Humidity Advice

[LandonColby]

@LandonColby
Question, at what point did your rH drop from 70-65?

After taking out the bowl of DW and putting in the cigars. The PG crystals stayed through the entire process.

[rodwha]

I was a bit confused wondering how the RH could change like that indoors in an enclosed container.

[LandonColby]

I was a bit confused wondering how the RH could change like that indoors in an enclosed container.

Temperature.

[rodwha]

Certainly, but indoors it shouldn't change that much.

Do you have a programmable T stat that you allow a significant difference in temp?

[rodwha]

I didn't realize that despite being contained the temp could change the RH, especially not like that.

[LandonColby]

Certainly, but indoors it shouldn't change that much.

Do you have a programmable T stat that you allow a significant difference in temp?

I didn't realize that despite being contained the temp could change the RH, especially not like that.

Yeah, here in southern CA things get kinda warm this time of year. My Humi goes from low 70's/high 60's at night to 78-80 during the day.

usually hangs in the 70 range most of the year when it's not hot as hell.

[garublador]

Understood. Yeah the RH drops at night but I don't think there is a leak because when the temp comes back up during the day so does the humidity. I'd be concerned if it dropped at night and then at the peak temp of the day the RH was lower, but it bounces back right where it left off the day before.

It depends on whether or not your ambient RH also changes. If you have a leak and the ambient RH drops at night and your media can't keep up then your humidor RH will also drop. If the ambient RH rises back up during the day then the RH in the humidor will rise as well.

FWIW, pretty much anything you use as a humidor will "leak" to some extent. The trick is to get the "leak" to be as small as possible.

[Rocket Scientologist]

I just tried doing an "express" seasoning of my humi (a Bally II Glass top). By express I mean that I popped a container of distilled water in it along with my two jars of Xicar PG crystals in hopes that it would be ready by the time my new shipment of cigars came (I had only been keeping about 10 cigars at a time in a tupper-dore for the last few months and let my humi dry out). It sat for 3-4 days and hung around 70% the whole time. Right now I have about 55 cigars sitting in it (20 Arganese Habanos, 20 Viliger Elites, 10 Torano Virtuosos, and a handful of other premiums for occasions) the RH is 65% which i don't mind, I like anything from 65% - 70%. But heres my question...at night the temp drops in the room where my humi is and thus does the RH (down to ~62%). Should I take everything out and continue the seasoning process? Or do you guys think I'll be fine in a little bit of time? The cigars are still in the cello and are a tad dry so i assume they'll take a chunk out of the RH until they re-hydrate a bit. So should I leave em and see if the RH slowly works back up to 70% or take em out and redo the whole thing?

I figured even 60% RH is fine... though I wouldn't purposefully store that way. I know how people can be "number nazis" about RH and temp but I'm not a "super premium" cigar smoker. As in my sticks aren't very expensive. So as long as I can store them for a few years without mold or having them dry out to where they lose flavor I'm fine.

First of all, there's nothing wrong with 62%RH or 70%RH (if that's what you like) so I think you're fine there. I will say that 62-65%RH would better serve to prevent mold. I keep mine around 62%RH, for the record. Better burn IMO.

The daily cycle of low to high RH though may not be a good thing. Consistency is the key. You could try putting your humi someplace where the temperature won't fluctuate as much - a closet or basement perhaps. I will also echo the fact that glass tops are notorious for leaks. So ultimately, I'd suggest putting your cigars back in the tupperdore for the time being, getting a tube of aquarium sealant (safe for food contact) from Home Depot and putting a bead around the inside of the lid.

[Brimy]

After taking out the bowl of DW and putting in the cigars. The PG crystals stayed through the entire process.

Did you put the cigars in right after you removed the DW? I'm not too familiar with the gel crystals, what rH are they supposed keep the rH at? I know that you said the cigars were a little dry, why? Where did you purchase them? Most sticks, from mail order especially, are going to come wetter than 65%!
If your humi holds a rH for three days empty, it should rise when you add the cigars.
As suggested before, I would put the cigars in Tupperware and season the humi. AND make sure of your seal around the glass. Calibrate your hygrometer.
Once your humi reads your desired rH for a week, then go ahead and put your cigars back in it.

[LandonColby]

Did you put the cigars in right after you removed the DW? I'm not too familiar with the gel crystals, what rH are they supposed keep the rH at? I know that you said the cigars were a little dry, why? Where did you purchase them? Most sticks, from mail order especially, are going to come wetter than 65%!
If your humi holds a rH for three days empty, it should rise when you add the cigars.
As suggested before, I would put the cigars in Tupperware and season the humi. AND make sure of your seal around the glass. Calibrate your hygrometer.
Once your humi reads your desired rH for a week, then go ahead and put your cigars back in it.

Yeah I put them in right after. The sticks came from CI so they they had a nice trip to me from the other side of the country. The humidity has since went down rather than up like I had hoped. I took them out and they're sitting in a Tupperware with the crystals at a steady 70%.
The Xikar crystals I have maintain 70% and are reusable.

I'm going to silicone the inside seam of the glass and around the large hygrometer on the front since I'll never take it out to calibrate anyway.

Moral of they story...don't cut corners. I knew all along I should just get the damn thing seasoned right but I was being lazy lol.
Thanks for all the words of wisdom guys.