Exquisicat cat litter vs. Heartfelt pearls

[LORD PUFFER]

I think it is down to preference and for someone who has be smoking cigars for years, I will listen to any advice given. Now when I have the cajones to apply that advice on my own stash....that may take me a while to come around. I like beads in my desktop. When I get or build a cabinet, I will use active device w/ beads. Once I master keeping at desired RH, then maybe will try. Good thread!

[gary106334]

Originally Posted by cf2112

I just put some in a cooler with my Cigar Oasis and let it run for a few days. You can do the same by just setting water in an airtight container for a few days until they reach 65% (my preference) I've found they won't go much past 68-71% no matter how long I leave them in, unless you spray water directly on them. In a cooler they will last for months, desktops 4-6 weeks. When you see the humidity drops set a bowl of water in until they come back to your desired level. HINT: using SAP's will let the KL absorb moisture without fear of a water spill, this work with beads also.

Thanks. I will give that a try.

[Uniputt]

Anyone interested in this subject should take a fwe moments to read this thread. There is some extremely good information contained in it regarding the differences between the silicon cat litter products and the humidification beads. They are NOT the same!


http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthr...t=kitty+litter


And yes, the search tool is your friend!

[cf2112]

Originally Posted by Linder

Very interesting! Where do you get the SAPs?

http://www.watersorb.com/index.htm

[bigswol2]

Originally Posted by cf2112

http://www.watersorb.com/index.htm

This is what I use in my wine cooler!!

[cedjunior]

Originally Posted by Uniputt

Anyone interested in this subject should take a fwe moments to read this thread. There is some extremely good information contained in it regarding the differences between the silicon cat litter products and the humidification beads. They are NOT the same!


http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthr...t=kitty+litter


And yes, the search tool is your friend!

I saw a lot of unproven theory and a whole lot of tired out cat shit jokes. I think people are much too concerned with the stigma of using "cat litter" for humidification control then whether or not it really works.

The idea that beads have the magical power to release moisture as well as absorb it as opposed to regular silica only being able to absorb is news to me. Normally I relied on the cigars natural moisture content to maintain a RH of ~65%, but when I moved them to a larger container RH almost immediately decreased to ~61% because of the larger open space. By adding a couple small cups fill moistened silica gel beads (the ones packaged as cat litter), I was able to bring the RH back up to ~65%. Works for me, all the proof I need.

[Major Captain Silly]

Originally Posted by cedjunior

I saw a lot of unproven theory and a whole lot of tired out cat shit jokes. I think people are much too concerned with the stigma of using "cat litter" for humidification control then whether or not it really works.

The idea that beads have the magical power to release moisture as well as absorb it as opposed to regular silica only being able to absorb is news to me. Normally I relied on the cigars natural moisture content to maintain a RH of ~65%, but when I moved them to a larger container RH almost immediately decreased to ~61% because of the larger open space. By adding a couple small cups fill moistened silica gel beads (the ones packaged as cat litter), I was able to bring the RH back up to ~65%. Works for me, all the proof I need.

I'm buying some cat litter!

MCS

[icehog3]

I like tired out cat shit jokes.

[l0venpeace]

Seems to me that an objective manner of observation is possible here. It should be pretty easy to put to rest any naysayers, or to prove them true, if someone wants to carefully document an experiment.

Without having ever used litter, I would imagine that it works similarly to the beads, just based on it's innate function.

[Uniputt]

What's important to remember is that the beads are much more efficient as a humidity buffer, thereby reducing the amount needed. This obviously saves room for more cigars.

What I got from the thread (besides cat jokes) was that the composition of the cat litter was basically low-grade silicon, and the beads had some other salts in them. This is why they are more stable, more efficient, and don't require a conditioning process like the cat litter.

Think for a minute about the job that the cat litter is designed to do. It isn't supposed to release the humidity (in the usual application: smelly cat piss) back out into the surrounding air. It's effeciveness as a 2-way humdity buffer is suspect, in my opinion. I think this alone should be enough to give some people pause about using it. (Or should that be "paws"?)

[Drazzil]

Okay. Let me first state that when I started this experiment I totally messed up. I totally submerged the beads in distilled water and because I thought the humi looked dry I wiped it down with a sponge and distilled water.

Its a good thing most of my cigars are in cellothane, because for the first three days the humidity went up to around 70% before skyrocketing to 78% and then going between 70 and 75%. After the first few days the humidity settled into around 70% and I added a few sticks that I had kept in cellothane but really needed to air out as they had dried. The humidity dipped to 67% and has held steady for the last four days.

More results as they develop.

[n3uka]

Originally Posted by cf2112

http://www.watersorb.com/index.htm

Which particular product from them do you use?
I am looking to use them in my cigar oasis II

[tzaddi]

Properly conditioning the KL Silica gel beads/pearls is the key to having them work sucessfully. My experience has been that it can take several weeks or longer to accomplish this. As mentioned earlier in this thread the method involves placing the KL silica gel beads into a large closed container with a water source and montioring the hydration process until the environment reaches the desired RH. I use a large airtight plastic storage container that I have placed a cool mist room humidifier in along with the KL silica gel beads. From my experience the KL silica gel beads ship @ 40% RH.

To some the amount of time it takes to "condition" the KL silica gel beads is not worth their time and that is understandable. I only offer this information from my own experience. " To each his own"..."Live and let live"...and to sum up whatever "floats your boat".

For those with a science bent here is a great PDF by Steven Weintraub titled "Demystifying Silica Gel".

http://web.mac.com/tzaddi/iWeb/Corde..._SW_2003-1.pdf

Have Fun and keep it moist

[preembargo]

KLH and "museum beads" are both composed of silica gel. There are varying grades of silica gel beads, the only difference being the size of the nano pores. Silica gel beads can be conditioned to whatever RH the user prefers.

[Uniputt]

Originally Posted by preembargo

KLH and "museum beads" are both composed of silica gel. There are varying grades of silica gel beads, the only difference being the size of the nano pores. Silica gel beads can be conditioned to whatever RH the user prefers.

I don't think this is entirely correct. Please take a moment to read the information included in the referenced threads.

The salts and other compounds used in the beads are different from those in the kitty litter silica gel. That is just one reason that it takes more of the kitty litter to do the same job as the beads. While you are correct that they are both comprised of different grades of silica, (with the beads being a much higher quality from what I've seen and read) there are other differences as well.