Comments on: Winterize Your Humidor (Part 2) http://www.stogiereview.com/2006/11/01/winterize-your-humidor-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=winterize-your-humidor-part-2 Cigar reviews with a video twist Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:32:38 +0000 hourly 1 By: Erik Fraunfelter http://www.stogiereview.com/2006/11/01/winterize-your-humidor-part-2/#comment-49078 Erik Fraunfelter Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:00:03 +0000 http://www.stogiereview.com/?p=151#comment-49078 Hi Jerry, I did not use this video to learn how to winterize my humidor, but to learn how to properly humidify my humidor. I just got a 25-count desktop humidor and filled up the "green foam" that came with it with 50/50 solution and put my cigars in right away. I quickly realized that that wasn't a good idea and soon after tried to drain the "green foam" as best I could and properly season my humidor with new 50/50 solution and a distilled water sponge to dampen the ceder on the bottom of my humidor and sides of the humidor. I left the sponge on a plastic bag and put the top with the "green foam" device on my humidor and let it sit for a little over 24 hrs. I dampened my sponge again and wiped the humidor down and closed the lit to my humidor with the sponge removed. This is the last day into my re-seasoning of my humidor and my hygrometer is reading very high into the 80% range. What should I do to fix this? How do I bring my humidity level down? And also, is there something else you would recomend to use to control the humidity in my desktop humidor other then the "green foam" device that came in my humidor (please keep in mind that the humidor only holds 25 cigars, so it's a small unit). THANK YOU SO MUCH JERRY! ~Erik Fraunfelter Hi Jerry,
I did not use this video to learn how to winterize my humidor, but to learn how to properly humidify my humidor. I just got a 25-count desktop humidor and filled up the “green foam” that came with it with 50/50 solution and put my cigars in right away. I quickly realized that that wasn’t a good idea and soon after tried to drain the “green foam” as best I could and properly season my humidor with new 50/50 solution and a distilled water sponge to dampen the ceder on the bottom of my humidor and sides of the humidor. I left the sponge on a plastic bag and put the top with the “green foam” device on my humidor and let it sit for a little over 24 hrs. I dampened my sponge again and wiped the humidor down and closed the lit to my humidor with the sponge removed. This is the last day into my re-seasoning of my humidor and my hygrometer is reading very high into the 80% range. What should I do to fix this? How do I bring my humidity level down? And also, is there something else you would recomend to use to control the humidity in my desktop humidor other then the “green foam” device that came in my humidor (please keep in mind that the humidor only holds 25 cigars, so it’s a small unit). THANK YOU SO MUCH JERRY!
~Erik Fraunfelter

]]> By: Dave Hanifan http://www.stogiereview.com/2006/11/01/winterize-your-humidor-part-2/#comment-1598 Dave Hanifan Fri, 12 Jan 2007 09:51:26 +0000 http://www.stogiereview.com/?p=151#comment-1598 Jerry, Had to give you some more feedback. Well, being new to humidors and smoking in general, I didn't fully appreciate your winterizing until recently and my dry natural gas heaters drying out my humidors. hmmm. Anyway, my first digital hygrometer, Don Salvator Digital Hygrometer, was only +/- 5% accurate and as it turns out, unimpressive. So bought two +/- 1% RH accurate hygrometers (the Calibur III) as well as some beads from www.heartfeltindustries.com (thanks for the advice)!! Now my humidors are at 70% RH on the dot. Tossed some Drymistat sticks on the bottom of the humidors to make sure cigars at the bottom keep a nice 70% as well. You really packed in some information that after reviewing 3 times, really helped out a lot. Saved me a lot of pain, frustration and aggravation. I had no idea how difficult humidor's are but the challenge is certainly rewarding and interesting. Matter of fact, I'll be testing my Don Salvatore digital hygrometer as well as one of my analog ones using the calibration procedure you demonstrated so I can mentally adjust for their inaccuracies (well, manually adjust the analog and mentally the pos Don Salvatore). I also moved my humidors out of the path of the air from my heater vents and into the coolest part of my house. Something that is now obvious to me but hindsight is 20/20. Thanks again and keep the video's coming, Dave Jerry,

Had to give you some more feedback. Well, being new to humidors and smoking in general, I didn’t fully appreciate your winterizing until recently and my dry natural gas heaters drying out my humidors. hmmm.

Anyway, my first digital hygrometer, Don Salvator Digital Hygrometer, was only +/- 5% accurate and as it turns out, unimpressive. So bought two +/- 1% RH accurate hygrometers (the Calibur III) as well as some beads from http://www.heartfeltindustries.com (thanks for the advice)!!

Now my humidors are at 70% RH on the dot. Tossed some Drymistat sticks on the bottom of the humidors to make sure cigars at the bottom keep a nice 70% as well.

You really packed in some information that after reviewing 3 times, really helped out a lot. Saved me a lot of pain, frustration and aggravation. I had no idea how difficult humidor’s are but the challenge is certainly rewarding and interesting.

Matter of fact, I’ll be testing my Don Salvatore digital hygrometer as well as one of my analog ones using the calibration procedure you demonstrated so I can mentally adjust for their inaccuracies (well, manually adjust the analog and mentally the pos Don Salvatore).

I also moved my humidors out of the path of the air from my heater vents and into the coolest part of my house. Something that is now obvious to me but hindsight is 20/20.

Thanks again and keep the video’s coming,

Dave

]]> By: Jerry http://www.stogiereview.com/2006/11/01/winterize-your-humidor-part-2/#comment-1514 Jerry Wed, 03 Jan 2007 15:10:44 +0000 http://www.stogiereview.com/?p=151#comment-1514 Dave - It was fun to do this little two part series and I've received a lot of feedback. Most folks have said they trust their digital hygrometers and so calibration really only applies to analog hygrometers. But hey, when you invest money in something like cigars you can never be too safe right? The Drymistat Crystal Tubes pretty much work the same way. I own a few and use them for my smaller humidors or for turning a cigar box into temporary storage. Dave -

It was fun to do this little two part series and I’ve received a lot of feedback. Most folks have said they trust their digital hygrometers and so calibration really only applies to analog hygrometers. But hey, when you invest money in something like cigars you can never be too safe right?

The Drymistat Crystal Tubes pretty much work the same way. I own a few and use them for my smaller humidors or for turning a cigar box into temporary storage.

]]> By: Dave Hanifan http://www.stogiereview.com/2006/11/01/winterize-your-humidor-part-2/#comment-1508 Dave Hanifan Wed, 03 Jan 2007 06:31:06 +0000 http://www.stogiereview.com/?p=151#comment-1508 This was the best video I've watched on your sight so far. I appreciated seeing a hands on reconditioning of the humidifing elements in your humidor. Please follow Devin's suggestions above for other video ideas. Based upon this video, I just bought some Drymistat Crystal Tubes from CI which I'm assuming perform the same function as the beads you used, only require less work on my part and satisfy my laziness. I also bought a digital hygrometer but I think my laziness will force me to accept the factory calibration but it's nice to see how to calibrate them. If I get some compulsive urge to check the calibration, I'll go review the part 1 of this series. Until then, I'll trust the digital hygrometer and learn to feel the cigars for proper humidity levels. Or just smoke them and figure it out as I go, hmmm, that's more likely. By the way, that is one gorgeous humidor. Dave This was the best video I’ve watched on your sight so far. I appreciated seeing a hands on reconditioning of the humidifing elements in your humidor. Please follow Devin’s suggestions above for other video ideas. Based upon this video, I just bought some Drymistat Crystal Tubes from CI which I’m assuming perform the same function as the beads you used, only require less work on my part and satisfy my laziness. I also bought a digital hygrometer but I think my laziness will force me to accept the factory calibration but it’s nice to see how to calibrate them. If I get some compulsive urge to check the calibration, I’ll go review the part 1 of this series. Until then, I’ll trust the digital hygrometer and learn to feel the cigars for proper humidity levels. Or just smoke them and figure it out as I go, hmmm, that’s more likely.

By the way, that is one gorgeous humidor.

Dave

]]> By: Vic http://www.stogiereview.com/2006/11/01/winterize-your-humidor-part-2/#comment-978 Vic Tue, 28 Nov 2006 20:17:08 +0000 http://www.stogiereview.com/?p=151#comment-978 So what happenend to the video? I finally got all the supplies I needed (even went out and bought my own panty hose) and I can't find the video. My A.D.D. won't let me sit around an actually read the instructions so if you could bring the video back that would be great or else these panty hose will go to waste. So what happenend to the video? I finally got all the supplies I needed (even went out and bought my own panty hose) and I can’t find the video. My A.D.D. won’t let me sit around an actually read the instructions so if you could bring the video back that would be great or else these panty hose will go to waste.

]]> By: Kirk http://www.stogiereview.com/2006/11/01/winterize-your-humidor-part-2/#comment-724 Kirk Fri, 10 Nov 2006 02:19:09 +0000 http://www.stogiereview.com/?p=151#comment-724 Part 2 was just as great as part 1. I'd like to see a lot more videos on tips and tricks for us cigar lovers. Its one thing to read about them but its very cool to see you guys perform them. Great job Jerry! I'm now a proud fan of the Stogie Review! Part 2 was just as great as part 1. I’d like to see a lot more videos on tips and tricks for us cigar lovers. Its one thing to read about them but its very cool to see you guys perform them. Great job Jerry! I’m now a proud fan of the Stogie Review!

]]> By: George http://www.stogiereview.com/2006/11/01/winterize-your-humidor-part-2/#comment-677 George Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:27:39 +0000 http://www.stogiereview.com/?p=151#comment-677 Great video and a beautiful humidor. You are absolutely right to keep it in its original state. Great video and a beautiful humidor. You are absolutely right to keep it in its original state.

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