Winter Humidity

[Mgallo13]

Hey guys just looking for some feedback on my humidor/humidity situation this winter.

My box (100 count, ballpark size estimate is 16x8x6) since I've owned it has stayed between an RH of 63-70%. In general it stays between 65-68 but I threw in the max hi's and lows my hygro has recorded.

Recently (see: this winter) my boxes RH has dropped to more between 60-65% (lately it has been 60 Everytime I've checked) humidity which is a little dry for my liking.

My humidification is a blue humicare jar, and two supplemental 69% bovedas I threw in in the attempt to raise the RH. Today I refilled my humicare and threw in a half filled shot glass of distilled because the RH was actually 58 and that's wayyyy too low.

Now onto the issue: the analog hygrometer that came with the humidor I leave in for shits and giggles because it looks pretty. I salt tested it myself when I first got the box an it was actually not far off (73%) and it has read 70% throughout this mini-crisis I'm having. My digital hygro issues we're outlined above. What do you guys think I should do? I have been smoking a cigar or two a week despite this polar vortex nonsense in the northeast and every stick I picked up was fine. Am I just freaking myself out or should I add more humidification? The last thing I want is to over or under humidify my sticks..

 

[BigNubDC]

Happens every year with my wooden humidors, drives me nuts. I think it's why active humidification is the only way to be stable long-term. fwiw.

 

[UpInSmoke]

If theyve been smoking fine then dont stress it. Why bother if things are going well?

And throw away the analog hygro and dont do salt tests, use a calibration kit or something similar (boveda pack in a zip lock bag)

Thats what Id say

 

[Clint]

If theyve been smoking fine then dont stress it. Why bother if things are going well?

And throw away the analog hygro and dont do salt tests, use a calibration kit or something similar (boveda pack in a zip lock bag)

Thats what Id say

^^This, word for word!!

 

[Smoqman]

^^ exactly

 

[mdwest]

Happens every year with my wooden humidors, drives me nuts. I think it's why active humidification is the only way to be stable long-term. fwiw.

Active brings its own set of + and - .....

its a one way system... capable of adding RH.. but not reducing it during summer months when people in many parts of the country tend to get spikes..

Its also dependent on electricity.. which means when the power goes out.. so does your humidification capability..

additionally.. many active systems auto reset to 70 RH if/when the power goes out.. so, when the power comes back on.. 70 is what youre going to... (which is too high for my tastes)...


Don't get me wrong.. I am a big fan of active systems.. and am running both an Oasis XL and a Hydra SM in my cabinet right now...

But they (IMO) are far from what I would consider stable long term options.. (when I went out of town last week.. the power apparently flickered here.. when I left town my cabinet was at a rock solid 65.. when I got back home 6 days later I was rocking a 71.. and had apparently been there for a couple of days)...

convenient.... yes! I like that I can fill my system(s) with DW once every several months.. and then just walk away from it..

Super stable... sadly.. no..

I have learned to add bovedas to give me the stability I want/need..

 

[Deathskin]

Happens every year with my wooden humidors, drives me nuts. I think it's why active humidification is the only way to be stable long-term. fwiw.

Active brings its own set of + and - .....

its a one way system... capable of adding RH.. but not reducing it during summer months when people in many parts of the country tend to get spikes..

Its also dependent on electricity.. which means when the power goes out.. so does your humidification capability..

additionally.. many active systems auto reset to 70 RH if/when the power goes out.. so, when the power comes back on.. 70 is what youre going to... (which is too high for my tastes)...


Don't get me wrong.. I am a big fan of active systems.. and am running both an Oasis XL and a Hydra SM in my cabinet right now...

But they (IMO) are far from what I would consider stable long term options.. (when I went out of town last week.. the power apparently flickered here.. when I left town my cabinet was at a rock solid 65.. when I got back home 6 days later I was rocking a 71.. and had apparently been there for a couple of days)...

convenient.... yes! I like that I can fill my system(s) with DW once every several months.. and then just walk away from it..


Super stable... sadly.. no..

I have learned to add bovedas to give me the stability I want/need..

ya the bovedas work good to stabilize cuz they are a two way humi system. i keep a couple in my humidor

 

[Mgallo13]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I'm def going to calibrate my digital hygro with a boveda to see if somehow it maybe recalibrated itself or some other witchcraft/sorcery/black magic is at work

 

[Mgallo13]

I'll post some pics just for fun too. Show off the stash.

 

[Cigar Surgeon]

Reiterating what has already been said. In my experience the analog hygros that come with are cheap and great for display but should never be trusted. Digital hygros are cheap and can be snagged off cigar monster or cigarbid for next to nothing.

I have the same issues in the winter with humidity. Our ambient humidity here can drop under 20%, and you add into that huge weather fluctuations and it can be a major pain.

 

[sofc]

You're freaking yourself out and me also.

 

[Fox]

Good advice in this thread. My Avallo runs far more often at this time of year. This morning it is 15 F outside and the RH is around 20% in the house, according to our little weather station.

 

[Mgallo13]

Just to clarify, I have a digital hygro that is my primary hygrometer and the only one I consider reliable.

 

[Mgallo13]

just for fun. My small box I call the "padronidor" because it exclusively houses padrons hahaa. Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Edit: even my calibrating hygro made the shot

 

[Deathskin]

i like it

 

[Mgallo13]

Quick question, should I be rotating my stock? If so, at what frequency? Ie: move all the sticks on the bottom row to the top etc etc etc

 

[kirkkeener32]

Quick question, should I be rotating my stock? If so, at what frequency? Ie: move all the sticks on the bottom row to the top etc etc etc

I have the same question! I was told to rotate it, but not sure of how frequent

 

[Reckless]

What % is your humi at? If you aren't noticing any burn issues I would worry too much.

 

[Mgallo13]

What % is your humi at? If you aren't noticing any burn issues I would worry too much.

It was dipping into the high fifties and then I recalibrated my hygro and moved it from my room back into my closet and now it's hovering right around 64-67 which is bueno. I'm thinkin it could be because we have radiators for heating so it's super dry heat so moving it into the closet helps balance that out

 

[Reckless]

What % is your humi at? If you aren't noticing any burn issues I would worry too much.

It was dipping into the high fifties and then I recalibrated my hygro and moved it from my room back into my closet and now it's hovering right around 64-67 which is bueno. I'm thinkin it could be because we have radiators for heating so it's super dry heat so moving it into the closet helps balance that out

Mid 60's is perfect and yea the dry winter air will wreak havoc on your desktop. If you smoke a couple sticks a week then just the movement from you searching for the stick you want to smoke should be sufficient. Best way to tell is to smoke them. Long ashes bud!!