Cigars are wet/damp!!

sbroch3

I just got my first humidor and just starting this hobby. I have a cigar oasis digital hydrometer that I purchased with the humidor. It is preset to a humidity of 70 and the fan only comes on when it drops below that. However, it appears that the average humidity has been staying in the mid to upper 80's and I cannot figure out why. My cigars are now damp/wet and cannot be smoked. What in the world am I doing wrong.

avengethis

How big of a humi do you have that oasis in? Did you calibrate the hygrometer you are using to verify its accuracy? What did you charge the oasis with (distilled water, ph solution, tap water)

Bob Luken

Welcome to the cigar world. Welcome to the forum. This is the best place to learn what you need to know about all things cigars.

Bob Luken

Your first post raises so many follow up questions that it's hard to know what kind of answers to give you. But if you stick with us and provide us with the info we need, everybody here is very helpful and can guide you. How big is your humidor? You may have hung a jet engine on hang glider. If you can tell us exactly which model of humidor and exactly which model of cigar oasis humidifier you are using it will help us help you.

sbroch3

The humidor is a berkeley 100 capacity (13X10X6). The oasis I got was rated for 51-300 cigars. The only smaller one said that it was rated for up to 50. And yes, being the new guy, when I bought the humidor, the website offered the oasis with it at a discount. They also heavily pushed this bottle of 50/50 solution too. I did also get a bottle of those gel beads but have not used them yet. So that's about it.

sbroch3

And thanks in advance for the quick help guys. I am so excited about this new hobby, but have been getting so frustrated over the last two days. I appreciate the help!

avengethis

Yeah that oasis is super overkill for that small humidor. That is more than likely the problem. I would take it out and let the rh come down with nothing on it and then use the gel for now.

avengethis

Also did you season the humidor first or just tossed it all in there?

Bob Luken

sbroch3

Thanks guys for the info. That really aggrevates me that they recommend this type of humidifier if that's not what I need. That was $100 and it said by using that and the 50/50 solution, everything runs on its own and you don't even have to fool with it but a couple of times a year. After reading up, I see a lot of people talking about the bovedas. I don't know much about them, but I am going to look into them. I really would like to use my humidor so I will try those. I did not season the humidor first, didn't know you were supposed to. I am sure I can find the info, but any suggestions on how to do that?

honorknight7

For seasoning the humidor there are a few ways people say to go with (the wipe method is iffy - ruined my first humidor with that way, but think I did it to wet), because you need to dry out your cigars now though I think doing like stated above, put the sticks in a Ziploc with a 65 Boveda pack (it will absorb from the cigars also) and use a 14 day Boveda seasoning pack in the humidor, throw it in, shut it and forget it for 14 days, will most likely take at least that long for your sticks to come down in RH with the 65 pack in the bag anyway

avengethis

I would also carefuly look over your humidor to make sure the wood didnt get too wet and swelled, mold growing or cracking. You may have seasoned it already. I would get a good digital hygro and before I start seasoning it again I would calibrate the hygro and put it in there to see where it is at with no humidification device at all.

W1REB1TER

Bob Luken:

Your first post raises so many follow up questions that it's hard to know what kind of answers to give you. But if you stick with us and provide us with the info we need, everybody here is very helpful and can guide you. How big is your humidor? You may have hung a jet engine on hang glider. If you can tell us exactly which model of humidor and exactly which model of cigar oasis humidifier you are using it will help us help you.

I want to put a jet engine on a hang glider now...

0patience

Bob Luken

Rhamlin

Welcome brother. It's a game of trial and error getting your humi to operate the way you want at first. But it doesn't take to long to figure it out. Main thing is don't get frustrated. I just recently pulled a stick out of one of my humi's and couldn't hardly get it to burn and it got bitter on me fast. When I got back home and checked it, damn it was reading 74. No freakin wonder. They were all spongy. Let them air out a few times and threw in some dry beads. Took a day but finally got it back down to how I like it.

bandyt09

I had used Cigar Oasis humidifiers for years, here's one thing I can tell you, DO NOT trust the preset hygrometer on it. They are notorious for being bad. Get yourself a separate hygrometer, preferably digital, and turn the setting on you Oasis down. Don't worry about what the hygrometer on it says as it's probably wrong, trust your separate calibrated one. Secondly, it is overkill but it's probably not that bad. I didn't read through all the responses but how many cigars do you have in you humidor? The reason I ask is the more room (air) in you humidor will make the Oasis work harder, don't know why but it comes from years of experience with one.

Rhamlin

bandyt09:

I had used Cigar Oasis humidifiers for years, here's one thing I can tell you, DO NOT trust the preset hygrometer on it. They are notorious for being bad. Get yourself a separate hygrometer, preferably digital, and turn the setting on you Oasis down. Don't worry about what the hygrometer on it says as it's probably wrong, trust your separate calibrated one. Secondly, it is overkill but it's probably not that bad. I didn't read through all the responses but how many cigars do you have in you humidor? The reason I ask is the more room (air) in you humidor will make the Oasis work harder, don't know why but it comes from years of experience with one.

#1 This is true for pretty much any humi. The fuller it is the better it works. Whenever mine supply gets low I blow up some ziplock bags and put in it to take up space but it works better to be filled with cigars.

Bigshizza

Rhamlin:

bandyt09:

I had used Cigar Oasis humidifiers for years, here's one thing I can tell you, DO NOT trust the preset hygrometer on it. They are notorious for being bad. Get yourself a separate hygrometer, preferably digital, and turn the setting on you Oasis down. Don't worry about what the hygrometer on it says as it's probably wrong, trust your separate calibrated one. Secondly, it is overkill but it's probably not that bad. I didn't read through all the responses but how many cigars do you have in you humidor? The reason I ask is the more room (air) in you humidor will make the Oasis work harder, don't know why but it comes from years of experience with one.

#1 This is true for pretty much any humi. The fuller it is the better it works. Whenever mine supply gets low I blow up some ziplock bags and put in it to take up space but it works better to be filled with cigars.

Ohhhh Yeah!!!