How cool is too cool?

[PDV]

I'm in the process of setting up a 120 qt coolerdor. I plan on keeping it in the basement, but it is cooler down there than in the rest of the house, and seems to hold at about 60 degrees. Is that too cool?

It is my understanding that 65-70 degrees and 65-70 % rh would be ideal for long-term storage. My humi holds great with Heartfelt beads at about 65% and 70 degrees.

For the cooler, I got some empty cigar boxes and took some of them apart to partly line the sides and lid of the cooler. I plan to use the others to store loose sticks. I have the empty boxes in the cooler and have wiped down all of the wood with distilled water several times, and I have had a dish of DW and about a pound of beads in the cooler for the past week, but the rh hasn't gotten above 62%. Is that because the temperature is about 60? Do I need to find someplace else to store the cooler (which my wife would likely object to)?

[bobarian]

At lower temperatures you will have trouble raising Rh. That is why you see so many threads in the winter with people fighting their Rh. 60degrees/62% rh is not unacceptable. In fact many would kill for those kind of number for long term storage. I have heard that in Hong Kong many big collectors go even lower.

[K Baz]

Sounds perfect to me. I use my fridge for long term storage and my goal is 60/60.

[FN in MT]

I was just going to ask virtually the same question! My humi in the basement seldom gets above 55 degrees in the Winter months. It seems to maintain just a tad lower than the set 65% RH. The readout is usually 62-63.5%. So I guess I won't worry about it.

FN in MT