salt test - how long?

[mcease022]

I performed a salt test on my hygrometer and after 6 hours to about 20 hours the hygrometer was at 73%. After 22-24 hours it climbed to 75% and at 24 and 25 hours it is at 76%. Is there a point where everything equalizes and the humidity will no longer change? If I understand correct the salt and water will be at 75%, but will this ever change - just for argument sake, if you keep it in a ziploc for weeks will the humidity ever be at a different level?

[oliverdst]

Mr Pig, where are you????

[mcease022]

I just checked again after 26 hours and I am at 77% now. Not sure how long to leave this or if It is accurate after a precise number of hours. Update* it is at 78% now after 27 hours. temperature is pretty stable but I didnt keep too close an eye on it. It is in my house where I didnt change the temp. so it should be stable.

[Olga]

24-48 hours

[planetary]

For reference, is this a digital or analog hygrometer?

[mcease022]

For reference, is this a digital or analog hygrometer?

It is a digital hygrometer

[CBMC]

Keeping the temperature stable is also important. Changes in temperature cause fluctuations.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[squizz]

24 hours atleast.

Try to be patient, every damn digital i've owned has been a task to get correct. I'm actually calibrating one right now as well. Still havent got it right.

I do find it easier to use the boveda 75% packs for calibration, salt test could get messy.

[Smallclub]

It is a digital hygrometer

The hygrometers we use for our humidors are not exactly precision instruments… When I do a salt test I make an average of the values given between 24 and 48 hours.

[jwr0201]

reset it to 75% and try again for 24-48. 1-2% won't make a large difference unless you at 69-70 or above.

[stogieluver]

The salt test is tricky, imo, because it's hard to get the H2O/salt ratio correct. I've found the Boveda calibration packs to be the easiest, most accurate. But, the time frame, I think, should be at least 36 hours in a stable temp environment.

[planetary]

FWIW: I've used Boveda calibration packs to test half a dozen Caliber IV digital hygrometers. Every single one arrived perfectly calibrated from the factory.

[PapaDisco]

I too have given up on the salt test and just use the Boveda calibration packs. Call me lazy!

Ziplock bags, btw, are permeable. Moisture will pass through, just very slowly. Hard to imagine that in Canada in the winter that your indoor rH is 77-80% though!

[oliverdst]

boveda here too

[fookite]

Unless you keep your cigars at 75% rh, the salt test is stupid. Don't do it.

Your hygrometer is obviously in the ballpark, try to keep the humidor at 65% or 60% or whatever and if your cigars don't smoke good, change it. When they do smoke good, note the value and try to keep it around there.

[irratebass]

FWIW: I've used Boveda calibration packs to test half a dozen Caliber IV digital hygrometers. Every single one arrived perfectly calibrated from the factory.

I have heard great things about these hygrometers....personally I use the Accu-Rite's from Walmart and have had no problems other than 1-2% here and there....no biggie, and only $8

[Smallclub]

Unless you keep your cigars at 75% rh, the salt test is stupid. Don't do it.

The salt test helps to know the error margin of a hygrometer. Nothing more, nothing less; I can't see the relation with cigars kept at 75%…

[moryc]

I gave up on the salt tests and started using the Boveda calibration pack.

I have purchased many different hydrometers in the past unfortunately all of them are off. The only one that I found was perfectly calibrated from the factory was Caliber IV.

[busdriver]

Boveda! Boveda! Boveda!

If using a wineador but it in the fridge for the test. Call me captain obvious (although I didn't think of this when I did it).

[earthson]

Be moderate with the salt testing - electronic circuitry can be harmed by a saline vapor environment. I believe my Caliber IV warranty info specifically voids the warranty if I salt-tested the hygrometer.

If you wanna know how it performs in your target range, buy a boveda closest to your target RH and set them in an airtight-ish environment for a couple days. Best of luck!

[Fugu]

Be moderate with the salt testing - electronic circuitry can be harmed by a saline vapor environment. I believe my Caliber IV warranty info specifically voids the warranty if I salt-tested the hygrometer. If you wanna know how it performs in your target range, buy a boveda closest to your target RH and set them in an airtight-ish environment for a couple days. Best of luck!

There only is water, nothing but water in the atmosphere. So, as long as you don't dump your instrumentation there is no harm to be expected. The salt stays where it is and won't evaporate. Don't confuse this with a corrosive marine or coastal climate, where salts become airborne due to mechanic effects and form an aerosol.

[mcease022]

After 48 hours I had a reading of 77% so I am pretty satisfied. It moved from 73 to 77 throughout the test, so I am in the correct range anyway. I will see how they smoke and adjust from there.

[earthson]

There only is water, nothing but water in the atmosphere. So, as long as you don't dump your instrumentation there is no harm to be expected. The salt stays where it is and won't evaporate. Don't confuse this with a corrosive marine or coastal climate, where salts become airborne due to mechanic effects and form an aerosol.

Um, upon contact with water, NaCl tends to cleave into Na+ and Cl-, both of which aerosolize readily. Hell, the NaCl will aerosolize as a complete molecule. That's why sea air has a smell - there's more than water in the air!

The salt test comes from a simpler time when people were relying on cheapo analog hygrometers. It's not terribly accurate and never has been. Boveda is the way to go for calibrating these cheap gizmos.

[Fugu]

Um, upon contact with water, NaCl tends to cleave into Na+ and Cl-, both of which aerosolize readily. Hell, the NaCl will aerosolize as a complete molecule. That's why sea air has a smell - there's more than water in the air!

The salt test comes from a simpler time when people were relying on cheapo analog hygrometers. It's not terribly accurate and never has been. Boveda is the way to go for calibrating these cheap gizmos.

Nope - and this with regard to all what youre stating - sorry.

[UpInSmoak]

As someone as stated above, calibrate as close to your desired humidity as possible. When calibrating with the salt test method, you aim for 75 rh. I'm my experience this calibration will be most accurate if you plan to keep your humidor around the 75 rh area, which I would advise against you doing. I personally store as close to 60 as possible, therefore I calibrate at 60rh. My margin of error is much more accurate by doing that than calibrating at 75.

Good luck!!