Question about beads...

[Hammerhead]

Pyro, I think it would be interesting to explore this in greater depth. There are far more who believe that the PG systems DON'T absorb ambient humidity than do. I wonder if there's any definitive source on this.

That said, the jury is still out. However, where we DON'T know for sure if the PG systems are 2-way, we ABSOLUTELY know that the beads are. My money is on beads. Rock solid, convenient, no mess, and when in a mesh tube, portable.

[kenstogie]

Originally Posted by pyrotech

Re: PG solutions, it is my understanding that a 50/50 PG/water solution does actively reabsorb excess moisture over the 70% RH .

I quote from Bob Curtis's Cigar smokers FAQ: "To put it more simply, PG is a hydroscopic substance - It absorbs moisture from the environment (like a salt shaker does in humid weather). The distilled water evaporates until the ambient humidity approaches 70%. At that point the PG won't allow any more moisture in the air. Conversely, if there is too much moisture in the air, the PG solution absorbs the excess, bringing the system down to 70% as well."

Here is a quote from cigar nexus....
Propylene Glycol (PG) is an inert chemical that is used in a wide range of products including animal feed, hair care products, medicines, etc. It is safe to handle and consume if you so desire. It can be bought at most cigar stores but typically it is labeled as "Regulating Solution" and is sold for upwards of $20 for two ounces. I suggest you buy it from your local pharmacy instead when it usually can be bought from the pharmacist's counter for about $7 a pint.

When the humidity dips below 70% RH in your humidor the PG expels the water contained in the humidifer, but when the relative humidity is over 70% it absorbs water. This is why it is critical to never overfill your humidifier as it needs to have room left in order for it to absorb moisture if need. Over time the PG will expend all of the water contained within the humidifier assuming you live in area with a lower than 70% RH and it will require you to add more distilled water. You do not have to add more PG though, as it will remain in the humidifier until you rinse it out. In addition to it regulatory properties, PG also serves as an anti-bacterial agent which will help to prevent molding.

I'm split. I too read basically what you said on Cigarnexus.com but I can also say that the propylene glycol solution from my experience doesn't work that well to reduce the humidity if it is in excess of 70% even if you are careful not to over water the PG solution. I think in large part the reason that people feel the PG system does not absorb water is that many folks do OVER water the solution it's easy to do and I have done it. It does actually absorb excess moisture but not that effectively. IMHO

[pyrotech]

Hammerhead, Have to agree with you, I think in many respects the whole question of cigar storage is somewhat in the dark ages.

The following is a quote from MRN in regards to storage:

"Regarding humidity, nothing scientific is known about the exact figures but everyone who has any experience with vintage cigars share the unanimous opinion that the best humidity for aging cigars long term is between 60 to 65%. Cigars which are stored at 70% seem to fail to age as beautifully and it is well known that cigars which is too humid e.g. 75% will lose all their bouquets in no time.

I normally age my cigars at 60°F and 65% RH for new cigars. For very old cigars, I store them at 55°F and 60% RH wrapped air-tight. I do not know for certain whether these figures are the most ‘correct’, but it had worked so far so good.

So how did the 70/70 myth originated? A very good speculation goes like this :

Cigars taste best at 72% RH., minus 1% for each five years of age. I discovered this by trial and error ages ago. Sometime later I read from a book that Mr. Davidoff insisted to sell his cigars at 72%. He probably discovered this by trial and error too. As cigars sold a few decades ago had already been aged for a few years when leaving the factory, and reputable merchants like Dunhill insisted to age them further before release, a cigar which a customer bought in those good old days had typically been already 10 years old. They should taste best at 70% RH. And somebody had obviously made the easy mistake that if a cigar tastes best at 70 %, they should age best at the same RH. (Mr. Davidoff mentioned in his book ‘The Connoisseur’s Book of the Cigar’ that the ‘ideal’ RH of storing cigars should be ‘between 67 to 72%’, apparently he had also succumbed to this method of thinking.

The 70°F probably originated when a certain ‘expert’ had decided that according to a nineteenth century book on insects that beetle eggs do not hatch below 70°F, cigars should therefore best be stored below that temperature. And naturally people would think that if cigars were best stored below that temperature, they should age best at that temperature as well.

As the 70/70 are round figures, they are easily remembered and most quoted. Eventually the most quoted becomes the truth, as the majority is always right. That reminds me of a saying by Mark Twain : “10% of people think, 10% of people think that they think, the remaining 80% would rather die than think”.


today in the UK the ambient humidity in my region has fluctuated accross the range of 49%RH to 87%. What I need is small environmental controlled space. I know many try with coolerdors/ wine coolers/ etc. But with the advances in cooling/ humidity control technology I think specialised budget cabinets are just around the corner.

I do actually use beads, the 70%RH function well, but two lots of 65% fail to impress, they both operate around the 69-70% mark. (that in a sealed overbeaded environment).