Cracked wrappers

[Zen Smoker222]

Ok so I keep my humidors at around 65 66 humidity and it stays around 67 to 70 degrees i am quite often finding cracked wrappers. Mainly sizable splits and the such, is it from stacking or my storage conditions or ? Thanks just starting to get frusterated....

 

[icehog3]

Is your hygrometer calibrated?

 

[javajunkie]

Ok so I keep my humidors at around 65 66 humidity and it stays around 67 to 70 degrees i am quite often finding cracked wrappers. Mainly sizable splits and the such, is it from stacking or my storage conditions or ? Thanks just starting to get frusterated....

+1 to the calibration, but really feel we need more info. maybe pix of the damage, what you are seeing get dinged up (some isn't is just fragile), what you are using for hydration, any recent changes in the sticks' environs (did you just get them shipped to you, did you freeze, were they left outside, or in sun).

best of luck with it, but maybe elaborate to help us zero in?

 

[Zen Smoker222]

I have two in my bigger one and yes but I just did the salt not an actual xikar kit...

 

[Zen Smoker222]

Yes come to think of it it mainly happens on new sticks I put in like within the first week some shipped 2 day some from an event

 

[Zen Smoker222]

And I use a 2oz gel container....and a stock one with pre-mix xikar solution...(need to upgrade but I always seem to forget)

 

[ATL]

The gel always way over humidified in the summer for me. I made the switch to kitty litter and that brought it down to 67-68 rh. Then I went to heartfelt 65 beads. I have one cooler with the heartfelt and one with kitty litter now. They are both solid. If I were in your shoes, I would empty the gel out of the container and add kitty litter with a spritz of distilled water. If your over 70 rh, just add the KL and see what happens. You may not need to spritz yet.

 

[javajunkie]

Yes come to think of it it mainly happens on new sticks I put in like within the first week some shipped 2 day some from an event

alright, that helps. would lay odds it is overhumidification. or at least a rapid
increase in humidity. if you are seeing splits parallel to the main body, that is filler and/ or binder expanding quicker that wrapper (think sausage in a grill).

as ATL said, beads are the way to be, one time investment, and NO hassle. i have not used litter (unscented crystal/ pearl stuff, NOT clay scoopable), but a lot of folk use it, and well, for their stashes.

 

[Zen Smoker222]

Thank you! Yeah I have been looking at the heartfelt beads a lot and need to order some both my humidors stay in the basement. Are heartfelts that much better then the hydro-gel stuff and what is the best way to introduce new sticks to my humidors

 

[ATL]

My stash stays in the basement as well. The temperature is always around 65-68 down there. The humidity can get a little high even with two dehumidifies during these summer months. The beads are fail proof. I think I've sprayed them with dw maybe twice this summer. They are the best because they will work to maintain a constant rh by releasing or absorbing the humidity, whichever is needed to maintain a constant rh. The unscented crystal (silica crystals or beads) kitty litter does the same thing but maintains an rh between 67-69 depending on how much water you add. The beads are better, but not much IMHO. You can get a ton of the kl for cheap until you can get the beads. Sounds like you need to get some and add it dry so that it will absorb the access.

The gel, no matter how great its advertising makes it sound, will only add humidity. I leaned this the hard way as well. I cannot tell you how many shop employees have tried to tell me the gel absorbs and releases. The pg solution tries to maintain 70 but if there is a build up of humidity it cannot absorb the access.

 

[Zen Smoker222]

And yes parallel to the body of the cigar....just ordering a heartfelt tube hopefully that helps...

 

[Zen Smoker222]

Thanks that really answers all my questions so far, your a great BOTL! I now understand just because it is suppose to keep the same it doesn't and didn't even think about the give and take factor... I am grabbing the kL tomorrow and then wait on the tube maybe for the other humidor.. But in the mean time I think I need to put some dry silica in my main humidor and the La Reloba I had to smoke rott and I am really enjoying it at this very moment thanks again ATL for the help and trade bomb for a newbie..And thanks everyone else java junkie what blends do you brew?