Thinking of giving up.......

[dodger29]

Hi All,

I know patience must be exercised when embarking upon a Wineador project, however after some time trying to unsuccessfully stabilise the internal humidity in my 28btl TE wine cooler, I have decided to give up humidifying the internal space and storing my stock in air tight tupperware containers with 65% HF bead tubes in each and using the cooler for temperature control only (19degC) 

Humidity swings I was getting were between 59rh and 68rh, with the TE coming on every 10mins or so for 2/3mins. External temperature control installed with set point at 19degC and d=1degC

Setup Stats:

Cooler: Dome 28bottle TE Wine Cooler

Ambient room temp: 24-26degC

HF beads: 65%, 2lbs

Air circulation fan installed (12v 80mm) with timer relay: 30secs on, 300 secs off (blue LED's looked cool )

Not the end of the world if I go the individual tupperware route, but would have been nice to use the windeador as I had intended for box and singles storage.

Anyone with any comments/thoughts?

Thanks!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PigFish]

Did you watch the video Roger?

There is a whole lot that can be done with one of these if you have the tenacity and the parts. I have been doing this for 10 years now and I learn something new everyday.

First mate understand that there is no perfect humidor! Even mine are not perfect. We all settle.

Ultimately you have to ask yourself if your humidor is affecting your smoking experience. If the answer is no, what you have is good enough!

As far as food for thought, I think you are best sealing your cigars, controlling your temperature nominally and using Bovida or a desiccant if you can manage to keep the desiccant in line. Bovidas are great for limited temperature swing environments. Ultimately, that is what you will have if you can manage to keep your temp swings to a minimum.

Making one of these work is not just about spending a pile of money, but factually, unless you can build all your own appliances and controls you will be on the hook for the parts, and the mistakes, at least. No good humidor is free, even if you build it yourself. Not unless you live in a 70F/60rH environment all year long.

Engineering is a big part of this, it not just about parts and controls. What you saw in the video, other than my homely mug, is a decade worth of research, innovation and testing. None of that came free to me! I have been where you are at least a 100 times!

I am currently working on both generation 11 and 12 humidors!

With all my experience, I am convinced that an active cooler with passive humidification, does not work. But I am not the final arbiter in this discussion, you are. It works if you say it works... If it keeps your cigars in a state that you enjoy don't kill yourself over the details of its working. We all settle!!! Sealing your cigars in Tupperware and controlling the humidity separately is a form of settlement. You can do that now and still work on the refinements of the macro system if you are still interested. Short-term solution are still solutions. Get the cigars taken care of, get your head out of if for awhile, and if you still have the urge to work more on automation start on it again!

Best of luck on your projects. -Ray

[dodger29]

28 minutes ago, PigFish said:

Did you watch the video Roger?

There is a whole lot that can be done with one of these if you have the tenacity and the parts. I have been doing this for 10 years now and I learn something new everyday.

First mate understand that there is no perfect humidor! Even mine are not perfect. We all settle.

Ultimately you have to ask yourself if your humidor is affecting your smoking experience. If the answer is no, what you have is good enough!

As far as food for thought, I think you are best sealing your cigars, controlling your temperature nominally and using Bovida or a desiccant if you can manage to keep the desiccant in line. Bovidas are great for limited temperature swing environments. Ultimately, that is what you will have if you can manage to keep your temp swings to a minimum.

Making one of these work is not just about spending a pile of money, but factually, unless you can build all your own appliances and controls you will be on the hook for the parts, and the mistakes, at least. No good humidor is free, even if you build it yourself. Not unless you live in a 70F/60rH environment all year long.

Engineering is a big part of this, it not just about parts and controls. What you saw in the video, other than my homely mug, is a decade worth of research, innovation and testing. None of that came free to me! I have been where you are at least a 100 times!

I am currently working on both generation 11 and 12 humidors!

With all my experience, I am convinced that an active cooler with passive humidification, does not work. But I am not the final arbiter in this discussion, you are. It works if you say it works... If it keeps your cigars in a state that you enjoy don't kill yourself over the details of its working. We all settle!!! Sealing your cigars in Tupperware and controlling the humidity separately is a form of settlement. You can do that now and still work on the refinements of the macro system if you are still interested. Short-term solution are still solutions. Get the cigars taken care of, get your head out of if for awhile, and if you still have the urge to work more on automation start on it again!

Best of luck on your projects. -Ray

Hi Ray,

Great to read your response. Thanks.

My wife was a bit worried watching me sit in front of the cooler endlessly watching the the hygros go up and down!

You are right, I need to step back, look after my cigars first and continue with the project over time.

Voice of reason!

Thanks mate,

Roger

PS I didn't watch the video. I didn't want to bother you again, but the link you kindly sent me does not work

 

Edited May 27, 2016 by dodger29
missed information

[dodger29]

PS I didn't watch the video. I didn't want to bother you again, but the SECOND link you kindly sent me does not work

[PigFish]

Let me see what I can do about that. I will load the video to my Dropbox and send you a link!

Your wife would think I am crazy... Mine does! I have stared about my humidors doing their thing for countless hours. There is a difference between data logging alone and correlating what it is doing while you watch the humidor work. Many of my customers are mesmerized by their humidor for at least a number of months. Frankly, if I did not find their action totally cool, I could not do what I do. There has to be at least a little something wrong with a guy that is obsessed with a precision humidor. What can I say... It is where my cigar passion has taken me.

I am glad that you are not quitting verses just a bit discouraged. Man, I have been there! Trust me!

Let me work on the video...

Cheers! -Ray

[PigFish]

Sent a link to my dropbox to your email. Let me know what happens. The video is a pretty big file. I am no videographer!

-R

[dinoeggs]

Currently don't have the time to modify my wineador so I have been rocking the tupperware option inside. I have a 65 boveda pack inside along with a temp/humidity logger inside and I am ok with the humidity and temp control. Live in an old house with no central AC so I need the wineador - otherwise the temps go up to 86 F(eventually higher now that it is getting warmer). The tupperwear container probably only contains about 70 Cigars so this option seems to work fine for now. 

[CigarSeeker]

Give up? No no no... I know its a pain and I been through it .. I was experiencing the same thing and still sort of.

My current humidity fluctuates around 62-66. It's where I want it so I stopped trying to fix something that isn't broke. I have 3 sensors and sometime they all read the same exact and sometimes they are off by 1-3%. No biggie for me. 

Piggy's help and knowledge is endless but his language is too advance for my brain. However, he did gave me an advice that fixed my issues and maybe it'll help you, it's called air circulation. If there is a shelf or a drawer in the center blocking the TE fan, remove it. See if that makes a difference.  It did for me.