Cigars/Humidor
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Question
Hey James, Charles again.
I did what you said and bought a digital hygrometer and i broke the wood in by putting a shot glass filled with distilled water for more than 7 days but the humidity is still reading 63 on my digital hygrometer, any advice?
cheers, Charles
Hi Charles,
The first thing you should do is make sure that your digital hygrometer is configured properly. For many digital hygrometers, accidentally pressing the "MIN" button will display the lowest humidity reading recorded instead of the current humidity level (also, accidentally pressing the "MAX" button will display the highest humidity reading).
If you have a spare hygrometer, place that in your humidor along with the digital hygrometer and see if they produce similar readings.
If your hygrometer is fine, then you will need to season your humidor again with the more thorough method of spraying the interior with distilled water ("the spray bottle" method). Again, this method is more effective and quicker than just leaving a dish of water in your humidor. The latter method can take several weeks for your humidor to be fully acclimated whereas the spray bottle method can take a few days to a week to be ready.
If you need step-by-step instructions on seasoning your humidor again, check the previous topics in my question archive or just let me know.
Regards,
James
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James Yee
Expertise
My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".
Experience
I currently have 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.
Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)
Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto
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