I have a 200 cigar humidor with about 100 or so sticks in it. I'm having a hell of a time getting it up to 70% humidity. I can't seem to get it much higher than 65%. Is that close enough, or should I put another humidifier in it? I have the standard two at the top of the chest already and I keep them saturated with solution, but what can I do to get more humidity? Again, 70 is optimum, right?

Are you adding 50/50 solution all the time?

If so, try adding some distilled water, (no solution mixture.)

(Others may have a better solution, some of these guys have been around a little longer...)

do a salt test on your hygrometer to be sure it's accurate too ... you may already be at 70 and not know it ... but, if it turns out that you ARE at 65,some of your cigars may well benefit from being kept at that RH ... you might add a bit of water without 50-50 and see what happens ...

I have a solution - leave it at 65% and don't worry about it. I personally prefer my cigars at that humidity. I don't usually add water until my humi hits 62%. I tend to find 70% too wet.

Or:

1. How did you prime your humi? I put a glass of distilled water in mine, wait a day or so for the humidity to get up to 70%, and then put in the cigars (after taking out the glass of water, of course).

2. Are you using only 50/50? Then add distilled water. Are you using only distilled water? Try some 50/50.

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/prodDisp.asp?item=M-HUM20-5&cat=10&page=all  - either should do the trick

4. But if it doesn't - is your humidor any good? Does it have any gaps?

Bill

Thanks for the advice. I buy Griffo solution that already has 50/50 mixture in it. But if 65% is good enough, that sounds good to me. How long would you keep a cigar in your humidor until it's too long. I have some cubans that I've been leaving off to the side for quite some time now.

20, Some gars benefit more from aging than others. The end result is largely subjective, and only YOU can say which ones you prefer fresh, and which ones aged! If you add 50/50 each time to your credo, the PG doesn't evaporate, and you will eventually have a credo saturated with PG that wont hold humidity. Once it's well charged, just add distilled water. Even when your humi is stable, it will drop for awhile when you add a quantity of cigars as they absorb moisture to acheive equilibrium with their environment. As has been said, many prefer to keep their gars (especially ISOM, which tend to be a bit tight) at 65%RH anyway.

If your humidifiers are saturated, and they are lid mounts, you are risking them leaking on your smokes. 65% is good. Leave them alone!

65 is GREAT! i would not worry about that. ITs when you can not get it below 75 i would worry. All mine are at 65 usually and the smoke great. never a dry one in the bunch and never have that stay lit issue you get with over humified sticks seeming moist!

sit back and enjoy life - worry less about the % for now 🙂

what others have said above... I like to keep my cigars in the range of 67/67.... IMHO ISOM's smoke better at this range 65-67% humidity...

As far as how long?? thats entirely up to you if you can keep your hands out of the cookie jar?? but I have a few cigars dating back to the late 80's and know many smokers who have cigars well aged dating back to the 70's... as long as you keep a consistant climate control on your cigars they will age as well as you yourself do... although dead (leaf) they still breath just as we do...

Hog

Go to the Merchandise section here on Cbid and get a digital hydrometer. The one that comes with small humi are almost worthless. Cam usually pick one up for around 15-20 dollars. cappy

What Cappy said! and do a salt test on whatever kind you get, to ensure that it is accurate, or if not, you KNOW how far out it is!

dont get too bent out of shape about the 70 rule. The truth (that I keep reading anyway and have experienced) is that any RH between 64 and 70 is perfect. And temp really doesnt matter too much......it just makes a difference in the time to age. I agree with a previous poster though. I like my sticks at the lower humidity. 64, 65, 66.......they burn better and taste better. I would certainly rather have them too dry than too wet.

Check your hygrometer. Do the salt test unless you have a digital. If you don't have a digital, you can get a nice Csonka for about $20 (search the web)

Temp doesn't matter too much? Not in my personal experience. Just moved out of a condo that seemed to be 80 degrees year round, and never saw a beetle. Even so, I've always heard that it's best to keep the temp below 75 degrees. Anyone know from personal experience?

Bill