Glass Top and Display Humidors

[Shelby07]

I have noticed recently that glass top humidors and display humidors with glass fronts are getting more popular.

While I realize that they look really great, it is my opinion that the purpose of a humidor, especially a large cabinet or wardrobe piece, is to protect the cigars and keep them stable. It seems that, aside from the light that gets in, the glass top and sides would effect the inside environment adversely by causing temperature swings due to the poor insulating properties of glass and the greennhouse effect inside.

Thoughts?

[bobbyg29-cl]

I have a cabinet with glass on the top lid. I keep it out of the light. I personally think it works better than one with no glass b/c i do not have to keep opening it to check the RH...I can see the hygrometer through the glass.

Here is a review I did on it:
http://www.stogiefresh.com/journal/C...ve_500_CT.html

[ylo2na-cl]

You are incredibly right in your assessment....I have temp swings of 10 degrees easily every day. OOOPS...forgot to tell you I have two commercial humidors, 1 for 1000 cigars, the other for 500 cigars. Also have a china cabinet that I converted to a humidor and am not sure how many it holds. However, I am able to regulate the humidity fairly well in all of them, but the temperature is the real problem. I have decided to build a humidor in my garage...9 x 7 and do it right with small ac and humidifier. Have thousands invested in my smokes and I dont want to lose them being unable to control the temperature. Plus, I will leave enough space to age a few bottles of wine along with the cigars. When I get done with it, I will post a pic and you can see my neophyte handiwork.
Best...

[JohnRider]

Originally Posted by ylo2na

You are incredibly right in your assessment....I have temp swings of 10 degrees easily every day.

My temp swings are that bad or worse. I heat my house with a woodstove, so it is not uncommon to let the house get down to 58 and then heat it up to 72 or so by the end of the evening. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I don't have many cigars that are worth more than $3 or $4, so I don't lose any sleep over it.

[sysrock]

Has anyone ever thought of building a double paned glass humidor to protect against temperature fluctuations? You could probably fill the space between the pains with a plastic or gel that would better insulate the humidor. I bet one of the humidor manufacturer would do this for a few dollars more.

[Shelby07]

Originally Posted by sysrock

Has anyone ever thought of building a double paned glass humidor to protect against temperature fluctuations? You could probably fill the space between the pains with a plastic or gel that would better insulate the humidor. I bet one of the humidor manufacturer would do this for a few dollars more.

Don't think this would really do anything, Bo. The problem is that light gets in and can affect the cigars that are exposed and just like double paned glass windows, it still warms up the inside of the box.

Maybe some of the new UV filtering glass would be better. I just don't know.

[JohnRider]

Originally Posted by sysrock

Has anyone ever thought of building a double paned glass humidor to protect against temperature fluctuations? You could probably fill the space between the pains with a plastic or gel that would better insulate the humidor. I bet one of the humidor manufacturer would do this for a few dollars more.

...or they could be sealed and gas filled or vacuum like regular double-pane house windows. Expensive, no doubt, but a neat idea.

[Marlboro Cigars-cl]

Looks sell.

[Bullybreed]

what about tinted glass to cut down on sun and heat? or maybe storing it in a darker room with less light?

[aljrka]

With a glass paned humidor you need to rotate your "sticks" each month or every other month. Bottom sticks go up top and top go below. Simple as that. Cigars are like women, some get better with age...

[Webmeister]

Originally Posted by bobbyg29

I have a cabinet with glass on the top lid. I keep it out of the light. I personally think it works better than one with no glass b/c i do not have to keep opening it to check the RH...I can see the hygrometer through the glass.

Here is a review I did on it:
http://www.stogiefresh.com/journal/C...ve_500_CT.html

I have a couple of large humidors with lots of glass, and keep one in the walk-in closet and the other in the great room - nether of which get a lot of light. Fow what it's worth, the temp stays the same in them (within 1 degree) as it does in my desktops and tupperdors. Humidity is actually less of a problem in the larger humidors since I have a La Veil humidifier in one and a Hydra with 3 fans in the other.

IMHO - or at least in my experience, glass has proven to be a non-issue.

[cybervee-cl]

I have a tupperdor that stays at 65% without any type of humidifying device. Over a period of 2 or 3 days it will creep up into the 70s. I prefer lower humidity, so when this happens I just open the top for a few minutes and it gets back into the 65% area. The hydrometer has been calibrated so I know it is accurate.

Is this normal?

[Rowdymon-cl]

Temp Creep is why I went with the Fridgedor.

The entire back side of my house is glass, so keeping it at a reasonable temp during the summer in Houston is financial folly.

Thankfuly here at the office I am housed with my servers...*grin*...so I keep the entire room at 68 year round.

It's seasoning right now and waiting on some more beads to show up before I can stabalized the humidity...but it'll be right on I do believe after I get the cedar shelves to replace the steel racks.

On the original question, there's a reason I didn't get a glass topped humi, it's nice to be able to see the temp and humidity without opening, but I have temp problems in the house already...adding a glass top to it is not a wise idea.

[Rowdymon-cl]

Originally Posted by ylo2na

You are incredibly right in your assessment....I have temp swings of 10 degrees easily every day. OOOPS...forgot to tell you I have two commercial humidors, 1 for 1000 cigars, the other for 500 cigars. Also have a china cabinet that I converted to a humidor and am not sure how many it holds. However, I am able to regulate the humidity fairly well in all of them, but the temperature is the real problem. I have decided to build a humidor in my garage...9 x 7 and do it right with small ac and humidifier. Have thousands invested in my smokes and I dont want to lose them being unable to control the temperature. Plus, I will leave enough space to age a few bottles of wine along with the cigars. When I get done with it, I will post a pic and you can see my neophyte handiwork.
Best...

I would love to see your collection man. Can you send some pics...I think of all that storage plus the four fridgedors you were talking about...I'm damned envious!

PICS PLEASE, cigar **** is needed here!

[zion698]

This conversion is interesting to me. Seeing that I just purchased a glass top humidor. I'll have to see what happens ... but if it's kept in a room with low to no light. The temp should not move around that much. But since I have no real world experience to base that on. I'll have to report back in a few weeks.