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wbslngr Offline
#1 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 1:58 AM EST
Joined: 08-27-2002
Posts: 748
After that amazing gift from Ropeman I am scared to death my humidor is not set up properly. I did what the book had said about putting a shot glass of distilled water in there for a week or so. Then I put what cigars I had in there with a humi-stick that you run water over once a week and the little humi-cups that you pull the tab off of. I bought them here. But the cigars I did have seemed kinda dried out. I don't want these babies. So any help to determine if it is set up properly? Or maybe a better way to set it up?

Thanks
jreddoch Offline
#2 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 2:27 AM EST
Joined: 12-30-2000
Posts: 1,309
Sounds like you did fine. You need a digital hygrometer to see if your humi is maintaining humidity ~70%. The analog hygrometers that come with most humidors are worthless. You should probably consider using a propylene glocol solution to charge the humidifiers.
xrundog Offline
#3 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 4:39 AM EST
Joined: 01-17-2002
Posts: 2,212
I agree the digital hygrometers are best. I have discovered though, that if you have a good humidifier, sized properly for your humidor, the hygrometer just lets you know when to it needs filling. If you have a small humidor, you may not have room for a homemade humidifier. Paradigm makes good humidifiers for lid mounting. For a slim line wall mount, Diamond crown is very good. Neither uses oasis which, over time loses it's water retention ability and can leak onto your fine spanish cedar. Yeah, they cost a little more. For a 50 count or less humidor, the small Paradigm can be had for less than $20. Neither of these requires anything other than distilled water.
SteveS Offline
#4 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 5:04 AM EST
Joined: 01-13-2002
Posts: 8,751
wbslngr ... the glass of water might not have been in there long enough ... without the hygrometer, it's impossible to know ... if not, the wood will still tend to take on moisture, even taking it from the cigars you've put in there ...
wbslngr Offline
#5 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 10:03 AM EST
Joined: 08-27-2002
Posts: 748
So the only way to be sure is to use a hygrometer. Since I don't have one right now and it will be next week before I can get one, any quick way to tell or some way to make sure these smokes stay.
Lowman Offline
#6 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 10:06 AM EST
Joined: 12-03-2002
Posts: 6,982
My humi is FINE... Send the 'gars to me and I will "hold" them for SAFE keeping !! :o)
xrundog Offline
#7 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 10:06 AM EST
Joined: 01-17-2002
Posts: 2,212
IMHO if you double ziploc bag them, they will be fine next week. I guess you can put a sponge or wet paper towel in the outer bag, but I don't think it's necessary.
wbslngr Offline
#8 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 11:51 AM EST
Joined: 08-27-2002
Posts: 748
I have said it one and I will say it again. These are some of the most helpful (Lowman) people around. I think cigar smokers get a bad rap. You guys (and girl) are great. If you double bag them and put a sponge or ? in the outside bag. Just seal the outside bag?
wbslngr Offline
#9 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 7:55 PM EST
Joined: 08-27-2002
Posts: 748
What about a box you get from a cigar store that had cigars in it. Shouldn't that be able to keep my gars until I get the humidor right if I put a humi-stick in it?
SteveS Offline
#10 Posted: Fri, Jan 10 2003, 9:08 PM EST
Joined: 01-13-2002
Posts: 8,751
Yes ... that'll work ... I've done that more than once ... in fact, until I got a desk-top humidor for work, I used a wooden cigar box with a humidfier in it for almost two years ... made the humidfier myself on the fly too ... at Rite Aid, I got a small tupperware type condiment container, about the size of a small jam jar and some distilled water ... stopped at the florist in the next block and got a chunk of wet florist foam, sqeezed the tupperware jar down into the foam, trimmed it off, poured water in to saturate the foam, drilled some holes in the lid of the container and put it in the box ... I later added a 50/50 mix and have replenished the water as needed ever since ... it works like a charm

About Thanksgiving, I saw a 50ct humidor for sale in a little store a couple of doors down from the florist ... this store sells a lot of assorted stuff from estate sales ... guy said 'this USED to be a humidor, but no gauge and no humidifier so it's just a nice box now" ... he let me have it for $15 and I seasoned it as you have yours ... transferred the contents of the cigar box just before Christmas ... but I kept the cigar box ... just in case I have an 'emergency' such as a stealth trade or purchase ... LOL
southernsupreme Offline
#11 Posted: Sat, Jan 11 2003, 8:55 AM EST
Joined: 08-06-2006
Posts: 42
You can get a really good digital hygrometer at your local Target store for 19.00.
It it gives time/temp/humidity. records the min/max
of temp/hum that has happened since you last reset.
Most of the dig. hygros. I checked on at online and local smoke shops were $30 & up with no extra features. .....NOw to find a bigger storage container : )
jd1 Offline
#12 Posted: Sat, Jan 11 2003, 10:33 AM EST
Joined: 02-14-2001
Posts: 3,118
Good info here webslnger; the worst thing you can do is allow the oils in your cigars to dry out. Even the best cigars are worthless and cannot be recovered if no oils are left. The natural process of aging allows these oils to migrate to the surface of the wrapper and crystalize into what you will become so fond of and appreciate as plume--a light, fine, sugar-like coating all over the wrapper surface not to be confused with the blotchy, green look of mold (mold results from over humidification and higher temps).

So get you a digital hygrometer and either make or buy your humidifier and PG solution and get your prized possessions taken care of man!

On a side note, I had a relative who sent me some ISOMs he got when on vacation in Spain. They were Partagas Lusitanias that he paid some hefty coin for and because he didn't take care of them during the 4 weeks it took for him to get them to me, I ended up with what amounted to some very large dry cigarettes--he was pissed too but now knows the importance of proper humidification...sad part was that I told him beforehand...lessons learned!
wbslngr Offline
#13 Posted: Sat, Jan 11 2003, 12:18 PM EST
Joined: 08-27-2002
Posts: 748
thanks I may have to try the florist foam.
SteveS Offline
#14 Posted: Sat, Jan 11 2003, 9:11 PM EST
Joined: 01-13-2002
Posts: 8,751
Just be sure it's WET florist foam ...

They also use a dry foam to mount artificial flowers but it will do you no good whatsoever in making a humidifier ... the wet foam will absorb water better than any sponge and will work fine in whatever container you use it in .. by using a 50/50 mix of PG and distilled water the first time, then replenishing with distilled water as needed, you'll avoid mold and be able to better regulate the evaporation of the water to maintain the desired level of humidity ...
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