Please Help! My desktop humidor is fluctuating between 60% and 70% humidity on a daily basis. (mainly on the low end around 62%) I can't seem to get it steady. I use distilled water and the DryMistat gel things that regulate the humidity to 70%. There about 25-30 cigars in there and the room temp is about 67-70 degrees. I am in Michigan so it is cold and dry. Any suggestions? The humi holds 75 cigars I think.

Anywhere between 62 and 70 is fine. Most prefer around 65%. Don't get too crazy about the numbers, pay attention to how the cigars are smoking.

...and calibrate your hygro if you haven't already.

I'm assuming you seasoned your humidor properly.

I'd have to agree. I think a lot of people get way too caught up on maintaining an exact humidity level at all costs. At the end of the day, I think it's about how they feel and how they smoke. With that said, maybe your humidor needs a better seal or maybe you're opening it too frequently. Wide shifts in humidity could cause wrappers to split, but I doubt a difference in 10 points high to low will cause this.

Good advice. I seasoned properly and open it once a day briefly to grab a smoke or restock. I noticed the humidity level when a wrapper split on me while smoking. That led me to notice that the stick was a little drier than normal. Anyways, I will keep an eye on it and if it becomes a problem, I will buy another Humi and see if that helps.

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Originally posted by maduro4:
Please Help! My desktop humidor is fluctuating between 60% and 70% humidity on a daily basis. (mainly on the low end around 62%) DryMistat gel things that regulate the humidity to 70%. There about 25-30 cigars in there and the room temp is about 67-70 degrees. I am in Michigan so it is cold and dry. Any suggestions? The humi holds 75 cigars I think.

JUST a guess, but maybe the humidor is a little too empty, time to buy more cigars and fill the box to about 3/4's full.

As others have mentioned, the humidity level in and of itself is not concerning. How are the cigars smoking?

If they're smoking fine, no worries. Personally, I had erratic humidity coupled with erratic temperature(S. Fla) I purchased a wine cooler and put the humi in there along with some kitty litter beads(NO blue crystals)

Obviously, the temperature is not an issue for you. If you don't like the way your cigars are smoking, try adding some kitty litter beads with no water. They'll suck the humidity right out and maintain between 65% - 70%. If the humi gets below that, add a VERY small amount of distilled water to the beads (drops) and continue each night til the humidity gets where you want it. Mine maintain my humi pretty solid between 66% - 68%. When I had cubans, I put a ton of litter beads in and was able to get down to 62%, but no lower.

The first thing you'll want to check is your hygrometer. Then the seal on your humi if all else fails.

Good luck

Everybody is right about the humidity range, and especially about how the cigars smoke.

But I still see a reason for concern. I believe the daily up'n'down of 8% RH is no good for cigars even if it occurs within the right range. One thing is when it happens over a month, another is if it's every day.
That is, of course, unless the hygrometer went berserk. Maduro4, maybe you should try another, checked and calibrated hygrometer, and if it still shows daily drastic change, then I would start worrying if I were you.

Maduro4

I had a similar problem with my humidors. I moved from WY (high desert) to CT (very humid) and my humidors seemed to go crazy. RH was swinging from 60 to 80 at one point. I solved it with the beads. Forget the trade name but its a bead that you add a little distilled water to and it then either adds or subtracts humidity as needed to maintain the proper level. The beads can be bought to maintain 60%, 65% and 70% RH levels. I put the 65s into my humi and I've been good ever since.

Stick a couple of Padrons in there, if they are burning well, your fine.

Thanks for all of the advice. I got my humidor steady at 65%. I added beads and put it in a more temperature stable room. I have a big shipment from CI coming in today and tomorrow. And yes there are some padron 26s in there.

I agree 8% RH loss/ spike per day is way too much - Try the following:
1)Keep humidor away from window / door...ie cold drafts will zap RH.
2) If the humidor is not kept 1/2 full it will never work properly. Its just the way their built. Imagine if you only had a gallon of milk in the refrid? It would not work correctly either.
3) Test humidor with 2 large Boveda Humidi Packs (if you have a 75 capacity) in the humidor to see if RH stays constant. You may have a poor seal or leak if all above does not work.

Good Luck

Boveda is all that you need to know