as many of you know i kinda built a tupperware humi its about the size of a shoe box and i lined it with cedar from cigar box inserts. so heres my problem. i put i boveda humi 72% pack in and the humidity is only readin 64% and the temp is reading 78 F, how do i lower the temp and raise the humidity?
i moved the box to a different part of the house and the temp dropped to 70 F but the humidoity also dropped to 62%. i thought those boveda packs were iditiot proof? guess im a bigger idiot than i know.HA! i know i calibrated the hydgrometer properly.
should i remove some of the cedar lining in the tupperware in hopes that it is soaking up too much moisure? or add a moiste sponge?
mabe i need to just wait longer and see what happens,the box has only been set up for about 48 hrs. any help is greatly appreciated.
The Golden Rule: He with the gold gets to make the rules
Originally posted by grant88: how do i lower the temp and raise the humidity?
You can lower the temperature by moving the box to a cooler place, preferably one that's air conditioned. Simple as that.
quote:
put i boveda humi 72% pack in and the humidity is only readin 64% and the temp is reading 78 F
Are there any cigars in the box? If not, add some. Right now, the only thing in there to hold moisture is the cedar and that has not been "seasoned." Season it using an 84% Boveda bag and follow the instructions on the bag, or simply wipe the cedar down with a clean sponge or rag soaked in distilled water. Let the humidity stabilize and when it does, add cigars.
quote:
should i remove some of the cedar lining in the tupperware in hopes that it is soaking up too much moisure?
No. Just season it. The job of cedar, apart from its aromatic and aesthetic qualities, is to hold and stablize humidity.
I would also agree. Until you get your humidor stabilized, put the cigars in a plastic Ziploc bag with your 72% Boveda pack and keep them in the same cool place. I got a new huidor recently and it took about 6 days to stabilize with an 84% Boveda and a cup of distilled water in it. Right now, all the water you're adding to your atmosphere in the humidor is being sucked up by the cedar, as it should be. Once it's at 70% you can put your cigars back, but for now, you don't want them splitting with all of the variation in humidity. It's probably overkill, but in a 25 cigar humidor, I have 2 Boveda 69% packs and 2 Drymistat tubes, in addition to the PG sponge box that came with it. I figure living in a desert, I had better be sure. Also, if you read the Boveda's fine print on the back near the bottom, they recommend one pack plus one additional pack for up to 50 cigars. Alan Tucson Still working on a funny or witty quote....
ok i seasoned it as i was instructed with a damp clean rag soaked in distilled water. i wiped the cedar down and put it all back together and in a cooler place. its now reading 74F and 75%..how long apx until it stabilizes?
is it ok to leave the boveda pack in the box after seasoning the cedar?
by the way thanks a bunch for the help!
The Golden Rule: He with the gold gets to make the rules
I'm sure my experience was a bit excessive, but mine took almost 3 weeks to fully stabilize. must have been really dry wood. I would think it's safe to put your cigars back in after a day or two though. your humidity will drop when the cigars go in too, so give it a few days to stabilize again once the cigars are in.
"I have to laugh when I think of the first cigar, because it was probably just a bunch of rolled up tobacco leaves." - Jack Handy
I did the same as AFSteve with another humi to season it. I use an oyster cup full of water, and left it for a few days to allow all the wood to come up to humidity. Worked excellent.
"I have to laugh when I think of the first cigar, because it was probably just a bunch of rolled up tobacco leaves." - Jack Handy
this should help you season the wood if the water goes down in the cup FILL it back up until it stops evaporating when it wont evaporate anymore it means your wood is nice and seasoned
Posts: 383 | Location: missouri | Registered: August 08, 2007
Put your cigars elsewhere for the time being and leave the seasoning pack in the humidor for a week or two. Not a few hours. A week or two.
Also, this might be a good time to check the accuracy of your hygrometer. As Boveda correctly states, a salt-saturated solution of the type found in the packs is the standard - not your hygrometer. All things being equal, a Boveda 69% pack in a small, sealed, and totally empty tupperware container will bring the humidity to exactly 69% +/- 1% or 2%.
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Posts: 1485 | Location: New York/Denver | Registered: August 05, 2005
im sure the hygroete is reding correctly...it came with a calibration bag and i followed the instrustion to the T..i put a tea dish in last nigh so well se tonight how its reading
The Golden Rule: He with the gold gets to make the rules
Also keep in mind that every time you open the lid to your humidor you are allowing an exchange of dry air (outside) to moist air (inside the 'dor).
Take Scottological's advice and leave the seasoning pack in the humidor for a week or two. And don't open the lid every few hours. Just let it sit nice and cozy for a week, then check it.
Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady . . .
Dang, now I want some barbecue . . .
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Posts: 190 | Location: Arlington, VA | Registered: May 03, 2002
