Any ideas on what I might be doing wrong?

[Diths0er]

After I receive my order, I always put my cigars in my humidor for a few weeks before smoking any. After this time period, the flavours are very deep and rich, but after I let them sit in my humidor for a few months or so, and I go back to smoke one, the flavours are no where near as intense as they were just a few weeks off of the truck. What could be wrong? Is this indicative of a humidor that is too dry? Too humid? Too much change from one day to the next as to temperature/humidity?
What could I be doing wrong?

[AD720]

Could be either too much or too little humidity. Do you have a hygrometer? If not, do the cigars burn well or do they go out a lot?

[longknocker]

After I receive my order, I always put my cigars in my humidor for a few weeks before smoking any. After this time period, the flavours are very deep and rich, but after I let them sit in my humidor for a few months or so, and I go back to smoke one, the flavours are no where near as intense as they were just a few weeks off of the truck. What could be wrong? Is this indicative of a humidor that is too dry? Too humid? Too much change from one day to the next as to temperature/humidity?
What could I be doing wrong?

You Need A "Calibrated" Hygrometer To Determine Your Temperature & RH.
http://www.cigarsinternational.com/proddisp.asp?item=M-HMC09

[The Poet]

The obvious answer is that you're not smoking fast enough. Try having 6 or 8 a day. :r

[Diths0er]

Yup, I'm ordering a digital hygrometer this weekend. Right now though, I'm using multiple analogs in the same humidor for accuracy, and they all tell me my 500 count humidor (stacked to the gills) ranges between 65-70, but is usually right at 67. They certainly smoke much better a few ticks below 70, but in our house, I have to keep dry silica gel in the humidor at all times to keep the humidity below 75-80! And that's all year 'round. Just opening it causes a three to five RH spike (sometimes more) that takes around twelve hours to normalize. The Rocky Vintage that I'm enjoying right now though just doesn't have that same 'wow' factor as the earlier ones that I smoked when the box was only a few weeks off of the truck. It seems to be burning alright, though.

[MurphysLaw]

You might want to use humidity beads, they really help maintain a constant humidity by releasing humidity or absorbing humidity as needed.

[Diths0er]

I also periodically check the humidor for leaks in the lid and take care of any paper-thick gaps with tape.

[aaron72]

The cigars should be making a pit stop in your fridge and freezer before making their way to your humi.

[Diths0er]

The cigars should be making a pit stop in your fridge and freezer before making their way to your humi.

Don't most of the better quality cigars today already go through some type of anti-beetle measure before I buy them?

[aaron72]

Don't most of the better quality cigars today already go through some type of anti-beetle measure before I buy them?

They may, but they may also come into contact or be around other cigars that haven't. It's a simple way to help insure that you don't get beetled.

[Sonic04GT]

They may, but they may also come into contact or be around other cigars that haven't. It's a simple way to help insure that you don't get beetled.

This. Fridge/freezer is normal practice for me but I've started skipping the fridge because I'm impatient. About 72hrs in the freezer and around 8-12 at room temperature. So far so good.

[bobarian]

Yup, I'm ordering a digital hygrometer this weekend. Right now though, I'm using multiple analogs in the same humidor for accuracy, and they all tell me my 500 count humidor (stacked to the gills) ranges between 65-70, but is usually right at 67. They certainly smoke much better a few ticks below 70, but in our house, I have to keep dry silica gel in the humidor at all times to keep the humidity below 75-80! And that's all year 'round. Just opening it causes a three to five RH spike (sometimes more) that takes around twelve hours to normalize. The Rocky Vintage that I'm enjoying right now though just doesn't have that same 'wow' factor as the earlier ones that I smoked when the box was only a few weeks off of the truck. It seems to be burning alright, though.

Multiple hygrometers are irrelevant unless they are calibrated. Even analog hygrometers can be calibrated, they have been used for nearly 100 years without issue. Digitals available can me more accurate, but also only if calibrated regularly. 3-5% is not a spike and is nothing to worry about. 10-20% is a spike.

70% Rh indoors seems exceedingly high even if you are running a humidifier connected to your central heating/air. If you are only using silica gel I suspect your Rh is actually much lower than you are measuring. Invest $20 in a 1-2oz tube of HeartfeltIndustries beads, most here like 65%. :2

[hotreds]

Smokes do have a tendency to "mellow" out a bit after sitting a while. Try getting some La Flor Dominicanas and see if the don't "wow" you after sitting in the humi a while. RPs are generally not strong smokes, altho ROTT they might have more bite. Most folks do prefer a mellowing out, but YMMV.

I hope your house isn't at 70% humididty- there would be a great danger of mold on all your furniture etc at that high a humidity!

[yourchoice]

70% Rh indoors seems exceedingly high even if you are running a humidifier connected to your central heating/air. If you are only using silica gel I suspect your Rh is actually much lower than you are measuring.

I hope your house isn't at 70% humididty- there would be a great danger of mold on all your furniture etc at that high a humidity!

:tpd::tpd:

I think it's very unlikely (putting it kindly) that your indoor humidity is anywhere near as high as you think, especially this time of year being in the Great Lakes region. During the summer, in a basement, after a heavy cool rain (when the A/C isn't running), maybe...and if so you should have a dehumidifier running.

IMHO, a properly calibrated hygrometer sounds like a must.

[Diths0er]

Multiple hygrometers are irrelevant unless they are calibrated. Even analog hygrometers can be calibrated, they have been used for nearly 100 years without issue. Digitals available can me more accurate, but also only if calibrated regularly. 3-5% is not a spike and is nothing to worry about. 10-20% is a spike.

70% Rh indoors seems exceedingly high even if you are running a humidifier connected to your central heating/air. If you are only using silica gel I suspect your Rh is actually much lower than you are measuring. Invest $20 in a 1-2oz tube of HeartfeltIndustries beads, most here like 65%. :2


Shoot, I'm using salt-calibrated analogs on every level, and without the silica, I can't get the RH below 75 in the winter, and in the summer, I remember it was at 80 at one point before I started using the silica. Our house is a simple farm house constructed 125+ years ago at the base of two small hills, where the water level is quite high. We've had mold problems in the past, and the (unfinished) basement is always musty. Before I started using straight silica, my sticks would always tunnel like crazy and have to constantly be re-lit, not to mention taste really acrid. I've noticed a TREMENDOUS improvement both in burn and flavour with the silica in place, and I still occasionally pull a stick that acts like it's a bit too moist, but I'm still getting an average RH of 67. I thought that maybe my silica, which is un-moistened, 100% silica from kitty litter was absorbing the natural tobacco oils, since it quickly turns a brownish color in the humidor, but others have said on this site that is normal and nothing to be concerned about.

[weak_link]

Multiple hygrometers are irrelevant unless they are calibrated. Even analog hygrometers can be calibrated, they have been used for nearly 100 years without issue. Digitals available can me more accurate, but also only if calibrated regularly. 3-5% is not a spike and is nothing to worry about. 10-20% is a spike.

70% Rh indoors seems exceedingly high even if you are running a humidifier connected to your central heating/air. If you are only using silica gel I suspect your Rh is actually much lower than you are measuring. Invest $20 in a 1-2oz tube of HeartfeltIndustries beads, most here like 65%. :2

Everything this guy said, he knows stuff. :p

[BnBTobacco]

Everything this guy said, he knows stuff. :p

:tu

[CigarSquid]

The obvious answer is that you're not smoking fast enough. Try having 6 or 8 a day. :r

I wish!

[neoflex]

First and foremost like others mentioned get a good solid digital hygro and calibrate it and see where you Rh really stands. Also how do your sticks feel when you squeeze them? Sometimes especially going from summer to fall my hygro seems to fluctuate a bit so rather than go crazy I just give a few cigars a pinch from time to time to see how they really feel and as long as they don't feel dry I don't sweat the fluctuations.
Another thing to give some thought to would be that most vendors tend to ship a bit on the wet side. Most of us here with myself included prefer my smokes a little dryer (65-66%). If your analogs are correct it sounds like after a few weeks your sticks should be sitting pretty around 67% but you may just prefer your sticks a little more wet and you may want to bump your humidity up close to the 70% range and see how they smoke there. The great thing about this hobby is we all have different tastes and palettes and there are sticks out there to suit each of us. The same goes for Rh. Some guys like their sticks hovering around 65% while other prefer the 70-72%. The fun part is smoking the sticks to figure it all out.-(P

[kaisersozei]

Shoot, I'm using salt-calibrated analogs on every level, and without the silica, I can't get the RH below 75 in the winter, and in the summer, I remember it was at 80 at one point before I started using the silica. Our house is a simple farm house constructed 125+ years ago at the base of two small hills, where the water level is quite high.

I don't have anything to add that hasn't already been recommended, I'm just marveling over 75% RH in the winter--I struggle to maintain 20% around here. I think the only time I could get 75% in the winter was when I lived in New Orleans!

[Diths0er]

I purchased a digital temeprature/hygrometer from Walmart this weekend, salt checked it per the standard method as detailed on numerous sites along with all of my other hygros and my above numbers stand. I am getting a house RH of 72 as I type this with a humidor RH of 65-67 on the various levels. I also ordered a Humi-Care digital hygro today.
Yet to me, something still isn't right!?!
I'll describe a cigar taken fresh from the humidor as I doubt a picture would tell much. It is a Rocky Patel Sun Grown Torpedo, 7 months in. Squeezing the foot, it sponges in then comes back once I stop squeezing. I squeezed the s**t out of it now to the cap, purposely seeing if the wrapper will crack. Nope. There is a very slight give, but I can tell that the "give" does not go to the filler, if that makes sense (it's a well-packed cigar).There is that slight, light crackling sound as I squeeze it. Running my nail across the open foot, i get the impression of thick paper or heavy yard leaves. A few small bits of tobacco fly off from under my nail.
The twin bands to me seem a little looser than I recall, which says that maybe there was some expansion/contraction at some point (it was definitely over-humidified before I got my humidor's RH down).
I rarely get major burn issues anymore but tunneling does occasionally come up still. To me, the lack of flavour seems reminiscent of when my sticks were too moist. The flavours are still there, just muted and muddied, washed out. Save for the occasional stick, nothing really stands out starkly on the palate. Yet my RH is telling me that over-humidification isn't the problem.
I know no one else who smokes cigars, so the only experience that I have to draw on is from the people on this site.

[Diths0er]

I guess I'll try putting a couple sticks in a dry box held at 60 RH and leave a few more out at 72 of the same type and see if either one offers an improvement.

[kaisersozei]

From the physical description of your cigars, it sounds like they are holding up perfectly. Perhaps the drybox experiment will help to determine if you prefer a drier smoke, however your ambient RH is higher than your humi, so it will be more like wetboxing unless you can get it to hold 60%. :sh

[Diths0er]

From the physical description of your cigars, it sounds like they are holding up perfectly. Perhaps the drybox experiment will help to determine if you prefer a drier smoke, however your ambient RH is higher than your humi, so it will be more like wetboxing unless you can get it to hold 60%. :sh

Yeah, I put a cap of silica gel in the box first and slowly adding distilled water to it a little at a time until I can get 8 hours of 60 RH before I add the sticks.