Expert: James Yee - 7/4/2008

Question
I have a 50 count humidor. Im having a problem getting the humidity down. Putting cigars in the humidor hasnt brought the humidity down much. Im not familiar with propylene glycol, but ive heard this can help. Im using a digital hydrometer (calibrated), and it will read as high as 78%. Also, if the temp in the humidor is low (65 F), is the high humidity still damaging?

Answer
Hi David,

High humidity can still damage your cigars, regardless of the humidor temperature.  To lower your humidor's humidity, you should definitely use Propylene Glycol (PG).  PG is a liquid mixture that will regulate the amount of humidity that your humidification device produces.  Coincidentally, it usually balances the humidity at exactly 70% which is the ideal humidity level for cigars.  Propylene Glycol is an essential tool for humidors that produce too much humidity.

To use PG, simply add a 50/50 mixture of Propylene Glycol and distilled water to your humidification device (1 part PG to 1 equal distilled water).  If your humidifier has been refilled recently with distilled water, remove the humidifier from your humidor and allow it to dry first before adding this mixture.  It may take up to a week for the humidity to stabilize so during this time, your humidity may dip and peak erratically.  Once the humidity has stabilized, it should read 70%.  If the humidity has lowered but not stabilized at a level that you're comfortable with, fine tune the mixture by adding more water or more PG until it has reached your desired humidity level.  If the humidity remains high, add 2-3 SMALL drops of PG to the humidification device to decrease humidity.  If the humidity is too low, add more water to dilute the PG mixture and increase humidity.

Propylene Glycol lasts a long time inside a humidor - on average 2 years - so you only need to add this mixture just once.  After this, simply refill your humidification device with distilled water when needed.  You can purchase Propylene Glycol at most cigar stores, drug stores and pharmacies.  As an easier alternative, many cigar stores also sell brand name, pre-mixed PG humidor solutions; usually in single dosage format.  Either product is perfectly but most people prefer to mix the solution themselves because it allows them to fine tune the mixture to produce a humidity level more ideal to them.

Hopes 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