How to regulate humidity in the summer?

[Figsy]

Hello All,

This is my first post. I just started cigars about six months ago. I have a desktop humidor which holds about 120 cigars max. I keep the humidor in my basement where the temperture is around 67-69. The problem is that the humidity in the summer is about 79 and I want to get it down to 65. Do you have any suggestions? I have the standard rectangular credo humidifier that came with the humidor. I was thinking, what if I order some Heartfelt Beads, dry they out, and then put them in the humidor dry, will they absorb moisture and bring the humidity down to 65? Thank you for any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated.

[AlexOk]

First, welcome at FoH, Figsy.

During the summer months, I removed all humidifier of my humidor with the daily smoke. It's in the livingroom and holds a humidity of 73 very well.

I keep the aging-humidors in the basement too. As humidifier I use a piece of cedro (30cm x 15cm x 5mm), which I sometimes moistened with distilled water. The basement has a temperature of 15 - 17 °C. With this configuration I reach a humidity of 63-68.

In your case, I will leave the humidor open, 'till the humidity decrease. But only if the room-humidity is lower.

[Ginseng]

Welcome to FOH, Figsy. I think you'll be struggling with humidity if the basement is that damp. To get it right down, I'd put in some unscented crystal kitty litter to sop up some of the moisture. Unless you're displaying the humidor, you might significantly improve the humidity maintenance by placing the entire humidor inside of a Coleman-type cooler. That way, the cooler becomes your anti-humidity vault and inside the humidor itself, you'll have an easier time regulating.

I have been using a bunch of coolers for years and they are as close to trouble-free a passive system as there is...and economical too.

BTW, drop by the Newbie Intro Forum and say introduce yourself.

Wilkey

[Figsy]

Thank you for the tips! I really appreciate it. I think I will try using a cooler to regulate the humidity outside my humidor.

[Klange]

I experience the same problem in these summer months. When keeping the cigars in the cooler basement the relative humidity sometimes go up near 75-80% at 18 degrees celcius. However I find it usefull to let in some fresh air from outside, especially on warm sunny days where the humidity outside is lower. The reative humiity falls again to about 72-74% inside the humi which I can live with.

Its also possibe to buy a dehumidfier, but it might be expensive to have it running during all summer?