Q. I just recently bought my first humidor and would like to know when to “recharge” my humidifier. How do I know when I have added enough or too much distilled water?
– J. Fletcher
A. When you first charge the humidifier, it should be completely saturated. If it’s the standard green oasis foam type, soak it for an hour. This will ensure it’s really primed. Just make sure it’s not leaking when you put in in place.
Generally speaking (and assuming your average room temperature is about 65 to 70 degrees) try to maintain your humidor at an average of about 68% RH. Once it goes down to about 64%, it’s usually time to recharge. If the RH goes way above 70% after recharging, then you added too much water or solution. You can let the humidifier “dry out” a bit by removing it for a few hours. You may have to do this several times until you get it back down to “normal” levels.
As your humidor becomes more seasoned, you will probably need to add less distilled water or solution each time. Over time, you may also discover that a particular temperature-to-RH formula works best for your and your cigars.
Executive Editor
Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.
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