Cooling humidor

[BigBasMan]

I live (not for too much longer) in a 2nd floor apartment. Since we are very well insulated, it stays fairly warm, usually 75 to 80 degrees. Way too hot for cigars.

My hygrometer usually said 75 which made me fear for beetles and my cigars seemed on the dry side, even though the humidity was 65%. I got tired of this and got an idea.

I took a wet towel, rang it out and put it on top of my humidor. I also homebrew beer, and this is a trick used to cool down a carboy. The evaporation of the water cools it down a few degrees. My temp is now 69. I have noticed a great improvement in the taste of my cigars. I didn't know temperature had such an effect.

The towel is not hanging down where the humidor seals, and my humidity hasn't changed. I check the towel everyday and add water if needed, changing the towel every so often to avoid mold.

Is there anything that I'm overlooking that should worry me?

If not, I highly recommend this technique for people living in warm places like me.

(My humi is a ~100 count desktop w/ glass windows on the front and top.)

[Tour De Cigar]

hmm might have to try this text-neek um something like that.. im in tx so something the heat can get reall hot over here.. i normally set my ac around 72/73.. pretty much get everything cool... but the winter time i might have an issue cause i dont like the cold and i have the heater pumpn... high... so this text neek might come in handy... thx for the info...

[JCK]

Thanks for the idea.. I'd been worrying about heat as well. The A/C went out for 2 days last week. I felt a little panicked thinking about the heat in the house.

[The Pict]

What sort of finish do you have on your humi? I'd worry about the wood (assuming it is made of wood) absorbing the moisture and ruining the finish.
Just my

[rlacapra1]

thats a great idea. i assume you can put the wet towel in a plastic bag to prevent the top of the humi from getting wet.

[The Pict]

Originally Posted by rlacapra1

thats a great idea. i assume you can put the wet towel in a plastic bag to prevent the top of the humi from getting wet.

A plastic bag would inhibit the evaporation, which is what causes the cooling effect.

[BigBasMan]

The finish is a hard varnish (or lacquer). I have been checking it for any ill effects. Nothing yet.

I wouldn't imagine that a piece of saran wrap would hurt. Worth a shot.

[WyoBob]

I've read several posts concerning keeping humidor/coolerdors cool. I had an idea that might work for some folks with coolers: Poly tubing and fittings found at harware stores.

I'm talking about tubing used in, for instance, running water to the ice maker of a frig (around 1/8" ?). You'd have to drill two holes in your cooler, one for in, one for out. You'd need a way to tap into a water line and a way to route to a drain. Put a valve on the system right by the cooler for adjusting flow into the cooler and coil the tubing in the bottom of the cooler.

This idea probably has limited value due to wives opinions and logistics but I can think of several places I could make this work in my house. I don't think you would need much flow to drop the temp in a cooler.

WyoBob

[Commander Quan]

What about putting in an ice pack? It would probably have to be wrapped in a small towel to prevent condensation. You could have 2 of them and swap back and forth each day.

[BigBasMan]

I thought about that, but I didn't want to give up space inside. That and I thought the ice packs might not cool as uniformly. Would definitely work for people with bigger humis with space to spare.

[pedrolf]

question for this method.... when you say wringing the towel out, do you mean leaving the towel damp , or kinda wet still so you could put it on the humidor? I ask because I tried your method as my humidor is at 78 to 83 EVERYDAY and have my cigars tasting so so bland , but all attempts were unsuccessful....

[zonedar]

Guys,

I use this trick on my whitewater raft when on several day floats to keep ice longer. Drape a towel over the cooler and keep it wet . I can keep ice for several days this way. This is in 100+ degree weather with 20 mile an hour winds. Don't like luke warm beer.

Pict is right. It's all about evaporation. I'd put some sort of protective barrier between the humi and the towel, just to keep the wood from constantly being damp. You might also put a dish of water close so that you can stick an end of the towel into it and keep it wicking water. Another thing that would help is to keep a bit of air moving across it by putting a fan blowing across the towel.

FWIW,

-Zone

[Marlboro Cigars]

Great tip for those hot afternoons.

[Pete]

As long as you're covering up your humidor and not concerned with how it looks, why don't you just put the 100ct inside of a larger cooler with a few ice packs in there with it. It would introduce a lower ambient temperature that it sits in. And it won't ruin the finish. Could probably put this together for under $30...

Or you could buy a 24 bottle wine fridge and convert it and make more room for the slope I know someone (ummm....me), who did this while looking for a solution for a problem just like yours. Now I sit and watch TV and gaze upon my cigar pron.

[Puffin Fresh]

Good idea with the evaporation. I went to a wine cooler about a month ago and I haven't looked back. If you can swing it, a wine cooler really is the way to go. I don't have to worry about the temp in the apartment anymore as long as I'm comfortable! Oh, and no more cold living room for my wife ot complain about!