Expert: M J Robbins - 6/1/2011

Question
QUESTION: I seasoned my humidor about a week ago.  It has maintained a humidity around 80.  I know the humidity may drop when I first put my cigars in.  Is this humidity point too high to start with.  I will have the temp around 65 and plan to have the humidity around 73.  Looking forward to your advice.

ANSWER: The analog hygrometers are inaccurate so do you have a digital?
Seasoning the humidor is not always a good idea and can make humidity artificially high at first.

How will you maintain 65 degrees?
Refrigeration drops the humidity and will need to be stabilized after you put the cigars in.

Many cigars will change the whole dynamics of the humidor so put them in and see what happens.
Each cigar holds around 1.5 grams of water and that can add to the humidity of the box initially.

If the humidor is large leave the cigars in the box they came in.
Always leave the cigars in the wrappers at least.

For more just ask

Mike

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

QUESTION: It is a digital hygrometer and it checked out well from the salt test (reading 74 degrees).  The cigars will go in the humidor.  The humidor is in the wine cooler.  

The humidor is currently empty sitting in the wine cooler and the interior of the humidor is registering around 78% humidity.

I will be able to place a couple of boxes in the humidor but will have to have one box opened and cigars in the humidor loosely (in wrappers).  I have three new boxes of cigars going in there today.

Answer
The amount of cigars will help stabilize the humidity.
The refrigeration will drop humidity also.

So put them in and see what happens

If the humidity does not drop in 1 week take out the humidification in the humidor till it drops to where you want it.

When you have a lot of cigars it takes a commitment and I am willing to help.
So many of my customers bought lots of cigars then came to me with problems and it was to late to save many expensive cigars. You seem to have a handle right away - good for you.
One customer bought several boxes of Padron Anniversary and kept them in a large humidor at his home near the beach. He did not run the air conditioning because it was always cool in their house. One summer it got hot at the beach for several days and all the cigars were wiped out by mold.

Enjoy
Mike