Cigar Weekly

hoax · 06-23-2007, 08:16 AM

I recently purchased my first humidor, just a small 40 cigar unit from an online retailer. I let it season for a week with a cup of distilled water until the digital hydrometer stabalized at 68%. The cigars I also ordered spent that time in the freezer as I live in a small Condo and I can't keep the temperature under 70 during the day. I then added a 50/50 premix of propylene glycol to the humidifier and added the cigars.

Then things went downhill. After 3 days I checked back and found the RH at 60%. Using the squeeze test the cigars are very dry. I pulled out the humidifier and soaked it in distilled water and threw it back in. I let it sit for 24 hours and I checked it last night. I'm up 1 point to 61%. So I moved all the cigars to one side and put a small glass of distilled water in the humidor. I just checked this morning and I'm at a reasonable 69%.

Two questions:

1. As long as the humidity is under 70% should I just leave the glass of water in the humidor?

2. Assuming I can keep humidity at 70%, how long before these dry cigars are smokable again?

But a bit of good news. I just moved offices yesterday and my new diggs are temperature controlled 24/7. Monday morning the humidor is moving to it's new home at the bottom of a file cabinet in my cube.

06-23-2007, 08:16 AM	#1
hoax Starting Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 58	Newbie frustration and questions.... I recently purchased my first humidor, just a small 40 cigar unit from an online retailer. I let it season for a week with a cup of distilled water until the digital hydrometer stabalized at 68%. The cigars I also ordered spent that time in the freezer as I live in a small Condo and I can't keep the temperature under 70 during the day. I then added a 50/50 premix of propylene glycol to the humidifier and added the cigars. Then things went downhill. After 3 days I checked back and found the RH at 60%. Using the squeeze test the cigars are very dry. I pulled out the humidifier and soaked it in distilled water and threw it back in. I let it sit for 24 hours and I checked it last night. I'm up 1 point to 61%. So I moved all the cigars to one side and put a small glass of distilled water in the humidor. I just checked this morning and I'm at a reasonable 69%. Two questions: 1. As long as the humidity is under 70% should I just leave the glass of water in the humidor? 2. Assuming I can keep humidity at 70%, how long before these dry cigars are smokable again? But a bit of good news. I just moved offices yesterday and my new diggs are temperature controlled 24/7. Monday morning the humidor is moving to it's new home at the bottom of a file cabinet in my cube.