Expert: James Yee - 11/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi. My humidor is in my office. At night there is no heat on so the temp can be 60 F. how do I maintain decent humidity levels?

Thanks

ANSWER: Hi Michael,

The easiest method to regulate humidity is to use an electronic humidification device that allows you to digitally control the humidity level.  Some electronic humidifiers (such as Cigar Oasis) allows you to custom set your desired humidity level regardless of how cold the temperature is in your humidor, home or office.  

If you prefer to use sponge or cellulose polymer-based (ie: gels, crystals and beads) humidification devices, simply recharge them more frequently to maintain proper humidity.  During colder months, you may need to recharge your humidification device(s) twice as often just to maintain proper humidity.  If this doesn't help, adding an additional humidification device should also bump the humidity back up to an ideal level.

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

Regards,
James

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

QUESTION: Thanks for your response. I've had this humidor for 2-3 months now. I've never succeeded in reaching the ideal humidity level. It seems from some online forum that the humidifier I was using (it had a green sponge like material) was not meant to be used with the 50/50, so i washed it out and used only distilled water, the ph was climbing nicely but stopped at approx 63. So I tried today to soak again in distilled water, shake off excess and replace. Hopefully, it will start to show some better results. Any further advice to make the environment improve is welcome.

Thanks,

michael

Answer
Hi Michael,

Actually 50/50 humidor solution works well with sponge-based humidification units ONLY if the humidification device generates too much humidity (greater than 75% humidity) with only distilled water.  50/50 solution basically regulates the humidity so that it doesn't create too much humidity.  If your humidification device didn't generate too much humidity before, it's not necessary to use propylene glycol or a 50/50 solution.

Have you seasoned your humidor yet?  Seasoning your humidor will also increase the humidity because seasoning basically prepares the humidor's interior wood so that it can absorb and regulate humidity more effectively.  It's possible to use an unseasoned humidor but the humidor may experience erratic performance and more frequent distilled water refills.

To season your humidor, you need to take a clean spray bottle and thoroughly spray your entire humidor interior with distilled water (don't worry, this won't damage your humidor).  Let the humidor sit for a minute so that the wood can absorb the water.  Next, take a clean sponge and wipe up all the excess water.  Take that sponge now and saturate it with more distilled water and place it on a small, clean dish or a clear plastic baggie (or plastic food wrap) and set it in the middle of your humidor.  Charge the humidification device and let your humidor sit closed overnight.  If after 24 hours, the sponge or humidification device has lost a lot of moisture, repeat the seasoning process.  When the humidor is able to sit overnight without losing much moisture in the sponge and humidifier, your humidor is properly seasoned.

As an easier alternative, many cigar shops will sell "seasoning bricks" that you simply leave inside your humidor overnight.  If you decide to use this method, be sure to carefully read the instructions on the package as some seasoning bricks are designed to season a humidor of a certain size so depending on the brand of seasoning brick, you may need two or more bricks to thoroughly season your humidor.

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