Weird Humidity issue.

[WARDOGG]

Hey all. I'm having a wierd problem with the humidity in my humidor.

Right now I'm living in Carlsbad, NM. The outside temps have been hitting 90 plus for several days now. The temp in my humi varies from 60-90 but the humidity stays at 45-55. I've tried everything I can think of to get it regulated (cooling, heating, less beads, more beads), nothing helps. Now this is where it gets wierd. I took all my sticks and put them in a plastic bag. I put my beads and meter in the bag and put it on top of the humi. The temp and humidity are now perfect.

I thought I had a leak in my humi and was looking for a reason to get a second humidor so I bought a new humi. I'm having the same problem, yet in the bag they're fine.

So what gives? Any ideas?

 

[Mitch]

Do you have any AC vents hitting the humi, direct sun? what happens if you put the humi in a closet? How long have you had the humi and how was it running? Have you changed anyting at all, placement, hydration system, added or removed lots of sticks?

You've got some wierd going on, but from what you posted I don't have any ideas yet.

 

[dpricenator]

did you season the humi? and maybe at this point season it thuroughly. change batteries in your hygro. flashlight test the humi for leaks. maybe tupperware will hold rh better, since you live in suck a dry climate

 

[CWS]

did you season the humi? and maybe at this point season it thuroughly. change batteries in your hygro. flashlight test the humi for leaks. maybe tupperware will hold rh better, since you live in suck a dry climate

I think Dave may have hit it. SOunds like the humi is still pulling mositure.

 

[Curmudgeon76]

Wardogg,

I'm having a very similar issue, and I too suspected a leak. I can get the humidity up to a perfect sixty five percent, but it doesn't stay there long: within a day or two, several of the beads in my humidor are opaque and the humidity begins to steadily drop by 1-2% per day.

My father is having the same problem in his humi: we did the flashlight test and the dollar bill test on his and it seemed just fine, so we then proceeded to season it for around 2 weeks. Got a paradigm in there now with only about 15 to 20 cigars and the humidity keeps dropping.

Like you, I've stored sticks in a bag or tupperware with a hygro and beads and have had no problem keeping it in the 65-70 range. However, I've found it damn near impossible to maintain ideal humidity in my humidor for any extended period of time. I'm thinking of replacing my humidor. If you are able to get to the bottom of it in your case, any advice would be appreciated because it sounds like we're experiencing a similar issue.

Justin

 

[WARDOGG]

I think Dave may have hit it. SOunds like the humi is still pulling mositure.

I checked both humi's for leaks with the dollar bill and flash light test. Both held up nicely. I took some cigars out and still have the same problem. I'm going to bet some seasoning packs from boveda and try that. I'll let you all know if it helps. It may be awhile considering I'm nowhere near a decent cigar shop. The closest one is 2.5 hours aways and they don't carry them. For know my cigars are in a plastic bag and holding nicely. Thanks for the help.

 

[dpricenator]

You can buy a boveda seasoning kit from one of the sponsors here.

 

[rick12string]

Hey all. I'm having a wierd problem with the humidity in my humidor.

Right now I'm living in Carlsbad, NM. The outside temps have been hitting 90 plus for several days now. The temp in my humi varies from 60-90 but the humidity stays at 45-55. I've tried everything I can think of to get it regulated (cooling, heating, less beads, more beads), nothing helps. Now this is where it gets wierd. I took all my sticks and put them in a plastic bag. I put my beads and meter in the bag and put it on top of the humi. The temp and humidity are now perfect.

I thought I had a leak in my humi and was looking for a reason to get a second humidor so I bought a new humi. I'm having the same problem, yet in the bag they're fine.

So what gives? Any ideas?

I love your avatar. I think she’s trying to tell me something!:drool::drool::drool::drool:

OK back to reality. I had the same problem (but it only went down to about 58-60% and the temp was 68-74) and I did the same thing you did with the plastic bag only with Tupperware and the RH came right up, almost to 70% as a matter of fact. Couldn’t explain it. I put the cigars and 65% beads back in my humidor and just kept on top of it adding water. After about a month or two it stabilized and I haven’t had a problem since. I had the humidor for quite a while with the floral foam and PG solution (well seasoned) and had no problems. The problem started when I switch to the beads but all is fine now. Still can’t explain it. Maybe just try giving it more time and stay on top of it like I did.

Did I mention your avatar? :drool::drool::drool::drool:

 

[Tegu]

I checked both humi's for leaks with the dollar bill and flash light test. Both held up nicely. I took some cigars out and still have the same problem. I'm going to bet some seasoning packs from boveda and try that. I'll let you all know if it helps. It may be awhile considering I'm nowhere near a decent cigar shop. The closest one is 2.5 hours aways and they don't carry them. For know my cigars are in a plastic bag and holding nicely. Thanks for the help.

No need for a seasoning kit just fill a bowl with water and set it in there until your hygro reads 80% for a couple days straight....

 

[CWS]

No need for a seasoning kit just fill a bowl with water and set it in there until your hygro reads 80% for a couple days straight....

Yep. If it needs more moisture, give it more moisture.

 

[Halon]

I live in CO, and I have the same issues you do. It's just too damn dry out here to keep humidors above 67% or so. The reason you're not having problems with plastics (ziplocs, tupperware, etc.) is that they are completely airtight. Wood leaks humidity, and in our climates it's so dry on the outside that it's extremely hard to keep cigars in a humidor. I've only got one desktop, but have a couple 60-quart coolers. I am almost constantly adding humidity to the desktop, but the coolers can go months without refills. Right now my dad and brother are building me a cabinet humidor, which is almost done. Instead of Spanish Cedar I'm having the inside lined with Sapele, which is a bit denser and will hopefully hold humidity better. My theory is that Spanish Cedar is just a marketing deal, and that other woods work just as well, if not better. Spanish Cedar is popular because it used to be readily available. There's no other reason IMO. Sapele doesn't have as much of an odor, either. So I don't think it's you, I think it's just the climate we're in. I'll let you know what happens with the Sapele humidor. Maybe I've stumbled onto something good, who knows!
If you still have trouble after the seasoning packets (personally I think a glass of distilled water works best for our climates), check out some coolers at Wal-Mart. I have a couple big dark green plastic Colemans, and they work extremely well.
Best of luck with your humidors!


TYLER

 

[dpricenator]

Maybe it would be good to pick up a 50 ct travel humidor from a sponsor. That will hold for sure.

 

[WARDOGG]

Maybe it would be good to pick up a 50 ct travel humidor from a sponsor. That will hold for sure.

I have a travel humidor that is holding rather nicely, and yes it's from one ofthe sponsors.

The seasoning packs are on their way so I'll give those a try. If that doesn't work then I'll look into getting some coolers. Thanks for all your help. I'll keep you all posted.

 

[RigilKent]

coolers are always great and hold humidity very well. but yes it sounds like seasoning needs to be done. good luck and lets us know how it goes

 

[WARDOGG]

Well the verdicts in I guess. I seasoned both of my humi with Boveda seasoning packs. Both humi's have sticks in them and seem to be holding between 59%-62% humidity for the last 4 days. Not great but not too shabby either.

What do you all think? Be happy it's decent or try to raise the humidity?

 

[cubancigarman]

i'd say 60-65 would be better

 

[dpricenator]

Honestly, I say after the issues you had before, be happy it's holding. I store my smokes at 60-65%, but I dry box them before smoking, so even more moisture comes out before smoking, I would not store below 59% for very long. Are you using 70% beads? That might help.

 

[RonC]

try water pillows as a supplement. they work. you can put them in the little ziploc bag that comes with them. a couple of them should raise your humidity level a couple of points. if you need more of a boost, you keep them in the bag, but you leave the bag open. if that doesnt do it, you just take the pillow out of the bag.

 

[WARDOGG]

Hey All. The problem continues and it has a twist. I think I've found the problem. It doesn't quite make sense but it's the only thing I can figure.

Over the weekend I took my old humi, the one that I thought had a leak, to El Paso and left it. I ordered a new meter and some water pillows for my new humi, on friday of last week and they came in yesterday.

As I went to put them in I noticed the RH had dropped to about 55. So I lock and load the water pillows (2) and the new meter. I checked it today and the RH was at 57. I called my Dad in El Paso to check on my humi that I left there. It's hovering between 70-71 RH! Then it hit me...... ELEVATION! EP sits at a lower Elevation than Carlsbad. The weather is relatively same but the elevation is different. So maybe the Elevation combined with weather is jacking with my seals? Like I said it kind of make sense but then it doesn't.

So, my sticks are back in the resealable plastic bag and holding beautifully once again. I've decided to either by a large Tupperware or make a coolador and use that until I get out of this armpit of hell called south eastern New Mexico in a few months. Question is, which do you think is better?