First Coolador Project Complete

[Mattb82]

First Coolador Complete!! I appreciate all of the feedback I received

The cooler is any ICEY Tek that I spent way to much money on but it has a ridiculous seal with gasket and 3 inches of insulation. When I filled it with hot water the others night to soak 12 hours later in the morning it was still piping hot 

Put a couple cedar trays and cedar box liners in the bottom. Propped the xikar fan(overkill and unnecessary) in there on some boxes

Mounted the boeveda cedar holders for the packs on two sides as well as the top and then put some in the bottom as well for a total of 10 large 60 gram packs. 

I'm 100% certain I was nowhere near as economical as I could have been but I feel like I just built something that will perform really really well. Initially loaded it up with the 65% RH and the temp will stay from 66-70 degrees based on the time of year so I may move it down to 62% but I wanted to get things moving a little with the new boxes I just got and put in there today. This is a long term aging storage unit so when I'm ready to smoke I'll move 10-12 sticks at a time to the desktop I keep at 60. Notice my mancave has been invaded by baby dolls and toys, all I have left in there now is a little closet of my own to put this in . 

[Bohn007]

You really put some work into this. I almost feel like I didn't do enough. For my "backup" coolador, I just bought a 110qt Igloo, washed it out and threw in a pound of Heartfelt Beads at 65%rh. I figure I will rotate the boxes once a month just to help equalize the environment but the fan is a nice idea. 

[Saxman]

Just about to set my one of these up next week 120QT. Thanks for the pictures

[TheFullMontecristo]

I started with one cooler years ago, now I have 4 and everyone is stuffed full. lol

[Bohn007]

1 hour ago, TheFullMontecristo said:

I started with one cooler years ago, now I have 4 and everyone is stuffed full. lol

Already had an 11 cubic foot cabinet. Just bought the 110 quart coolador and last night ordered two 60 quart cooladors. I might separate the boxes by vintage and label the containers accordingly. Any more and there will be guys in white lab coats waiting outside

[PigFish]

I have but one thing to say... It is never too early to introduce a youngster to proper cigar storage! Bravo!

You might want to reshoot your picture however, some bleeding heart might have one of those social service groups come'a knockin' at your door. -Piggy

[irratebass]

How is the fan working out for you? Been thinking of getting one for my cooler.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Mattb82]

Timer definitely works every 15 minutes. Doesn't have a ton of power but I think it's just enough to give me what I need. Quality seems really good 

[El Presidente]

 

Nice Work!!!

[ElReyDel757]

I have 14 full boxes (cabs, SLBs, etc) in my 150 quart coolerdor with 4 62 RH Boveda packs.  Have had this setup for about 4 months but can't get RH below 66.  Temp is 72-74 degrees F.  Should I add more Boveda packs or what am I doing wrong?

[PigFish]

1 hour ago, ElReyDel757 said:

I have 14 full boxes (cabs, SLBs, etc) in my 150 quart coolerdor with 4 62 RH Boveda packs.  Have had this setup for about 4 months but can't get RH below 66.  Temp is 72-74 degrees F.  Should I add more Boveda packs or what am I doing wrong?

Do a little test. Put one of your Boveda packs in a bag with your hygrometer and give it some time to settle. Is it accurate to the Boveda pack?

[ElReyDel757]

I haven't tested recently, but before I setup the coolerdor in June, I calibrated it with the Boveda calibration kit and it was accurate.  It's been at 66 RH since setup.

[ElReyDel757]

Also, what is the max temp "safety zone".  I have AC but Summers can bring over 100 degree F temps & sometimes my house temp can be as high as 78.  Is this too dangerous?

[PigFish]

15 minutes ago, ElReyDel757 said:

Also, what is the max temp "safety zone".  I have AC but Summers can bring over 100 degree F temps & sometimes my house temp can be as high as 78.  Is this too dangerous?

No. But this is, or could be part of your problem. Fluctuating temps cause these problems, and you may have to live with some of it. A lot of you guys expect way, way too much from Boveda as well as desiccant buffers. You really need to understand their limitations.

Try it again with the Boveda that you store with. What is the point in 'one point' calibration at a point that you 'don't' store? Not much! Sensor error is not linear.

What is the current ambient rH in the house?

-Piggy

[ElReyDel757]

As long as I'm in the "safe zone" I'm satisfied in the end.  My temp is a stable 73 all year except possibly July & August.  So it's good for the past month or so.  However, RH has been 66 the entire time.  Maybe I will add more Boveda packs to bring it down?

[PigFish]

You likely have an  air exchange problem. Frankly, it appears that unless your hygrometers are off, the rate at which you air exchange overwhelms the hysteresis of the Boveda product. If, once we establish a baseline for your hygrometer, take several samples of your cigar boxes and test them for 66 ErH saturation, and perhaps find that they are saturated, then you have no other choice but to take a more extreme approach to dehydration.

Baking a mass amount of desiccant dry and keeping them rotated into your humidor until the ERH is constantly at the lower target is an option. Damprid (sp?) and other desiccant products are a potential help.

If you have a 10 or 20 lbs of saturated cigars, with a high net rH ambient, a half dozen slow acting aqueous salt product packs are not going to do the trick.

Furthermore I have not even explored the possibly of simple heat related rH transfer problems!

How do your cigars smoke? At 78˚F, 66rH they should not be at all that wet!

Ultimately you have to understand that your system is dynamic and not static due to your ambient. You have a passive 'driven' system... Some of this you just might have to live with or go insane in attempts to fix it. Only you will know when to continue to fight and when to settle. Hysteresis of hygroscopic materials is a fact of life. You either control them, or they control you! We all settle somewhere and deal with some instability. Knowing when to fight on and when to settle may well be a part of your problem.

Are you about a given number or how the cigars smoke?

Forgive me for being frank about it. Cheers! -Piggy

[ElReyDel757]

No offense taken at any point, I appreciate any help.  I am 100% ok with how my cigars are smoking.  I am just curious why I can't attain 62 RH and if the occasional summer temperature fluctuations from 72 - 78 F are a mold or beetle concern.

[PigFish]

Mold comes from water content and a supply of food.

"I am 100% ok with how my cigars are smoking" I am glad we got here. This means I am done!

While it is only my opinion, if you don't have a problem you don't have a problem, there is no more need for me here except as an academic. I hope that I have answered some of your questions, but I frankly hate working on hypotheticals. I hope you got some worthwhile answers but with so many people contacting me for help, and limited time, I cannot chase my tail.

Best of luck on your project. Cheers! -Piggy

[ElReyDel757]

Thanks again, but just to ensure: I "should" have no worries about mold or beetles with this temp fluctuation?

[Bohn007]

For something cheap and simple, I picked up a couple of these 60qt containers new for $20 a piece. After wiping them down, I am going to throw in 8 ounces of heartfelt beads at 65rh and should be perfect in the cool basement.