Expert: James Yee - 6/16/2008

Question
QUESTION: well, as you guessed its another humidor question.

Im new to the cigar world and have just bought a humidor and some cubans from a company, the company told me they alrady calibrated the hydrometer and i could just use the humidor streight away (after adding the solution) so i put the humidification solution in to make the pad wet. my question is, how long should it take for the hydrometer to read 70 because its been 2 hours and its only increased slightly and what should i do if it doesnt increase further.

Thanks, Charles

ANSWER: Hi Charles,

Depending on the size of the humidor and the size of humidification device, your humidor's humidity can take anywhere from a few hours to a day to stabilize.  Let your humidor sit for a day and tomorrow, the humidity should be stabilized.  If the humidor solution that you added contains Propylene Glycol (PG), it can take up to a week for the humidity to stabilize and during this time, the humidity may dip and peak erratically as the PG reacts with the distilled water.  Don't worry, this is only temporary and once the humidity stabilizes, everything will be perfect so please be patient.  (Important: If you do use Propylene Glycol, you only need to add this mixture just once.  PG can last a long time - on average 2 years - inside your humidor so all you need to do is add distilled water whenever needed.)

If after some time, the humidity still hasn't improved, check any documentation that came with your humidor to see if it has been "seasoned" yet.  If your humidor has not been seasoned yet, you will need to do so.  Seasoning a humidor will allow the humidor to absorb and regulate humidity for effectively.  An unseasoned humidor can still function but will require more time for humidity to stabilize and may provide erratic performance.

Generally, humidors are not factory-seasoned but some high-end humidors do come pre-seasoned so you will need to check any documentation that came with your humidor or check with the manufacturer to see if your humidor is already seasoned or not.

If you need step-by-step seasoning instructions or have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: its a 50 cigar holding humidor. the solution is of distilled water, polyglycol and a mould inhibiter. i have to keep opening the humidor to check the humidity, does this effect it?. what is seasoning? i checked again 2 hours +/- after my last check and its still sitting on the same as before. Should, and if so when should i re-soak the pad with the solution?

Many Thanks Again, Cherles.

ANSWER: Hi Charles,

Yes, opening the humidor repeatedly can affect the humidity.  It's best to let the humidor sit closed and check it after a day.  

Seasoning is the process of preparing the interior cedar so that the humidor can function more properly.  By seasoning the wood, the humidor requires less time to stabilize and can produce humidity much longer and more effectively.  Seasoning is a commonly applied to all humidors in order for them to function more properly.  Again, an unseasoned humidor can still function but is more unpredictable in performance.  Many manufacturers prefer to leave humidors unseasoned but high-end brands/models may be factory-seasoned.

First, before you season your humidor, it's best to double-check your hygrometer with a salt test.  Even though the manufacturer states that it has already been calibrated, it's still best to make sure your hygrometer is indeed accurate and functioning properly.  (NOTE: Digital Hygrometers are extremely accurate and often do not require any calibration.  Analog hygrometers however, are more susceptible to being out of sync and requires testing.)

To salt test your hygrometer, take a small bottle cap and add one teaspoon of regular table salt.  Add a few drops of distilled water and blend with the salt until it is a crumbly paste.  Place this bottle cap salt mixture inside a plastic Ziploc bag (or plastic container) along with your hygrometer and seal the bag/container.  Do not let the hygrometer touch the salt mixture.  Let both sit inside the plastic bag/container for at least 6 hours and check on the humidity reading afterwards.  If the hygrometer reads 75%, your hygrometer is already accurate and does not require calibration.  If the hygrometer does NOT read 75%, calibrate the needle so that it reads exactly 75%.  Every hygrometer is different but you should be able to calibrate your hygrometer with a visible pin, screw or needle on the back of the unit.

Your hygrometer is now calibrated and accurate. If your hygrometer was originally out of sync but now corrected, you may not need to season your humidor.  Check the humidity in your humidor again.

To season your humidor, you can purchase a "seasoning brick" at your local cigar store.  These are designed to minimize the work required when seasoning a humidor and all you do is place a seasoning brick inside your humidor for 24-48 hours; depending on how much time the instructions for the brick specifies.  Alternatively, you can use a more thorough and effective (also inexpensive) method.  (IMPORTANT: It should be noted that seasoning is only effective when the humidor has a porous wood/cedar interior.  Humidors that have an acrylic or laminate wood interior do not require seasoning.)

To season your humidor yourself, you will need the following:

1 - Clean/sterilized spray bottle
1 - bottle of 100% distilled water
1 - Brand new/clean sponge (unscented)
1 - Sheet of plastic food wrap (or small dish or bowl)

First remove all cigars from your humidor and store them safely in a temporary storage container for now.  (Clean tupperware containers work best).  Next, take the spray bottle full of distilled water and spray the interior of your humidor with it.  Don't worry, this does not harm the wood.  Make sure your spray the entire interior of your humidor and allow it to sit for 2 minutes so that the wood can absorb the water.  After a couple of minutes, take the clean sponge and quickly wipe up all the excess water.  Make sure you do not leave any puddles inside your humidor.  The humidor interior wood should now be moist but not have excess puddles of water.  (Any visible puddles inside your humidor must be wiped up!)

Next, saturate the sponge with distilled water and let it sit in the center of your humidor on top of a sheet of plastic food wrap.  This will prevent the sponge from water-damaging the wood.  (Using a small bowl or dish also works.)  Charge the humidification device by filling it with water (if you haven't already) and let the humidor sit overnight with the hygrometer inside.  Check the humidor the next day and if the sponge has lost a lot of moisture, repeat the seasoning process.  

When the humidor is able to sit overnight and the sponge remains moist, your humidor will be properly seasoned and ready to use.  When your humidor is finally seasoned, remove the sponge and plastic food wrap.

If after seasoning, your humidor's humidity is extremely high (75% or more), the 50/50 Propylene Glycol solution will balance it out perfectly at 70%.

Hope this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The wood in your humidor needs time to reabsorb moisture before you use it the first time. To ensure this happens, you should break in your humidor

1. Place a shot glass filled with distilled water or C.Gars Ltd humidification solution in the bottom of the humidor
2. Charge your humidifier and place inside the humidor
3. Place your calibrated hygrometer inside the humidor
4. Close the lid.
5. Check the humidity daily using the hygrometer. When it reaches
the 68 72% range, the wood has been properly stabilized.

Is this correct?, and Should, and if so when should i re-soak the pad with the solution?

Thanks, Charles

Answer
Hi Charles,

That's actually an older method that's no longer recommended because the shot glass can spill and pools of water inside a humidor can cause tobacco mites to thrive.  This method also takes longer to season a humidor whereas the method I mentioned can season a humidor in half the time.

In regards to refilling the pad (I assume you mean the humidification device's foam core), you should refill it when the humidity inside your humidor begins to drop or when the humidification element has lost a lot of moisture and feels dry.

The ideal humidity range for your cigars is 67% to 73% (70% is considered perfect) so as long as the humidity is within this range, your cigars are safe.  If the humidity drops below 67%, add more distilled water.  If the humidity rises above 75%, add a few drops of Propylene Glycol to balance the humidity out.

Regards,
James