Beetle eggs!?!?!?

[mr.mac]

I find too that when I add a new box to the cooler, it tends to suck the moisture from the beads dry. Dont know if thats from the wood made boxes or what. Typically a full charge or two seems to rehydrate everything again.

Ian - hate to bring this back up, as I'm sure its already been discussed... are you sure that your hygro is reading accurately? My old hygro's were reading 58% and 60% respectively and were accurate given the % they were off in the salt test. It always bothered me to have a hygro that read 58% in an evironment with 65% beads in it. Guess thats my nature to worry and everything. Bottom line... got some accurate hygros (Oregon Scientific) and have been feeling much better about the situation.

JMHO

mac

 

[IanHummel]

I find too that when I add a new box to the cooler, it tends to suck the moisture from the beads dry. Dont know if thats from the wood made boxes or what. Typically a full charge or two seems to rehydrate everything again.

Ian - hate to bring this back up, as I'm sure its already been discussed... are you sure that your hygro is reading accurately? My old hygro's were reading 58% and 60% respectively and were accurate given the % they were off in the salt test. It always bothered me to have a hygro that read 58% in an evironment with 65% beads in it. Guess thats my nature to worry and everything. Bottom line... got some accurate hygros (Oregon Scientific) and have been feeling much better about the situation.

JMHO

mac

Mac, it has been salt tested 3x and comes up 3% short each time. There hasn't been anything added recently at all, actually a couple have been subtracted.

 

[IanHummel]

The beads work as an equalizer, soaking up excess humidity and giving off humidity to try and reach that 65% balance. If the beads are too hydrated (clear), it won't have anyway to suck up extra humidity, which is why it's recommended to leave them about 80% hydrated.

I have found that if I keep 1 or 2 shot glasses of water in my coolidor, that keeps my beads at 65%. If it ever climbed any higher, I would remove one. Otherwise, I leave them in there to help maintain things.

If you remove the shot glass and the humidity begins to drop, it could be that the wood in the humidor isn't properly seasoned, you have a seal problem, or perhaps you added new smokes to your stash which always suck up some humidity until it balances back out again.

Sorry for the back to back posts.

It makes me nervous leaving a shotglass full of water in my humidor. I have two dogs that are rambunctous (sp?) and wife that when cleaning things up, tends to move things around (resulting is spilled water everywhere). I guess at this point, should I put two shot glasses in there and remove the beads until it hits around 80%, then put the beads in and let it come down to 65%? At that point, if the humidity drops and continues, it's obvious I have a leak since it was properly seasoned (even though I'm fairly confident that it was the 1st time). Once again, no new smokes have been added.

 

[mr.mac]

My addy? What do you think I am? A sucker? If you want to hit me, you'll have to work for it.

Do you mean your Cheaperhumidors, seasoning issue? Or is there another? I checked that thread and I posted in it. Seems like things are under control, are they not?

Wilkey

Haha, I have tried and there aren't many people that will give you up in these parts.

This was the last response I had from you:
*********************
"Right on. Not only is wood a moisture reservoir, it also passes moisture from one side to the other (in-out or the other way around) so the entire humidor system is always in a state of dynamic equilibrium. If interior humidity is 65%, then the wood will be in the range of 12-14%

So basically, if you keep you humi someplace where the temperature and humidity swings, the beads/PG/wood/cigars will buffer the internal conditions and smooth out fluctuations.

I would think that a few weeks would be more than sufficient for a well sealing humi to season up.

Wilkey
"
*********************
As far as the issue goes, I thought all was resolved, but today I check it and it's back to dropping consistently once again and was around 61% when I checked it today. I'm really confused at this point? I have placed a shot glass in the humi along with the beads. I guess what I'm wondering is how long should I now keep the shot glass and beads in the desktop and how do I know when is the right time to remove the shot glass? Is it ok to keep my smokes in the humi while I'm fixing the atmosphere?

Keeping in mind the fact that your hygro's are salt testing at around 72%... I would expect my humi to read 61-62% with the 65% beads in it. This was my experience as well. The shot glass was actually raising the rh in the humi.... you remove it and it balances back out. Same thing when I was putting the H20 in my humi as well. All along I though it was reading low... then I got accurate hygro and found out that it wasn't.

edited to say... Trust the beads Ian.... trust the beads....

mac

 

[StogieFarts]

It makes me nervous leaving a shotglass full of water in my humidor. I have two dogs that are rambunctous (sp?) and wife that when cleaning things up, tends to move things around (resulting is spilled water everywhere). I guess at this point, should I put two shot glasses in there and remove the beads until it hits around 80%, then put the beads in and let it come down to 65%? At that point, if the humidity drops and continues, it's obvious I have a leak since it was properly seasoned (even though I'm fairly confident that it was the 1st time). Once again, no new smokes have been added.

Well, the shot glass option works for me because I have this big cooler which stores all my cigars, and wife knows better than to touch it, if she knows what's good for her. LOL

But I wouldn't recommend putting an open container of water near your precious sticks if there is a risk if it getting knocked over. So either keep it away from the day-to-day traffic, or put a big, infrared, neon, flashing sign on there which says "Don't Knock Over!"

I wouldn't remove the beads though. I would make sure that 80% of them are hydrated (clear in color, not white) and then put the shot glass in there as well. Make sure the hygrometer is not directly next to the beads or water if possible to avoid a higher humidity reading. If my beads are on one side of the cooler/humidor, I try to put my humidifier on the other side.

The beads should do their job, and the shot glass should help to add extra humidity into the air. I would only remove it if the Rh remains above 70 or 75%. Keep in mind that the reading may climb anytime you rehydrate the beads or add water, but it should always balance out at 65% if those were the beads you purchased. If it doesn't, then make sure that the beads still have a white color and not 100% clear.

 

[IanHummel]

Well I removed the beads two days ago. Today I come home from work and the hygro is now reading 58%. A couple days ago it was 62%. Yesterday it was hovering between 59 and 60 and now were at 58%. I think it's obvious there is a leak. I guess at this point the only thing I can do until I get a better sealing humi is keep the shot glass in the humi......

 

[mr.mac]

Well I removed the beads two days ago. Today I come home from work and the hygro is now reading 58%. A couple days ago it was 62%. Yesterday it was hovering between 59 and 60 and now were at 58%. I think it's obvious there is a leak. I guess at this point the only thing I can do until I get a better sealing humi is keep the shot glass in the humi......

BINGO!

Buy a cooler... you wont regret it...

mac

 

[IanHummel]

Well I removed the beads two days ago. Today I come home from work and the hygro is now reading 58%. A couple days ago it was 62%. Yesterday it was hovering between 59 and 60 and now were at 58%. I think it's obvious there is a leak. I guess at this point the only thing I can do until I get a better sealing humi is keep the shot glass in the humi......

BINGO!

Buy a cooler... you wont regret it...

mac

I went to Home Depot just now and got some weather stripping. I got the 7/32" thick and 1/4" wide. I put it on the area where my humi seals and dropped it down and needless to say, that doesn't work. That area of my humidor doesn't even drop all the way down. I tried pushing the stripping down and what not to no avail. Am I doing this completely wrong or what's the deal? I asked around and couldn't find any of the sailors wax pucks. I searched around and can't seem to find a distinct way to do this successfully.

I just e-mail'ed Dave at Cheaphumidors to see what can be done.... We'll see.

 

[NorCalCigarLover]

Well I removed the beads two days ago. Today I come home from work and the hygro is now reading 58%. A couple days ago it was 62%. Yesterday it was hovering between 59 and 60 and now were at 58%. I think it's obvious there is a leak. I guess at this point the only thing I can do until I get a better sealing humi is keep the shot glass in the humi......

BINGO!

Buy a cooler... you wont regret it...

mac

I went to Home Depot just now and got some weather stripping. I got the 7/32" thick and 1/4" wide. I put it on the area where my humi seals and dropped it down and needless to say, that doesn't work. That area of my humidor doesn't even drop all the way down. I tried pushing the stripping down and what not to no avail. Am I doing this completely wrong or what's the deal? I asked around and couldn't find any of the sailors wax pucks. I searched around and can't seem to find a distinct way to do this successfully.

I just e-mail'ed Dave at Cheaphumidors to see what can be done.... We'll see.

Is the plug at the bottom of the cooler plugged in ....... i know it's obvious but :whistling: , been there done that.

 

[DePasta]

Well I removed the beads two days ago. Today I come home from work and the hygro is now reading 58%. A couple days ago it was 62%. Yesterday it was hovering between 59 and 60 and now were at 58%. I think it's obvious there is a leak. I guess at this point the only thing I can do until I get a better sealing humi is keep the shot glass in the humi......

I don't understand, you have 65% beads, and your Hygro is reading 62% (is that adjusted for the 3% inaccuracy?), that is not a big deal, it some times takes 30 days for a new humi to completely stabilize. Leave the beads in, moisten as necessary but not overmoisten and smoke the cigars instead of worrying so much about them.

-D

 

[mysterea]

Hey bro,

I've got two thoughts here, and I'm no expert, but I experience a similar situation with my desktop (not the cooler)

My desktop is wood, and in the computer room, which can get warm at times. Since that's the case I run an AC.
For awhile I didn't consdier the AC's effect on the wood humi, but after awhile I realized that the wooden humi was 'releasing RH' into the room. Moving the humi into the closet worked great. I'd give that a shot.

Also, it took me alot longer than whatever the recommended time was to get the desktop stable, I tossed some sticks in there a little earlier than I should and had to refresh the beads quite often for a few weeks.

Oh, one last thought, checking the RH on your hygrometer every day is probably releasing quite a bit of RH.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[IanHummel]

Hey bro,

I've got two thoughts here, and I'm no expert, but I experience a similar situation with my desktop (not the cooler)

My desktop is wood, and in the computer room, which can get warm at times. Since that's the case I run an AC.
For awhile I didn't consdier the AC's effect on the wood humi, but after awhile I realized that the wooden humi was 'releasing RH' into the room. Moving the humi into the closet worked great. I'd give that a shot.

Also, it took me alot longer than whatever the recommended time was to get the desktop stable, I tossed some sticks in there a little earlier than I should and had to refresh the beads quite often for a few weeks.

Oh, one last thought, checking the RH on your hygrometer every day is probably releasing quite a bit of RH.

Cheers,
Rob

Alright. I'll move it to the closet and refresh the beads. Mine is also on the desk in the computer room, maybe the location does have something to do with it. It's not that I'm worrying too much, I just have found it odd that the humidity has been continually dropping. I have been opening it more than normal lately due to getting new sticks, sending out sticks, and of course smoking. We'll see how refreshing the beads and moving it does. Thanks for everyones ideas.

 

[lurch]

For some reason this thread reminds me of the Bill Clinton thread......

 

[IanHummel]

Alright. Since I guess some people are objecting to this thread I'll go ahead and end it here.

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[lurch]

whoa whoa whoa.....that wasn't it at all....its just how you go back and forth with humidity woes. BC had the same problem. I was in no way referencing to the manner that BC handled himself in that thread. You have as much right as I do to be worried about your humi. I'm just lucky enough to not have any problems. But you bet your ass if I had any I would go nowhere else but here. So sit back relax and enjoy a hard earned cigar.

 

[IanHummel]

whoa whoa whoa.....that wasn't it at all....its just how you go back and forth with humidity woes. BC had the same problem. I was in no way referencing to the manner that BC handled himself in that thread. You have as much right as I do to be worried about your humi. I'm just lucky enough to not have any problems. But you bet your ass if I had any I would go nowhere else but here. So sit back relax and enjoy a hard earned cigar.

Haha, alright. My humi is sitting in my closet now, we'll see what it's at here in a couple days. If it's still low (it was reading 55% when I put it in there AFTER re-charging the beads) then I need to find some sailors wax (guy at home depot hadn't a clue what I was asking for)....