Cabs in humidor - hard to get right RH

[Lascaux]

In my aging humidor, ive noticed, the cigars in cabs are almost dripping in humidity where as the boxes of 25 feel drier.
the problem is my hygrometer (which is definitely well calibrated) is reading 60-65 but the feel of the cigars in all the cabs... they feel as wet as cigars at 80RH easily. The cigars in dress boxes feel ok, just right.

Cigars that feel that wet and spongy... is that ideal when setting them aside for 5+ years?

im just wondering as im looking to age these cabs for a good few years... should I force the humidity down a bit in the humidor

I know cabs are meant to be better to age cigars in and that they also hold RH better than boxes supposedly but has anyone else felt this? im even thinking of storing cabs and boxes in different humis at different RH... is this often the done thing?

[jkim05]

Unless the cabs were already moist prior to placing them in the humidor, they shouldn't be more humid than the dress boxes. The humidor will try to equilibriate itself and cabs don't draw excessive amounts of humidity into them. Are they closer to the humidity source than the hygrometer?

[Lascaux]

funnily enough the cabs are further away from the humidifier than the dress boxes, however the cabs are sitting at the bottom. they've been in there a good year now, the temps are a constant 65-70F
ive also got a fan in there to regulate the air flow

one thing to note, im storing these boxes in a coolbox... theres no cedar in there except for the boxes, so i wonder if they're absorbing most of the moisture.

[daverave999]

Do you have a fan in there? What are you humidifying with? From what I read you want to be lower humidity than normal for aging.

[Lascaux]

acrylic polymer... passatore humidifier. slowly changing everything over to heartfelt but need to put another order in. the RH is very constant. its been 63 for the last few weeks, but as I said all the cigars in cabs feel very spongy. they smell incredible tho

[Smallclub]

… the cigars in cabs are almost dripping in humidity where as the boxes of 25 feel drier.
…hygrometer (which is definitely well calibrated) is reading 60-65 but the feel of the cigars in all the cabs... they feel as wet as cigars at 80RH easily.

Cigars that feel that wet and spongy... is that ideal when setting them aside for 5+ years?

No that's definitely not ideal…
I have had the same problem in a "tupperdor", I solved it by rotating the cabs (every 5 weeks or so) and replacing humidification device by beads (Heartfelt)…