Quick Humi Seasoning Question

dan7876

Hi all!  Been lurking in the shadows of this forum for a while, gearing up for my first big purchase.  I started smoking a few months back, have been working out tastes and styles, etc, and have been living the water-pillowed "Zippidor" lifestyle...up until now.  Finally pulled the trigger and ordered a 100-ct humi (I know, everyone says to go bigger, but I figure I'll add one in addition someday).  Just about to start seasoning, and had a quick question:

I have my humi, distilled water, a new sponge, a digital hygrometer, and a Heartfelt 2oz 65% tube of beads (skipping the cheap humidifier that came w/the humi), all laid out and ready to go.  What I want to know is when to add the beads?  My plan is to wipe down the cedar w/distilled water, place the slightly damp sponge on plastic on the bottom, set my hygrometer inside, and let it sit overnight (then assume I'll take out the sponge and close her up for one more day after that), and hopefully be in the promised land.  So...do I put the Heartfelt beads in right away, or will that work counterproductively against the natural absorption of the cedar in the first few days?

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have, happy smoking!

- Dan

Okemah

Well Dan, first off welcome. I'm new here myself and posted here a week ago about pretty much the same topic. I bought my first Humi a couple weeks ago and did the very thing you speak of. Wiped it down, sponge in bottom over night..yada yada yada. I'm still having issues getting my humidity up and I purchased 70% humidity beads. Most people will tell you to just put the dish of water into the Humi and let it sit until you get the desired humidity and not to wipe down the interior. I wish now that I had done it that way to begin with but hey...chalk it up to learning. Hope this helps ~Brad

madurofan

Okemah

Why didn't I think of that....Thanks Maduro.

madurofan

kaspera79

dan7876

Thanks guys, glad I checked in for a few expert opinions before jumping in.  Wonder why every "source" online seems to recommend the wipe-down method...propagating the lie, it would seem.  Maduro - yep, it's a digital hygro...I've got it doing the salt test right now, and the humi is beginning to season w/the dish of dist water and the heartfelt beads.  Plan to throw the hygro into the humi tomorrow after it's been tested for accuracy.  Anything I'm missing?  I'll do my best to stay patient, but yeah - sure do want to fast forward a week and be done with the Zippidor.

 

Many thanks guys!

madurofan

I don't know that the wipe-down method is wrong, it definetly speeds up the process. But is quick necessarily a good thing? Also there are some risks, the splitting I experienced, that go with the wipe-down method that aren't there with the bowl method. Far from an expert just read a lot and have a few years of experience now. Hopefully kuzi will throw his opinion in about the beads, he's more of an expert on those.

kaspera79

madurofan:

I don't know that the wipe-down method is wrong, it definetly speeds up the process. But is quick necessarily a good thing? Also there are some risks, the splitting I experienced, that go with the wipe-down method that aren't there with the bowl method. Far from an expert just read a lot and have a few years of experience now. Hopefully kuzi will throw his opinion in about the beads, he's more of an expert on those.

Just last week I read about the wipe down method again.. Some cigar people do just that. I did do that on my first few humidors just to get the cigars out of Ziplock bags and into a real home.. No cracking of the humidor or damage to the cigars, so it just worked out for me. I now have the patience to season the humidor.

dutyje

madurofan

Yea I've noticed that issue with the beads as well duty. My 70% beads are sporadic.

dan7876

Dutyje - thanks for the reply.  Curious your reasoning for recommending the humidity get up high at first (leaving the beads out initially), is it to give a good saturation to the cedar for a while before regulating the RH?  Also, how do I half-charge the beads?  Not even sure how to charge them.   All their site says is "charge them with distilled water".  Do you soak the whole tube in dist water, or is there an opening for pouring water in?  Probably all moot questions, as from context it sounds like they will charge themselves through the humidity in the air in the humidor.  Thanks for your patience with a newb like myself.

 

- Dan

urbino

I'm having the same problem with the beads not absorbing humidity. My smaller humi and my tupperdor both remain at about 73% RH -- which is ambient RH -- despite having several ounces of dry 65% beads in them.

dutyje

dan7876

Makes sense dutyje, thanks for the input!

Celtic Rider

here I go again with the gel again! I'm gettin my humidor today I'm getting some gel on Tuesday , when should I put the gel in? I was going to do the bowl of water thing starting tonight.Or Should I wait till I get the gel and start seasoning then??? Thanks

urbino

Go ahead with the bowl of water.

Celtic Rider

when should I add the gel?

kuzi16

i always put my humidification device in while seasoning. but thats me and i use beads. If the gel can be recharged then put it in right away. If not, wait till its done seasoning.

tankbonnies

Hey guys..I"m a nubi to this site, but have been reading thee posts for a few weeks. Here is my question. I finally got around to replacing the digital hygromter battery yesterday. Right now the reading is showing between 74-76, and now I'm a little nervous. What are the chances of seeing beatles in my humi? Also, Ii just took my distilled water dish(has beads in it), and just left the sponge in there to reduce the humidity a little. Is that the best way to get the levels back to normal or do you have any other suggestions. I'm about to order another batch of cigars and I'm thinking I should hold out for a bit. Any help would be great..thx

kuzi16

tankbonnies

thanks kuz....how do you decharge the beads? No, I didn't re test the hygromiter...i'll have to do that.. I have about 50 cigars in there now....I'll have to do the salt test again.....are the digital hygromiters pretty accurate right off the bat?

kuzi16

tankbonnies

thanks kuz...I will do that tonight....lets see how it works.

urbino

kuzi16

madurofan

I had the beads in with my Oasis and the Oasis set at 67% but it was hitting as high as 75%, I repeatedly decharged the beads and stuck them back in only to have the RH shoot up again. I've taken them out al-together now and its maintaining about 70 - 71%

kuzi16

iduno what you gauys are doing wrong but i have never once had an issue with my beads. Im getting to the point where im thinking of taking out my hygrometer becauseits just getting in the way and the beads work that well.

urbino

madurofan

urbino