Humidification Beads: FAQs

[Viper139]

Some of you may have seen this in other forums but I thought I would post it here in case someone had missed it. I think it is good info.

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 the different Boards. I was prompted 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). The beads are generally available preset to a specific RH, in the case of cigars 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.

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 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.

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;

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.

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.

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 60% 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 filter 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) or any other container. The main point of whatever container you choose is to have the greatest amount of surface area as possible. 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.

You may have noticed that every time I mention the fluid that is added to the beads I say “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.

As I think of other things or as questions rise I will edit this post and add that information. I hope this helps. One thing I do want to make clear is that I am still happy to answer any questions that you may have. This post is in no way meant to keep you from asking me.

Viper139
www.heartfeltindustries.com

[P-Town Smokes]

Hey, thanks. That about sums it up, Also helpful.

[Scott M]

Great thread!

Thanks!

ScottM

[Nely]

good one!

[floydp]

Excellent info and so are the beads..

[miketafc]

Viper that is excellent inofrmation for anyone having questions about the beads.

[txmatt]

Great post; this will answer many many questions asked about beads.

I feel it should be noted that when using the evaporated water absorbtion/filling method (IE placing a bowl/shot glass/sponge of water near the beads) it is NOT necessary to use distilled water.

To distill water you evaporate it and gather the vapors (gas) back into the liquid state. No impurities can be transferred to the beads by filling them with via evaporation because gaseous water cannot carry them.

-Matt-

[texasaero]

Thanks, Viper! Answered a lot of questions for me. I even have enough to upgrade to a 150qt cooler. Run Credit Card! Run!

[magno]

so I guess the next question i have is, for my Manassas humidor (or any semi-large cabinet) do you recommend using a fan with the beads to ensure RH consistency throughout the humidor or is this not necessary ? I recently purchased a fan contraption from BOTL "Mocobird" to help my Cigar Oasis Plus provide a balanced RH throughout and have been successful within +/- 1% RH. (Before the fan I was off as much as 4% RH). I'm still intrigued by the apparent simplicity of the beads, though. just curious how much consistency I can expect from them throughout my humidor.

thanks much!

Originally Posted by Viper139

Some of you may have seen this in other forums but I thought I would post it here in case someone had missed it. I think it is good info.

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 the different Boards. I was prompted 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). The beads are generally available preset to a specific RH, in the case of cigars 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.

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 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.

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;

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.

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.

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 60% 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 filter 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) or any other container. The main point of whatever container you choose is to have the greatest amount of surface area as possible. 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.

You may have noticed that every time I mention the fluid that is added to the beads I say “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.

As I think of other things or as questions rise I will edit this post and add that information. I hope this helps. One thing I do want to make clear is that I am still happy to answer any questions that you may have. This post is in no way meant to keep you from asking me.

Viper139
www.heartfeltindustries.com

[Nely]

Originally Posted by txmatt

Great post; this will answer many many questions asked about beads.

I feel it should be noted that when using the evaporated water absorbtion/filling method (IE placing a bowl/shot glass/sponge of water near the beads) it is NOT necessary to use distilled water.

To distill water you evaporate it and gather the vapors (gas) back into the liquid state. No impurities can be transferred to the beads by filling them with via evaporation because gaseous water cannot carry them.

-Matt-

Muchos brainos en tu cabesa!

[icehog3]

Excellent info for a Newbie like me Viper, thanks!!

[Viper139]

Originally Posted by magno

so I guess the next question i have is, for my Manassas humidor (or any semi-large cabinet) do you recommend using a fan with the beads to ensure RH consistency throughout the humidor or is this not necessary ? I recently purchased a fan contraption from BOTL "Mocobird" to help my Cigar Oasis Plus provide a balanced RH throughout and have been successful within +/- 1% RH. (Before the fan I was off as much as 4% RH). I'm still intrigued by the apparent simplicity of the beads, though. just curious how much consistency I can expect from them throughout my humidor.

thanks much!

Actually they work pretty well in a larger cabinet. The key to the best results is to distribute the beads throughout the cab. Split the amount up into 3 or 4 equal parts and place them at different locations, one up high, one in the middle, one at the bottom and so on. The balance in the cabinet will be better this way.

[magno]

Well, duh, that makes perfect sense. No need to keep em all together.

But you have me a bit concerned. You say "they work pretty well." Not great? Amazing? Fantabuloso? Any drawbacks to this medium versus an active humidifcation unit?

Originally Posted by Viper139

Actually they work pretty well in a larger cabinet. The key to the best results is to distribute the beads throughout the cab. Split the amount up into 3 or 4 equal parts and place them at different locations, one up high, one in the middle, one at the bottom and so on. The balance in the cabinet will be better this way.

[Viper139]

Originally Posted by magno

Well, duh, that makes perfect sense. No need to keep em all together.

But you have me a bit concerned. You say "they work pretty well." Not great? Amazing? Fantabuloso? Any drawbacks to this medium versus an active humidifcation unit?

I apologise for my lack of enthusiasm. I try not to over do my description since I don't want folks to think I am only answering their questions in an attempt to sell the product, I really only want folks to have good cigars to smoke and as you know humidification of the cigars is critical to that.

I have used the beads in a cabinet as large as 27 cubic feet and they worked "Fantabuloso". The differenct between the top and bottom of the cabinet was 1%

[magno]

Gotcha. And I appreciate your "spamming" concerns. I just might have to go this route in the near future. I'd hate to go on vacation for a month and have my Cigar Oasis run out of water on me.

Originally Posted by Viper139

I apologise for my lack of enthusiasm. I try not to over do my description since I don't want folks to think I am only answering their questions in an attempt to sell the product, I really only want folks to have good cigars to smoke and as you know humidification of the cigars is critical to that.

I have used the beads in a cabinet as large as 27 cubic feet and they worked "Fantabuloso". The differenct between the top and bottom of the cabinet was 1%