How about this idea?...

Joined Apr 2004
289 Posts | 0+
NJ
As you may or may not know from earlier posts the RH in my humidor dropped like a rock at the start of winter. Nothing I've done has helped. UNTIL NOW!!!...I had this idea (uh oh :shock: ) that if I put my humidor inside of one of those "scent free" hunting bags that it would stabilize the humidity. There wouldn't be any air circulation except what's in the bag but it should help right? Simp
 
How impervious are those bags to outside temperature? If it is still cold in the area that the bag is kept in, the humidity will drop anyway. If the bag is also a good insulator then it sounds like a good idea to me.
 
The reason your humidity dropped when winter rolled around probably has mostly to do with the heat in your house turning on. Depending on where you live and what climate household heat sucks the moisture right out of there. I have a smilar problem. Best way to fix it is to spend the extra money on an electric unit. I recommend the oasis plus. That will fix your problem guaranteed.
 
The bag is just a big, thick zip-lock bag to store hunting clothes in, that's all. I seriously doubt it has any insulating properties what-so-ever. I'm gonna try moving the humidor upstairs and see what the temp and RH does. The temp should rise (it's 68-69 up here now) so maybe that'll bring the RH up as well, but I'm not gonna hold my breath. Simp
 
If your cigars don't show signs of trauma I'd likely ignore this. Are you certain your humidor has a good seal? If so, and you've filled the creedo(s)- it would seem very odd that all the water / moisture is - I assume, vaporizing out of the humidor???
 
When I first bought the humidor I the did the salt test, charged the humidifiers and let them stay in there until the humidity leveled out. I didn't rush anything. As far as the seal goes, I believe it has a good seal. I charged the humidifiers probably 2-3 months ago (ballpark) and when I checked them today one of them was about half empty and the other was almost full. I also keep a small shot glass in there with distilled water and it was about half full as well.

FWIW, I filled a coffee cup with 50/50 and placed it very close to the humidor and it had about a tablespoon (maybe less) in it remaining when I checked it today. In a rough estimation I found that the cofee cup and humidifiers were neck and neck with each other as far as evaporation goes. Simp
 
Well, the plastic bag thingie didn't work. I moved the humidor upstairs to a warmer temp. and it's now at 74 degrees with the RH remaining at 58-59. I guess I'm gonna have to get some of the climax beads or an oasis plus. Or just give up smoking cigars in the winter :shock:. Simp
 
You're worried about 58-59% humidity? Light one up already!!! :D The cap will shred when you cut it, but the cigar will be just fine for smoking, . . .

TRUST ME!!!!!

I told you people to avoid The Church Of The Seventy Percenters. And don't believe anyone who tells you that if your humidity drops to 58-59% that the world is about to end and your cigars are no longer any good. :roll: :roll: :roll:
 
also stay away from 50/50
a humidor can only take so much of that stuff.
See the water evaporates and leaves the PG behind.
That stuff will build up and build up so you are at more like
90/10 - it could be the cause of you problem.
Also 74" can be trouble and I would prefer a cooler climate
I like 65/65 temp/rh
try some straight water, maybe even change the creedo
:roll:
but a Cigar Oasis or Climmax beads will do it instantly!~ :!:
 
L is absolutely correct. I suspect your 50/50 must be doing a 180º. Try dropping that all together. It keeps the creedo from getting moldy. Use pure distilled water and you should be fine.

Losing that much water that quickly is disturbing. It sealed in plastic is even more disturbing. If it is not too much 50/50 - sell the house, it's haunted and the ghost is thirsty!

Just light humor. I hope it didn't sound like I or anyone was presuming you don't know what you are doing. I'm just going over the basics to your wierd situation. I'd assume you are reading right as over several months of time, you'd likely have mold showing if you were putting that much water in and it wasn't finding a way out.

Let me ask you this... your humidor is wood lined (spanish cedar likely) right? Did you season it when you bought it? Meaning moisten the wood while it was empty and new? I suspect your 50/50 and thirsty wood might be the combined culprits. Nothing else explains the moisture escaping as fast as it sounds like it is. Without the bag your humidor sounds like it might not seal properly. With the bag sealed it has to be your cigars and the humidor itself drinking or absorbing the moisture. It's not a glass faced humidor is it?
 
One other suggestion... If you have a cooler... Moisten the inside with a wet towel... Close the cooler tight with a hydrometer inside place it right next to your humidor. Open it at a point you feel that it would display what your humidor displays? If they are different and the cooler has a better reading, put your cigars in ziplocks in the cooler. Your humidor either leaks or is very thirsty (if thirsty it may take several LIGHT applications / wipedowns of a wet cloth inside).
 
2 thoughts -{ most in one day fr me 8) }

I like the cooler idea and maybe you can just put the humidor in the cooler and see if it stays at the proper RH.

I also think you can try putting a flash light in the humidor and looking for light shinning out where it should be sealed?

Yes also just throwing out thoughts :D
 
As for the 50/50 I only used it for the initial charge when I bought the humidor. As for seasoning the humidor, I did the salt test on my digital guage first and then seasoned the humidor by placing the humidifiers in the humidor until the digital came up to the proper level and leveled out at 69-70 RH. I read where wetting the inside of the humidor isn't the best way to do it.

As for the wood type inside the humidor it's cedar and the humidor does have a glass top as well.

Just a FWIW: Placing the humidor inside of the sealed bags did nothing to the RH or temperature. I've since removed the humidor from the bags.

Bloofington wrote:
You're worried about 58-59% humidity? Light one up already!!! The cap will shred when you cut it, but the cigar will be just fine for smoking, . .

Well, I took your word and lit up a cigar the other day. It didn't appear to be too dry. The cap did shred just a bit but wasn't bad. The draw was smooth but it still tasted as if it it was burning too hot. Not very good. Not as bad as my cheap smokes mind you, but not as good as when recently bought. I didn't scorch the foot either :oops:!

Thanks for the suggestions and comments guys! I'm trying!
Simp
 
"designed to spend only seven to ten days in the humidor, initially sets the relative humidity level at 84 percent." So, you think this could help me out? I guess you just put it in the humidor for the recommended time and let it do its thing? With the cigars in it or without the cigars? I would order it but I've already told Switchblade45 I'd split some climax beads with him and a couple more guys. I guess this is another reason to get another humidor right? Riiiiiiight. Thanks, Simp
 
Simp said:
I guess this is another reason to get another humidor right? Riiiiiiight. Thanks, Simp

Your going to need it!
Where will you keep all the cigars your aging?????