ShortFatHokie Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 I've done a lot of research/reading over the last couple of weeks. Beads on order, cooler at the ready... Any one have any quick advice / wishes of luck / prayers to offer before getting started???
ShortFatHokie Posted June 9, 2014 Author Posted June 9, 2014 Crap! Just noticed the "humidor tutorial" forum...can someone move this post please! Thank you and sorry for my ignorance!
Vortigan Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 1- Open cooler 2-Place cigars,beads and hygrometer inside 3-Enjoy! Well that's how I do it anyway and it does the job just fine :-) Good luck! 3
BBS Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 1- Open cooler 2-Place cigars,beads and hygrometer inside 3-Enjoy! Well that's how I do it anyway and it does the job just fine :-) Good luck! Correct.....!!! Only other step I've done in the past is to remove some of the plastic stink (no required, sometimes nice). I rinse the cooler with the hottest water I can get from the sink, the set the open cooler out in the sun for a day or two. Goal here is to let the plastic get warm and outgas a little. Honestly I've done it and not done it, seems to make little difference. One thing I would NOT do is use some chlorine bleach in the cooler as some would suggest. Chlorine is a tenacious chemical in many ways. Don't want it anywhere near food or cigars, IMHO. 2
anjimj Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 I use baking soda or odorless soap and rinse the cooler really good. set in hot sun for a day to let it try. should work out great for you. 1
GernBlansten Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 Correct.....!!! Only other step I've done in the past is to remove some of the plastic stink (no required, sometimes nice). I rinse the cooler with the hottest water I can get from the sink, the set the open cooler out in the sun for a day or two. Goal here is to let the plastic get warm and outgas a little. Honestly I've done it and not done it, seems to make little difference. One thing I would NOT do is use some chlorine bleach in the cooler as some would suggest. Chlorine is a tenacious chemical in many ways. Don't want it anywhere near food or cigars, IMHO. ^^^^ THIS! Followed Tom's advice when setting up my cooler and after there was/is no plastic smell. After that the coolidor is super easy! Good luck and enjoy!
Guyman1966 Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 My cooler had a strong chemical smell. Washing did little to nothing. Purchase charcoal bricks for BBQ. Make sure you use the regular and not the instant light, match light or treated bricks. The charcoal did the job in 3 days. 1
nick87night Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 i also found some 1/4" pieces of spanish cedar and velcro-ed it to the sides of the cooler. you can also use empty boxes for the same effect but the spanish cedar walls makes the inside look a little nicer and it'll keep rh a little better when you're searching through the box for a long lost stick haha.
ImTripN2 Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 I made some simple shelves / trays out of 1'' Spanish Cedar by ripping 3/16'' thick strips and using a hot glue gun to put them together. Perfect for singles or as a divider for the boxes. Once they get seasoned they also work well to keep the RH stable.
Blippio Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 I triple the "leaving it out in the sun" technique for off gassing/odor elimination. As far as a seal for the lid to the base of the cooler (if you feel you need it), I've found the best solution and its cheap: Dennis Ribbed Profile EPDM self-adhesive weatherstripping. You can find it at Menard's for around $6- I lightly sanded the top edge of the cooler bottom to give the plastic a little "tooth", then wiped down with alcohol to clean before applying the rubber strip. Works like a charm and it is also white--it looks clean and matches the color of the cooler interior. You can also rip the rubber in half lengthwise (that's what I did) to perfectly fit this top edge. Works like a charm... humidity is rock solid. 1
bigharpoon Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 I second the weather-stripping seal modification. After I did that my coolers became solid as a rock!
jvel79 Posted June 10, 2014 Posted June 10, 2014 X2.Thanks to his advice everything worked like a charm.
Laxman Posted June 14, 2014 Posted June 14, 2014 Been thinking about a cooler as it is easy and cheap. My problem is I live in south Florida and it's is hot as heck this time of year. Not sure if having on temp control would work done here.
perkinke Posted June 15, 2014 Posted June 15, 2014 I just switched from a cooler to a wineador, but one of the things I found helpful was to use wire dishracks as shelving, that way when I wanted something from the bottom I could lift out an entire section, rather than one box at a time. 2
Firebender Posted June 15, 2014 Posted June 15, 2014 Coolers are inexpensive and great for holding RH steady. But it's bulky and most has no lock. Plus there's something about wood humidors. I have several coolers in shed, and currently using footlocker humidors instead..
Guyman1966 Posted June 15, 2014 Posted June 15, 2014 Been thinking about a cooler as it is easy and cheap. My problem is I live in south Florida and it's is hot as heck this time of year. Not sure if having on temp control would work done here. Like you, living in So FLA can be hot for cigars. I Fridge/Freeze/Fridge before storing in my cooler. PH is rock solid. During the day when we are not home, my house temp rises to 79 degrees and cools down to 74 at night. No problems so far.
Foz Posted June 15, 2014 Posted June 15, 2014 I did give beads a go in my cooler and I wasn't too unhappy with them, they did their job to a degree. I have a great 60L cooler which has, built into the lid, foam sealant so that when it clips locked it is airtight. I grabbed 12 65% Bovedas - 6 of which I put in various positions throughout the cooler, the other 6 I kept wrapped in their plastic. The Bovedas last pretty much 12 months in this environment, plus, the hygro's haven't moved from 65%. When these Bovedas start to lose their squishyness, I'll recharge them and put the other (as yet unopened) 6 in for the next 12 months. Recharged Bovedas, in my experience, can be kept perfectly in a sealed plastic container til they are again required. I just like how long I can set and forget Bovedas and they really are stable at keeping their stated RH. I guess for the size of my stash and cooler, the system works perfectly for me....However, they present an alternative to beads (not that I have anything against beads ).... if you want to try something different.
Pedro2486 Posted June 15, 2014 Posted June 15, 2014 I did give beads a go in my cooler and I wasn't too unhappy with them, they did their job to a degree. I have a great 60L cooler which has, built into the lid, foam sealant so that when it clips locked it is airtight. I grabbed 12 65% Bovedas - 6 of which I put in various positions throughout the cooler, the other 6 I kept wrapped in their plastic. The Bovedas last pretty much 12 months in this environment, plus, the hygro's haven't moved from 65%. When these Bovedas start to lose their squishyness, I'll recharge them and put the other (as yet unopened) 6 in for the next 12 months. Recharged Bovedas, in my experience, can be kept perfectly in a sealed plastic container til they are again required. I just like how long I can set and forget Bovedas and they really are stable at keeping their stated RH. I guess for the size of my stash and cooler, the system works perfectly for me....However, they present an alternative to beads (not that I have anything against beads ).... if you want to try something different. +1 on the bovedas man. Somehow I've ended up with several hundred more cigars than my humi can take, no idea how that happened I've set up a few large containers with decent seals and have 4-5 bovedas in each. Humidity is rock solid 1
ShortFatHokie Posted June 24, 2014 Author Posted June 24, 2014 Coolidor is up and running at a steady 65-66% humidity (Heartfelt 65% beads) and temp ranging from 68*-70*F. Time to fill her up! Have already received a couple of boxes from El Pres...HdM Epicure No. 2 and SLR Regios. Still awaiting boxes of Montecristo No. 4, SCdLH El Principes, Bolivar PC, and Cohiba Siglo II. As you can tell, I'm a fan of the shorter smokes...its often hard for me to find more than an hour or so to kick back and enjoy a cigar. Although, I will likely add some longer sticks for those "special" occasions when I have a little longer...but for now, I'm pretty happy with what I've got to look forward to. 2
rtrimbath Posted August 10, 2014 Posted August 10, 2014 I stood the cooler up on its end so the lid opens like a door. I then bought some wire closet shelving and cut to fit with bolt cutters to slide in the grooves on the cooler walls. It's a cheap and easy way to make your coolidor more accessible.
Laxman Posted August 10, 2014 Posted August 10, 2014 I use baking soda or odorless soap and rinse the cooler really good. set in hot sun for a day to let it try. should work out great for you.THIS
Ramrod918 Posted August 10, 2014 Posted August 10, 2014 Great info here, I used hot water to clean and left it open for a few days and used some rubber tape to increase the seal!
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