Beads, beads, beads....

[jadeg001]

Has anyone ever taken the foam out of the credos that come with their humis and fill them with the beads? Would this work? Would it hold enough?

[iRace559]

This is pretty common, I see people do it all the time. The only thing you have to do is make sure you put some type of screen in the credo so the beads don't all fall out when you have it velcro'd to the lid.

If your interested, Heartfelt now makes circular disc style humidifiers that velcro right to your lid.

[smokin nightly]

Heartfelt is your one stop shop for all things beads...Heartfelt Industries, Cigar Humidification, Cigar Humidor Humidity Beads, Heartfelt Beads, quality Cigar Accessories

[veteranvmb]

Originally Posted by jadeg001

Has anyone ever taken the foam out of the credos that come with their humis and fill them with the beads? Would this work? Would it hold enough?

I put an order in the other day, for a couple(two different sizes) of the beads in the credo.

I have always been pretty happy with regular credos, but being a curious person, I thought I would try out the beads. I purchased two credos with beads, as well as 4 oz of beads.

Will let you know in about a week or so, hows its working out. As soon as they get delivered(they took my money from charge card, but have not shipped yer) I will install some and hope for a great result.

Maybee in the future I will be one of thlse:bead guys" also. Groovy man

Much regards Jerry

[Magicseven]

Originally Posted by iRace559

This is pretty common, I see people do it all the time. The only thing you have to do is make sure you put some type of screen in the credo so the beads don't all fall out when you have it velcro'd to the lid.

If your interested, Heartfelt now makes circular disc style humidifiers that velcro right to your lid.

That's what I bought and it works like a charm and fast shipping too.

[mrsmitty]

I just use panty house

[trendo]

I have done it but i found that the credos dont hold a whole lot of beads. Its fine for a desktop, but I have a cabinet. Stogiefresh.com has a video (or maybe its just pictures) on how to do it, I believe its in the do it yourself column. Its pretty easy, just put the beads in pantyhose, and put the sack in a credo.

I have some empty credos if you need em,

[veteranvmb]

Originally Posted by mrsmitty

I just use panty house

Mr Smitty. I didnt know that about you. "not that theres anything wrong with that" seinfeld and costanza quote.

Jerry

[Rubix^3]

I converted mine from green foam to beads. I cut out the windows with a utility knife and inserted a piece of aluminum mesh to fit inside. Don't use steel, or it will rust over time. Copper and Aluminum mesh can be found in small sheets at arts/craft stores.

[Viper139]

I have a short tutorial on my website for converting.

Conversion

[smelvis]

I found this while searching, I have a new humi coming and am trying to decide if I want to continue using my active electrics. They are handy but run out of water to often and I have been hearing too much good talk about these beads to not consider changing or at least combining the two, My problem is I have a lot of cubic ft to humidify and don't quite know yet which way I'm going. I do know at the least I am using beads in my smaller humi's.



I have noticed recently that there seems to be a lot of questions about humidification beads. Some of the questions are repeated when new folks join this fine place. I was prompted by a fine BOTL, steamnjn23, to write up some information about the use, care and feeding of humidification beads so here goes.

Let’s start with the basics.

Humidification beads are a moisture sensitive silica material which absorbs and desorbs moisture in order to offset changes in relative humidity (RH) in your humidor. The beads are generally available preset to a specific RH, in the case of cigars 60%, 65% and 70%. Opinions differ as to what is the “best” RH for cigars but most BOTLs seem to prefer 65% and that is my experience as well.

Humidification beads were first developed for the art and museum industry and are used extensively by that industry for the stable storage of priceless artifacts and art. The manufacturer I purchase the beads I sell also supplies places such as the Smithsonian and The National Archives.

A question that is often asked; “Are humidification beads the same as ordinary desiccant silica gel?” Definitely NOT! Humidification beads give off water vapor, as well as absorb it, to maintain a specific RH which is ideal for a cigars particular need. This is not the case with silica gel which can only absorb water then must be dried out after it is saturated. By nature silica gel is not meant to control humidity, only lower it. Humidification beads are the premier product for precise control in terms of performance, cost effectiveness, and simplicity.

One good point to remember is humidification beads have an indefinite life span. There is nothing to wear out and all that is needed to maintain them is either the addition of distilled water or the drying out of the beads if they become water logged.

You will notice that every time I mention the fluid that is added to the beads I will state “distilled water”. This is extremely important, anything other than distilled water will ultimately ruin the beads. All the impurities in tap water will be drawn in by the beads and remain there. Ultimately the beads will get plugged up and not work anymore. The same is tru with any type of humidifier solution (also known as 50/50 solution) this will also ruin the beads in the long run.

The question I get asked the most is, “How much do I need for my ______?”

Here are some quantities for various containers.
5 cubic feet requires 1 pound of humidification beads.
1/3 pound of beads per 50 quarts (coolerdors)
1 ounce of beads per 50 count in a desktop humi (so a 100 count would need 2 ounces, 150 count 3 ounces etc.)
For our metric friends: Each pound of beads will condition 141,584.233 cubic centimeters.

Calculating the cubic area of your humi:
Measure the depth, width and height of you humi (example is 24” depth, 36” wide and 48” height)
Multiply the three; 24x36x48=41472 cubic inches
Divide 41472 by 1728 (number of cubic inches in a cubic foot) 41472/1728= 24 cubic feet
Divide the cubic feet by 5 (number of cubic feet per pound) 24/5 = 4.8
You would need 4.8 pounds of humidification beads for this humi.

Remember that these calculations and quantities are the minumum amount you should put in a given space for control of RH. You can however place more in your humidor than these amounts without the chance of harming your cigars or the humidor, the right RH will still be maintained. The additional beads will only increase the amount of stored moisture which will just extend the amount of time before any distilled water needs to be added. They will also help the humidor recover to the proper RH quicker after the lid or door is opened.

Another question that keeps coming up is; “How do I add distilled water to the beads when they get dry?”

There are a number of ways to do this but whichever method you chose only add enough distilled water to make 70-75% of the beads clear and the rest either opaque or white. This gives the beads the ability to absorb excess humidity introduced by more moist cigars you may add to your humidor.

The method I use and prefer is using a spray bottle. I purchased an inexpensive spray bottle at the grocery store and filled it with distilled water. When the beads need water I just spray them until they have absorbed enough distilled water. This method will work well if you have the beads in a bag or dish.

You can just pour distilled water on the beads and pour off the excess. A lot of folks do it this way but the beads can fracture when it is done this way. One thing to remember, fracturing will not affect the efficiency of the beads or ruin them in any way, they will still do their job.

You can put a container of distilled water, like a bowl, next to the beads and let them absorb the distilled water in this way. When they have absorbed all they can remove the bowl. This method is effective but takes a while for the beads to absorb the water.

A method developed by a BOTL at Cigar Utopia is very easy. Place a paper towel that has been wet down with distilled water on the beads. They will soak up the moisture and re-charge.

Another question is; If my beads are going white, should I add distilled water until they are all clear?

The optimal is to have about 70-75% of them clear. Don't try to get them all clear because if you do they cannot absorb any sudden rise in humidity in your humi.

Another question is; “What do I put the beads in?”

A great variety of containers are possible. You can use a drawstring mesh bag, place the beads in a shot glass or small dish, put them is a leftover container with holes drilled in the lid, nylon stockings (be careful stealing them from your wife or significant other), the aluminum cases I sell to contain the beads (replaces the black plastic rectangular humidifier that comes with alot of humidors) or any other container. The main point of whatever container you choose is to have the greatest amount of surface area as possible exposed to the air. If possible the beads should be no more than 1 to 1 ½ inches deep, this way they will work the best.

Lastly we will deal with; “How can I tell when the beads need water?”

This is very easy. The color of the beads is the dead give away. When they are full of distilled water they are pretty much clear and when they are completely dried out they are a bright white. Believe me you will be able to tell the difference.

[jadeg001]

Thanks for all the info/ help everyone. I placed an order for 2lbs yesterday. This is much more than I need, though at this week's rate that won't be an issue for long. One more question: I have read that some people use beads, as well as other devices for humidity at the same time. Is this recommended or is it simply overkill?

[smokin nightly]

Lots of great info here!

[veteranvmb]

smelvis, great post, and you answered a lot of my questions.

Just one more about adding water when the beads need it. When you first set it , it should be around 75 percent beads clear. I am not clear at what point do you determine when the beads need to be rehydrated.

And if you are doing an initial hydration, and using a spray bottle, wouldnt it turn all the beads clear?

And if you are going to be using pantyhose in a credo, or just dropped into the humi, do you have to open the panty hose all the time to check and rehydrate?

Thanks Jerry

[smelvis]

Originally Posted by veteranvmb

smelvis, great post, and you answered a lot of my questions.

Just one more about adding water when the beads need it. When you first set it , it should be around 75 percent beads clear. I am not clear at what point do you determine when the beads need to be rehydrated.

And if you are doing an initial hydration, and using a spray bottle, wouldnt it turn all the beads clear?

And if you are going to be using pantyhose in a credo, or just dropped into the humi, do you have to open the panty hose all the time to check and rehydrate?

Thanks Jerry

Hey Jerry
I didn't write it, I copied it from somewhere on the net while searching for info, but I think to answer your question when the turn white.