dpodiluk Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I was wasting time today reading reddit and came across a post http://www.reddit.co...bably_close_to/ saying he lost all the cigars in cooler because of mold due to his beads "stop working". Anyone had a similar experience? Stuff like this freaks me out because my cooler has a lot more than $1000 worth of cigars in it. I do have HF beads and its about %65 in there all the time and the temp this summer hovers around 21C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanislaw Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Sadly I have been struggling with my wineador all summer as it is prone to fluctuations based on whatever the temperature in the room might be... For instance, when NYC had its little heat wave a few weeks ago the temp inside the fridge couldn't get below 68 and the top shelf was reading 73 degrees and 56% humidity so unfortunately the "set it and forget it" methodology behind the wineador and humidity beads is false, I am checking the thing daily and inspecting a box or two every few weeks..... It's tough to not over saturate your beads accidentally when you see that the numbers are low.... Between this and my postman leaving my boxes in 90+ degrees mail slots I've got cigar apocalypse on the brain..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikesupremedunk Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Sadly I have been struggling with my wineador all summer as it is prone to fluctuations based on whatever the temperature in the room might be... For instance, when NYC had its little heat wave a few weeks ago the temp inside the fridge couldn't get below 68 and the top shelf was reading 73 degrees and 56% humidity so unfortunately the "set it and forget it" methodology behind the wineador and humidity beads is false, I am checking the thing daily and inspecting a box or two every few weeks..... It's tough to not over saturate your beads accidentally when you see that the numbers are low.... Between this and my postman leaving my boxes in 90+ degrees mail slots I've got cigar apocalypse on the brain..... I see you're in NYC and I feel your pain as I went through the exact same BS last summer. Running a wine cooler when the ambient temp is 20+ degrees higher than what you want it at will never happen. The fan will be constantly on, which will cause a false reading on the hygro (that's why you were seeing 56%). If you try to raise the RH thinking it's too low, it will cause massive overhumidification. Since I got rid of my stupid "wineador", I've learned that temperature doesn't mean squat in storing cigars as long as they're frozen. I store my cigars in an air tight tupperdor with 65% RH beads and they smoke beautifully. Yes, it hovers around high 80's in the summer and 60's in the winter but my RH is always around 63-66% and that's what really matters. I check on my stock a few times a week, and don't see any beetles or mold growth and they're aging very nicely. As to answer OP's question, I only had my beads for a year so can't say they "stopped working". But they're silica gels, not a german car...I can't see them just "stop working" one day. When I was researching the best method for storing cigars, I've read people that had them for years and never had a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanislaw Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Thanks for the response, words of wisdom come in handy for someone like me who's still learning.... Dpodiluk, what type of beads do you use? Which brand? I've tried cigar science and heartfelt and both seemed okay but really "recharging" beads is where I seem to get most nervous..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squali Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Any thoughts (pros-cons) on the Boveda packs ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kruz Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Is it just me or do those pictures seem odd? I've never had mold before but I would think checking your collections at least once a week would catch something like this before it was full blown like in the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blakes Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Yes, it hovers around high 80's in the summer and 60's in the winter but my RH is always around 63-66% and that's what really matters. Did you not find when the temp was in the 80's the cigars where over humidified? I certainly did, usually living in England I don't have to switch my wineador on, since the temps never get high enough to warrant it. Saying that we did have a heat wave this summer.. and I noticed the temp getting in and above the 80's the humidity was still 62-65% but the cigar where way too humidified, to the point they wouldn't smoke. So I switched on the wineador to 16'C/60'F and within a few days all was well again. Its important to remember that the humidity is relative to the temp, and 65RH at 60'F is not the same a 65RH at 80'F. At 80 its a whole lot wetter. I know I'll remember next year! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpodiluk Posted August 8, 2013 Author Share Posted August 8, 2013 Thanks for the response, words of wisdom come in handy for someone like me who's still learning.... Dpodiluk, what type of beads do you use? Which brand? I've tried cigar science and heartfelt and both seemed okay but really "recharging" beads is where I seem to get most nervous..... I use hartfelt beads 65% about 2lb's of it. I believe it way more then needed for my 150qt cooler. I think the guy on reddit watered his before he left them for a couple weeks. My guess is this was too much humidity for his cooler. I've had my beads for about 6 months now. I've never watered them beyond the initial watering to charge them. I've put weather stripping on the underside of the lid and I believe I have a pretty air tight seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckymtn22 Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I have had the same beads (65% ones) for 4 years not a problem with my 48qt coolers. I just give them a couple squirts of distilled water from a spray bottle once in a while, keeps at 63-65% day after day. The coolers are in the basement so that help keep a constant temperature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugman78629 Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 " Cigar Oasis XL Plus " with an extra fan; works wonders for my humi. Outstanding auto regulated Temp/Humidity Control. I highly recommend these electronic humidifier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seamus Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 He said the beads were 7 years old. I've had a similar issue with old beads thought I caught the failure way before anything like this happening. Figure they are safe to 5 years but that just my personal experience. I used distilled water, sprayed on every time I recharged. I've gone through long periods of not smoking but always keep on eye on things. Seems this could have been avoided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpodiluk Posted August 8, 2013 Author Share Posted August 8, 2013 Never thought beads would go bad, something to think about in a couple years time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar300 Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I have heard of beads stopping working, and it is a shame this guy lost alot of sticks but............they didnt all look that far gone that a good wipe down and a half inch of the end wouldnt have saved them. Personal choice I know but chucking the lot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danston Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Did you not find when the temp was in the 80's the cigars where over humidified? I certainly did, usually living in England I don't have to switch my wineador on, since the temps never get high enough to warrant it. Saying that we did have a heat wave this summer.. and I noticed the temp getting in and above the 80's the humidity was still 62-65% but the cigar where way too humidified, to the point they wouldn't smoke. So I switched on the wineador to 16'C/80'F and within a few days all was well again. Its important to remember that the humidity is relative to the temp, and 65RH at 60'F is not the same a 65RH at 80'F. At 80 its a whole lot wetter. I know I'll remember next year! LOL If you dont mind me asking Blakes where did you get your wineador? PM me if you prefer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taps86 Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I live in south carolina and have 2 wineador set ups. I have 5lbs of beads in both of mine. I run mine non stop at 65. My humidity and temp is a constant 65/65. We have very Hot & Humid summers. I have never had a problem with my wineadors. Is the wineadors in question above Thermoelectric? I wrote this up and posted this on another part of this site. Units It is best to purchase a Thermoelectric System. NewAir is just one of the many models you can purchase. You can find scratch & dent models on AirNWater regularly. Other models include Edgestar & Vinotemp http://www.air-n-wat...uct/aw-280e.htm Coupon code-RETME10 for 10% off. Trays/Drawers Forrest is one of a few people that will make trays/drawers for your unit. Another is Chasidor. Forrest is the most reliable. Trays (Forrest makes 3 standard trays) http://www.amazon.co...s=Wineadors.com Tray Sizes 8" X 13" X 2" 10" X 13" X 2" 12" X 13" X 2" These come in 8-10 DAYS Drawers(complete set up) http://www.wineadors.com/ http://www.chasidorhumidors.com Both are now at a 2-3 month wait. The full set up with drawers is nice, but for half the cost and less time the trays are just as nice. They are created with the same exact material as well. You can also get the cheap small trays from Cheap Humidor. However these are small and leave you with over 5 inches of room. That extra 5 inches can get you 50-60 more cigars per tray.(12.5 x 7.5 x 2.25) Cheap Tray Set Up(CheapHumidor.com) http://imagestore.pu...p_3348390_0.jpg http://imagestore.pu...p_3355313_2.jpg Beads RoasterDude (He is a member at Cigarbid. Just shoot him a message. He sells or trades 65% beads.) If you can get RoasterDude to seam the beads for you already, it is most certainly worth the price. TUBES are worthless in my mind. Every time you move the Heartfelt TUBEs, bead residue gets everywhere.(If your just going to place it and never touch it, then this will work for you) The 2 trays are nice, but some of the beads started to crack after just 1 spray. Overall I learned my lesson. Maintenance Depending where you live, I keep both of mine running at all times at 65 and have no problem with Humidity. I have 5lbs of beads and show very little loss when opening and closing the door. Basically there is very low maintenance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taps86 Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I also do not plug any of my holes. I never once have had any problem with condensation. A lot of people who plug the hole have run into these problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blakes Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 I also do not plug any of my holes. I never once have had any problem with condensation. A lot of people who plug the hole have run into these problems. x2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finecigar Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Ouch. Those are some horrifying photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion21 Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Some of the wine coolers you can buy have crap builds. Also, if you leave them in hot areas a thermoelectric is not that efficient. Having said that what's important with a wineador is the door seal and internal air movement. I have 1lb of beads in my 20 bottle winecooler and most of the time the beads are dry. However, my Rh% stays pretty constant at 62%-65%. If your storage is sealed properly and you don't constantly open it to look at your stash, or grab one out of a box to smoke, you should rarely need to recharge your beads. It's my opinion that anyone who enjoys cigars, and hordes more than they smoke, should have at least two storage options. One is long term and the second is a "smoke now" desktop type humidor. Leave you boxes alone in your wineador and you won't have all of these fluctuations, unelss you just have a bad unit. In that case get a better unit . P.S. I own a Haier thermoelectric unit and have had zero issues from day one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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