65% and 70% -- use and storage

[highdudgeon]

Hi,

I have five desktop humidors and, thanks to this forum, one coolidor (a 70qt model Coleman). The Coolidor works so well that I'll soon be selling of humidors on ebay and making a second, larger coolidor to store cigars in their original boxes. The idea is to maintain one or two small desktops for "regular" use, each featuring a good selection of what I have in storage, and knowing that, in all likelihood, the others might go untouched for months, if not years, at a time. So, here's the question:

I live in a dry climate. Right now it is winter and quite foggy, but spring begins, in earnest, in March and there is very little rain until next September. Now, I've experienced burn issues with some cigars and was told by my tobacconist, who keeps his walk it an over 70rh, and others, to simply remove a cigar in the morning and let it sit out until evening. Fair enough.

I went the way of 64rh beads from Cigarmony. They work. Everything is between 65-67rh. I'm hopeful this will improve things.

Questions: 1. Is this going to be enough during the hot times? It becomes hard to maintain 72-73% in the house with our puny AC. Would 70rh make more sense?

Question 2: Long term storage. I've read many times that, for long-term storage, 70 and even a bit over is preferable. could it make sense to use the 65% in the "user" humis and 70% in storage>?

Am I being too critical>?

 

[NullSmurf]

I was all set with a 'search is your friend' comment, but I'm not so sure about this one. You are at the extreme right now with cold and dry. If you're maintaining now, you'll be fine in the summer, at least for rh.

 

[MilesMingusMonk]

A coolidor is a closed environment - if properly maintained, it should perform independently of the environmental conditions of your home. For a coolidor with beads to perform most efficiently, it should be filled with cigars and cedar boxes to act as a buffer to any swings in humidity. If your coolidor is not stocked to capacity, simply add extra all-cedar empty cigar boxes. ( I also find having extra beads helps. It is better to have three half bundles of beads spread throughout your coolidor, than one 1.5 lb lump in one spot in the coolidor. ) Avoid opening your coolidor compulsively during the lower humidity periods of the year.

Many members use 65% for long term storage - it's really a personal preference.

 

[JHolmes763]

I'd use (well, do use) 65% for everything. Like MMM said, get enough boxes or cedar in there to buffer the humidity, make sure you have a good seal and the outside environment won't matter to your cigars. You'll just want to make sure the coolers themselves don't get to hot, so keep them in a cool portion of your house.

It's different for everyone, though, so find out the humidity the cigars you have smoke best at... in your opinion. Experiment with your desktop humidors. I find nearly everything smokes really well at 65%, though.

---John Holmes...