New Humidor

[socalguy75]

Hey guys, I recently received my first humidor and I am having a hellavu time getting it seasoned. The humidor was given to me by a coworker, he had not used it in a very long time so it had not been maintained and was quite dry. It holds around 100 sticks.
So here is what I have tried: I have wiped the interior down with a damp sponge (distilled water soaked) twice. I started out with one container of humidification gel and am now up to THREE at once, and the calibrated electric hygrometer will not read above 60%. I know the hygrometer is correct because every time I take it out and place it in a boveda calibration bag it reads 70-73%. I live in Southern California (Irvine), and I know we have a dry climate but this is crazy. I've been working on this for weeks. Any suggestions...

[SvilleKid]

Brian, two to three weeks isn't out of the ordinary. I'd check the seal first, to make sure you aren't leaking the humidity right back out! The old "Flashlight inside in a dark room" works well. If you see light escaping from the seal, then you should do some work there before trying anymore moisture.

Personally, I keep my humidors between 60 and 63%, so you might not be that far off!

BTW, run over to the new inmate area, and post an intro and tell us a little about yourself! Check out the stickies in that area (as well as other areas) for lots of good info!!

[socalguy75]

Thanks bud, I will check the seal immediately. Where is the New inmate area? Cant find it!

Originally Posted by socalguy75

Thanks bud, I will check the seal immediately. Where is the New inmate area? Cant find it!

Forum Jump to the New Inmate Processing Center... Post your Introduction, and then may I suggest looking into the Newbie Sampler Trades... They are a lot of fun and will help you meet the active members around here...

Welcome to the loony bin... Let the Smoke Rise...

[socalguy75]

Ok so I did the flashlight test, there is a small speck of light showing from the back right hand corner. Any advice on how to fix this?

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by socalguy75

Ok so I did the flashlight test, there is a small speck of light showing from the back right hand corner. Any advice on how to fix this?

Several options. One I like involves melting candle wax (unscented) in the area of the leak, then shaving it down to make a good seal. This works best if it's a small area involved. Another method is to use a thin, compressible strip type foam (often self-stick) around the entire rim, and let it compress itself with normal use so any gaps are sealed. This can be less appealing in appearance, IMO, and care should be taken that pressure isn't placed on the hinges that would damage them. Any repair along the rear where a bind could be placed on the hinges needs to be taken slowly and in thin layers to avoid "springing" the hinges.

If you could post a pix of the humi, showing the sealing surfaces/style, it would help in possible solutions.

[socalguy75]

You got it buddy. I'll post a couple of pics when I get home. Check back tonight...

[socalguy75]

I think I found the problem..
I was getting ready to take pictures of the Humi to post here, and noticed a pretty sizable crack in the back of the unit. Looks like I will be ordering a new humidor!

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by socalguy75

I think I found the problem..
I was getting ready to take pictures of the Humi to post here, and noticed a pretty sizable crack in the back of the unit. Looks like I will be ordering a new humidor!

Cracked all the way thru? If so, then that probably IS a major problem!!!! Sorry about the time you've invested! OTOH, you might consider if it can be repaired, and thus giving you a back-up humi.

Take the advice of the old guys here: When you buy a humi, decide how many you want it to hole, then double or triple that number. Most of us find we are out of room a lot sooner than we even imagined we could be!!!

[socalguy75]

I have been looking at the Bally 100 Count Humidor. The reviews online are pretty good on Amazon and on neptunecigars.com. Do you know much about it or do you have one you would recommend?

[BHalbrooks]

Hi Brian, I'm Brian.

Trust me, DO NOT GET A 100 COUNT. YOU'LL OUTGROW IT VERY QUICKLY.
I'd go with something like a 300 count. When you outgrow that, which you will knowing the effect this place has, you can then use that as your rare Cigar Humidor.

I've heard really good things about the Foot Locker.

I'd avoid anything Glass top. I read on here that they're prone to leaking (Which my Glasstop was.)

Seriously, this site is the absolute meca of information. Just don't listen to PNoon.

[icehog3]

I would stay away from glass-top humidors (seal issues), and desktop humidors that have drawers.

Cheaphumidors dot com have some good humidors. I have seen a few members here have issues with their customer service, but they have always treated me more than fairly.

[BHalbrooks]

Oh yea, don't listen to Indiana Douche either

I haven't heard of cheaphumidors, I'll take a look at their site. Thank you Sir Tom.

[SvilleKid]

I'm a "get by as cheap as I can" type of guy! I've got a variety of storage systems, none of them are name brand or particularly expensive. I use two "Lucky 7" humidors for most of the daily smokes I keep available. These are from Thompson Cigars, which most people eschew. They can latch onto you and bug you (apparently), but I've never had that issue with them. But again, I don't give them email or phone numbers! The Lucky 7's are drawer type humidors that advertise 200 capacity. However, like ALL humidors I've seen, I'd discount the advertised capacity by 25%. Capacity is somewhat of a marketing ploy, but based in truth, just based around a standard cigar size of robusto or maybe petite corona, and most of us have a wider variety of stick sizes. So expect to store less than advertised. I like the drawer type of the Lucky 7 because it gives me greater visibility when hunting for sticks, and I don't have to rummage around thru a mass of sticks. The Lucky 7's I have needs sealing around the glass (plexiglass) front, but being from Mississippi, you know that we have higher humidity in the south, so I don't have as much issue keeping the 60-63% Rh level I prefer.

Whatever you get, make sure it has a good seal. Of course, if you open it a lot to take and put cigars, the humidity will always be an issue. Consider a smaller desktop for holding 20-40 sticks you will smoke in the following weeks, then a larger unit for longer term storage that will not be opened on a daily basis. Get some type of humidification system for the humis. I use humidity beads. Two main types available. You can do a forum search for "beads" and will find more info that you'd believe on the beads. I prefer the ones from Heartfelt, but have, and use both types, and they seem to preform about the same for me.

I (and many BOTL here) use insulated coolers for long term storage. You can do a search for "coolidor" on the forum, and again, lots of info.

I can't speak to the Bally 100, but with the "window" on the top, you will want to make sure the window has a good seal. This may mean taking apart the molding around the glass ? plexiglass? and sealing with a non-aromatic caulk, and reassembling (I haven't done it on my Lucky 7's, because I don't lose that much humidity to make the effort required for a better seal). Also, with the glass top, you would need more care about setting something on top of it.

Check cheaphumidors.com Good selection at reasonable prices, and I think they get mainly good reviews on service.