Expert: James Yee - 10/10/2009

Question
QUESTION: I just got a shipment of cigars and loaded up my humidor and can not get it below 75%rh i have a foam puck with solution that keeps it at 70 but its too high. how can i lower it to 70 leave it open or take the puck out and let it dry? i just dont want to destroy the cigars in the prosses Thank you

ANSWER: Hi Chris,

To lower the humidity in your humidor, you need to add more Propylene Glycol to your humidification device.  A 50/50 mixture of Propylene Glycol and distilled water should generate 70% humidity but if your humidity is still too high, you need to increase the PG dosage.  Buy a small bottle of Propylene Glycol and add a few drops of it to your humidification device.  Let your humidor sit closed for a few days after adding the PG (your humidor will need time for the PG to take effect and stabilize the humidity.)  It takes some time to fine-tune the PG and find a proper dosage amount so just check your humidor after a few days.  If the humidity is still high, add a few more small drops of PG and wait a few more days.  

You can buy Propylene Glycol at most cigar stores, chemistry supply stores, drug stores and pharmacies.

Another alternative is to use humidor beads that absorbs excess humidity.  You can also find these at most cigar stores.

As a slightly more expensive but much better alternative, you can upgrade to an electronic humidifier (such as a Cigar Oasis) that allows you to electronically set your desired humidity level.  This method is much easier than mixing PG.

Hopes this helps.  If you have anymore questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James

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

QUESTION: ok so i do have propylene glycol by xikar and have been useing it in my puck. it is a pre mixed formula that is sopoused to keep it at 70%Rh. But i have not used my humidor for a little while so about 2 and a half days befor i loaded it up with cigars i soked the puck in only distilled water and also put a cup of distilled water in their and colsed it for a few days to let the humidor suck up some water. thats why the humidty is high. so should i let the puck dry or just keep adding my xikar pre-mixed forumla to it and let it level back out.its steady at 75%Rh during the day and at night it dropes to 70%.

Answer
Hi Chris,

The first thing you should do is remove the cup of distilled water as that could be why your humidity is so high.  Don't add your Xikar pre-mixed humidor solution to the puck yet.  Let the humidor sit closed for a couple of days with the puck just filled with distilled water.  If after a few days, the humidity is near 70%, you don't need the pre-mixed formula.  If the humidity is still too high with just distilled water (75% rh or higher), remove the puck from the humidor, let it air dry to lose some of its moisture and then add the pre-mixed solution.

The humidity safe range is 67%-74% (70% is considered perfect) so if the humidity is in this range, your cigars are safe.  If after adding the Xikar mixture, the humidity is still greater than 75%, you need to buy a bottle of Propylene Glycol to fine tune the mixture to acheive a proper humidity 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