Should I Be Concerned? Hygro Reading Still Off

[rdomfoto]

Brothers,

Here are some pics of my tupperdor. There are two cedar planks underneath the sticks that I dampened with distilled water a couple of weeks ago. I did not saturate them with water (I wiped them with a clean sponge) and, right now, they feel dry to the touch. I have one 2-oz container of humi beads from Xikar, and about 25 sticks in there (more on the way). Notice that the RH on the hygrometer is reading 75%. After keeping the tupperdor open for a couple of minutes, the RH reading drops below 60% (welcome to winter in Chicago).

Is the jar of beads too small to regulate the RH and, if so, with no other moisture source other than the cigars, why would the RH reading be so high?

Any and all answers/theories/guesses are welcome.

Thanks!

Rob

 

[ATL]

Rob, those are not beads, that's gel. It can add to the humidity but it can't absorb the access. Google heartfelt beads, or look through the storage threads here to learn more about beads. Start by taking the cedar out for a day. You likely did too good of a job with that. Also, the gel is great and is somewhat programmed to maintain 70 but I find it always goes above. With that big of a container, you might be alright with just the gel and no cedar. However, you'll be much happier with beads or kitty litter. Trust me, search the storage threads.

 

[rdomfoto]

Thanks!

So much to learn...

I have been reading the storage threads but, obviously, not well enough - like not knowing the difference between beads and gel. Oy...

So the beads (which I now know that I don't have) will help control the RH as opposed to just adding to it? Off to read some more!

 

[wantacigar]

Yes. The Kitty Litter option is a good one and much cheaper. Get some Exquisicat or Litter Pearls. That runs about $15 for 5 to 7 lbs. If you don't want to use the stocking option. you could use any type of storage medium for that. A pm is more suitable to go into that. Add 1 Boveda pack and the RH is steady.
Here are pics of my tupperdore. I use boxes as trays. if you leave the empty boxes in that tupperdore a few days with the gel they will be seasoned enough. You could even leave a small cup of distilled water in the tupperdore to season the empty boxes.

View attachment 37739View attachment 37740

Note the KL stocking balls on the right hand bottom of the tupperdor. Each stocking I put about 1/2 cup of beads/KL
I have approx. 45 to 60 sticks in there

 

[wantacigar]

Did you calibrate the hygrometer?

 

[rdomfoto]

Excellent! I was wondering how you would keep the dust down from the KL as well as prevent cross-over "aroma" from it. Stockings would work perfectly. Or, as close to perfect as possible.

We have two cats (technically, my wife has two cats and I have a dog) and we have lots of litter. I assume I should use clean litter? HA HA HA HA

 

[wantacigar]

whoa, whoa...............It has to be silica gel bead litter. The two brands I mentioned are the best to use!! DO NOT USE SCENTED OR ANY OTHER LITTER OTHER THAN THE TWO I MENTIONED AND THOSE UNSCENTED ALSO!!
Walmart also has Mimi which the stockings would not work with because the bead sizes are too small and you'll get a lot more silica dust using them. You would have to make a container. Cheap enough though and the mimi litter is about $5 or $6

 

[rdomfoto]

That makes a ton of sense.

How often do you change the KL in your tupperdor? My guess is to change it once the RH starts to rise and I can't stabilize it any more?

 

[Cigary43]

That makes a ton of sense.

How often do you change the KL in your tupperdor? My guess is to change it once the RH starts to rise and I can't stabilize it any more?

You don't change out Kitty Litter....I've had mine in their humis for years ( both wood and tupperware ) and that's one of the great things about KL is that it lasts and lasts. I suspect you are getting a crash course in KL and it's really a pretty easy and reliable form for RH control. I use the Exquisicat No Scent Brand.....it works great and almost no dust at all but there are other brands that work fine but have dust....so my first choice is the Exquisicat Brand.

You mentioned you have cedar planks under the cigars....cedar sheets or planks are helpful to regulate RH but DON'T saturate it with distilled water or spray DW on them...the cedar help regulate so don't put water on it...I repeat again...NO DW.

 

[wantacigar]

That makes a ton of sense.

How often do you change the KL in your tupperdor? My guess is to change it once the RH starts to rise and I can't stabilize it any more?

You rehydrate it. The KL beads are clear. When they are hydrated the turn an opaque or is it vice versa. I could send you an email explaining the whole process. It's pretty easy. Anyway, you get a spray bottle from the dollar store and fill it with distilled water. When you get your bead balls ready you give them about 2 to 3 sprays hydrating about 50% to 60%. You could tell by half the or more of the beads will turn opaque. put them in the tupperdore and wait. next day check the hygrometer. If below 65% or whatever you like the humidity to be give each ball a squirt, wait 24 hours and when you get it to your desired level just maintain. Usually spraying about every 2 to 4 weeks in winter and about every 5 to 8 weeks in summer.
The KL will stay indefinitely. Some guys here have had the same litter for years. You may have to change it out every once in a while.or 2 years if you want. The KL you buy will last you for years and years and years.

 

[rdomfoto]

Okay, so soak the planks in water, gotcha (KIDDING!)

My biggest worry with the KL was the dust, but that's because my sole experience with it has been for, well, litter boxes. I didn't know about the silica gel bead litter.

$15 for a box of that size is cheap, so I'll head out in the next couple of days to get some.

Seriously, thanks so much for all the help!

-- Rob

 

[wantacigar]

Make sure your hygrometer is calibrated

 

[rdomfoto]

Make sure your hygrometer is calibrated

I spent a few weeks getting that damned thing dialed in properly!

 

[wantacigar]

BTW: The other guy that just posted ^^^: Cigary43 is THE MAN when it comes to KL and cigar storage

 

[rdomfoto]

...I could send you an email explaining the whole process...

If you're willing to, that would be very much appreciated. I'll PM you my email address.

 

[halel]

What I did with my KL...

My box was at 76% with the foam blocks that came stock in my humi. I put my KL in there for a few days. The RH dropped to 70%. Took the foam out and the humi is holding at 66%.

 

[rdomfoto]

What I did with my KL...

My box was at 76% with the foam blocks that came stock in my humi. I put my KL in there for a few days. The RH dropped to 70%. Took the foam out and the humi is holding at 66%.

Out of curiosity, how fast did the RH drop? I know you said a "few days" but did it drop quickly and you waited a few days to make sure it stabilized?

This is why I love going the DIY route when I can - I learn far more about how something works (or why it doesn't) than if I just throw money at an automated device/tool. Of course, after I do all that, I always wish - in hindsight - that I had just taken the easy route!

 

[halel]

It began dropping after about an hour. When I went to bed(3 hours or so after putting it in there) it was at 72%.
I waited like a day and a half and it was holding around 68-70% so I took the foam out.

 

[Cigary43]

BTW: The other guy that just posted ^^^: Cigary43 is THE MAN when it comes to KL and cigar storage

Thx for the shout out...KL and it's storage was explained to me by another BOTL who pretty much wrote the book on how it all works and before I ever went down this road I was a huge skeptic...so I started slowly with one humidor, then another and then another and finally after 33 humidors of different varieties they all work and I love how I can get the RH to any percentage I want. Being able to get a RH you want will or should only take a couple of times to get there and while I see changes of RH within 6 hours you don't have to be tied to that number...let it sit overnight and check in the morning to get an accurate percentage then adjust the number of sprays to get to your 'magic percentage' number. The adjustment is doing a little math....once you're sprayed DW over the top of the KL ( example...5 sprays ) you will see the rise of RH the next day...take the number of sprays you used to get the new RH you will see and then take the average and get your magic number of sprays per RH raised.

 

[Cigary43]

It began dropping after about an hour. When I went to bed(3 hours or so after putting it in there) it was at 72%.
I waited like a day and a half and it was holding around 68-70% so I took the foam out.

Good idea on removing the foam....I've had foam in the past hold humidity which in turn became a host for mold spores. Floral foam will work but prolonged usage of it often influences bad things so I stopped using foam years ago and it seems 75% of the time I'd get some mold issue from foam.