habanohal Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I thjink this has been asked before but couldnt find it. I need to Lower the RH in my cabinet. It stays at %70 the whole summer at 69 degrees. I figure if I can the RH down to 64-66 the Temp will drop also. I need to do this for the wife is an iceicle all summer with lower temps in family room around 67
Shelby07 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I thjink this has been asked before but couldnt find it. I need to Lower the RH in my cabinet. It stays at %70 the whole summer at 69 degrees. I figure if I can the RH down to 64-66 the Temp will drop also. I need to do this for the wife is an iceicle all summer with lower temps in family room around 67 If you drop the temperature in a sealed container the humidity will go up, but changing the RH will have no effect on the temperature. Just get some 65% RH beads and put them in your humidor. 69 degrees is fine.
Colt45 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I agree with Shelby - add more desiccant - beads or crystal cat litter. Some members have also used damp rid in very humid consitions.
Trevor2118 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I thjink this has been asked before but couldnt find it. I need to Lower the RH in my cabinet. It stays at %70 the whole summer at 69 degrees. I figure if I can the RH down to 64-66 the Temp will drop also. From my website: Temperature & Humidity While the 70/70 rule, 70ºF (21ºC) temperature & 70% humidity, is often stated as the ideal condition for cigar storage, Habanos recommends a lower range for Cuban cigars. Their cigars always include the following statement: "For fullest enjoyment, these cigars should be installed in a humidor, away from products with strong odour and under correct conditions of temperature (16ºC to 18ºC) and humidity (65% to 70%)." Equally important as maintaining ideal temperature and humidity, is stability. Fluctuations from these values should be avoided. Bear in mind that most domestic digital hygrometers are only accurate to plus or minus 2% and should be recalibrated every 6 months. Digital thermometers are usually accurate to plus or minus 0.5ºC (1ºF). Temperature Temperature should be controlled to within the recommended range of 16ºC to 18ºC (61ºF to 64ºF). Consensus appears to be that the lower end of this range (16ºC - 61ºF) is the ideal target, as higher temperature is the more critical concern. Temperatures above 18ºC (64ºF) allows dormant Tobacco Beetle's to hatch and become active. Sustained temperatures above 24ºC (75ºF) should be considered critical. Low temperature can delay the aging process. Sustained temperatures below 12ºC (54ºF) should be considered undesirable for normal aging (a normal fridge is too cold). Humidity Humidity should be controlled within the recommended range of 65% to 70% RH. Consensus appears to be that the lower end of this range (65%) is an ideal target. High humidity can cause the growth of damaging blue mould or cracking of the wrapper. Sustained humidity above 75% should be considered critical. Low humidity can allow cigars to dry out. Humidity below 55% should be considered critical. Summary In summary, a stable 16ºC (61ºF) temperature and 65% humidity is the ideal target.
Taino Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I would throw away any humidification device you have and buy 65% Rh Beads, and let them do their job. It's that simple. When you see your beads are too white add a couple of spoons of water. Any specialized vendor can tell you the amount of beads you need for the size of your cabinet.
thechenman Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 This may be a silly question, but if I am trying to bring down the humidity in my humidor...do I still need to add distilled water to my RH beads (Puck) before I put them in my humidor in order to activate the beads? If so, how much distilled water? The recommended amount on the instructions, or something less?
aavkk Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Just get a shitload of 65% beads and you shouldnt even need a hygrometer. As for temp, anything that is stable and between 62 and 70 should be fine.
habanohal Posted July 7, 2009 Author Posted July 7, 2009 Just get a shitload of 65% beads and you shouldnt even need a hygrometer. As for temp, anything that is stable and between 62 and 70 should be fine. I am a worry wort on my collection. I freak out anytime temp approaches 70, and am loseing alot of flavor with the RH so high. I always unplug My Hydra during summer for it doesnt need to run. Will order up some beads and try it out. Just really sick of wife complaining that its too cold and electric bills are outragious. Thanx fellas!
Colt45 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 This may be a silly question, but if I am trying to bring down the humidity in my humidor...do I still need to add distilled water to my RH beads (Puck) before I put them in my humidor in order to activate the beads? Personally, I do not add any water to the beads in humid conditions.
Van55 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Unscented silicone cat litter beads are the least expensive option for you. One pound of beads per 5 cubic feet of humidor space. Put them in your humidor "dry" if the RH is 70% or above. Add a distilled water source when the RH drops to 60% or lower until the level gets back up to 65%, then remove the water source. I never add water directly to the beads. If the RH remains high after putting the beads into the box, dry them with a hair blow dryer.
gerem Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I am a worry wort on my collection. I freak out anytime temp approaches 70, and am loseing alot of flavor with the RH so high. I always unplug My Hydra during summer for it doesnt need to run. Will order up some beads and try it out. Just really sick of wife complaining that its too cold and electric bills are outragious. Thanx fellas! I had the same problem, I bought 2 weeks ago a thermoelectric cellar, put some beads in it and I set it at 17 celsius (63 F). Done deal!!!! No more complaints about the low temp and no worry on my collection.
BigRay023 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I know this thread was more about RH but reading it has me worried About the temp in my humi and cooler. I live in pretty much a desert Climate and use the bead to keep RH around 65-67% but we don't Have AC and both seem to stay around 80 farenhiet. How screwed am I?
thechenman Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Thanks Colt. I didn't either, but my humidity levels didn't come down, so I guess I need to buy myself some more beads.
Colt45 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I know this thread was more about RH but reading it has me worriedAbout the temp in my humi and cooler. I live in pretty much a desert Climate and use the bead to keep RH around 65-67% but we don't Have AC and both seem to stay around 80 farenhiet. How screwed am I? Ray, the problem with higher temps is that you run the risk of a beetle hatch. Other than a temp controlled cabinet, one option to look into would be gel ice packs. I know some members have used them, and if you do a google search, you can see what they're about. Good luck! Thanks Colt. I didn't either, but my humidity levels didn't come down, so I guess I need to buy myself some more beads. Yes, I have to use extra desiccant myself in very humid conditions.
audio1der Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Unscented silicone cat litter beads are the least expensive option for you. Right on! I bought a 7lb. container a couple of years ago for $14.99. I added more (without adding any DW) when I wanted to bring my RH down. The extra lb. settled the RH, and has helped keep it rock solid since. Because you can not have too many beads, buying the least expensive option is wise. Save $ for more cigars!
thechenman Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I would be interested to hear if anyone on the FOH forum has ever tried Boveda Humidity Packets, and if so, what your impression of them was? Good, bad, indifferent, etc. Thanks.
El Presidente Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I would be interested to hear if anyone on the FOH forum has ever tried Boveda Humidity Packets, and if so, what your impression of them was? Good, bad, indifferent, etc. Thanks. Personally I find they leave my CC's a tad too moist. I use to put a Humidity Packet in my travel humidor when going overseas but I don't anymore.
El Presidente Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I know this thread was more about RH but reading it has me worriedAbout the temp in my humi and cooler. I live in pretty much a desert Climate and use the bead to keep RH around 65-67% but we don't Have AC and both seem to stay around 80 farenhiet. How screwed am I? Plenty of beads will fix your RH issue. Temp is another matter. Either purchase a thermoelectric wine fridge for your cigars or get in the habit of freezing your stock to eliminate beetle threat.
mkz Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Quite hot this summer and right now the temp at home is above 80F. I freeze everything before storage and have little worries about beetles...
jquest63 Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 Don't think you can control humidity and temp with only one solution. Humidity reduction would be via RH beads and temp thermoelectrically. Thermoelectric cooling units can be attached to a humidor or purchase a thermoelectric wine cooler. Of the two options the wine cooler is simpler and probably cheaper if you don't need to store more that 10-15 boxes. Just clean out wine cooler interior with mild detergent/water, rinse and leave unit open for couple of days to air out interior odors/dry. Then monitor and stabilize desired temp/RH and you should be good to go ahead and load in your cigars and continue to monitor. RH beads needs to be rehydrated every so often. Hope that helps.
BigRay023 Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 Ok well hopefully I should close escrow on a house here in one month and will probably keep the house at 78 so hopefully the humi and cooler will stay at or under 75. I guess I just got to keep a good eye on them for beetles. Just for my knowledge what should I do to freeze them. Toss em in a ziplok bag and the freezer for a week then the fridge for a couple of days and then the humi?
mkz Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 Just for my knowledge what should I do to freeze them. Toss em in a ziplok bag and the freezer for a week then the fridge for a couple of days and then the humi? As for freezing. Here´s my way: * I put my newly arrivals in double ziplocks and try to suck out as much air as possible before sealing. * Into the regular kitchen freezer which is at -18°C. There I will let them stay for atleast 24 hours. * After the freezer I put the "package" in my refrigerator for atleast 12 hours (+6°C). * After this, I unpack and put my goodies with the rest of the stash. * I let the cigars rest for atleast 30 days before smoking... This is my way. Im shure there are many others that works just as fine. Good luck! /Mikael
BigRay023 Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 thanks Mikael sounds good.....I will probably start this practice from now on seein as i cant afford a Vinotemp
mkz Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 as i cant afford a Vinotemp My reason to. The little money I can spend on this "hobby" goes to the cigars.
fugwumpy Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 Some info on duration vs. temperature when freezing... Clicky! ~Joe
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