How do you take your beads?

[cyclops454]

As some of you may know by reading my other post I've been having some trouble with the beads and high humidity in one of my humidors. Things have started to settle down now and assuming all goes well I'm going to try and swap out my existing humidifiers in my other desktop humis. Towards that end I have a few questions about what others have done in their humidors:

1. What method of storage do you use/recommend...
a. In bulk for use in mesh bags
b. In pre-filled tubes
c. In pre-filled humidifier units
d. Other

2. What tools and methods do you use to hydrate your beads?

I'm currently using one of the Heartfelt large 65% tubes in my 100 count glass top. My other desktop humidors are a 150 glass top, a 200 count hard top, and a 75 count hard top.

 

[jayro75]

In smaller humis such as yours tubes or the bead cases you can mount on the lid would typically be best.

As for hydrating the beads fill a small shot glass with distilled water place it in the humi and let the beads take what humidity they need.

Typically when beads are giving off too much humidity it's because they have been drenched by someone pouring too much water on them.

 

[GoingPostal]

i use a combination of both in my humi


to hydrate the mesh bags i wrap a damp cloth around the beads and let them absorb mostiure till they are about 80% clear and for tubes use a fine tip bottle till 50% so they can absorb any excess humidity. and yes way more beads than i need in there but this way i really don't have to babysit my humi.

 

[AnthonyP]

and yes way more beads than i need in there but this way i really don't have to babysit my humi.

I hear that. Better to be safe than sorry!

 

[mav_sd]

I keep my beads organized using three methods... however they all require the bulk means of ordering... just a way for me to pinch pennies.

One thing I do, is load some beads in a pantyhose, then knot it off and cut the extra to make a little hose sack. These go in my drawers.

Another thing I do, is take a box (lid removed) or build a cedar tray to go in the bottom of my wineador to hold the bulk of my beads.

Finally, I have also been known to get some plastic crafters canvas and build my own cases for beads. You can use fishing line, nylon cord, or certain glues to cut out a cylinder, or cube, or flat rectangle etc... stitch or glue the seams, and viola, you have a custom carriage for pennies.

Maybe that gives you some ideas... just my two cents.

 

[jjon90]

I keep my beads organized using three methods... however they all require the bulk means of ordering... just a way for me to pinch pennies.

One thing I do, is load some beads in a pantyhose, then knot it off and cut the extra to make a little hose sack. These go in my drawers.

Another thing I do, is take a box (lid removed) or build a cedar tray to go in the bottom of my wineador to hold the bulk of my beads.

Finally, I have also been known to get some plastic crafters canvas and build my own cases for beads. You can use fishing line, nylon cord, or certain glues to cut out a cylinder, or cube, or flat rectangle etc... stitch or glue the seams, and viola, you have a custom carriage for pennies.

Maybe that gives you some ideas... just my two cents.

Mike, not sure which beads you're using but with Heartfelt, David advised me against doing this because he said the beads will absorb the oils from the wood eventually contaminating them.
Just an FYI.

 

[Craig Mac]

I have a 28 bottle vino. I have a 1/4 pound bag of beads in hose over the drain plug, a small plate in the bottom with beads, a small tube of beads in each of the 4 drawers and an open "puck" of beads in the middle. I hydrate them using a spray bottle I bought from the hardware store with distilled water......

 

[mav_sd]

Mike, not sure which beads you're using but with Heartfelt, David advised me against doing this because he said the beads will absorb the oils from the wood eventually contaminating them.
Just an FYI.

Using Heartfelt beads... i can see how there might be issues over time, but not sure how much different it would be than using the bag options and what not...

However, with that being said, maybe I should use a plastic canvass liner for the tray... this would keep the beads out of contact with the wood...but still allow for a decent presentation...and the rigidity of the wood container.

Thanks for the tip brother.

 

[elderboy02]

I have an Aristocrat and it has the set and forget system at 64%. However, I do keep a 1/2 pound of 65% beads in there just in case some freak situation occurs and the humidity gets too high.

 

[Jwrussell]

Just about every which way from Sunday. I have them in bags, in tubes (the old plastic single cigar size ones and the newer larger tubes), in Cigarmony's Pucks, and even in an old rectangular foam humidifier converted to hold beads. I've bought most bulk to save, but I've bought a few as packages (the pucks come to mind). As to tools, I have this plastic syringe that came with some of the beads at one time or another.

 

[mhlatke]

I have a 28 bottle wine chiller with 1# beads on second shelf and 1# beads on the bottom shelf (opposite side). Beads are in mesh bags and when they need a little water (when the hygro reads 63%), I simply pull them out and give a light spray with a misting bottle. I usually only have to mist them every 2-3 months.

 

[JgButler]

I've got a 100 count desktop that I have one of Heartfelt's extra large 65% tubes in. I've also got four 120 quart coolers and each have a pound of beads in a cut off piece of panty hose that is knotted after filling. I use a small fine tip bottle that I use to hydrate the beads.

Every time I think that it's time to reydrate each, I put 10 ml in the tube beads and 25 ml in the beads in hose. That puts me good for at least a month to a month and a half, and that's with me getting in all of them quite often.

 

[ER Doc]

I have a medium cabinet (about 500 cigar capacity) and use Cigarmony 65% beads. I place the beads in clear plastic cups (the kind you put beer in for a backyard BBQ) that have been cut down to about 3" in height.

The top lift-top section has one cup with wet beads and one cup with dry beads. The lower portion of the cabinet (filled with boxes and bags of singles) has two cups filled with wet beads and one cup filled with dry beads. I need to moisten the wet beads about every 3 or 4 weeks. Seems to work okay. I just have to be careful not to spill them (done it several times).

 

[jayro75]

I've got a 100 count desktop that I have one of Heartfelt's extra large 65% tubes in. I've also got four 120 quart coolers and each have a pound of beads in a cut off piece of panty hose that is knotted after filling. I use a small fine tip bottle that I use to hydrate the beads.

Every time I think that it's time to reydrate each, I put 10 ml in the tube beads and 25 ml in the beads in hose. That puts me good for at least a month to a month and a half, and that's with me getting in all of them quite often.

I have 2 lbs. in each of my 120 qt. coolers and end table humi. The benefit is that you really never have to rehydrate the beads.

 

[vperlman]

FWIW, I use plastic humidifier devices in my desktop humidors. I remove the floral foam and replace them with beads. Sometimes, the holes in the device are large enough that the beads can fall through, in which case I cut a piece of my wife's discarded pantyhose as a screen between the beads and the lid of the humidifier.

I use two humidifiers in each humidor. I wet one periodically and leave the other dry, just in case I get overzealous in watering the wet one. I use digital hygrometers in each humidor to monitor the RH.

In each of my coolerdoors, I place a clear plastic cup filled with beads. It's easy to see their color and know when to add water, and I don't bother to use a hygrometer in the coolerdors.

 

[JgButler]

I have 2 lbs. in each of my 120 qt. coolers and end table humi. The benefit is that you really never have to rehydrate the beads.

I've thought about increasing the amount of beads in each many times but I just never have. Three of them I have boxes Tetris'd so tight I'm not sure an extra pound would fit! What I've got going now really isn't that big of a pain to maintain. If I wasn't digging around in all of them almost daily I'm sure they would last much longer before needing to be dosed again.

I hear what your saying though and you are correct. Up to a point, the more beads the better over what you have to have.