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Is there a wine cooler

The Vinotemps are the exception to that book I typed above. They are actually designed to moderate humidity, but, they are more expensive. The comparable Vino to the Haier I bought was about 2 and a half times more expensive.

If I was goingto spend that much I'd have bought a temp controlled cabinet.
 
I got mine for $199 at Target; the Spanish Cedar from Internetlumber.com I think for around $45 (and still have a little left over) and the beads I purchased from Viper. All in maybe a bit over $300.... totally worth it as it is holding perfect conditions for the 22 boxes I have cramed in (like a jigsaw puzzle). Considering the $ of the custom made ones, can't beat it.

-Frank
 
Big Frankie said:
I got mine for $199 at Target; the Spanish Cedar from Internetlumber.com I think for around $45 (and still have a little left over) and the beads I purchased from Viper. All in maybe a bit over $300.... totally worth it as it is holding perfect conditions for the 22 boxes I have cramed in (like a jigsaw puzzle). Considering the $ of the custom made ones, can't beat it.

-Frank
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Your Vinotemp? Or Haier or what?

Also, what temp conditions do you live in?
 
Vinotemp. I live in northern NJ. In the summer there are days when it reaches 80 or so inside.

-Frank
 
I have to admit my thermoelectric cooled wine cooler I don't touch but maybe once a month or so and I have no problems with it at all! I wish the 2nd one was the same?

But it looks like I have that one under control now thanks to the threads from CP :thumbs: and some help from Brickhouse!
 
I live in Southern Georgia, and in the summer try to save on electricity by keeping my AC around 80 or 85 in the day while I'm gone. So this plays serious havoc on my cigars. I bought the 28-bottle VinoTemp ($200 at target) and was EXTREMELY happy. It's thermo electric so the humidity swings are MUCH less.

I put gel cups that produce moisture up to 70% humidity, and keep 60% beads (dry) in the humi. With those two working together my humidity hasn't strayed more than 3 degrees off 65% in over a year, no matter what time of the year it is.
 
Yah I just started looking at little vinotemps, figure they'll prolly be the best route, do it right the first time, ya know? Do some spansh cedar lining or veneering and make some shelves or drawers. That'll help buffer it too.
 
My Urbina that I got from Overstock has given me no problems whatsoever. wiped it down, plugged it in, added beads, and I have done nothing since.
B
 
gunsandcigars88 said:
My Urbina that I got from Overstock has given me no problems whatsoever. wiped it down, plugged it in, added beads, and I have done nothing since.
B
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Same here! Well actually, I did add a fan in each of mine yesterday just to move the air around a little more. I might post some pictures today if I can get around to it. :)
 
My Urbina already has a fan in it, and I have the whole cooler on a timer that keeps the right temp and a consistent RH throughout.
B
 
Here's a quick shot of mine I took today. The only thing I've done extra is added a fan in the bottom to push the air up and keep it moving, just added them yesterday. The fan already in the fridge blows more than enough air around in the back, behind the boxes, however I wanted to try and get a circulation going pushing air up in front as well. Also will help keep air moving when I've got these things unplugged. Both fans can work on either battery or outlet. Got them both wired to a DC converter and the fans run constantly on very low speed. It's cool enough in the house not to have the units plugged in right now, however I have had them both running for several days in a row before and the temps stay mid 60's constant. My RH stays between 65 - 70%. I've thought about putting different shelving in due to the curves in the wire to hold bottles (is a bit aggrevating). However, I'd rather spend money on smokes right now. :D Thinking I might just bend the racks in there straight. ???

Can't beat it for right at $200 for two 28 btl wine-a-dors, 2 lbs beads, and two fans w/converter.

03-30-08Imported154.jpg


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:thumbs:

I can echo what everyone has said on the Vinotemp. I bought mine for $199 from Target,fully lined in SC with singles trays, fans on a timer, 1.5lbs of beads and condensation routed into the beads, total cost a touch over $300. I have a complete start to finish build thread back a few pages.

I live in Jax FL so it is hot and EFFing sticky most of the year and mine is rock solid and completely self propelled. With the condensation running right back into the beads it is perpetually refreshing the moisture, steady at 65F/ 64%-65% I have not added water in five months now since re routing the condensation and I would say the beads are always about 50-60% wet.

Definitely the way to go if you want to save about $1700 on a cooled box. I just picked up a used Avallo 1200 and have the cooled rig for my Island goods.
 
I have a 122 bottle Haier unit (condenser type) I have 2 lbs. of 70% beads in it, and and a Hydra w/3 fans. I have it on a timer that goes on for 1 hour and off for 2. When the unit kicks on the RH drops to 55-58% for about 5 minutes and then climbs up to 65-68%. When the unit turns off the RH climbs to 70-72%. I realize that there are a ton of guys (and girls) on here that will tell me that they don't like the fluctuation, but I can only go by the cigars themselves. They have been smoking great and I've noticed no problems at all. I keep the unit on its warmest setting (60 degrees) and when the unit turns off it has never gotten warmer than 69 degrees. The Haier must have an incredible seal. Overall I'm thrilled with the set up and would recommend it highly. Just my 2 cents.
 
Flyfish has given some great info on this thread but I do have to disagree with this statement: " You only have to keep it below 75" That is I'm sorry to say wrong. Beetles will hatch even at 72 degrees. You need to keep the unit below 70 degrees and the perfect temps are 65-67.

I have the big Vinotemp and keep it at 65-67. I keep my house here in Florida at 78 degrees in the summer. I go through about 1.5 gallons of distilled water every 10-14 days. My Vinotemp is a pig for water. I keep my humidity at 60-62 percent and sometimes let it go down as low as 52 percent. The wood and the boxes in my Vino have soaked up enough humidity over the last almost 8 years that even at 52 for a few weeks, the cigars stay supple and never dry out.
 
Well, if there is one person here with whom I am not going to argue a point like this, it is the Master.


To clarify my statement on that, I was thinking it would be very very hard to get down to 65-67 in an environment where it is as dry as the lunar surface and 90 degrees inside the apartment. To keep under 70 in that environment could create a great condensation problem. He has said he's looking at a Vinotemp which should help alleviate that.
 
I agree that getting into the high 60's might be a problem if the apartment is at 90. If he cannot get into the high 60's then he needs to put the ac on in the apt. and get it into the mid 80's or what ever it takes to get the humi into the high 60's.
 
Kingantz said:
Can't beat it for right at $200 for two 28 btl wine-a-dors, 2 lbs beads, and two fans w/converter.
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I like those, they look pretty sharp. Seems almost too good to be true! I have a question for you though...

Forgive me if this is a thread hijack but I think I'm in a similar situation as Doc. I'm starting to worry about the warmer weather coming up here in Philly and whether or not I'll be able to keep my humi below 70 through the summer. I've searched through threads like this one to see if there's a fairly low cost/maintenance solution on something that will regulate the temp for me. Your Urbinas seem perfect.

My problem is that the rate that I smoke, maybe 3 or so a week, I haven't been keeping more than 50 or so sticks in my humi at any given time. If I were to go with a unit like yours I'd have the equivalent of only a couple boxes worth in this big unit. Would it still work just as good with far fewer cigars in it until I was able to fill it up over time? What do you do for your singles? I thought I saw a box in there for those... not sure though.

I'd probably start to purchase boxes since I'd have the room to do so... but do you think it would work to literally put my entire 100 ct. humidor in there? Or maybe put my sticks in ziplocks in the Urbina?

The only solution I've seen that would work with my existing humi is to use an ice pack to keep it cool when it gets hot in the house... but I can see that getting really annoying real fast! It might be time to bite the bullet and upgrade to a cabinet like this...
 
Have you thought of a coolerdor? I'd thinkif kept in a shaded spot it'd stay relatively cool.

But as far as the wineodor goes, I suppose you could put the entire humi in there, or you could put in empty cigar boxes to be a buffer, and only have 1 or 2 full of cigars. Have you seen the little unitthat Emerson makes? A member on here recently made one inside of it, due to a smaller collection of cigars. Perhaps this would be a good option for you? Cheap too.

http://www.target.com/Emerson-8-Bottle-Win...oler&page=1

Give it some spanish cedar veneering, you'd be good to go!
 
Dr. Marneaus said:
Have you thought of a coolerdor? I'd thinkif kept in a shaded spot it'd stay relatively cool.

But as far as the wineodor goes, I suppose you could put the entire humi in there, or you could put in empty cigar boxes to be a buffer, and only have 1 or 2 full of cigars. Have you seen the little unitthat Emerson makes? A member on here recently made one inside of it, due to a smaller collection of cigars. Perhaps this would be a good option for you? Cheap too.

http://www.target.com/Emerson-8-Bottle-Win...oler&page=1

Give it some spanish cedar veneering, you'd be good to go!
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Maybe so... I saw some of those when I was out. I thought about the price.. and thought about the amount of time that would go by until I realized I needed something bigger! Then I'd end up going with a bigger one down the road anyway. I set up the Vinotemp 28 in my office at home... and looking at it it's actually much smaller than it looks in the pics I've seen on here. My humidor barely makes it in there width-wise. Heh I foresee it lasting a couple months before I'm ordering a few cedar trays and about 2 lbs. in beads lol. And that gives me the ability to purchase any deals on boxes that might come up. The 08 Pepin Lanceros I would have loved to take a box of, but I have no place to store it, for example.

For the money and the extra room I think this Vinotemp is the way to go. Oh also just as a side note.. I searched a bunch of places for the Urbina.... and Overstock and most places were out of them. I checked with Target which is across the street from my work and they had 3 Vinotemps in stock so I just moved on that, it was easier for me.
 
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