Expert: James Yee - 9/27/2008

Question
QUESTION: James,

I recently purchased a humidor - 100 ct - and spent the
better part of the week "seasoning" it. For a day or two
the humidity was stable - around 70 degrees - but when I
added several new cigars to my collection, the humidity
dropped to about 67 degrees or just a shade lower.

I have used PG solution and distilled water on my
humidification device and calibrated the hygrometer via the
salt test. Is it normal for the humidity to drop for a day
or two when new cigars are added? The lid wasn't left open
for any length of time while adding the cigars to the box.
Is there something I should be doing?

Thanks,
Lee

ANSWER: Hi Lee,

Don't worry, it's perfectly normal for the humidity to slightly drop whenever you open your humidor to add or remove cigars.  Once you close the humidor, the humidity will naturally re-accumulate so everything is fine.

You've salt-tested and calibrated your hygrometer and your humidification device is properly set up with distilled water so don't worry, you're doing everything correctly.

If for some reason, the humidity remains low, you may have more PG than water so add more water to the humidification device to dilute the PG.  If your humidity rises too high, add a tiny bit more PG to fine tune the humidity to a more reasonable level.  

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

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

QUESTION: James,

Thanks for the first response. I'm just wondering how long
should it take for the humidity to return to a "stable" 70
degrees after adding several cigars to my humidor? It's
been two plus days now and the humidity level is still
hovering around 67 or a shade lower.

I filled the humidification device entirely with PG
solution when I started and things were fine until I added
the new cigars. Since my last question, I added distilled
water to the humidifier, but now I'm concerned I've over-
filled the device or ruined it all together. What should I
do? Replace the humidification device? Add more water? Just
wait and hold tight?

Thanks again!
Lee

ANSWER: Hi Lee,

It usually doesn't take long for the humidity to recover after you've closed your humidor.  It also depends on the size of the humidor and how long you've had it open for but for a small 100 ct. humidor, it should take less than a couple of hours at most for the humidity to recover.

The problem might be that you filled the humidification device entirely with PG.  When using PG in a humidor, it's best to start with a 50/50 mixture of distilled water and PG.  A 50/50 mixture will usually create 70% humidity.  PG can last a long time inside your humidifier (on average 2 years) so what you should do is either clean the humidification device and start over with a new PG dosage or purchase a replacement humidification device and start over.  To clean your humidifier, simply remove the aquafoam core from the plastic housing and pour distilled water over it repeatedly to thoroughly flush all the PG out.  Once the humidification element is clean again, you can re-add the 50/50 mixture.  (It may take alot of distilled water to flush the element clean so it may just be easier to replace the unit altogether.)

Again, start with a 50/50 mixture of PG and distilled water and allow the humidification device to sit for a few days. During this time, the humidity may dip and peak wildly until the PG settles and the humidity stabilizes.  After a few days, the humidity should remain constant at 70%.  If the humidity is too low, add more water to dilute the PG.  If the humidity is too high, add a tiny bit more PG (a few drops should do) to strengthen the PG.

If you have any more trouble (or any more questions), just let me know and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James

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

QUESTION: Thanks again James...here we go again...

After replacing the humidification device with a new one,
filling it with distilled water - and a bit of PG solution
- and re-wiping down the humidor with distilled water, I
got the box to maintain about a 70ish humidity for about a
week. However, over the last day or two the humidity has
been slowly dropping - not below 67 yet, but I'm afraid it
will continue to do so. Should I just wait it out? Add more
distilled water? Or maybe something else?

My home is kept at about 70 degrees so I'm guessing that's
not the issue.

Continued thanks!

Lee

Answer
Hi Lee,

Check the humidification device and see if it much of the water has  evaporated or not.  If it has, recharge the humidification device with more distilled water.  It's possible that the humidity is slowly dropping because the humidification device is losing its water content and needs to be recharged.  

If the humidification device still appears to be full, wait it out for another few days as the water may just be reacting with the PG as it begins to stabilize.  It's not uncommon for the humidity to dip and peak wildly after the inital 50/50 mixture has been added.  Usually it takes anywhere between a few days to a week for the humidity to stabilize but for larger humidors, this may take up to two weeks.

Lastly, if the humidification device is fine, the problem may be the humidor itself and you may need to reseason it again for good measure.  It's also best to inspect the humidor thoroughly for any gaps or cracks in the joints/seams or lid that may cause a humidity leak.

Hopes this helps.  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James