Wine cooler help?
- Thread starter Donk
- Start date
Are you not using an active humidifier, such as an Oasis? Do you have any fans in your cooler? I never put a fan in the cooler when I had it, so I'm wondering if that would have made any impact.
I have my beads on the bottom, and a oust fan on the bottom too. then all my boxes above, with the units fan, and another oust fan. Temp and humidity are actually right on now. around 66 degrees and 65% humidity. All my boxes are arranged so it time to let them just sit and age.
No, being in FL it seems I don't have a need for active humidification. As it is I fight and fight to keep the humidity down towards the bottom of the cooler. Right now it's sitting at 70% at the bottom and that's higher than I prefer. At this point I just keep the sticks I'm aging down there and what I tend to smoke up top. I have three Oust Fans throughout and more beads than anyone should need for that kind of space along with one of those containers of stuff that sucks out the humidity in the air (can't remember the name for it right now) at the bottom of the cooler). Still, I fight to keep humidity up on the top and down on the bottom.
Really, the wine cooler has been one hell of a lot more complicated than I expected, but my temps are way to high to keep my sticks in a plane-jane cooler and I simply can't justify the dollars for a cooled cabinet. So I just keep tinkering hoping I'll hit on whatever it is I need to do to get things even throughout.
I HEAR YA BRO!
Jason, you probably need one of those small CPU type fans to stir the air vertically to balance our that RH.
Ok, Now here is a question for all you wine cooler owners. Do you guys have condensation problems in your cooler? I always seem to have a puddle in the bottome of my cooler? I put a peice of folded paper towel in the bottom to soak it up? I bout a good venotemp 28 bottle cooler, what the hell am I doing wrong with this damn thing? Why all the problems?
After trying two different coolers (Dandby and Vinotemp), I experienced a good bit of condensation with both units. However it was with the Vinotemp that it was a slight problem. The unit has a drain hole but the condensation doesn't all accumulate there so if you have any cigar boxes on the bottom of the cooler, your smokes will be in trouble. Guys who have had good experiences with coolers usually (based on what I've read) have had to account fo the condensation by doing something to collect it (which can be done in a variety of ways).
What I've heard works well are Oust small space air sanitizers. Just take the air sanitizer spray out of the unit and you are left with a portable fan, which operates on batteries, all for under 10 bucks. I believe these devices can be set to go on and off in different timed increments so they're not always running. I'm actually going to pick up a couple today for my large cabinet humi so I'll let you know how they work once I get them.
Donk, yep, pretty standard. I actually ended up putting a couple of mesh bags of the bead-like Kitty Litter along the little ledge that has the drain hole where the condensation collects.
ZMan. I currently have 3 of the Oust fans in my cooler. I just don't think they are powerful enough or move enough air for what I need.
ZMan. I currently have 3 of the Oust fans in my cooler. I just don't think they are powerful enough or move enough air for what I need.
What temp is it running at?
When my was bouncing between 59-62F there was a definitive problem with condensation.
After rewiring the sensor closer to the peltier element, I now have it at 64-65F and very stable!
No condensation problems at all.
When my was bouncing between 59-62F there was a definitive problem with condensation.
After rewiring the sensor closer to the peltier element, I now have it at 64-65F and very stable!
No condensation problems at all.
Hmmm... if that's the case, I wouldn't be suprised if I have find the same to be true (with my cabinet humi). By the way, just to make sure I understand, the fans are to help stabalize the humidity throughout the humi, correct? I wouldn't think it has anything to do with temperature.
Wasch_24
2005 BoY
You aren't doing anything wrong Kelly.
JW went through very similar headaches until it all settled into place.
http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php?t=4017
http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php?t=6830
Edit: Weird, that is actually two different threads with the same title. Didn't Jay have this problem a while back? Weird.
Earlier today I picked up a couple of Oust fans for my cabinet humi, since I've heard that so many guys use them. I was pretty shocked at how weak they are! Jason, now I know exactly what you mean.
I don't see how even a dozen of them would do anything. It took me a couple minutes to realize that the device was even on because the air flow was so weak. I'm suprised that these fans have gotten so much attention. I'm taking mine back tomorrow and will look for something else.
I don't see how even a dozen of them would do anything. It took me a couple minutes to realize that the device was even on because the air flow was so weak. I'm suprised that these fans have gotten so much attention. I'm taking mine back tomorrow and will look for something else.
2 things. the less the cooling unit runs, the less condensation should be produced on the rear wall. so try to keep the temp at 69-70 degrees.
next, less humidity in the wine cabinet will mean less humidity attracted to the rear wall. i would not have that block of wet foam in there. i would rely on the beads. even if your hygro drops to 55, as long as it recovers pretty quick, there will be no harm to your cigars. I bet that if you have a remote hygro in a box of cigars, you would see very little to no variation.
next, less humidity in the wine cabinet will mean less humidity attracted to the rear wall. i would not have that block of wet foam in there. i would rely on the beads. even if your hygro drops to 55, as long as it recovers pretty quick, there will be no harm to your cigars. I bet that if you have a remote hygro in a box of cigars, you would see very little to no variation.
I have one of the Vinotemp 28 bottle coolers as well. Mine has been very easy to set up and very stable. I paid about $179 for it at Target a month ago.
It says the range of this unit tops out at 65 degrees, but it's more like 71 as read by my two digital thermometers. I just set the Vinotemp at it's highest setting, and it never gets above 71. The digital temp readout on the front of the unit is worthless. Currently the digital thermometers say it's 69 degrees in there, and the readout on the Vinotemp says it's 60.
I have about a pound of kitty litter in it, half a pound of damp litter on the bottom shelf, and half a pound of bone dry litter on the top shelf in case things get overhumidified for some reason.
Oddly, when I used more kitty litter (2 pounds), I had wild fluctuations in RH. I took half of the damp litter out to dry it, and the whole thing stabilized rock steady at 65% and has been that way ever since.
If I leave the door open for a few minutes to shuffle boxes, the litter bumps it back up to 65% in about 10-15 minutes. Good enough for me. I have Heartfelt 65% beads in a couple of my other humis, so I decided to try litter this time, and it works exactly the same as far as I can tell. (sorry!!)
I also have some condensation in the back by the drain hole. About a spoonful. I stuffed a little mesh bag of litter back there to soak it up.
I have two Oust fans...one on the bottom pointing up, and one on the top pointing down...trying to circulate the air around.
I currently have about 7 boxes and couple of spanish cedar trays in it. I do want to replace the wire racks with spanish cedar. If the wire racks were flat I wouldn't bother, but they're indented for wine bottles, so I am going to change the out anyway, and might as well do it right.
I love this thing. It's whisper quiet, and if the power goes out because of a passing hurricane like it did last time for a couple of weeks, I can plug it into my generator and not lose my precious babies. :thumbsup:
It says the range of this unit tops out at 65 degrees, but it's more like 71 as read by my two digital thermometers. I just set the Vinotemp at it's highest setting, and it never gets above 71. The digital temp readout on the front of the unit is worthless. Currently the digital thermometers say it's 69 degrees in there, and the readout on the Vinotemp says it's 60.
I have about a pound of kitty litter in it, half a pound of damp litter on the bottom shelf, and half a pound of bone dry litter on the top shelf in case things get overhumidified for some reason.
Oddly, when I used more kitty litter (2 pounds), I had wild fluctuations in RH. I took half of the damp litter out to dry it, and the whole thing stabilized rock steady at 65% and has been that way ever since.
If I leave the door open for a few minutes to shuffle boxes, the litter bumps it back up to 65% in about 10-15 minutes. Good enough for me. I have Heartfelt 65% beads in a couple of my other humis, so I decided to try litter this time, and it works exactly the same as far as I can tell. (sorry!!)
I also have some condensation in the back by the drain hole. About a spoonful. I stuffed a little mesh bag of litter back there to soak it up.
I have two Oust fans...one on the bottom pointing up, and one on the top pointing down...trying to circulate the air around.
I currently have about 7 boxes and couple of spanish cedar trays in it. I do want to replace the wire racks with spanish cedar. If the wire racks were flat I wouldn't bother, but they're indented for wine bottles, so I am going to change the out anyway, and might as well do it right.
I love this thing. It's whisper quiet, and if the power goes out because of a passing hurricane like it did last time for a couple of weeks, I can plug it into my generator and not lose my precious babies. :thumbsup:
AndrewDill
San Diegan
pretty cool. i think im going to set up a wine cooler this week. costco has a decent looking danby 35 bttl cooler for 200.
im going to give that kitty litter a shot. if that doesnt work, ill have to get a cigar oasis.
im going to give that kitty litter a shot. if that doesnt work, ill have to get a cigar oasis.
Ron brings up a very important point. If you really want to know how things are going, and you keep most of your sticks in boxes as I do, put a remote hygro INSIDE a box. That will tell you how things are truly running. And you won't see the larger swings (if it swings at ALL) that you see from a hygro just sitting out.