60% vs. 65% beads, I'd like to hear some opinions from both sides

[oooo35980]

I prefer between 65 and 70, I found that some sticks I smoke, especially the "budget" sticks, lose alot when the humidity dips too low. My humidor stays around 68 which causes no problems for any of the sticks in my humidor.

[Kevin(n)tn]

Could you not add half a pound of 60% beads with the jar? That's what I use. 4oz Xikar jar and 8 oz of 60% beads. Works fine for me. Or am I wrong?

[milhouse]

Originally Posted by Kevin(n)tn

Could you not add half a pound of 60% beads with the jar? That's what I use. 4oz Xikar jar and 8 oz of 60% beads. Works fine for me. Or am I wrong?

i personally would not mix beads and a jar... xikar jars are at 70 percent, so your beads technically will get over hydrated. they are working against eachother... if they were both rated to the same rh, I would say fine, but even then, I would just add more beads if I needed some extra help.

[TJtorpedo]

Originally Posted by lenguamor

What I've found, moving (literally) from one end of the country to the other, is that it depends on where you live. Ask local BOTLs how they prefer theirs.

Regardless, I've always liked 60% for older stock and long-term aging, and 65% or even 70% for smoking stock. But I found that when I moved to Miami, the 70% worked much better. Probably has to do with year-round air conditioning and its drying effect, as opposed to Seattle, where I had no A/C.

This is a very good point. I would definitely take the local climate into consideration. I had the same experience from when I lived in South Florida to now here in Virginia.

[Garbandz]

A tupperware is a sealed environment,you can change the RH by adding a few sticks.

I would monitor the RH before adding any beads,and adjust gradually as needed.

Also, temp changes will APPARENTLY change the indicated RH,so use 70 degrees as a reference point.