Heated Coolidor - Questions from a researching newb

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Hello everyone-

I am new and have been reading the boards since I found you. I have casually smoked cigars for a long time but have never been serious about it or smoked frequently. I was more into it in high school but drifted away from smoking.

Anyway, I am interested in starting a small collection of sticks and smoking one or two a week.

Onto my question. I live in Wisconsin, where it is cold. I have searched for a long time but found almost no information about heated humidors. Some people had questions about storing their stogies at around 63º and the general consensus was that that is OK. My cigars, however, would be exposed to around 55º for a significant (~6-7mo) amount of the year. This is no good. In some other threads the relative humidity numbers were given were at 60º 100% relative humidity was needed to maintain 65 Rh. Obviously, 55º would be an issue.

My solution (proposed) is to build a heated coolidor. My plan is to get a 50qt or larger cooler (probably on CL) and install shelving for an upright or door style coolidor.

I would install a PID controller in the door that would power a heat pad to maintain the coolidor at exactly 70º, or another temp. if you suggest so. The heat pad will be on the back wall and I would install a very small intermittent operation fan to ensure even temps and humidity.

I plan to mount a humidifier from heartfelt industries and a digital hygrometer on the inside of the door.

I have some spanish cedar boxes on hand that I plan to cut slots in and use as trays initially.

Here is my bill of materials:

1 PID with relay output : $44.50 : Auber Instruments : SYL-2342 : link
1 RTD sensor : $15.65 : Auber Instruments : PT100S : link
1 Fermwrap heater : $39.99 : MoreBeer : FE650 : link
1 Heartfelt Humidity Bead Case - 70% Large : $49.98 : Heart Felt Industries : link
1 Rectangular Adjustable Hygrometer : $21.95 : Heart Felt Industries : link
1 Cooler : $25.00 : Craigslist
4 shelves : $1.00 : random
SUB-TOTAL $201.07

So what do you think? Is this a good idea? Necessary? Overkill? Do you hate me?

Cheers,

Justin

[TachyCoventry]

Being an enginerd I'm all about the PID controllers, heat pads and intermittent op fans, BUT I see a very simple and much cheaper solution. Keep the cooler inside, I'm sure that you aren't keeping your house at 55.

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Outside the average winter temp is about 20º. Most of my house is around 60-65º during the winter and the upstairs temp varies a lot day to night. I will be keeping these int he basement cellar where the temp stays a rather consistent 55º nearly year round.

I wish the solution was that easy. If I was only going to keep a few sticks around I would get a small desktop and put it somewhere in the house. For long term aging, which I am planning on doing, I don't think that is a good idea.

We are not big on using a lot of energy (it is expensive) so we don't use any air-conditioning and heat sparingly. That's just how we roll. I am not so interested in cigars to change my entire life to maintain a humidor

It sounds like you think my idea would be fine though??? 200 bones for a big ass humidor is still pretty cheap. I don't have to use the fancy bead holder either, I could just use a tupperware and save about $30... who knows.

[mrtr33]

I understand what you're concern about keeping your sticks in a 55 degree temperature. I think, however, that you are discounting the containment capabilities of the cooler itself.

Essentially, you're creating an independent environment; one reason why coolerdors are such an attractive option is because they protect the contents from outside elements. I would think that within the humidified confines of your coolerdor, you'd be able to sustain a humidity, and eventually a temperature, that would be desirable. So, while the temperature outside the coolerdor would be around 55 degrees, the actual temperature inside the coolerdor would be what you were looking for. I had a similar question about keeping smokes cooled in a coolerdor a little while back - I seem to remember getting the suggestion that if I wanted to stick a frozen blue ice pack in there occasionally, that would be okay, but generally, kept in a cooler spot of the house would benefit me. And we're talking about cooling to 70 degrees from 100 degrees - I would think dropping 30 degrees would be more of a concern than raising 10.

A cheap and easy way to test this would be to setup the coolerdor as directed in the "build a coolerdor" thread (should be a sticky in Accessories), but include a small thermometer in there as well. You're coolerdor may do a better job holding humidity when it's more full, so you might want to take that into consideration. I'd hate to see you spend all that money when a cheaper solution may be available.

But I DO hate you.

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Very good points. While I couldn't keep it in the basement (the average temp is still 55º and I don't think cigars create heat), it is definitely worth trying it out somewhere upstairs. The insulation would even out day-to-day temps, and maybe the average temp is high enough in the winter and low enough in the summer to be OK.

If that doesn't work out, adding the heating capacity is an easy fix (just cut a hole and insert the controller).

The other thing I am considering is purchasing a simple 100 stick humidor from cigar bid (~$30-40) and using that upstairs for short term storage, and building the heated coolidor for the basement. One of my concerns with the upstairs thing is that a large plastic cooler doesn't exactly fit my home's decor ;)

Even if the heating thing is overkill, I think it may be my only option if I want to have a large storage solution.

My main concern is about that ability to heat the space and not damage the cigars. I just haven't seen anyone with a heated humidor so I definitely don't want to spend the coin if heating would be bad for some reason.

Thanks for the help!

[Cigarbear]

My plan is to get a 50qt or larger cooler (probably on CL) and install shelving for an upright or door style coolidor.

I don't know shit about the electronics portion but I'd definitely recommend around 100qt if you're getting many boxes. Admittedly, I'm a bit more aggressive in my collecting than it sounds you'll be but the slope is steep and slippery!

[TachyCoventry]

Outside the average winter temp is about 20º. Most of my house is around 60-65º during the winter and the upstairs temp varies a lot day to night. I will be keeping these int he basement cellar where the temp stays a rather consistent 55º nearly year round.

Ok, I've got it! Move to Florida! I am from upstate NY originally and moved down south to get away from those exact conditions.

Good luck with the build, I'd love to see some pictures of it once you get it complete (if you go this route)!

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I don't know how you southerners do it... I would die in the south. I live in a semi-loathing state for 2-3 months a year in summer; it is so hot! I love the spring and fall, winter is fine, and the last two summers have been nice. It has only gone over 90º 2 times int he last two years. I am a snow monster.

Good call on the 100qt. I have been told by everyone to go bigger than I think I need. The size of the cooler is inconsequential to the cost so I guess why not???

Is there any down side to having a large coolidor with only say 40-50 sticks in it?

[ashauler]

I don't know how you southerners do it... I would die in the south. I live in a semi-loathing state for 2-3 months a year in summer; it is so hot! I love the spring and fall, winter is fine, and the last two summers have been nice. It has only gone over 90º 2 times int he last two years. I am a snow monster.

Good call on the 100qt. I have been told by everyone to go bigger than I think I need. The size of the cooler is inconsequential to the cost so I guess why not???

Is there any down side to having a large coolidor with only say 40-50 sticks in it?

Yes, there would not be sufficient buffering to absorb RH swings when opening and closing the cooler, unless you filled it up with empty boxes or something else. Both boxes and cigars serve that purpose, and I've always heard that 75% full or more is ideal. For some reason, I don't seem to have a problem with that.

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Ah ha. And that would be why I like to do a large amount of research before spending money...

Thanks a ton!

[Cigarbear]

I bought a 50 ct desktop, then a 150 ct desktop, then a 300 ct, then another 300 count, then finally admitted I'm too deep to to turn back and bought a 150 qt cooler. With a couple pounds of hearfelt beads, the few boxes, a couple trays and a few spanish cedar planks as shelves, it stayed pretty consistent, even at only 35% capacity until I fubared the seal. A good seal on a 100 qt with a pound of beads and you should be fine. The heated idea is interesting but I'd be concerned about getting into the dreaded beetle range. The idea of some bugger eating my sticks is enough to give me nightmares

[Cyris]

You really like to build them eh? I have followed quite a few of your threads on HBT.. I see no issues with what you are proposing here. My only real concern is that you do want to keep your box pretty full. You could, if you have other coolers, just start smaller and move your gear to another cooler as you got more sticks.

The other one would be that the cigars tucked back there by the heating pad might get blasted by the quick heat. If you are doing it upright, you could just dedicate an area (shelf?) for the pad, the beads, and the fan, to keep the sticks away from any major temp changes.

I am in Arizona.. and have a hard time keeping my humidor below 70* in the winter =)

Looking forward to seeing some pictures!

[BigMacFU]

When it comes to temp, you really only need to worry about being too warm in general so long as coolidor is inside. RH (humidity) is what you have to be concerned with. Keep your temps below 70º and RH between 60 and 70. You'll be fine.

[heftysmokes]

+1 what BigMac said. If you're temp is a (relatively) consistent 55 I would think you'd be fine. I would think the biggest concern would be dropping below freezing or shooting above 70-75.

And no, I don't hate you...you haven't been around long enough for that yet.

[mail man]

+1 what BigMac said. If you're temp is a (relatively) consistent 55 I would think you'd be fine. I would think the biggest concern would be dropping below freezing or shooting above 70-75.

And no, I don't hate you...you haven't been around long enough for that yet.

Yeah, give him at least a week.

Keith