Humi Questions....... AGAIN ! LOl

ok guys Here is whats going on... I got a Digital Hygro... did the salt test it tested out at 55 which is a 15% variable from 70.. Which is Ideal Humidification right? so i charge My Humi Puck seasoned my humi and check the Hygro in the Humi for 24 hours before introduing cigars to it. sooooooooo I do this Dollar test... I can pull the bill right out. I do not understand this test, my humi seems to close tight and has a good seal. I threw in my sticks and didnt open it for 24 hours and then i checked the hygro it was dead on 55 temp was at 67. its pretty much stayed there with small variances .... My humi which is small 30-50 is stufffed Recentely I have had two sticks split and unravel as soon as I cut them, both of these sticks came to me through passes......... I smoked one i have had resting since december in it and it was flawless. would the cigars that I have burried neeed rotated upoccasionaly? IS this a sign the cigars i got in the passes or trades were dry or the change in the why i have my humi set up effected them? I recentely got a Montecristo Jar Humi in a set, I have thrown allot of overflow and Some extras from a couple games in it. it has an awesome seal... All i have in it is a Humi pack and i put the digital hygro in it and its a bit hi around 60 which makes the humi 75. but it has calmed down, but i have some Huge Gurkha Salamone Shaggys in there no cello, the feel hard and somewhat hard unlike what they felt like when i first got them. I have not smoke one yet ben letting them rest. Ive been playing in the games and received some gifts and have several great cigars i am wanting to try but i dont want to F*&%them up. I also do not want to send out any bad sticks when its my turns? ANy help from a more Qualified or expierinced Member of this forum would be great!

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xmacro

Well, two things come to mind:
1) If your hygro is digital, why isn't it adjustable? most hygro's have a little button that if you press it once, it changes from Fah. to Cel, but if you hold it, the hygro resets to 75%
2) Salt test again; even digitals need to be re-calibrated about once every 6mo or so - this time, put one or two beer bottle caps of wet salt in the bag and add a bottle cap of dry salt as a control in case you wet the other salt too much (to this day I still can't figure out how "wet" the salt is supposed to be) - leave it for 36 hours. Xikar or Madelaine make a good digital hygro that'll run you around $17 or so on amazon if you need to replace the hygro

Generally, you really don't need to rotate cigars unless you're going long term - I'm talking years upon years; but if you open your humi daily, it could be sucking all the humidity out. Since humid air rises, the bottom of your humi is the last place to be humidified, and if you keep opening it daily, that humidity never really has a chance to settle down on the bottom.

Also, if your cigars are turning hard, they're probably either rolled very tight, or they've gone dry (which again, could be due to a faulty hygro). Finally, 75% is getting pretty high IMO; 65-70% is ideal

lilwing88

I'm not an "expert" by any means, but two things jump right out at me.......

1. A digital hygrometer that's 15% off is unacceptable, in my book. I'd get a new hygro. They're only supposed to be off by 2-3%, at the most.

2. Until you figure out your humidity concerns, I'd quickly get those sticks into a zip-lock bag or two with some humi-pillows, STAT!

Here's what I'd do about the humidor: First, get a new digital hygrometer. Second, ditch the humipuck and go with beads, 65% humidity, at least. Finally, after you get the new hygro and the beads, then test the levels. Season the humidor if necessary, then when you perform the dollar test, you should have better results.

A test I like to use for a seal is the "WHOOSH" test......... let the lid to your humi fall shut. It shouldn't slam, it should make a "WHOOSH" sound.

sightunseen

Hey Oz, here are some of my thoughts

I believe the salt test results in a 75% RH. I've heard that salt tests can be unreliable, so when I calibrated my hygro, I used the Boveda calibration packet.

For the dollar bill test, if you can pull the bill out easily, then it's indicative of a bad seal.

For the sticks that split on you, did you let them settle for a bit after receiving them in the mail? I suggest letting cigars sit for at least a week if you got them in the mail. Sudden fluctuations in the environment can lead to cracked wrappers. Some people rotate their sticks in the humi, but I don't think it makes much of a difference.

xmacro

Oz - in addition to the excellent advice above, it seems that your hygro is 20% off - when it was reading 60%, the actual humidity was 80% in that jar, which is probably why they were splitting

Redtailhawkoz

WOW i need todo some work and get some Baggies and Humi pads going! LOl Thanks for the Great Advice ill get right on it!

Redtailhawkoz

lilwing88:
I'm not an "expert" by any means, but two things jump right out at me.......

1. A digital hygrometer that's 15% off is unacceptable, in my book. I'd get a new hygro. They're only supposed to be off by 2-3%, at the most.

2. Until you figure out your humidity concerns, I'd quickly get those sticks into a zip-lock bag or two with some humi-pillows, STAT!

Here's what I'd do about the humidor: First, get a new digital hygrometer. Second, ditch the humipuck and go with beads, 65% humidity, at least. Finally, after you get the new hygro and the beads, then test the levels. Season the humidor if necessary, then when you perform the dollar test, you should have better results.

A test I like to use for a seal is the "WHOOSH" test......... let the lid to your humi fall shut. It shouldn't slam, it should make a "WHOOSH" sound.

ok i filled up some bags and got my sticks out of the Humi, I have set up the Salt test in a Gallon Zip Lock. So when this Hyrgo sits in there for 36 hours what it reads should be dead on. I pulled the battery ,which reset the Hygro and i let it adjust to the Local air/temp for 30 minutes so it was reading what the actuall temperature and huidity is. As far as the swoosh test i got that.... Held the lid wide open and let go and when it closed i got a swoosh every time..... took out the Puck ill have to get some beads somewhere. I felt the cigars and looked at every one i took out of the humi and they all looked fine and had a slight give to them when i squeezed them..... I may just be being Paranoid but Better safe then sorry, still new to this game of storage and maintainig this freaking humi. Thanks for the tips and ill keep you all updated.

xmacro

Redtailhawkoz:
ok i filled up some bags and got my sticks out of the Humi, I have set up the Salt test in a Gallon Zip Lock. So when this Hyrgo sits in there for 36 hours what it reads should be dead on. I pulled the battery ,which reset the Hygro and i let it adjust to the Local air/temp for 30 minutes so it was reading what the actuall temperature and huidity is.

Not sure I understand you here; after 36 hours, the humidity in that bag will be 75% exactly; your hygro may be off, but using the reset button on it should reset it to 75% (no idea what pulling the battery will do; never tried it myself)

Redtailhawkoz

xmacro:
Redtailhawkoz:
ok i filled up some bags and got my sticks out of the Humi, I have set up the Salt test in a Gallon Zip Lock. So when this Hyrgo sits in there for 36 hours what it reads should be dead on. I pulled the battery ,which reset the Hygro and i let it adjust to the Local air/temp for 30 minutes so it was reading what the actuall temperature and huidity is.
Not sure I understand you here; after 36 hours, the humidity in that bag will be 75% exactly; your hygro may be off, but using the reset button on it should reset it to 75% (no idea what pulling the battery will do; never tried it myself)

I se so no matter what I do the humidity will be at 75%. So if the hygro reads 70% its 5 % off? is that what your telling me? LOL Im a confusing guy eh?

Heavy

Redtailhawkoz:
xmacro:
Redtailhawkoz:
ok i filled up some bags and got my sticks out of the Humi, I have set up the Salt test in a Gallon Zip Lock. So when this Hyrgo sits in there for 36 hours what it reads should be dead on. I pulled the battery ,which reset the Hygro and i let it adjust to the Local air/temp for 30 minutes so it was reading what the actuall temperature and huidity is.
Not sure I understand you here; after 36 hours, the humidity in that bag will be 75% exactly; your hygro may be off, but using the reset button on it should reset it to 75% (no idea what pulling the battery will do; never tried it myself)
I se so no matter what I do the humidity will be at 75%. So if the hygro reads 70% its 5 % off? is that what your telling me? LOL Im a confusing guy eh?

I believe that is true Oz. Coincidentally, my digital hygro is off 15%. I even took it into the local B&M and left it in their walk-in for a day because I was starting to doubt my salt test accuracy - I just couldn't believe a digital would be that far off, but it was - verified at the B&M.

Mine can't be adjusted either, but it is consistently off by 15%, so I just deal with it and do the math. Worst part about that is, since it is off by more than 10%, I don't have enough fingers to count to make the calculations, so I have to take one shoe off to make sure my "math" is accurate.

phobicsquirrel

I've never had luck with the salt test, I just use boveda to get my hygro set right.

xmacro

Redtailhawkoz:
xmacro:
Redtailhawkoz:
ok i filled up some bags and got my sticks out of the Humi, I have set up the Salt test in a Gallon Zip Lock. So when this Hyrgo sits in there for 36 hours what it reads should be dead on. I pulled the battery ,which reset the Hygro and i let it adjust to the Local air/temp for 30 minutes so it was reading what the actuall temperature and huidity is.
Not sure I understand you here; after 36 hours, the humidity in that bag will be 75% exactly; your hygro may be off, but using the reset button on it should reset it to 75% (no idea what pulling the battery will do; never tried it myself)
I se so no matter what I do the humidity will be at 75%. So if the hygro reads 70% its 5 % off? is that what your telling me? LOL Im a confusing guy eh?

Yup; something about damp/wet salt creates a relative humidity of 75%; if your hygro reads 70%, it's 5% off.

phobicsquirrel:
I've never had luck with the salt test, I just use boveda to get my hygro set right.

Last time I did a salt test, I used a gallon ziplock bag, to salt test 3 hygro's - got 3 different results, even after resetting them all. Same thing the second time I tried - turns out that salt ain't too accurate if you don't wet it exactly. Third time, I used 4 bottle caps - 3 of them had damp salt, and the fourth was left dry, to absorb anything if I used too much water - they finally all read 75% and stayed there.

If you wanna skip the hassle, boveda packs are probably your best bet; salt is accurate enough, but you generally gotta do the salt test two or three times to make sure your hygro is reading consistently. If you have the time, you can save some cash; otherwise boveda packs are probably quicker

gdsim1

phobicsquirrel:
I've never had luck with the salt test, I just use boveda to get my hygro set right.

Gotta agree with the above Ozzie. Had all kinds of pain in the butt issues with this sort of thing too. When I bought my last humidor, I used the Boveda calibration kit, along with their seasoning packs. That particular humidor is now up, running and kicking a$$, and my hygro in it is dead nutz accurate. Im in the process of doing the same thing with the first two humidors / hygro's now, will let you know how that shakes out. For my money, Boveda cant be beat! Good luck!

Redtailhawkoz

gdsim1:
phobicsquirrel:
I've never had luck with the salt test, I just use boveda to get my hygro set right.
Gotta agree with the above Ozzie. Had all kinds of pain in the butt issues with this sort of thing too. When I bought my last humidor, I used the Boveda calibration kit, along with their seasoning packs. That particular humidor is now up, running and kicking a$$, and my hygro in it is dead nutz accurate. Im in the process of doing the same thing with the first two humidors / hygro's now, will let you know how that shakes out. For my money, Boveda cant be beat! Good luck!

Cool If this test doesnt pan out correct Ill try this boveda thing ambob!

stphen

the humidor can be equipped with a digital hygrometer. Digital hygrometers allow for an easier readability and do not require calibration. Analog or digital hygrometers can be used to measure humidity levels inside of humidors. Most humidors also, of course, have some sort of device that maintains moisture levels; some use hygrometers, which indicate interior humidity.Refill the humistat when the hygrometer indi- cates a relative humidity below. Highly accurate digital hygrometers and discount electronic humidifiers for your cigars.

The Cank

sightunseen:
Hey Oz, here are some of my thoughts

I believe the salt test results in a 75% RH. I've heard that salt tests can be unreliable, so when I calibrated my hygro, I used the Boveda calibration packet.

For the dollar bill test, if you can pull the bill out easily, then it's indicative of a bad seal.

For the sticks that split on you, did you let them settle for a bit after receiving them in the mail? I suggest letting cigars sit for at least a week if you got them in the mail. Sudden fluctuations in the environment can lead to cracked wrappers. Some people rotate their sticks in the humi, but I don't think it makes much of a difference.

The salt test SUCKS DONT TRUST IT ! use Boveda calibration pack like he said

xmacro

stphen:
the humidor can be equipped with a digital hygrometer. Digital hygrometers allow for an easier readability and do not require calibration. Analog or digital hygrometers can be used to measure humidity levels inside of humidors. Most humidors also, of course, have some sort of device that maintains moisture levels; some use hygrometers, which indicate interior humidity.Refill the humistat when the hygrometer indi- cates a relative humidity below. Highly accurate digital hygrometers and discount electronic humidifiers for your cigars.

Digital hygrometers require calibration, just like everything else - the difference between analog and digital is that digital only needs to be re-calibrated once or twice a year; analog needs to be re-calibrated once every month

xmacro

stphen:
the humidor can be equipped with a digital hygrometer. Digital hygrometers allow for an easier readability and do not require calibration. Analog or digital hygrometers can be used to measure humidity levels inside of humidors. Most humidors also, of course, have some sort of device that maintains moisture levels; some use hygrometers, which indicate interior humidity.Refill the humistat when the hygrometer indi- cates a relative humidity below. Highly accurate digital hygrometers and discount electronic humidifiers for your cigars.

Looking at the code/html this poster used, it looks like we have a bot on the forums

Digital hygrometers require calibration, just like everything else - the difference between analog and digital is that digital only needs to be re-calibrated once or twice a year; analog needs to be re-calibrated once every month

Redtailhawkoz

stphen:
the humidor can be equipped with a digital hygrometer. Digital hygrometers allow for an easier readability and do not require calibration. Analog or digital hygrometers can be used to measure humidity levels inside of humidors. Most humidors also, of course, have some sort of device that maintains moisture levels; some use hygrometers, which indicate interior humidity.Refill the humistat when the hygrometer indi- cates a relative humidity below. Highly accurate digital hygrometers and discount electronic humidifiers for your cigars.

WTF IS THIS and WHO IS THIS ... IT IS DEFINATLEY A BOT.....

turn_key

Redtail, I just went through kind of the same thing recently so I'll throw my 2 cents in.

My analog hygrometer on the front of my humi stopped moving (it's cheap and I was messing with it so I'm sure it's my fault) and my humi dried out. I gave my smokes to a friend to recover in his humi and began seasoning my box all over again.

Step 1 was to get a good hygrometer so I stopped at the local shop and bought a new Xikar digital. They come calibrated but I did the salt test a few times just in case and it was spot on.

Step 2 was seasoning the box and I followed these instructions.

I have yet to return my smokes. I've been vigilant about getting my humi ready so I've been checking it everyday, making sure the gel in the humi-jar is full and tracking any changes on the hygrometer. It sounds a little anal but I've been moving the jar around every few days to hydrate the quadrants and seeing if there are any changes on the meter...lol

I'll give it another week of messing around and see if it all balances out. Good luck.

Redtailhawkoz

turn_key:
Redtail, I just went through kind of the same thing recently so I'll throw my 2 cents in.

My analog hygrometer on the front of my humi stopped moving (it's cheap and I was messing with it so I'm sure it's my fault) and my humi dried out. I gave my smokes to a friend to recover in his humi and began seasoning my box all over again.

Step 1 was to get a good hygrometer so I stopped at the local shop and bought a new Xikar digital. They come calibrated but I did the salt test a few times just in case and it was spot on.

Step 2 was seasoning the box and I followed these instructions.

I have yet to return my smokes. I've been vigilant about getting my humi ready so I've been checking it everyday, making sure the gel in the humi-jar is full and tracking any changes on the hygrometer. It sounds a little anal but I've been moving the jar around every few days to hydrate the quadrants and seeing if there are any changes on the meter...lol

I'll give it another week of messing around and see if it all balances out. Good luck.

Sounds good I am working on it as we speak..... Like all the input for sure

Redtailhawkoz

ok guys after 36 hours in the salt test my hyrgometer is reading 65% humidity. SO from what i getfrom all this and talking to Many people si that im off 5%....... So for me to have Ideal Humidity in my Humidor it should read 60-65%...... which from what it was rading before i freaked out was about right , it was fluctuating between 55-65%humidity. I am going to buy another hygro today do the salt test here and then take it to my B&M set it in thier Humidor and check it for sure.I must be Paranoid ! Im really thinking i just got some bad sticks in a trade. Ill keep you all posted!

xmacro

Redtailhawkoz:
ok guys after 36 hours in the salt test my hyrgometer is reading 65% humidity. SO from what i getfrom all this and talking to Many people si that im off 5%

Damp salt in a bag creates an RH of 75%, so your hygro should read 75%, so it's off by 10

Redtailhawkoz

xmacro:
Redtailhawkoz:
ok guys after 36 hours in the salt test my hyrgometer is reading 65% humidity. SO from what i getfrom all this and talking to Many people si that im off 5%
Damp salt in a bag creates an RH of 75%, so your hygro should read 75%, so it's off by 10

okey dokey so i want my hygro to read 55-60 for good rh ,F^%$#^^