Colt45 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Mel, I don't have this type of unit, but I find it very curious - what condition are the cigars in at this point? In the 40% and lower range, I might expect them to be rather brittle and crunchy. And with the temp in the mid 60s, it does seem strange that you would not be able to raise the humidity, especially with that much moisture. I hope you are able to find a solution soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habanohal Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Below 65 degrees, you wont be able to hold humidity. It just doesnt happen.Try a new Hygrometer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Damn... sorry to hear! First things first: are you sure the hygro works? what does it read if you unplug the cooler or if you take it outside of the cooler? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tandblov Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Just a guess, But if you have a humidor with a dripping wet nylon with saturated beads and a bowl with water in it, and your hygrometer reads 37%, I suspect your hygrometer is most likely the culprit. I can't imagine that your humidity level would be that low with that amount of moisture unless you lived in the Taklamakan. Have you done a salt test to calibrate your hygrometer to at least rule that element out of the equation? That is what I would recommend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Something doesn't smell right Mel. We will get to the bottom of it and do so quickly. First. Take out your oldest cigar placed in the humidor. Describe to us how it feels after squeezing "slightly" between thumb and forefinger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel39 Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 Thanks Rob, it's midnight now in my part of the world and too tired to think even. Been trying to get a new UK website together and it's very frustrating. Will check the Hygro again with the salt test but as I said another digital gives similar readings. Not sure the oldest would work either as I'm so concerned, I have been giving the boxes a regular-ish misting with water. (whenever I say water, I mean distilled of course) Just bought my second load of 5 1litre bottles! That's how much I'm using. The cooler won't go above 18'C which is 18x9=162 divided by 5=32.4 +32= 64.5'F after all it is a wine cooler:-) So that's it's max temp which was showing on the combined Hygro/Thermo. I'll have another go tomorrow after work and get back. Thanks again all (what would I do without the generous support of you guys?) Mel39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avid toker Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 This looks like a wine cooler set-up. If that's so maybe others with a similar set-up can help out. 1) Salt test the hygrometer as others have said. 2) As you already know, wine coolers can suck the humidity out of the air. So try increasing the temp to 70 degrees. 3) Are those beads saturated/wet? If not, they too can absorb whatever moisture there might be inside. Try wetting them or taking them out for now. Between the boxes/cigars being dry and the wine cooler sucking out moisture, the last thing you need are dry beads sucking up whatever moisture might be left. 4) Have you thought about an active humidification device such as the Hydra? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Mel. If you are still awake, turn off your cooling unit tonight and let us know the readings in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccsmoker Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 What type of wine cooler is it?I would say take out all the cigars,and put them back where they were before you got the wine cooler.Then put the beads in the wine cooler with some empty cigar boxes.Sray the boxes down with some water.What is the max temp on the wine cooler.I keep mine at 63 deg. but it realy gets as high as 67 deg. at that setting.ny humidity is at 65 -67.You might want to get some oust fans.If they are not avalible a computer fan will work but there is a little more work involved with that.Best of luck hope it get running for you.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avid toker Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 BTW, I'd advise against spraying the boxes with water. It promotes the growth of mold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrink Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Mel39: I can't get it up Claudius: Damn... sorry to hear! Colt45: Mel, I don't have this type of unit, but I find it very curious - el prez: Describe to us how it feels after squeezing "slightly" between thumb and forefinger. Mel39: I'll have another go tomorrow after work and get back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt45 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 » Mel39: I can't get it up » » Claudius: Damn... sorry to hear! » » Colt45: Mel, I don't have this type of unit, but I find it very curious » - » » el prez: Describe to us how it feels after squeezing "slightly" between » thumb and forefinger. » » Mel39: I'll have another go tomorrow after work and get back. And you are surprised?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 » Mel39: I can't get it up » » Claudius: Damn... sorry to hear! » » Colt45: Mel, I don't have this type of unit, but I find it very curious » - » » el prez: Describe to us how it feels after squeezing "slightly" between » thumb and forefinger. » » Mel39: I'll have another go tomorrow after work and get back. Priceless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 LOL... Mel, one thing is for sure: the cooling is what draws the humidity out of the air, so unplug the damn thing if the RH is indeed that low. It's not like the UK is a particularly warm place at the moment ;-) so the risk of drying out the cigars with the cooling on is far greater than that of seeing a sudden beetle infestation due to a slightly higher temp for a day if you unplug it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idesign Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Mel, You need to buy a Wine Cooler which is Thermoelectric instead of using a compressor. The compressor dehumidify's........ Hope this helps. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB24 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 It' a very simple answer. When you have the wine cooler plugged in it eats up the humidity and when you dont have it plugged in the temp gets too high. I had the same problem when I had a wine cooler and I tried everything but nothing works if the wine cooler is plugged in and the cooing unit is at work. I was some what able to maintain mine with keeping the A/C on constantly at 70deg and the unit unplugged but then the humidity got too high. Eventually mold struck and I decided it was time to drop 3K on an Arisotcrat----and now everything is perfect and I am hapy as ever. -P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avid toker Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 » I only mist with distilled water so hopefully mould shouldn't be a » problem. Dosen't matter, spraying the boxes with distilled water still promotes the growth of mold. The growth of mold is not dependent on certain types of water. » I can't raise the temp above 64 as that is the wine cooler's highest » setting.I was advised by another member to get a cooler with the highest » max temp and at 64, that was the highest I could find. Granted this is the highest temp you could find but there are companies out there that make external temp controllers that can raise the temps inside your wine cooler to 70 degrees. See here http://www.infraredheaters.com/a19bag-1.htm After that it's up to you whether you want to invest the additional cash to regulate the temps. Bear in mind this is a wine cooler and at around 64 for red wine is appropriate. Yes, that's why it's for wine....not necessarily cigars. » I have put two digi hygro/thermos side by side and they show readings of » 63F/44RH and 64/48 individually, so would think they are calibrated » correctly within reason. Not necessarily. You should really salt-test the hygrometers to remove any doubt. » I have tried a mini fan (the Oust ones in the UK are plug-ins, so of no » use) that gobbles up batteries and that doesn't make much difference. You should consider active humidification such as an Oasis or Hydra that has additional fan slots for air movement. Again, you would need to consider the additional cost investment. Otherwise make your own. A pan, humidifier filter wick and a 120mm PC cooling fan pointed upwards that will sit above the wick and draws out the moisture. Of course you will need some type of porous lid that you mount the fan on like the old grated covers for flourescent ceiling lights. You do not want the PC fan touching the wick directly. Of course the fan (AC) will need to be plugged into some type of timer that will kick on at some interval you choose (every 30min, hour, etc). But as other have said, that will simply boost RH% and mold will eventually occur if RH% and temps are not kept in check. Beads might help some. » So now the cooler is off and I will get back this evening UK time to » inform you of the readings. After just a few minutes, readings are » increasing but I would guess that the temp will get too high, which was my » original problem. Naturally, as I said, the wine cooler's condenser is sucking the moisture out of the air. Turning it off will cause the desired result, the RH% will rise. 75 degrees is not the end of the world. You could keep the wine cooler off and see what the temp actually rises to inside. If it goes above 75 then I would turn the wine cooler back on temporarily. » Seems like an impossible situation which I thought would be solved by » buying a wine cooler cabinet when my stash outgrew my two smaller "igloo" » type Peltier coolers. Not impossible, simply requires some additional funds to get the right parts to make this setup work. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trumpetchris Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 75 degrees isn't bad. 40% humidity is. Put them in a cooler until I get to London in January, I'll help you smoke them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idesign Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 It really is an easy answer. Buy a wine cooler unit that utilizes a THERMOELECTRIC cooling device, rather than a compressor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachcougar Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 What you need to do is put a hygrometer inside one of the boxes to read the humidity. It's common with Compressor driven models to show low humidity especially if the unit runs a lot. It is also recommended that you do not keep cigars in open storage in a compressor driven model. Inside the boxes, the humidity should be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel39 Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 » What you need to do is put a hygrometer inside one of the boxes to read the » humidity. It's common with Compressor driven models to show low humidity » especially if the unit runs a lot. It is also recommended that you do not » keep cigars in open storage in a compressor driven model. Inside the » boxes, the humidity should be ok. ****! Just made a gargantuan post and got logged out and lost it. Anyway the gist was that turning the cooler off showed that the too low temp was the problem. Readings now 76/57 and 77/58 respectively on the two meters. Will check the readings inside the boxes after another test tomorrow. I will have to live with higher temps I guess. I saw what worms can do to a box and it's creepy; turned to dust! Cheers for all the suggestions guys and I'll work on it. Mel39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Mel. I am having trouble believing that with all those beads and with all those cigars the best a sealed unit can so without the compressor working is 57% RH. Ignore the hygrometers and tell me how the cigars feel mate. Use the force Luke.....use the force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 » Mel. » » I am having trouble believing that with all those beads and with all those » cigars the best a sealed unit can so without the compressor working is 57% RH. Yeah, me too. Are you sure the door is properly shut and doesnt leak? With all the spraying, the dripping beads, no compressor I'd expect mid 70s. What's the RH in the room? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel39 Posted November 20, 2007 Author Share Posted November 20, 2007 » 75 degrees isn't bad. 40% humidity is. » » Put them in a cooler until I get to London in January, I'll help you smoke » them! Will do. If you are in Central London at a weekend, I could make a meet at JJ Fox if you fancy. Mel39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel39 Posted November 20, 2007 Author Share Posted November 20, 2007 » Mel. » » I am having trouble believing that with all those beads and with all those » cigars the best a sealed unit can so without the compressor working is 57% » RH. » » Ignore the hygrometers and tell me how the cigars feel mate. Use the force » Luke.....use the force. But I'm no judge Prez. Just checked some 03 Molinos I bought in Cuba and there's a little bit of spring in them. Well they didn't crack when I pressed them:-| A rarely opened box of ten Cohiba Pyramides, don't seem too bad. Just checked a SBL that I put the hygro in a while ago and still only showing 53. I think it's back to the coolidors before too much damage is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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