Please help..Pyramid Humidor

[dizzydog]

My wife bought me a Pyramid Humidor about a year ago and although it seals super well I cant get the humidity in this sucker consistent, is this normal? The top rack has about 76% and the bottom shelf is about 67%.

Im using the Humidification units that came with it, cheap green foamies, they do seem to work but im just confused as to why the bottom is less, I always though humidity fell?

My temp is lingering at about 77 no matter where in my house I keep the Humidor. I use a digital Hydrometer.

Any help is appreciated.

[Sir Tony]

All of you answers are here: http://heartfeltindustries.com/store/index.php?cPath=22

[dizzydog]

Originally Posted by Sir Tony

All of you answers are here: http://heartfeltindustries.com/store/index.php?cPath=22

You saying use Tubes on each level?

[illuminatus]

Originally Posted by dizzydog

You saying use Tubes on each level?

I would! Except, I'd just buy a 1/2lb or maybe 1lb of beads, and put them inside old tubos, with holes poked in em. An empy tubo will take up less space than the tubes they come in, and you will get a better price per ounce if you buy a pound at a time. Plus, that way you'll have extras for when you set up your coolidor!

[dizzydog]

Originally Posted by illuminatus

I would! Except, I'd just buy a 1/2lb or maybe 1lb of beads, and put them inside old tubos, with holes poked in em. An empy tubo will take up less space than the tubes they come in, and you will get a better price per ounce if you buy a pound at a time. Plus, that way you'll have extras for when you set up your coolidor!

Im kinda new to this whole Beads thing, how long do they last and why do I need a pound of them? Are'nt these the same tubes they sell at the cigar shops for $15 each? About the size of a Corona?

[Hammerhead]

Yes, it is normal to have RH gradients in a humidor, especially if you have cigars blocking the vents in the trays. Remember there's very little air circulation in a closed box.

Do take some time to read the Bead FAQ, but to quickly answer, they last pretty much indefinitely. No, they're definitely NOT the same as what you find at the shops. Do check out the website linked to Heartfelt which will explain the practical difference between 'bead' technology and the other products on the market.

I followed the advice of the LLG's here and never looked back.

I see you have two humidification elements. I'd buy 1/2 pound of beads, open those bad boys up, get rid of the foam, completely cleanse them of any remaining PG solution, place a bit of screening over the slots to prevent the beads from running out, and that'll be all you need.

[RGD]

Originally Posted by Hammerhead

I see you have two humidification elements. I'd buy 1/2 pound of beads, open those bad boys up, get rid of the foam, completely cleanse them of any remaining PG solution, place a bit of screening over the slots to prevent the beads from running out, and that'll be all you need.

That's what I would do. And if you don't have any screen laying around - have your wife give you some old pantyhose and put them in that - the beads are very small and really the best thing you can do for your humi.


Ron

[illuminatus]

Originally Posted by dizzydog

Im kinda new to this whole Beads thing, how long do they last and why do I need a pound of them? Are'nt these the same tubes they sell at the cigar shops for $15 each? About the size of a Corona?

I'll second the Bead FAQ. But in short, the beads will last forever, as long as you fill them with distilled water, not plain old tap water. They're different from the tubes at cigar shops in that they are solid media, not gel, and for $30 or so, you can get a full pound of beads, not a measly two tubes. Like some people said, you can put them in the toe of a pair of pantyhose, and zip tie it shut. This is useful if you have limited space in the humi, because the pantyhose can be shaped to conform to almost anything. Also, because there is no liquid water, only water vapor, you can rest cigars directly on top of the beads, or vice versa, with no risk to the cigars. Depending on the seal of your humi, beads can last for over a month, before you need to recharge them. They're good in my glasstop humi for right at a month before I need to add more H2O. If you have any questions that aren't answered by the FAQ, feel free to ask them here, or just PM me.

[Throb]

Just do the beads man...Just do the beads!

[Hammerhead]

As an aside, although you have two humidification elements in which you can place beads, having one of the below tubes is handy because you can drop it into a ziplok and travel. They're very convenient. I have a humidification element in my humidor attached to the lid, but another 3 of these in each of the lower sections (helps balance the RH), and find that they're great to 'grab and go' when I want to take a couple smokes on the road.

You can buy 'em pre-filled from Viper:


Or empty from JR (probably the more sensible way to do it if you're going to buy a pound or half pound anyway):

[illuminatus]

I agree with HH about tubes being handy when you travel, since my travel humi is just a small 25 count that I throw a tube and a hygro in. However, I'm cheap (read: broke college kid), so I just use old tubos with holes punched in em, instead of buying new tubes. If I hadn't just thrown away my old heartfelt tubes, I'd have sent em to ya for free, sorry. I didn't even think about the fact someone on CS might want em.. I just had to get rid of em for moving..

[dizzydog]

Ill look into these tubes, what sht cheapest place top get them? I cant believe i never heard of them before.

I wish there was something that came in a tube that would take my temp down, I cant get my dang humidor under 78 degrees unfortunately, thats uncomfortably high.

[chip]

Just go to hearfeltindustries.com and buy from Viper. There may be cheaper places for some of his stuff, I have never searched because his prices are very good and you will not get better service anywhere. Do a search here and see what others have to say, I don't believe I have ever seen a vendor that is so universally well thought of, and he earned his reputation.
I have two of his old tubes (they are a better design, now), and I keep them in my smoke-from desktop. The smaller tube I also use when I travel. I have two pounds in the TE wine chiller. All of them are 65%, and they have proven themselves so reliable that if people get bad readings my first thought is their hygrometer is off.
Great product and information, great customer service, and good prices....it's a no brainer.

[dizzydog]

I was going to try the 65% beads but it looks like he is out of stock. Maybe ill just get a couple of the tubes. How long will 2 of the tubes last?

[Hammerhead]

Originally Posted by dizzydog

I was going to try the 65% beads but it looks like he is out of stock. Maybe ill just get a couple of the tubes. How long will 2 of the tubes last?

I see you haven't read the Bead FAQ yet, or you wouldn't have asked this question.

The beads do not expire. They "last" indefinitely, provided you maintain them properly. My method for 'recharging' them is to drop the tubes or my hydration unit into a ziplok bag with a clean, damp sponge for a day or two. The beads will slowly absorb the moisture in the sponge, then I just put it back into the humidor. Recharging the beads isn't required as frequently in summer as in winter, of course. In the cold dry months I'd do it once every other week, from spring on, pretty much not at all.