need humidity help

[cckandb24]

I live in Indiana and right now it starting to turn to fall weather and really cooling down. Recently upgraded to 40 qt. coolidor. It is about 3/4 full and keep in climate control room out of the sun or away from any vents. I have it packed with 1/4% spanish cedar around the sides and bottom. Last week the humidity jumped up to 75%. Im using the cigar mechanic 70% beads. so a few day ago i took the beads out completely and checked it today and its at 73% with no beads.I salt tested hygro and its dead on. I ordered the 60% beads from cigaramony yesterday but not sure if that will help if its high without anything. It has been raining a crapload here lately, not sure if that has an affect. please help

[rckymtn22]

What is the RH% outside of the coolidor. You might have been a bit impatient as it looks like the humidity is coming down. I would leave the beads out for a week and see what happens. hopefully the RH% comes down and get the some lower humidity beads

[Fuzz]

The external RH will definitely have an affect if your coolidor is not completely sealed. If, as you say, it has been raining a crapload, then the external RH will be very high.

How long has your stock been in the coolidor? If it is a recent relocation to the coolidor, what were the previous storage conditions like? Dropping the RH can take a while, especially if the surrounding humidity is high.

[cckandb24]

they have been in the coolidor for about 2 weeks, moved from 2 200 count humi that stayed right at 68%. The lid on the cooler is super tight so I cant imagine the outside air is getting in. but what do I know

[Fuzz]

Not meaning to question the integrity of your seal, but is the cooler's drainage plug secure?

One thing I have found that can give you weird RH reading is overchecking. If the exterior RH is high and you are constantly opening the coolidor to check the RH, you can be inadvertently letting in excess humidity.

[CanuckSARTech]

they have been in the coolidor for about 2 weeks, moved from 2 200 count humi that stayed right at 68%. The lid on the cooler is super tight so I cant imagine the outside air is getting in. but what do I know

Sometimes this is misleading.

With a lot of these newer Coleman / Thermos / Esky coolers, they don't have the old rubber-seal and snap-down-latch system for locking the lids into place. These new ones have plastic molded lids, and there's a little "nub" on the front center of the lid that friction locks into the inside edge of the body of the cooler, to snap the lid in place and secure it. However, even though this friction lock nub may make the lid closure very tight and well locking, the actual air-tightness of the lid may not be as well fitting.

An easy trick is to close the lid on your cooler, and then take a simple piece of paper. Try to insert the paper in the small gap space between the lid and the cooler body, in that little opening area, and move the piece of paper around. If the paper moves in and out, and side to side, freely, then there isn't a good seal there between the lid and the body of the cooler. You'll know what you're looking for once you start moving the paper around - you'll find the paper will get snugged up and caught, if you do indeed have a good seal.

I always check this on any coolerdor setups for myself or buddies.

If you don't have a good seal, then just find the smallest, thinest, draft-sealer open-cell foam tape that you can get at a Home Depot or similar store. You then just do a line of this foam tape along the inside lip of the cooler lid, to form an air-tight gasket to fill in the open space.

[Colt45]

Add your new beads (and plenty of them), but do not add any water to them at first, and then only slightly as necessary.