I store sheng and shous in a segregated closet with the teas in Mylar pouches with hygrometers in them. They are in bamboo baskets. I’ve been negligent in checking temp and humidity levels to the point where all my boveda packs are hard as a rock. My temp in the closet is 70 the humidity is 62% in some of the bags and 44% in the others. I’ve since replaced all my boveda packs with 62% ones. I’ve brewed some of the 44% shou with good results. It tasted fine without any flatness or odd flavors.
If I’m not able to get my humidity to come up with the new boveda, will I lose my shous’ and shengs’ ability to ferment any further? Like I said, they taste fine with nice notes. Should I get some boveda packs with a higher humidity to try and make up for the 44%?
Puerh storage concerns
From chatting with quite a few people who had similar situations as yours, dried out puer will recover if provided sufficient humidity. Be patient, might takes months.
If the mylar pouch is sealed, the humidity should only go up until the boveda is drained (if starting humidity is lower). Even ziplock should be very slow moisture loss. So not sure how you got 44%. Might want to look into that.
If the mylar pouch is sealed, the humidity should only go up until the boveda is drained (if starting humidity is lower). Even ziplock should be very slow moisture loss. So not sure how you got 44%. Might want to look into that.
I run 72% till the tea fully hydrates. You will notice the boveda will still be soft and flexible when the tea can't absorb more than that. I normally go through all my storage on a rotation basis. Takes about 8 weeks if I do one area each weekend. Just checking on them regularly will let you get a feel for the tea. You can adjust from there.