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mounting hygrometer on lid of humidor - not accurate readings?

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bluenote75

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Nov 2, 2022
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Hi everyone,

I have 2 Adorini desktop humidors. A 50 count and 125 count. For the 50 count, I use 2 65% boveda packs mounted on the lid with the cedar holder. For 125 count, I use qty 4 bovedas mounted on lid.

For each, I have a caliber IV slim hygrometer mounted on the lid, just above the boveda cedar holder. Both are well calibrated.

However, I notice when mounted on the lid, they are both reading about 62%rh. When I place the hygrometer on the cigars instead, I get a reading of 65% for both humidors.

Which reading should I go by? I'm assuming the 65% is more accurate, as it's picking up on a higher humidity then the reading on the lid. So, 65% humidity must be accurate, no? But my question is, why would this be? Why 62 on the lid, and 65 when not mounted on the lid? Both humidors are also about 3/4 full of cigars. Also, the cigars do not seem dry at all, (I haven't smoked one in a couple of months due to the winter weather up here in canada)

I'm not going to be anal about 3 points, but genuinely curious why its off by 3%? By placing the hygrometers on the cigars vs the lid only equals about an inch or so difference between the placements, yet the readings are quite different.

thanks everyone for your input
 
That small gap of air is all it takes. Setting it right on the cigars would be like setting it directly on the boveda pack. Go by how the cigars feel and smoke. If you're happy, it's all good. 👍
 
Thanks for the response Darin. By small gap of air, are you saying that with the hygrometer on the lid, that it's very close to the gap between the lid and the main body of the humidor, therefore it's picking up on the ambient humidity and affecting the readout? This would actually make sense. My ambient humidity in the room is about 45%.

So, that would again lead me to believe that the 65% reading with the hygrometer placed on the cigars would be more accurate
 
If you value your cigars and your smoking pleasure, sell the wooden humidors and buy a cooler which has no smell. Wooden humidors are horribly unreliable because the ambient RH in your home typically fluctuates dramatically, and since wood is porous, so do your humidors. Once a cigar sits at a RH of less than 65% for a period of time, you can throw it away as it will never taste right again.

Without knowing a lot about your exact set-up, I would guess that your humidor wood is somewhere between the internal 65% and the external 45% and this is what your hygro is reading when on the lid.

Many of us here will tell you that at some point we learned to care more about the "quality" of the cigars than the "presentation" of them.

Good luck!
 
I agree ... a tupperdore / coolidore is much more air-tight and less worry. That's what I used for years before converting a wine fridge. Here in Arizona, especially, maintaining RH in a small wooden box was impossible.
 
Thank you for the responses Darin and Cigarstone. I will note though, these are adorini humidors and are pretty decent quality. The 125 count was about $500, so they aren't leaky cheap knockoffs. (I understand though that they do leak somewhat though, as it's made of wood and that's the nature of wood humidors)

they have no problem holding humidity. In fact, they are rock solid, with the boveda packs lasting several months without the need for changing.

the humidity is rock solid at 62% on the lid, and 65% when measuring on the cigars. This does not move at all.

Really, my question was only why the difference of 3% based on the hygrometer placement.

I appreciate your responses though!

thanks.
 
bluenote75 said:
Thank you for the responses Darin and Cigarstone. I will note though, these are adorini humidors and are pretty decent quality. The 125 count was about $500, so they aren't leaky cheap knockoffs. (I understand though that they do leak somewhat though, as it's made of wood and that's the nature of wood humidors)

they have no problem holding humidity. In fact, they are rock solid, with the boveda packs lasting several months without the need for changing.

the humidity is rock solid at 62% on the lid, and 65% when measuring on the cigars. This does not move at all.

Really, my question was only why the difference of 3% based on the hygrometer placement.

I appreciate your responses though!

thanks.
Click to expand...
The 3% is because of the fact that the hygro is next to the wood which is weeping humidity. As I mentioned, the wood is somewhere between the internal 65% and the external 45%.

A Boveda pack in my coolidors will last indefinitely because they don't weep humidity. The money you are spending on Boveada packs could be spent on cigars.;)
 
I see what you're saying, the wood may be affecting the hygrometer reading because that is weeping humidity. So, having the hygrometer placed elsewhere would probably be the more accurate measurement of the actual rh within the humidor (at least, that is the conclusion I'm coming to)

I'm not worried about the price on boveda packs, as I mentioned they last for months. The one in my 125 count hasn't been replaced since march and is still going strong. 50 count humidor had the boveda last about 8 months as well. The humidors have a pretty good seal.

Thanks again for your insights.
 
For all of you dickheads who are just waiting for me to post the picture.....................................
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Coolers are definitely the way to go. I would only add giving a new one a baking soda bath first. Especially Igloos.. the 48qt ones that Walmart sells have a very potent plastic smell. I have 8 of them and 3 Colemans.

Spend the extra .50 cents and buy a new box of Arm & Hammer.. not a store brand baking soda. Put cooler in a clean bath tub and use a new Scotch sponge. Using lukewarm water, just get the whole cooler wet. Start sprinkling baking soda on every inch and make a thin paste. On the interior and lid, sprinkle more and just get a nice good, thick, paste everywhere. Leave it sit with that paste on it drying overnight.

Next morning, simply rinse it off with warm water.. hopefully you have a removable showerhead, just makes it easier. The paste should rinse off mostly on its own, if not just wipe with your new sponge. You can leave it upside down to drain and airdry, but if you have hard water, use a clean hand towel (unscented) or shammy and get that hard water wiped off so it won't spot.

You should be able to stick your snout in there and get a good whiff of nothing. Any lingering plastic smell, repeat the process. Anything smaller than a cooler, basically do the same thing.

All you're trying to do is get rid of that manufactured initial plastic smell prior to putting leaf in longterm. The good baking soda paste will do that.

Lastly, what are you guys talking about.. does Jeff have some sort of cooler setup or something? 🤷‍♂️
 
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