I got my fella a humidor for Christmas, and I’m trying to break it in. Is there any way to speed this up? I’ve calibrated the hygrometer, and now the hygrometer, wet humidifyer and a small dish with activating solution has been in the humidor for three days, and the humidification is still at 42. How long does this process take? Any tips?
Thanks in advance,
Lorie
BUMP
Maybe this thread would be better in general questions? coudl a mod move it to GQ if it is appropriate for that forum?
This page (near the bottom) says 10-14 days: http://www.bonitasmokeshop.com/daniel_marshall_cigar_humidors_b.htm
This page (halfway down the left column) says a few days to few weeks:
http://www.cigardiary.com/cigars/storage.php3
They also say it depends on the dryness of the wood, the size of the humidor versus the humidifier, and the humidity of the room it’s in.
Did you take a clean sponge (I bought a new one just for this purpose) douse it with distilled water and dampen the insides? Then leave the damp sponge in the humidor for a few days? That’s the instructions I got for preparing my humidor.
Homebrew has the right idea. I’ve done the same thing, and it works.
Watch out, though, for a couple of things: the seal on the humidor and the ambient humidity of the room in which you have it. If the seal is somewhat less than airtight, the humidor will still be OK; but if that’s the case and the room humidity is low, then the humidor’s humidity will escape into the drier air rather than staying in the humidor’s Spanish cedar. This happened to me some years ago, but moving the humidor to another room fixed the problem.
Also, what solution are you using? I use 50% propylene glycol (PG) to 50% distilled water, and get 70% humidity that way. Read the label on the bottle of solution–if it is straight PG, you will have to dilute it with distilled water.
I have the 50/50 solution in my humidification device (it’s a hockey-puck looking thing with foam in it…the kind that flower shops put flowers in. It came with the humidor), and also in the little dish at the bottom.
You see, I’ve read different things about seasoning humidors. Some articles say, “yeah, wet the wood with a sponge” and some say “what? are you crazy? don’t wet the wood with a sponge. Any woodworker will tell you not to do that! it’ll ruin the wood!”
My instructions on the humidor say don’t wet the wood. So I don’t know what to think. I’m thinking maybe I’ll slightly dampen the wood, not soak it.
Or maybe use straight distilled water in the little dish instead of the 50/50.
It’s just a small humidor, holds about 25-50 cigars. I didn’t think it would take so long.
It’s encouraging to know some of you guys did the ‘wet the wood’ thing and your humidors are ok. Most of the articles I’ve read are in the ‘wet the wood’ camp rather than the ‘don’t wet the wood’ camp.
Put me in the don’t wet the wood camp as it can damage the wood.
I’d say put a dish with a paper towel (or a chunk of oasis wet foam) doused with distilled water into the humidor to break it in. The 50/50 solution is for maintenance, go for 100% water for initial seasoning.