Help Going to Heartfelt Beads?

[ciggy]

If I have a cabnet stlye humi with three shelfs on it (Like a wineador) that requires roughly a pound of beads, would it be better to split it in half. Putting 1/2 pound on the top shelf and 1/2 pound on the bottem or just put the whole pound in anywhere because it wont matter? I'm not sure how to place them.

 

[Tony Large]

If you have the room split them up. If not just have a fan to circulate and you will be fine

 

[twenty5]

I would split them up if you could. Most people also go a little higher in quantity than is called for, if you need 1 lb pick up 1.5 instead. You will notice the difference in recovery times.

Another thing you may want to look into is shilala beads. I have a ton of heartfelts and have been using them for almost 2 years and they are not even close in quality to the shilala ones. Shilala beads are seriously the only set it and forget it beads available.

 

[ciggy]

Another thing you may want to look into is shilala beads. I have a ton of heartfelts and have been using them for almost 2 years and they are not even close in quality to the shilala ones. Shilala beads are seriously the only set it and forget it beads available.

Where do you recommend I get these Justin?

 

[twenty5]

Where do you recommend I get these Justin?

http://www.shilalabeads.com/

They are more expensive than heartfelt but worth every penny IMHO.

 

[ciggy]

http://www.shilalabeads.com/

They are more expensive than heartfelt but worth every penny IMHO.

It says there preset to 65% but you can raise or lower it. I just want 65% so I take it if I add to much water it will raise it where heartfelt beads will maintain it. Am I undrstanding this wrong?

 

[twenty5]

It seems like a bigger pain in the ass than it really is.

Take the bead bags and throw them in your humi (make sure you hygros are correct, I would buy a calibration pack before hand to make sure they are dead on!)
After 24 hrs check the humidity, if its too low throw a dish with a sponge soaked with distilled water over night. Take the dish out, wait a couple hrs then check again.
Thats it. Some people have claimed that this process took almost a week (I assume their humidor was very under humidified in that situation) it took me 2 days.
To remove humidity they go in the fridge. I have not tried this so I have no idea how hard it is or how long it takes.
You seriously dont need to do anything for months at a time of longer. Some people have a dead on 65% for almost 2 yrs now. Mine have started dropping a bit, I think I am close to 60%, when I get the energy I will do the soaked sponge thing again but probably wont do it until the colder months.

 

[ciggy]

Thanks Justin..I will have to concider this. I have been using two large jell jars from CI and just adding water as needed. I'm just trying to see if beeds are the better way to go.

 

[twenty5]

Thanks Justin..I will have to concider this. I have been using two large jell jars from CI and just adding water as needed. I'm just trying to see if beeds are the better way to go.

I have seen parts of your collection, if I had what you have I would NOT depend on 6$ worth of magic jelly.

Heartfelts or Shilalas will be a huge improvement over your current set up.

 

[ciggy]

I have seen parts of your collection, if I had what you have I would NOT depend on 6$ worth of magic jelly.

Heartfelts or Shilalas will be a huge improvement over your current set up.

LOL...exactly why I need to improve my humidor. I actually have more mid range sticks $5-$10 than higher but still what I do have I consider good and so I need to improve my humi.

 

[rick12string]

65% beads have worked great for me for years in my 100-150 count humidors. Rock solid at 65% for a couple of months. When it drops to a consistent 64% I just add a little dist. water and everything is good. If splitting the pound up will give you more exposed surface area on the beads, that's the way to go. Also I think having the beads at opposite ends will give better humidity distribution and recovery after the humidor has been opened.

 

[Craig Mac]

I have been debating on doing what Justin suggests, been running HF for close to 2 years now and just tired of the constant watering of the beads every 4-5 days. Hygros are calibrated and it is a fight to keep it at 64-65%. I have more than the suggested amount beads in my vino(volume wise), and they are scattered throughout the drawers and shelves as well. At this point it is worth the extra money to not have to water beads every other time I open the door. I think in a smaller humi HF work great and the bigger humis you have to overdue the amount of beads to keep a stable environment. Personally, if I am going to buy more beads to fix my problem I would rather switch to something better!

 

[Jfire]

Man could not disagree more. Have been using HF beads since sept 08. 1lb in the vinotemp w boxes and 1lb in the edgestar with the chasidor trays. I spray mine not on color of beads but when the digi hygro drops from 65 to 63. This is anywhere from 3-5 months. Most of the time the beads are only 20-30 percent clear. But if the vinos are 65% and smokes burn perfect I don't care about the color of the beads. I am going to grab a couple more lbs just for the 10 percent discount right now. Craig u sure you don't have a leak?

 

[AlohaStyle]

I have been debating on doing what Justin suggests, been running HF for close to 2 years now and just tired of the constant watering of the beads every 4-5 days. Hygros are calibrated and it is a fight to keep it at 64-65%.

Man could not disagree more. Have been using HF beads since sept 08. 1lb in the vinotemp w boxes and 1lb in the edgestar with the chasidor trays. I spray mine not on color of beads but when the digi hygro drops from 65 to 63. This is anywhere from 3-5 months.

Wow Craig, have you checked to see if something else is wrong with your humidor such as bad seals, or possibly your hygros are off? I don't think there is any way that you should have to add water to your beads that often. After doing some checks (if you haven't already), you should contact Heartfeldt and see what they say. Maybe you could exchange your beads for other ones in case your beads didn't get calibrated properly...

I'm with Justin and the majority in that the Heartfeldt beads have been rock solid and steady for me. I have had to add a little more distilled water this month because it's so hot in my house and my vino's are constantly running and bringing the Rh down, but during the cool months I rarely have to add water. Just like Justin... around 4-5 months.

 

[Jfire]

But I will agree with 25 I think those beads although more expensive last longer. I "mist" my HF beads very carefully and they HAVE degraded somewhat. No matter how much I carefully mist them.

 

[twenty5]

People have problems with the Shilalas just like I have had problems with the Heartfelts. IMO I think the shilala beads are a much better product that will out perform the heartfelts 95% of the time. I am a huge advocate for Shilala just because they have worked so well for me and many others. All just a matter of opinion.....

 

[Craig Mac]

But I will agree with 25 I think those beads although more expensive last longer. I "mist" my HF beads very carefully and they HAVE degraded somewhat. No matter how much I carefully mist them.

I think that is more of the problem, I have always misted them since day one. As I said originally my 2 hygros ARE calibrated, seal is fine on the vino. Everything was good until the winter time. My house gets really dry in the winter running heat and I have a humidifier in the room to help out but I was watering beads every few days. Last summer I rarely watered the beads, but this summer I noticed a lot of bead dust in the tubes in the drawers. So much so I have to carefully remove them so I don't get white specs everywhere. So that is why I am considering switch from HF beads rather than go through the headache of watering them constantly and then having to replace them after 2-3 years.

 

[Oxman]

I've been using the Cigarmony beads for over a year now. I just have a pound of them in my coolidor in the bag provided.

65% Rock. Steady.

Spokane is a pretty dry climate, believe me. I wet them down once every three months or so. One time, they went nearly 6 months. I do have a little fan running on the other side of the coolidor to provide circulation, but I think it's redundant. I only put it there because I have it. It's the fan unit from a cheapie little LaVeil humidifier I bought way back in the early days.