Please be patient with a simple question. How do I do a salt test to calibrate my anologe and check my digitals. Or tell me where I can find instructions. I've done a search "salt test" here and man I can't find it.

Thanks all.

Setting up a Humidor

Ensuring that your humidor is properly set up and calibrated is essential to it's effective use. Step one of this process is ensuring that the hygrometer is accurate. The salt calibration test is useful for this purpose.

This test is based on the fact that when salt and water are in a saturated solution that is at equilibrium, the resultant humidity is 75%. This provides an excellent reference point for hygrometer calibration. The tools you need for this test are a ziplock bag, a screw on bottle cap, a small amount of table salt and water.

Steps for the Salt Calibration Test:

1) put the salt in the bottle cap

2) dampen the salt slightly

3) put the bottle cap with salt and the hygrometer into the ziplock bag

4) seal the ziplock bag completely and let sit for at least 8 hours

5) ensure that the hygrometer reads 75% - if it doesn't, adjust your readings accordingly, or adjust the hygrometer if possible

Note: this test should be performed every 4-6 months to ensure the hygrometer's accuracy

The humidor itself needs time to adjust to it's surroundings and reach the desired humidity. How long this takes will depend on the surrounding climate and the dryness of the humidor's wood. It can take as little as a number of days to a number of weeks.

Once the humidor reaches around 65% relative humidity, place cigars inside. Ideally, the humidor will be 75% full of cigars at this point. It is advisable to always keep the humidor at least 75% stocked with cigars, as open air space within the humidor makes it more difficult to keep adjusted. Ensure that there is sufficient room for the humidifying device.

Ensure that the humidor is sealed completely. Any air that can get in will destabilize the humidor and potentially ruin the cigars it contains.

Place some salt in a bottle cap (or other small container).

Dampen the salt with water. Do not put in so much that the salt is "sloppy". You want a damp pile of salt in the bottle cap.

Place both the hygrometer, and the bottle cap full of damp salt in a ziploc bag and seal it well. (It is important not to let air on or out while the test is going on.)

Let everything sit like this for over 8 hours.

After 8 hours in the damp salt environment, the hygrometer should read 75%. If it does not, note the amount and direction that it actually reads and be sure to add or subtract that amount when reading the hygrometer. If the hygrometer has a control to adjust it (either the needle or the display), you can set the hygrometer to 75% immediately after the test.

No worries SA. Don't forget to change the search to "All Messages" vs. "Last 1 day, ...week, ...month". I found a page full.

You could also do a google search as well...

Belatedly, I'll add one thing. I had always used a baggie before but someone on this board posted their opinion that a baggie wasn't sufficient. They used a large-mouth Mason jar (I can't remember right off the handle of the poster). I thought about it for a while then went to K-Mart and got a wide-mouthed plastic storage jar with a screw-on type lid. Used it to calibrate for RH.

IMHO, this setup is far superior to the baggie. Tried both of them with the same hydros, and the baggie consistantly registered a lower RH than the jar. I guess it may be the airtightness of jar but I feel much more confident that it is giving a more accurate reading. I have recalibrated all of my hydros and those that I thought were significantly over or under in readings (+ or - 5 degrees) are considerably more toward the ideal of 75 degrees.

Just my thoughts............but I'll never go back to a baggie again.