Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

I have a humidor on it's way to me, my first. I also have an order of beads on it's way to me. Should I season the humidor first with distilled water without the beads in it? Or should the beads be placed in the humi while seasoning?
Thanks everyone. :)

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

Season first, I usually season for a 7-10 days before adding the beads.

I find the Boveda Seasoning Packs work great. You can get them from Amazon with free shipping very cheap. If you don't have any you can just fill a couple bowls with distilled water and put a clean sponge in the bowl, roll the sponge around so its nice and soaked. Place in your humidor and close it. Repeat daily, rolling sponge in distilled water, for a week.

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

I'd recommend Lawry's Seasoned Salt, fresh ground black pepper, a little granulated garlic and some ground chipotle, then water.

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

:r :dr

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

Either will work as long as you contain the potential fluid build up in something. All you are really going to be concerned about is when it maintains the humidity at the level you want with consistency, imo.

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

Raise some dough, add a bit of olive oil and you'll have a great pizza! :dr

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

Yep, read this! Perfect.

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

Spanish Cedar pizza?

I was thinking more like some salmon fillets and a grill that's fired with mesquite and oak.

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

:dr:dr:tu:tu Definitely gotta have fresh ground pepper and decent salt. MMMMM lawry's

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

I do not believe in wiping down the wood with water, but each to their own. A small cup with distilled water sitting in an empty humidor should be enough until you get the beads and cigars.

In general, a full humidor regulated humidity the best and just use the the "squeeze test" to see if you are cigars are where they should be. You drive yourself crazy if chase the hygrometer readings...

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

In general, a full humidor regulated humidity the best and just use the the "squeeze test" to see if you are cigars are where they should be.

Meaning firm but with a little give? (btw hope you get to ride today Moses) :D

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

Basically. The cigar's head should not crack and they smoke the way you like them to. Having a number reading is good, but if it is off yet the cigars seem fine, it is ok.

Certainly a nice day for a ride. Perfect temp's out.

How many cigar humidor did you buy?

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

Ugh... another squeezer... I see too many cigars at B&M's that are ruined by people whole have sqeezed them a little too much. Besides, the squeeze test is flawed from the get go. Some cigars are more or less packed than others and wont squeeze the same as another at the same RH.

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

I'm curious. How many years have you been smoking cigars? And how old are you?

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

So if the test fails then you have a cigar with a cracked head? And if the test fails a lot, you have many cracked cigars?

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

I squeeze test cigars to check if they are too dry/wet all the time, or to check for soft spots/voids. The only reason they would get damaged is if they were dry and cracked. Or if you were really squeezing the isht out of them.

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

I can understand checking for soft spots/voids, and if it's too wet after observing that it looks too wet. If you squeezed a bunch of heads and they were too dry wouldn't you have a bunch of cracked cigars though? I know this question implies some sarcasm but I am really curious. My way is not necessarily the best or only way.

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

Smoking 4-5 months. And I am 23. Not sure how that matters with this thread. Everyone around here squeezes cigars, and you have no idea how many ruined cigars I see, next time I go to a B&M i'll snap some photos with my camera phone, I bet I can find 3-4 cigars in the humidor each time I visit that have been squeezed too hard.

Re: Humidor seasoning/bead question
 

I agree that you do not need to wet the wood in this way, but I have seen many Humi's that come with wood dust in them and on their sides, this definitely needs to be wiped out.