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could use a little help.

tlojak41

New Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2014
Messages
19
Hello. Im new to both the cigar scene and owning a humidor. I recently bought a nice vintage humidor, This is my first one, so i have a few questions. I hope i dont sound too much like a newb. Ok, I got this thing and knew it needed re-seasoned,(I did do some reading before i invested) so, i decided to go the easy season pillow pack,(Boveda). I checked the hygrometer with the salt test, adjusted, then left in for 24 hours more to make sure it was right, then left it out of the bag to watch function. Then I loaded it into the front of the humidor. Ive had the pack in for about 5 days now, and im concerned. When i put the hygrometer in, it dipped to 55% humidity, and stayed there for two days, then it jumped to 59% and hasn't moved since. I checked the seal, and it seems to be ok. I know the hygrometer is working. could anyone give me anything else to check?. i have some cigars ordered and I dont want to pick them up until i know the humidor is right and ready to go. Thanks for any help anyone can give. The newb...
 
As I understand it having the humidor at least half full of cigars will help regulate the humidity. Even if you get it spot on, when you add the cigars it will likely change as they will release or absorb humidity based on how wet or dry they are when you add them to the humidor.
 
shouldnt the humidor be properly seasoned before i add cigars? I read that if i add cigars before its seasoned properly, the cedar will draw the moisture out of the cigars and dry them out.
 
Do you,have enough paks in there to cover the cu. in. Of the humi or just enough to cover the current amount of the,sticks? You can not over do the Boveda paks.
 
i have one of the regular size easy season packs,(84%) I thought i read it was good for a 25-50 cigar humidor. should i get another one? 
 
You should get a clean sponge, soak it in distilled water, put in on a small plate, then put it in the humidor... Wait a few days, and it should be fine...
 
Also, go to the introduction thread and tell us a bit more about yourself.
 
Bill
 
CigSid said:
You should get a clean sponge, soak it in distilled water, put in on a small plate, then put it in the humidor... Wait a few days, and it should be fine...
 
Also, go to the introduction thread and tell us a bit more about yourself.
 
Bill
 
Bill wrote my post for me.  Hit the grocery store, buy a new (cheap) synthetic sponge and a gallon of distilled (NOT filtered) water.  Total cost....less than three bucks.  Soak the sponge in distilled water, put it flat on a small plate, put it in the humidor.  Beauty of the Bovida packs is that they will absorb as well as release humidity, so they'll help regulate things as the humidor reaches the proper RH.  Watch the hygro, target a point or two over your desired level.  When you're been there for a couple days, pull the sponge, you should be golden.
 
Oh, and don't check it every fifteen minutes..... ;)   Give the environment time to equilibrate.  Getting things right usually takes some time, but you only have to do it right once.
 
You don't even need the sponge. A shallow dish of distilled water should do you, always worked for me, then get some of Viper's beads.
 
Doc
 
Having a seasoned humidor is definitely important. As it's been said already, the amount of space that needs to be humidified in an empty humidor is a lot more than one that is 1/2 or 3/4 filled with cigars. With that said, your reading will likely read less b/c of this. I don't know the scientific answer to this but I just learned this the other day, after several discussions about regulating RH.
 
If you have cigars already, load them into the humidor after you've followed the steps above about wiping down the humidor. After a few days, if you still have lower than desired readings, place your cigars in tuppaware while you sort out the RH issues. The tupperware will be a very secure place to leave your cigars until you get your humidor condition where you want them.
 
Also, a few points, +/- 3 even 4% off is not going to make a huge difference. Some may disagree but I used to fret 2 or 3% differences until it had been nicely explained to me a few times that it won't matter. So, wipe down as noted above, re-test and put your stash in there to see if things stabilize. I literally did this 3 days ago as my 70% beads were reading 66-67%. I had my tuppador 1/2 full. I filled it just about to capacity with cigars and I've been holding 69-70% without a problem.
 
Good luck and let us know how you make out.
 
Please don't wipe down the interior of your humidor. It's an old wife's tale.  All it will do is raise the grain of the cedar and make things worse by screwing up the fit and finish. It's just too much moisture to quick. You need to be patient.
 
Doc
 
Devil Doc said:
Please don't wipe down the interior of your humidor. It's an old wife's tale.  All it will do is raise the grain of the cedar and make things worse by screwing up the fit and finish. It's just too much moisture to quick. You need to be patient.
 
Doc
 
Doc is right.  Can't 'short cut' the seasoning process, wiping down humidors is potentially bad news.  Best case, you make the surface moist and that goes away quickly.  Like I said, you only have to do it right once, and it will take some time.
 
Ok. I've heard guys say it took theirs two weeks to properly season. Ill give it some more tome before I get really nervous. Does everyone agree that I should be putting cigars in now? I was told and read that you shouldnt until its ready. Will adding them take my hygrometer up to the proper percentage, or will time do that with it empty?
 
If you put the cigars in now, the humidor will suck the moisture from the cigars in the seasoning process, not a good idea...
 
Great advice already given. I may have missed it, but don't remember you saying how long you kept the seasoning pack in the box.
If you pulled the packs out, and they were still "squishy" vice dried and hard, you most likely did not leave them in long enough. 
 
Main thing is that you keep the box closed for two weeks, minimum. A shallow bowl with plenty of distilled water in it will work just as well as the packs, cheaper, and there will be plenty of water to leave the box closed for the full two weeks and maintain the environment. Just put the box somewhere safe to avoid bumps and possible spills. If you do it right, and you have a good seal, the box will be very stable.
 
Do you think your seal is fine? Holding the lid a couple of inches up from the closed position, if you let it drop, does it swoosh at it creates and hits a cushion of air, or does it just crash shut? Either way, before seasoning it may not swoosh, but it might afterwards. If it still doesn't swoosh after fully seasoning for 2 or 3 weeks, you'll have to address that with one of many solutions.
 
I apologize if my comments were unclear or caused any confusion. You should definitely give it more time. Five days IMO is not enough for a humidor. Albeit, I am by no means an expert. It's better to be safe than sorry. You definitely don't want to put the cigars in there before you have stabilized your RH and are holding comfortably.
 
I know there is conflicting opinions about wiping down vs. not wiping down. Patience is probably your best bet though. Before wracking your mind, make sure your seal is tight and your hygrometer is calibrated (which it seems you took care of that already). The swoosh test is good as well as the dollar bill test. Open the top, slip a dollar bill across the seal, close the top and attempt to pull the dollar bill out. If there is a good deal of resistance, your seal should be tight. Another test you could do is put a flashlight inside of your humidor, illuminated, close the lid, find the darkest area of your home and check for light sneaking through. If you see no light, your seal is good.
 
These are all oversights I experienced. I'm not reinventing the wheel with my advice but trying to save you some aggrivation. I've been there before and it's quite annoying. The moral of this process, time & patience.
 
All good advice. I think I'm going to give it some time before I try any more tests. I want to leave the lid closed to get max affect. Ill give the dollar test a shot after I'm convinced I have this thing seasoned correctly. Just wish I'd see the humidity get passed 59%. I think I'd feel much better about how this is going. But, I also brew my own beer so I know the term patience all too well! Lol. Thanks guys. You've been a great help
 
Devil Doc said:
Please don't wipe down the interior of your humidor. It's an old wife's tale.  All it will do is raise the grain of the cedar and make things worse by screwing up the fit and finish. It's just too much moisture to quick. You need to be patient.
 
Doc
This....
 
As cool as the Bovida kit is, the 'sponge on the plate' may speed things up by a day or three.  Maybe.  Depends on how dry the humidor was to begin with, what the ambient RH and temperature is in your home, etc.
 
There's no down side to putting the sponge / plate in there with the Bovida.  Food for thought.
 
Tom is correct, the sponge not only holds a lot of water, it also increases the "moisture" surface area, and dramatically speeds up the process.
 
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