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Consistent 70% Humidity is Impossible
- Thread starter dmcclurg
- Start date
You know, I've got a vino temp just lying around and I'm always hearing that they make fantastic humidors. Should I switch? Is there that much of an advantage? My humidor temp doesn't fluctuate that much anyway.
Well I just started using the Boveda packs and I'm not too keen on having to spend $40 on these damn things every 2 months. Do the beads hold humidity as well as these pack?
Better IMO. I will always have my vinotemp and when i need mroe room I will buy a biger one or an additional. I have cedar drawers in mine and a shelf. Kicks ass. Girlfriend likes it better than the older humidor I had.
mmm waffles
Cigary43
Just Another Ashhole
Bingo! I learned this as well from having a completely full humi to one that is barely half filled. 80% is a good level playing field as you need some room in the humi and not packed like sardines.
Hahaha one of the funniest things I've seen on here in a while.
OK guys ... FNG back with another question. Sorry if this is a repeat, I wasnt able to find similar on the boards ...
I am new to beads, just started recently & they seem to work fine. Looks like about 2 oz or so in a small jar with a plastic screen opening. They came pre-charged. Question is: I was under the impression that the beads were to be re-soaked or misted with distilled water when the RH started to drop. Instructions on the side of the jar say refill with PG. Does it matter? Which way should I go?? Or is this not as critical as my simple mind believes?? I thought that PG was only used to keep the water from evaporating too quickly? .... Any assistance appreciated ..... Thanks in advance ..
I am new to beads, just started recently & they seem to work fine. Looks like about 2 oz or so in a small jar with a plastic screen opening. They came pre-charged. Question is: I was under the impression that the beads were to be re-soaked or misted with distilled water when the RH started to drop. Instructions on the side of the jar say refill with PG. Does it matter? Which way should I go?? Or is this not as critical as my simple mind believes?? I thought that PG was only used to keep the water from evaporating too quickly? .... Any assistance appreciated ..... Thanks in advance ..
Is it a Xikar jar? Xikar makes the PG solution, so of course they're going to tell you to buy/use it. Distilled water works just fine. PG is a gimmick!
Just make sure to use distilled water and not tap water.
TYLER
Just make sure to use distilled water and not tap water.
TYLER
Thank you HALON .... The jar is Madeleine or some such name .... I was getting annoyed keeping a dish of distilled water in my humi, and grabbed it on my way home one evening. Seems to have worked well, and brought the RH up to 68/69, which is fine with me. It's dropped off a bit now, so I wanted to do it right. Humi is about 30% full at the moment; I may have to juggle some sticks around. Appreciate your comments.
you guys are confusing products. The Xikar jar has gel in it, not beads. The gel gets charged with PG/Distilled water solution. PG does 2 things. I helps prevent mold, and will keep humidity at about 70%.
lets move on too seasoning, Bovedas, and Beads.
Just about every humidor is made from MDF. The spanish cedar is just a thin veneer. Its there for smell, and just so the words spanish cedar can be used in advertising. Truthfully, I dont see how you can really season wood that is made out of a lot of glue. Should you season your desktop? sure, there are other wood parts in there, and I am sure that the MDF will season a little bit. But it wont season the same way as does a humidor that is made by Arlin Liss. Arlin uses THICK, REAL spanish cedar to line his humidors. That thick spanish cedar sucks up a lot of moisture. When it is seasoned, it provides a lot of humidity for the inside of the humidor. as a result of the thick spanish cedar, your passive humidifier has to do a lot less work. A thin spanish cedar veneer cant really suck up much moisture.
the result of MDF and this veneer is that your humidor relies much more upon your humidifier to keep proper humidity. Bovedas work awesome in an airtight humidor, or a humidor like Arlins. When you use Bovedas in a budget desktop, sometimes the Bovedas just cant release humidity fast enough to match the humidity that is leaking or seeping out of the desktop. Same deal with beads, the leakier your desktop, the more you need.
in large cabinets, your electronic humidification solves any problem. Desktops can be tougher.
Just about every humidor is made from MDF. The spanish cedar is just a thin veneer. Its there for smell, and just so the words spanish cedar can be used in advertising. Truthfully, I dont see how you can really season wood that is made out of a lot of glue. Should you season your desktop? sure, there are other wood parts in there, and I am sure that the MDF will season a little bit. But it wont season the same way as does a humidor that is made by Arlin Liss. Arlin uses THICK, REAL spanish cedar to line his humidors. That thick spanish cedar sucks up a lot of moisture. When it is seasoned, it provides a lot of humidity for the inside of the humidor. as a result of the thick spanish cedar, your passive humidifier has to do a lot less work. A thin spanish cedar veneer cant really suck up much moisture.
the result of MDF and this veneer is that your humidor relies much more upon your humidifier to keep proper humidity. Bovedas work awesome in an airtight humidor, or a humidor like Arlins. When you use Bovedas in a budget desktop, sometimes the Bovedas just cant release humidity fast enough to match the humidity that is leaking or seeping out of the desktop. Same deal with beads, the leakier your desktop, the more you need.
in large cabinets, your electronic humidification solves any problem. Desktops can be tougher.
Great post Ron.
OK Ron - thanks. I'm trying to get these things straight in my mind. What I thought were beads is probably gel. Looks like very small chunks of clear (wobbly) ice. So do I recharge with PG or PG/dist wtr or is just dist wtr OK?? And should I see a "water line" in the jar?? Cant thank you brothers enough for your time & assistance....
you have a gel humidifier. recharge with PG/distilled water. You want the gel to absorb all the humidor solution that you pour into the jar. you do not want any loose water in the jar in case it tips over.
instead of switching back and forth between different humidifiers, use them together. there is nothing wrong with using beads and Bovedas together.
now i will throw some more advice your way. if you like keeping your cigars at 70, consider a gel humidifier charged with PG/Distilled water solution. This product produces 70% humidity. it has been used for many years, and it works. Beads have become very popular. one reason for their popularity is that they are available at lower humidity levels, while the gel humidifers only work at 70%. But if you like 70%, the gel humidifer has the advantage of holding a lot of fluid. much more than beads. put a gel humidifer on your lid. then throw a couple of 72% Bovedas in there as a suplement.
You can treat PG and distilled water like they are the same thing. PG just costs more!
TYLER