard, the RH floats around a couple points....and it's just not a big deal. My ability to taste smokes is still quite good, IMHO....

If you've convinced yourself that you can taste 2% swing in RH I can only recommend small coolers full of beads. Personally, I think the big cabinets are the way to go and I love mine. Bob or any of the couple other recognized folks make pretty fantastic stuff and provide the storage that's required for a big collection. This is supposed to be a relaxing pastime, remember....??.....

JMHO, YMMV, BBQ, etc....B.B.S.

 

[ilikefishes]

....My main complaint is that I am pretty sensitive to RH fluctuation, a 2% flux and I can taste the difference...

Respectfully, my friend....I think you are paying too much attention to the RH on the digital readout and not enough to how the smoke tastes. I'm sure you can convince yourself you can taste the difference in 2% RH (I know I did early on) but allow me to remind you that cigars don't snap to the RH in their environment....for quite some time. My Staebell is shaped like a phone booth (custom size) so it's tall and relatively skinny. My controller is set to 66% and runs 68-ish is the bottom (where I age) and about 65% in the top...where I smoke from. I've found it to be a perfect environment and I don't sweat a point or two in RH....at all. Mine is a cooled cabinet so when the pelt coolers run hard, the RH floats around a couple points....and it's just not a big deal. My ability to taste smokes is still quite good, IMHO....

If you've convinced yourself that you can taste 2% swing in RH I can only recommend small coolers full of beads. Personally, I think the big cabinets are the way to go and I love mine. Bob or any of the couple other recognized folks make pretty fantastic stuff and provide the storage that's required for a big collection. This is supposed to be a relaxing pastime, remember....??.....

JMHO, YMMV, BBQ, etc....B.B.S.

You should pay attention to this. This is the best advice you have been given.

 

[YellowSmoke]

....My main complaint is that I am pretty sensitive to RH fluctuation, a 2% flux and I can taste the difference...

Respectfully, my friend....I think you are paying too much attention to the RH on the digital readout and not enough to how the smoke tastes. I'm sure you can convince yourself you can taste the difference in 2% RH (I know I did early on) but allow me to remind you that cigars don't snap to the RH in their environment....for quite some time. My Staebell is shaped like a phone booth (custom size) so it's tall and relatively skinny. My controller is set to 66% and runs 68-ish is the bottom (where I age) and about 65% in the top...where I smoke from. I've found it to be a perfect environment and I don't sweat a point or two in RH....at all. Mine is a cooled cabinet so when the pelt coolers run hard, the RH floats around a couple points....and it's just not a big deal. My ability to taste smokes is still quite good, IMHO....

If you've convinced yourself that you can taste 2% swing in RH I can only recommend small coolers full of beads. Personally, I think the big cabinets are the way to go and I love mine. Bob or any of the couple other recognized folks make pretty fantastic stuff and provide the storage that's required for a big collection. This is supposed to be a relaxing pastime, remember....??.....

JMHO, YMMV, BBQ, etc....B.B.S.

Hummm... I do agree and several if not most of the points...
Here is the deal, I don't really pay attention to the number, until the cigars start tasting crappy, and I threw a few RH numbers out there as my reference point.
I DO love my Aristocrat and the workmanship is great. I do understand it's relaxing time but when the cigar taste "off" its ruins it =(

This is going to be hard to explain lol but I will give it a go...
When its off by 2%, the cigar burn somewhat fine, the smoke coming off the burn smells fine, draws fine. BUT after exhaling it has a distinct stale, bitter taste.
Its minor but detectable.
anything off but 5% or more I will get burn issue, draw issue the smell of the burn is off as well as the taste and the exhale.

Right now, with that small end table, at 65.5 i found that its best to put the CC in the middle and the DC on the bottom... But the top is... empty =( too dry.

I promise I am not driven by the numbers LOL

 

[Tall Paul]

....My main complaint is that I am pretty sensitive to RH fluctuation, a 2% flux and I can taste the difference...

Respectfully, my friend....I think you are paying too much attention to the RH on the digital readout and not enough to how the smoke tastes. I'm sure you can convince yourself you can taste the difference in 2% RH (I know I did early on) but allow me to remind you that cigars don't snap to the RH in their environment....for quite some time. My Staebell is shaped like a phone booth (custom size) so it's tall and relatively skinny. My controller is set to 66% and runs 68-ish is the bottom (where I age) and about 65% in the top...where I smoke from. I've found it to be a perfect environment and I don't sweat a point or two in RH....at all. Mine is a cooled cabinet so when the pelt coolers run hard, the RH floats around a couple points....and it's just not a big deal. My ability to taste smokes is still quite good, IMHO....

If you've convinced yourself that you can taste 2% swing in RH I can only recommend small coolers full of beads. Personally, I think the big cabinets are the way to go and I love mine. Bob or any of the couple other recognized folks make pretty fantastic stuff and provide the storage that's required for a big collection. This is supposed to be a relaxing pastime, remember....??.....

JMHO, YMMV, BBQ, etc....B.B.S.

Hummm... I do agree and several if not most of the points...
Here is the deal, I don't really pay attention to the number, until the cigars start tasting crappy, and I threw a few RH numbers out there as my reference point.
I DO love my Aristocrat and the workmanship is great. I do understand it's relaxing time but when the cigar taste "off" its ruins it =(

This is going to be hard to explain lol but I will give it a go...
When its off by 2%, the cigar burn somewhat fine, the smoke coming off the burn smells fine, draws fine. BUT after exhaling it has a distinct stale, bitter taste.
Its minor but detectable.
anything off but 5% or more I will get burn issue, draw issue the smell of the burn is off as well as the taste and the exhale.

Right now, with that small end table, at 65.5 i found that its best to put the CC in the middle and the DC on the bottom... But the top is... empty =( too dry.

I promise I am not driven by the numbers LOL

Sound to me like you need to re-season this cabinet. My cabinet did the same thing when I first set it up where the bottom was at set point and it got drier towards the top of the humidor. After re seasoning the cabinet I changed my humidifier and added one with a fan timer to move the air and humidity around so it wouldn't settle in the bottom and problem fixed. I set my humidity to 65 and it stays 64-66 in the entire cabinet with not difference from top to bottom. As for the taste being off on the cigars have you thought that it could just be a dud or it is young and the others you may have smoked had age on them. I am not questioning your taste buds in relation to humidity but I don't think humidity is your issue with the taste. Example: I had a PLPC that was gifted to be by a brother here and it had 4 years on it. Greatest CC i have ever had so I bought a CAB and when they arrived they had exactly a year on them by the box code. I let them sit in the humi a few days to even off and gave one a test run and it was the worse CC I had ever had. Now it could be the age or something I ate before the smoke or just a bad stick. I have smoked a few more since then and they have gotten much better.

Hope this helps,
Paul

 

[YellowSmoke]

Yea... Maybe, but how do I re-season it? I mean it has been running for a year or so already, the fact that its constantly on, wouldn't the end table being broken in already?
And I think mine does come with a timed humidifier already, it kicks in every so often and will also kick in when the RH get too low.

Thanks!

 

[Tall Paul]

Yea... Maybe, but how do I re-season it? I mean it has been running for a year or so already, the fact that its constantly on, wouldn't the end table being broken in already?
And I think mine does come with a timed humidifier already, it kicks in every so often and will also kick in when the RH get too low.

Thanks!

Because of the size of my humidor I ended up wiping down the upper section of the humidor to help it to absorb the moisture everywhere. Since it would not season in the upper section just by leaving the bowl in there. I don't have big shelves in the upper sections to be able to put a bowl up top near the drier wood so i just wiped it down. Most would not recommend it at the risk of warping the wood. How ever it is all I could come up with and it solved the issue.

Paul

 

[BlindedByScience]

Wiping down humidors has been known to warp them badly. I wouldn't do it on a dare.....

 

[Backslide]

we're taking about a humidor that cost over 1000.00, don't even think about wiping it down! Bob will even tell you to NEVER do it! Just bump your RH setting up and let it sit for a while. Patience man, patience!

 

[Tall Paul]

Like I said its not recommended...

 

[Asel.mike]

Just put a piece of tape over the hygometer screen, and only look at it once a week.
Then you just enjoy your smoke, without the constant worry about your RH.

 

[BigBear]

Just bump your RH setting up and let it sit for a while. Patience man, patience!

Awesome advice right there!!
I have a really old humidor, holds all my favorite smokes for aging now; It literally took me 2 months to get it to retain RH, I tried everything.
I use the Humidity Bead System (www.cigarmony.com), used to be called the puck... has different sizes now.
Anyway, I just kept seasoning it (Bowl of water, a couple of the HBS units) until it would hold a steady 65%. Now it won't leave the 65 to 67% RH for nothing.

That's my 2 cents... Good Luck!!

 

[ArlinLiss]

Uneven humidity is caused by a lack of air flow within the humidor.

Air flow needs to be designed into the humidor so that a loop of air circulates completely around the entire cigar collection stored within the humidor This loop must encircle the entire collection within the humidor. In must be designed that it CANNOT BE BLOCKED and this 'loop' needs to be 'churned' periodically even when there is no 'call' for humidity so as to 'balance the RH and avoid stratification

Designs that rely upon a 'hollow' [air gap] between the rear of the cigar storage drawers/trays/shelves and the actual rear wall of the cabinet wall don't work at evenly distributing RH in my experience.

Cigars stored within a humidor should be thought of as 'suspended collection' [housed on trays or shelves, boxed or loose] around which a flow of air encircles this 'mass'. This 'mass' ,to me, is just like a box of cigars.

My humidors have EVEN RH top to bottom.

arlinliss.com