On Sep 14, 5:58 pm, Fred > wrote:
> I have had a lot of problems recently with extremely dry corks. I live in
> the desert (Las Vegas) and the humidity is extremely low. I have a
> hygrometer in my cellar and it recently read 45%. What should I do about
> this problem. Last night we had a 1996 Duhart Milon and the cork crumbled.
> The wine was quite good, just the cork was terrible.

If your basement is not too large and if it is fairly well sealed,
then a large room cabinet humidifier should work They can be had from
Sears and other stores nearly everywhere, but they may be difficult to
find in the summer. A good one usually can be found that rolls on
casters and holds several gallons of water. The cost can be under to
slightly over $US 100. They come with humidity controls that hold
their setting fairly well. I would stay between about 60 % and 70% RH
for your situation. Too high RH, perhaps over 80 %, will cause mildrew
and mold growth that could damage your labels or other items in the
cellar, if that matters to you. Also it would require filling with
water much more often. If you are a do-it-yourself type, it should not
be too difficult to install and automatic water valve, such as toilets
have, to keep the water level full. But in that case you will also
need to install an overflow drain tube. Do not forget to use an
additive in the water that kills bacteria and that is sold where
humidifiers are sold. Some nasty beasts can grow in tanks of water
that stand for a long time, and they get blown in the room by the fan.
This can cause some people to cough. In rare cases a serious disease
can be spread.

I hope you have a deep cellar or use refrigeration in it so that the
temperature does not become excessive. I have heard about the
extremely high temperature you can have in Las Vegas in the summer -
especially this summer.