Hi all,

I'm new to this forum, so please excuse me if this topic has been discussed before.

I live in Korea where the relative humidity these days is around 80-90%. Temp is around 90 degrees. A bad combination for cigar storage

For reasons I won't bother you with here, I can't store my humidor in an air conditioned room, so it sits out in this humid and hot weather

My humidifier, a passive type made from oasis, has picked up mold and I've noticed that some of my smokes have begun to swell.

I took the humidifier out today and tried to gently air dry it out using an electrical fan. Not sure if it'll help much, though, since the air is so humid.

Any ideas how to overcome this problem?
Or do you know of a product that can be bought online which will lower the humidity??

I did a search today, but all humidifiers seem to be about raising RH to 70. Not lowering it.

Thanks,
NEH

You have some serious problems there bud. Do a search on wine coolers and see if that wouldn't help you some. It could solve both your temp and moisture problem which is right up your alley.

Also you can use the humidity beads in your wine cooler and if you don't charge them with water they will absorb access moisture.

Looks like the weather in Korea is pretty much the same as here in Alabama - hot and humid. If you can't keep your smokes in an air-conditioned room, an artificially cooled environment like a wine cooler might work. Other than that, I'd keep my inventory low until the weather changes or I could store them in an air-conditioned room.

Wine cooler and some beads ASAP.

Double or triple the recommended amount of Heartfelt beads will solve your humidity problem.

This site also has the calculation used to determine the amount of beads required.

As for temperatuer, keep it 75F or below. The only cure for high temps is AC, a cool basement, or a wine cooler.

I agree with the beads, I had the same problem last year. The beads solved it completely. Good luck!!

I would agree 100% with Steve on the heartfelt beads.

I would also definitely get a wine chiller. If you are really serious about this hobby, spend the extra money on the chiller. That will probably be your only bet, since you can not get it in a AC room.

Wow, twice the problem I had in Iraq last year. Sorry I don't know what resouces you have there in Korea, but I would assume that you could add more dry material to your box. Maybe you could dry some cedar in a oven and place inside the humi. As someone already said, "Smoken" and hold off replaceing for awhile. While I was in Iraq, the high temps are not as big a problem, some make it out tobe. Had no problems with temps up to 120's.

GOOD LUCK!

Hi there,
Thanks for the advice!
I just ordered beads from the company that you recommended. Twice the recommended amount. I hope that will solve the problem. If not, I'll be back for more advice!
Thanks everyone,
NEH

Well it should help with the humidity. The only problem is that you run a "Risk" just a risk of getting tobacco beetles. If any of your cigars have TB dormant, then they will hatch at the right temp.

I think that temp is anything above 70. You can get a wine chiller about the price you would pay for a humi.

Just a suggestion.

All of these guys are spot on with the beads, cedar, and a wine chiller. I'm just going to emphasize the notion of picking up a wine chiller. If you're serious about cigars it would be a great purchase for you. It can keep humidity where you want it with beads, and the temperature will be more manageable. If you don't have the room or budget for a large chiller pick up a smaller one that can fit on a counter top or table.

Use some dry beads.

If your beads are soaked (all clear) then dry them. A sunny, breezy, dry day outside is good. A hairdryer is good.

Can you remove the humdification device? That may help. I do that in the summer and the humidity stays within the acceptable range.

MRM,
Yes, I can remove the humidifier. The reason I haven't is that I read online that in this situation, a dry humidifier would suck out excess moisture. That's why I tried to air dry it using a fan the other day.
But I may have misunderstood the article I read??
NEH