A few coolidor questions

[11is1louder]

Hello brothers,

My first coolidor project didn't pan out the way I would have liked and I am in the process of making a new one and want to do it right this time.

My first coolidor was pretty small so I had to cram a bunch of stuff in there. Unfortunately I fell victim to the dreaded mold. The mold ruined about 10 loose sticks but all the other ones were in cellophane so they were spared. I bought some cedar trays from a local shop and there is a little bit of mold on them. If I give them a good cleaning can they be used in my next coolidor or should I get new ones?

My new coolidor will be a Coleman Xtreme 70 qt. My last coolidor I tried the cat litter that I have heard of people using just because I was cheap, but now I am going to get HF beads. I am planning on using 1/2 pound of beads; will that be enough. I also bought an Oust fan online.

I know there are a bunch of threads about coolidors but I just wanted to know if there are any tricks I should know to make my new one perfect.

Also, I really want to know if I can still use my cedar trays that had a small amount of mold on them in my next coolidor if I give them a good cleaning. And what is a good hygrometer? I have a pretty cheap one that's really old and want to get a good one.

Thank you :ccool:

 

[GoingPostal]

I suggest reading the sticky coolidor 101 all the info you need. as for hygrometers i've used the hygro-set adjustable and never been let down. The trays should be good, as long as you cleaned them with alcohol to insure you killed the mold spores. For coolidors I prefer using bovedas they take up less space so makes playing tetris with the boxes a little easier.

 

[bigbill72]

I use hf beads in mine and the rhe is always 65%-67%. early in the spring I was having some temp problems and I actually used some ice packs in a Tupperware dish to bring down the temps. Now it has been pretty stable. I have 150 quart now with a lb of beads and its working great, and when I had a 70 quart I used a half pound and that also worked great. I have an oust fan and it is useless. Good luck. bro

 

[jmatkins]

Yes read the sticky threads on the coolidors.
http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php/35811-Wine-Cooler-101

http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php/8917-A-Coolidor-Primer

I have 2 coolidors in my basement using these guidelines and they are doi g great for 3 years. I also don't use cedar trays I just use just wood boxes that the cigars come in. Good luck and post more questions if you have them.

 

[milhouse]

I personally would keep any of the sticks that were exposed to mold in a tuppadore. As stated above, the trays should be good w/ some alcohol and a maybe a light sanding. I personally would get new ones or just get some empty boxes from my b&m. just my .02

Also, I would think long and hard before introducing an icepack in a cooler. I would not want extra condensation/moisture introduced to the box. If temps are a concern, freeze your sticks.

I use heartfelt beads in my desktops, and kitty litter in my cooler. I am rock solid between 62-65rh year long. My coolers on kitty litter gets a spritz of distilled water every couple of months, where as my desktops about 3 weeks or so. (depending on the season). I wouldn't be so quick to say kittly litter was the issue.

 

[Rupe]

I personally would keep any of the sticks that were exposed to mold in a tuppadore. As stated above, the trays should be good w/ some alcohol and a maybe a light sanding. I personally would get new ones or just get some empty boxes from my b&m. just my .02

Also, I would think long and hard before introducing an icepack in a cooler. I would not want extra condensation/moisture introduced to the box. If temps are a concern, freeze your sticks.

I use heartfelt beads in my desktops, and kitty litter in my cooler. I am rock solid between 62-65rh year long. My coolers on kitty litter gets a spritz of distilled water every couple of months, where as my desktops about 3 weeks or so. (depending on the season). I wouldn't be so quick to say kittly litter was the issue.

+1 on everything that Milhouse said!

I'm positive that the kitty litter had nothing to do with your mold. I have used kitty litter in my cooler for more than a year. I have had zero issues with mold and humidity that sits within 1% +/- of 65%. Somewhere along the line you must have gotten too much moisture. I'm not sure how you set things up but you need to be careful when seasoning your trays. Too much distilled water on the wipe down is a frequent mistake that can lead to mold. you can certainly re-use your existing trays if you feel you have completely removed the mold. Personally I would just buy new ones. For 8-$10 each it would be worth my peace of mind. I would also recommend against putting an ice pack inside because it will cause condensation, once again increasing your chances for mold.

As far as the Oust fans, I have seen complaints on the board from time to time that they are not effective because they move very little air. Actually that's exactly what you want for your cooler! All you need to do is "stir" the air every now and then, not create a wind storm.

For a good idea of how I set my cooler up, you can start reading at post #120 in this thread. http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php/8917-A-Coolidor-Primer/page8



If you need any help or advice, please feel free to send me a PM.

Rupe