I calibrate all my hygrometers by dropping them in the toilet. I set them to 100% then fish them out and sleep soundly at night knowing they are dead nuts accurately set at that point.
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:-) I have yet to ever get the salt test to work for me.:-)
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Sheesh. I just put a few drops of water in a bottlecap of salt and always get exactly 75% - every time. I guess I'm crazy because I'm apparently also the only guy that can get analog hygrometers and foam humidifiers to work flawlessly too. :-)
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Mr perfect called. He wants his Tshirt back. JK. I haven't had the same results. With that said my cigars smoke fine and I am confident the beads are doing well. Just would be nice to have the peace of mind.
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I've salt tested all 7 of my hygro's and with the exception of one being off 2% high and one 1% low I've never had a problem with the test not working. My house stays at about 74 degrees and my test always seem to work.

I have 2 more of the walmart hygro's testing as we speak and after about 14 hours they were at 75% both when I left for work. Also the temp was also reading 74.

When I put the meters in my cooler or vino with the beads the all read between 66 and 69 so I know they are reading just about right and my beads are doing there job.

I do however use a stick of beads once ever couple of months and put all the meters in a large Tupperware for a day or two just to kind of spot check.

Btw my meters are a mix or humicare, xikar, walmart and 2 no name brand so it has worked for different brands for me.

Btw what I use is the mortons salt that comes in the blue paper can thing. I use a soda cap filled till it's level then add enough water to change the color of the salt from white to just clear ( my guess is about 5 or 6 drops) then I stir it around with a tooth pick to make sure it's evenly damp and not overly saturated. I then use a rubber made container (about 4 inchs tall and 6x6 square).

Maybe I'll do a little test and break it down to how much salt to use and drops of water. Maybe that way we can all get better results.
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Sounds like a good plan. Thanks!!
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Sounds good to me too thanks! Also what amount of time do you guys leave it in there? One hygro instructions said 4 hours another said 8 hours while online says 12 to 24 hours.
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When you see it stop changing...you're done.
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Will a humidipak work?
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As long as it is accurate. :-)
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It says relative humidity 69%. I tried the salt test but not sure if I did it correctly.
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G, I am just saying that just because the humidpack says it is a 69% RH does not mean that it actually is accurate in and of itself.
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Very interesting I've yet to try this, I've got a few spares around the house....Let me see if that will work.

EDIT T.G is right except I've notice to completely calibrate it you'll need to flush the toilet. It really gets the bugs out of those touchy little hygro's. It now properly reads " " which is far more accurate then it did before the flush test. :-)
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I leave mine for 24 hours. Most of the time after 10 to 12 hours it will read 75%.

I don't know if the humi would work cause I don't really have any but I don't see why it wouldn't as long as the pack is working like it should as stated above.

I know it works with beads like I said above I spot check all of mine every 2 or 3 months with the beads.
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Felt like posting on this again...

I'm in no way saying we should completely ignore technology... But I can't help but feel like we've become so reliant on digital hygrometers that some of the old ways have been lost.

How did people check the humidity of their cigars before digital hygros came about?!

I have digital hygrometers in all of my humidors. However, when it comes down to it... My bottom line test of humidity is literally picking up and feeling my cigars.

Just do it! And stop worrying about stupid salt tests and hygrometers that may or may not be working correctly!

Cigars are a hobby for all of the senses... And touch is one of the most important if not one of the most neglected ones... We should all take a little more time to simply feel our beloved smokes... Yes... It sounds dirty... But caress them. Be gentle with them... Take the time to get to know them by touch. And I guarantee you you never NEED another hygrometer or salt test ever again.
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On specific amounts of salt to water...
It's real simple. The salt just needs to be saturated. There's a huge margin for error. Even if you have half salt and half water, you're still okay. The solution will still yeild 75% over itself.
That's why we use this test for calibration, it's so simple, and so hard to screw up. What happens is we start thinking too hard, and get scared of the unknown. :-)

Your question about different forms of salt is kind of a loaded one. If you mean "does magnesium chloride yield a different RH than sodium chloride?", the answer is yes.
If your question is "Do different brands of table salt yield a different RH?", the answer is "yes, maybe a fraction of a percentage point."
If your question is "Can I use salt substitute like people use for low salt diets for the test?" the answer is no. It'll yield a different RH, as it isn't table salt, or sodium chloride.

The only thing I can add that may help is that by increasing the surface area of your salt/water mixture, you can move things along a lot faster.
That means that if you use a peanut butter jar lid rather than a soda bottle lid, the air inside your ziplock bag (or whatever) will come to 75%RH a lot quicker.

One last thing...
The depth of the salt/water solution in the peanut butter lid or pop bottle lid or shot glass or whatever doesn't matter at all. A half inch is as good as a mile.
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I agree and disagree, NJ.
If a person has no frame of reference on how wet or dry a cigar "should be", it's dang near impossible for them just to go on their gut. The worry will drive them insane.
I think it's an evolution. Bear me out...
Once a guy gets the salt test under control, then gets good hygros, then gets their cigars where they like them, then they have gathered lots of valuable experience. That whole process takes time. Maybe a year, maybe a couple years, maybe less.
Through that process, they'll have tried cigars stored at many different levels of wetness, and they'll figure stuff out. Important stuff like "it appears my cc's smoke a lot better at 55% than 70%" and "it appears my nc's smoke better at 65% than 55%".
I can pick up a cigar and smell it and feel it and know if it's too wet or too dry for my liking, but I have some time in. A guy who has just started in the hobby may not have someone with experience to teach them in person, which would be a lot better. So they rely on the next best thing, which is our brothers online.
In time, the new hobbyist isn't going to rely or obsess on hygrometers.
Or at least this is how it all progressed for me. :-)
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You're right.

And I think we're on the same page and trying to make a similar point.

I can simplify my rantings to this:

We could all probably afford more experience when it comes to cigars.

So to the point... I would encourage new enthusiasts (and even some old ones) to develop their experience through their senses (ie. feel)... and testing and hygrometers so that they too one day can pick up a BBF or a FFOX or whatever their "fave" may be... and know simply by feeling it if it's right to smoke... rather than simply trying to rely on the tests and hygrometers.

That being said... you can ALWAYS rely on Shilala's beads to keep a perfectly measured humidity. :-):-)

I also feel like that's one of the coolest parts of the cigar lifestyle... and unfortunately I think a dying part... the next time you get ready to smoke your favorite stick... pick it up... feel it... smell it...take a close look at the veins and the coloring... even listen to it as you slightly apply pressure to the area just below the cap to check its elasticity. Using all of your senses to examine and enjoy your smoke will really enhance your experience. At least it does for me.
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Never forget also the volumes of BS info out there that are just begging for someone to read it and be
taken down the wrong path. My blog for instance, ROFLMAO.
No I mean the 50 or so places you can read "Squeeze the cigar between your fingers...it should give
slightly and then spring back, and should not crackle". If a cigar doesn't crackle, I wouldn't LIGHT the
thing, cause I know a properly humidified CC ought to certainly crackle. Knowing the difference between
a crack and a crackle, see Ninja's point above. And I guess a NC should "give", but what does GIVE
actually mean. 1/16th inch...1/4 inch....1/8 inch....fingers touching, lol.

Or another one..."Please look at our Counterfeit gallery to see what the bands should look like." Please.
How many Bolivar bands are there. Almost every one is different in color from one year to the next.
"My rows of squares are cut off, these must be fake." "The embossing on one side is crisper than the
other, I must have fakes." Time my chirrens, TIME. It's all it takes.
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How many times have you done this and found it not to be where you like it and still went ahead and smoked it?
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