Humidors... don't you just toss in the stogies?

[BADS197]

Where's the FAQ on what, how, why for a humi.?


I thought you just got them, tossed em in and were done essentially.

[JCK]

Here's the experience from someone that setup their first humidor.

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthr...=humidor+setup

[rcsst12]

From what I have learned, you can add your stogies to your humidor all at once or a few at a time. The issue that comes into play is taking a hit on your RH level. If your cigars are bringing in alot of moisture to the humi, your RH will go up. If they are too dry, they will bring it down.

A way to help this matter out is to buy humidity beads. They soak up and release the necessary moisture based on the RH% that you buy. 60% regulates to maintain 60%RH, 65% tries to maintain 65%, 70% for 70%, and so forth.

[BADS197]

Originally Posted by khubli

Here's the experience from someone that setup their first humidor.

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthr...=humidor+setup

I read the post but am clueless as to how large the bead container needs to be for my humi that i have coming. I don't know if it comes with the gauge and beads to start with so I'll find out tomorrow then post some Q's.

I suppose I'll also do a search and sift through those threads today.

My name is Jake and I collect Hobbies.

[rcsst12]

Go to http://www.heartfeltindustries.com

Use their calcutor on the left hand side of the page!


I also forgot to mention that you don't want your cigars to change to quickly from one RH to another. For example, going from 50%RH to 70%RH would cause the cigar to crack. That is no good at all

[mrreindeer]

I just bought my beads from Scott Shilala (shilala on the forum) and just received them yesterday. I'm stoked. They should keep my newly purchased Vino (wine fridge converted to humidor) at a perfect 65%.

Scott is a great BOTL and is happy to answer any questions you may have. I like the personal touch as opposed to Heartfelt's website, however I've only heard good things about their product as well.

Feel free to PM Scott though; he's a great asset to CS.

[BADS197]

Calculated at 2075. so 4 ounces

I'm unsure of temps in my new apt. since we just moved in and humidity.. well it's southern cali so it's usually pretty dry. Should I use 65 or 70% beads?

Here is the Humi I got... and just realized this thing is going to be pretty darn big. I was going to set is on my coffee table but not now...

El Diablo Humidor



When your collection expands, the El Diablo is the answer.

This is a gorgeous, large capacity humidor. When you’re ready to take your cigar collection to the next level, the El Diablo is a terrific option. Everything you need - from the attractive mahogany finish, Spanish cedar lift out tray, 3 dividers, 2 large rectangle humidifiers, hygrometer, 2 accessory drawers, lock and key, and much more. Now on sale, so treat yourself!

Features:
- Holds 300+ cigars
- High gloss mahogany finish
- Large lift out Spanish cedar tray
- 2 large Spanish cedar dividers
- 1 small Spanish cedar divider
- Lined with premium kiln-dried Spanish cedar
- Large humidifiers & 1 hygrometer included
- 2 felt-lined accessory drawers
- Lock and key
- Piano and quadrant hinge lid construction
- Scratch-resistant felt-lined bottom
- Measures: 18" width x 11.25" depth x 10.25" height

[rcsst12]

I do believe Heartfelt Industry's has a member on this site as well... Name is Viper371 or something along that nature. He is very helpful!

Wow BADS, you got one hell of a nice humi going for you! I thought I started out big haha... I was wrong!

[mrreindeer]

Originally Posted by BADS197

El Diablo Humidor

Very nice humidor indeed, nice START.

I started with a 50-count earlier this year myself. You'll be glad you bot big.

- Large humidifiers & 1 hygrometer included

Seems it comes with the standard accessories, which aren't very good. Don't worry, we've all been through this and have learned to buy beads instead of using the humidifier. But one thing that's so important...just make sure you stay within your budget. If you can't afford beads for any reason or don't want to pull the trigger just yet, those 2 large humidifiers should be okay. Inside, they've got green floral sponge (the kind that's on the bottom of your Mother's Day arrangement) that keeps DISTILLED WATER.

Only use distilled water OR a solution of 50/50 (Xikar sells some - you can find this stuff online or at your B&M.) I won't go into the detail of what 50/50 is but it 'should' keep the humidity inside the humidor at about 70% but it also depends on how warm or cold the room is.

When I 'seasoned' my humidor, I merely wiped the inside with a new, clean sponge moistened with distilled water. I then left a cup of distilled water inside the humidor overnight, then removed it. I let it rest for a day and checked the humidity.

The supplied hygrometer that comes with humidors sucks. You'll want to invest in a digital hygro right off the bat. That's the first thing I'd say you'd want to get, before beads. So you know for sure the temperature and RH (relative humidity) inside your humi.

I've learned that 65/65 is ideal but with what you're supplied with the humi, that's gonna be tough. You just want to make sure that sucker isn't too damp and too hot. Temps above 80 & humidity that high too can lead to beetles and I ain't talking about the band.

You shouldn't be overly paranoid about beetles but you should be aware & make sure you take some steps to try to avoid getting them. Again, you keep your RH & temp down, you should be fine.

One mistake I made when I first started was placing a wet towel inside the humidor and leaving it there. Do not do that. After you season, the only moisture that should be left is what the humidifier holds in the green floral sponge.

Salt test the hygrometer to see how it reads. You'll be shocked at how far off the one supplied is. That's why you should go digital.

Hope that helps! And have fun on the slope!

[PerpetualNoob]

I bought the Diamondback '150' from Evil Cigar Co., and it was stuffed full in less than a month. Then I bought another one just like it, and it too was stuffed full in less than a month, and I had 70+ cigars on the way! So I bought a 75-qt cooler from WalMart, and it's about half-full already.

I need to get some beads for all three, though. They're all holding RH fairly well, but I do have to keep the humidifiers recharged with 50/50 every 4-6 weeks. It's very dry here. What I really want is a small upright freezer. I think I'm going to call the appliance repair shops and see if they have any that can't be repaired. I don't need one that works, and maybe I can get one just for hauling it away, since they won't have to pay the haz-mat disposal fees at the dump.

[BADS197]

So I get the 1/2lb bag of beads, split that in two and put it in the containers that mount to the top.. then drop in the stogies?

Pretty simple.. other than just wipeing the inside down with a damp cloth.

[mrreindeer]

I don't think you'll be able to put the beads in the existing humidifier attached to the lid...but you can put the beads in tubes. I'd probably do that. You can buy tubes from Scott I'm sure, or Heartfelt.

And I'd seriously consider the digital hygrometer, really, it's a must.

[BADS197]

Originally Posted by mrreindeer

I don't think you'll be able to put the beads in the existing humidifier attached to the lid...but you can put the beads in tubes. I'd probably do that. You can buy tubes from Scott I'm sure, or Heartfelt.

And I'd seriously consider the digital hygrometer, really, it's a must.

So a tube you just lay it inside and/or velcro it to the top of the lid I'm assumeing.

I planned on getting a digital gauge too...

[mrreindeer]

Yep - I don't have any tubes myself but picture a perforated testtube filled with beads and capped on the end. Just place the tube in like any cigar or you could velcro it to the top, I guess, to save on space inside.

The reason you probably won't be able to fill the existing humidifiers with the beads is because the beads are pretty darn small and probably will spill out. If you can buy some pantyhose & fill them up or use the bags Scott provides, you might be able to shove 'em in to the existing humidifier but it all depends. Otherwise you can buy humidifier cases specifically for beads. Scott, I'm sure, would be able to help you.

[BADS197]

I'll order a 4oz tube of beads and a .5oz tube in case it requires a little more.



I don't think there is a slope with cigars... it's more like a sheer cliff.