On the last straw with my humidors

[Sonic04GT]

I have a couple 50ct humidors (one glasstop) that I got with the Cigar.com and CI deals last year when I got into cigars.

For the last couple months I have not been able to get them to hold humidity. It's odd because they were both perfect (around 65%) and now both of them are in the low 50's. I have tried leaving a bowl of distilled water in them for a week, they hold around 65-70% for a day and then drop back down.

Today I was fed up and decided to wipe them both down with a sponge of distilled water, not really caring at this point. It appears that not long after I wipe the wood down, it lightens back to the original color as if it wasn't damp or absorbing the water.

Any ideas?

I just ordered a hygrometer calibration bag to double check but both of them were purchased at different times and both read within 1% of each other. They are Caliber III's.

[chaase321]

Are you sure they are air tight? The glass top ones are notorious for not holding humidity.

Also, if they are in a warm part of your house (i.e. direct sunlight) that could have an effect on losing humidity.

What are you using as your humidification device? It is more than just putting distilled in and letting it soak in...you have to have something that actively humidifies as time goes otherwise they will dry.

my suggestion...go to a cooler, my desktop (cheapy) sucked, and i figured why spend the money on a good one when i want those funds for smokes...switched to a cooler 1 1/2 years ago and have had no problems at all.

[PCR]

Just out of curiosity is the humi made of Spanish cedar with no finish? Maybe the wood has something on it which will not let it absorb water. Also, try light checking the humi with a small flashlight inside of it, closed in a dark room.

[big pete]

Are you using a digital hygrometer?

[Zane]

Sounds like your Hygrometer lost its calibration.

[shibby4781]

I just went through something like this with my 2 glass top ones. I recalibrated my digital hygrometers using small 72% Boveda packs and replaced the batteries. Then recharged my humidors by lightly wiping them down then a small bowl of distilled water went in for 12 days. One held perfectly the other dropped into the low 60's high 50's. The one that dropped I was using a Crystal Gel Humidity Bead Jar. I threw a 75% Boveda pack in it and we are now on target at around 68-70% (I really think it needs a another one). I have tried every freaking humidity divice trying to find the right ones. As others will tell you here, Beads and Boveda packs are the way to go! Don't let it get you down! It drove me nuts and almost ruined the hobby for me. Like chaase321 mentioned, go with plastic. I have a lot stored in tupperware. Doesn't look too pretty but no muss and definitely no fuss!

[jluck]

Eliminate leaks, properly season and GET Beads from CigarNut.

[joeobx]

Try changing the batteries in your hydros and recalibrate them. I do mine twice a year when I change them in my smoke detectors. Like Jared said, get some beads either from CigarNut or heartfelt.

[omowasu]

A couple options:
- Remove the cigars from the humidor and get some 100% silicone sealant, and apply it around the glass on the outside of the humidor. It will smell like vinegar. Give it 2-3 days to dry until it no longer has an odor.
- Season the humidor by wiping the inside with a paper towel soaked in distilled water and give it another day.
- Use Boveda packs to maintain humidity along with a standard humidifier sponge or gel. They work two ways, so you will always have a constant level.

Or, get a cooler or big cigar jar. I use two huge coolers for storage and they have held humidity for over a year!

[Sonic04GT]

I just found it weird that they both basically mirrored each other. Two separate humidors, two separate hygrometers, same humidification devices. I use the Drymistat tubes which worked fine for the longest time, but even two of those, with a gel jar still will not hold humidity.

We'll see what happens over the next 24hrs after wiping them down. Sunlight may have played a slight factor, and I forgot about the flashlight trick so I'll give that a shot.

The hygrometers are Caliber III's which cannot be calibrated but were dead on out of the box. I ordered another Boveda 75% calibration bag so I'll check the hygrometers for the heck of it this week.

As of right now my cigars will stay in tupperware and ziplock bags I guess. Do you guys place your humidors in the cooler or use only the cooler? Unfortunately, our guest room is normally the only room in the house with temperatures capable of maintaining cigars without a $250 electric bill. It's comfortable upstairs for me, but the hygrometer reads 80 degrees so I'm forced to keep the humidors downstairs and out of sight. That being said, looks aren't an issue so I might look into a cooler. How well does the cooler help in keeping temps down in a warm house?

I have about 40-50 traditional smokes, and about 10-12 infused.

I am unsure of the finish but these are the humidors. They worked well for a few months and then both of them just went to crap a while back.

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/p...t=white%20tail
http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewcigar.asp?prod=M-SH40-1 (this was the "Yukon" humidor in the sampler I believe)

[lenguamor]

Originally Posted by jluck

Eliminate leaks, properly season and GET Beads from CigarNut.

This. Get beads, sell your hygrometers.

I have 5-6 hygros around somewhere; I don't even use them anymore (3 vinotemp-type fridges) except when I get a wild hair every 5 years or so, mostly just to satisfy my Virgo nature.

[Savor the Stick]

[CigarNut]

Just a thought: How old are the Caliber hygrometers? If they are more than 6 months old try replacing the batteries -- the hygrometers' calibration is maintained by the battery. When the batteries age the calibration degrades.

I got a bunch of batteries cheap and I change my hygrometer batteries every 3 months just to be safe...

[Sonic04GT]

Originally Posted by CigarNut

Just a thought: How old are the Caliber hygrometers? If they are more than 6 months old try replacing the batteries -- the hygrometers' calibration is maintained by the battery. When the batteries age the calibration degrades.

I got a bunch of batteries cheap and I change my hygrometer batteries every 3 months just to be safe...

Actually, now that I think of it. I tried replacing the battery in one with no improvement, so I just put the old one back one. No difference.

Will confirm with the calibration bag that will be here this weekend. Put them in my old calibration bag that "expired" in December and they were reading 78-80%.

[Sonic04GT]

Checked both humidors. The glasstop one I wiped down only, no humidification device was left inside it. Hours later it was back down to around 60%. The regular one I left the sponge inside sitting on a plastic bag and that was reading around 81% so we'll see how it fairs over a few days.

The glasstop one was only being used to hold my infused sticks anyway, but would be nice to have them both functional.

[Zanaspus]

I'm going to take a wild assed guess that's yet to be put forth. We can tell from the data you provided us that they are not holding humidity as well as they should. I see that you live in south Fla. Has the weather gotten (relatively) cooler lately. I ask because at the height of heat, your AC is cooling and trying to keep up. As temperature drops a bit, your AC becomes essentially a giant dehumidifier.

If the above is the case, I would argue that this is no surprise. I would also add that if they are truly 50-60% for any length of time, this will not harm the sticks. Just relax and stop fighting nature.

If the above is not true, I just made my arthritic finger hurt for nothing.

[KillerCelt]

I used to have this problem all of the time. It made me so frustrated that I switched to a Vinotemp and use beads. I have never looked back since

[Sonic04GT]

Originally Posted by Zanaspus

I'm going to take a wild assed guess that's yet to be put forth. We can tell from the data you provided us that they are not holding humidity as well as they should. I see that you live in south Fla. Has the weather gotten (relatively) cooler lately. I ask because at the height of heat, your AC is cooling and trying to keep up. As temperature drops a bit, your AC becomes essentially a giant dehumidifier.

If the above is the case, I would argue that this is no surprise. I would also add that if they are truly 50-60% for any length of time, this will not harm the sticks. Just relax and stop fighting nature.

If the above is not true, I just made my arthritic finger hurt for nothing.

I was wondering if it had anything to do with some kind of environmental situation inside my house. That being the reason I found it weird that both humidors were fine and now they mirror each other in a failing aspect. Granted this has been going on for a few months now.

The regular one was still holding 80% with the sponge inside. Going to take it out in a few days and hopefully I can at least hold most of my cigars in there, and keep the infused in a tupperware.

[Catfishbluezz]

+1 on beads, I use heartfelt. You might need to reseason, had this issue once when I moved. Not a fan of the wipedown honestly, I just reseason end an old humi and it took 3 days of siting some dishes with distilled in it.

[lenguamor]

Originally Posted by KillerCelt

I used to have this problem all of the time. It made me so frustrated that I switched to a Vinotemp and use beads. I have never looked back since

Originally Posted by Catfishbluezz

+1 on beads, I use heartfelt. You might need to reseason, had this issue once when I moved. Not a fan of the wipedown honestly, I just reseason end an old humi and it took 3 days of siting some dishes with distilled in it.

Beads are The Way.