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Thread: Building a Coolerdor

  1. #1
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    Default Building a Coolerdor

    Please note - I didn't write this. BigWhiteAsh wrote this. This post disappeared when the sticky's did, but I found it and am reposting. Dennis, if you want, I'll take this down so you get the credit.

    7 Easy Steps to a Successful Coolerdor!

    Step 1) Select a cooler!
    Look for a cooler that will fit in an out of the way place.. most Wife Units don't approve of large coolers cluttering up the living room or bedroom. I keep mine in a closet. Look for a cooler that has a tight sealing lid. I only use 50qt Coleman coolers LINKY. I have two of these filled already, with just over one year of collection. You can find larger coolers, and some of the 100+ qt Coleman Marine coolers would make GREAT humidors, they're just too large for me to lug around.

    Step 2) Clean the Cooler!
    This is an important step, but not difficult. I clean mine using a mild bleach solution, making sure to wipe all surfaces well, rinse with generous amounts of cool water, (do this in the driveway with the hose.) Once you are satisfied that no bleach aroma can be detected, let your cooler set out in the hot sun for a good while. This will help release the plastic odors that are present in any newly molded cooler. I let mine sit in the sun for at least two days, bringing them in at night.

    Step 3) Humidification!
    I think I speak for most everyone here when I say Rh Beads are the way to go. Not only are the basically a set and forget system, (very little maintenance is required,) but they work two ways, by releasing humidity when Rh is low, and absorbing excess humidity when Rh swings high... Very Cool! First you need to determine the quantity of beads needed, They're sold by weight.LINK TO BEAD CALCULATOR
    Measure the interior dimensions of your cooler, and use that calculator to determine how much to purchase. DON'T SKIMP ON THE BEADS! Too Much is ALWAYS better than not enough! Most here will recommend using the 65% rh Beads but you can eventually determine what works best for you. Beads will need to be charged with DISTILLED water, put some water in a NEW spray bottle, and slowly spray and mix them up until about half of the beads are clear.

    Step 4) Hygrometer
    This is another thing that you will not want to skimp on. Get yourself a good quality DIGITAL hygrometer, one that is preferably adjustable. ADJUSTABLE DIGITAL HYGROMETER.
    Step 4a) Calibrate hygrometer
    If you purchase a hygrometer from the above link, just add the Boveda Calibration kit at checkout, they're very easy to use. Or, you can perform the "Salt Test". Get yourself a HEAVY gallon size ziploc freezer bag, a cap from a 2-liter soda bottle, and some table salt. Fill the cap with salt, and drizzle some distilled water just enough to make the salt paste like, not soaked, then seal both the salt, and hygrometer up in the ziploc bag, and leave it alone overnight, in the morning, a perfectly calibrated hygrometer will read 75% rh. If you can adjust yours through the bag, do that, otherwise, open the bag, and quickly adjust to read 75%. Done

    Step 5) Humidity Buffering
    Eventually, this step will work itself out due to large numbers of box purchases Plastic does absolutely nothing to hold humidity, and constant opening of an empty cooler will usually create some pretty drastic swings in humidity. If you want to get all fancy, you can purchase some SPANISH cedar, (not red cedar, it's totally different,) and build shelves that fit your cooler. Another option is to go to Home Depot, and ask for some 1/8 thick LUAN, which is a mahogany plywood. (Spanish Cedar is a close relative of Mahogany). Or, just collect some nice wood cigar boxes, and use them to store cigars in. Ideally, you want to fill up at least 75% of the coolers internal volume, this will act to hold humidity when you open and close the cooler.

    Step 6) Seasoning
    This step is very important! Cigars by nature are Hygroscopic, meaning they will adapt themselves over time to whatever humidity level they are stored at. The important note here is: Spanish cedar is ALSO hygroscopic, and if not properly seasoned, will quickly absorb the moisture from your precious cigars... NOT GOOD! So, if you use luan, or old cigar boxes, moisten a sponge with distilled water, and dampen (slightly) all exposed surfaces of the wood, then place all the Empty boxes in the cooler, along with the charged beads, (the sandwich shaped Gladloc containers work great for beads, you can leave the lids off, or drill holes in them,) put the hygrometer in a place where you can easily read it quickly when you open the cooler, close the lid, and leave it closed for 48 hours or more. This will allow everything to stabilize, and if you calibrated correctly, you should have a reading somewhere between 65% ~ 70% rh.

    Step 7) Fill it up!
    No explanation necessary here Go Smoke A Cigar!


    Please feel free to add any details that I may have missed!


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  2. Default

    Great post.

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    Vote for sticky.

    Will
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    Uncle Tupelo

  4. #4

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    Very informative and will be a huge help for those like me, who thought their whopping 100 ct humidor would be enough... I agree, this should have stickie status for sure.


    Slippery slope indeed.

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    Darn right sticky this puppy! Good find mrtr33.
    "I'm a leaf on the wind watch how I soar."
    Hoban Washburn


  6. #6

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    So..., any cigar box will work? I am thinking yes, since the store and shit them in them.

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    Quote Originally Posted by OrCal15 View Post
    So..., any cigar box will work? I am thinking yes, since the store and shit them in them.
    Sure, if you're gonna shit in it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by OrCal15 View Post
    So..., any cigar box will work? I am thinking yes, since the store and shit them in them.
    LOL, priceless almost as good as some of my typos.
    designated whipping boy for the grammar police
    Just run everything threw a spell checker.

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    ooppss. Shit should be ship.. Have no idea how my finger went to the 'T' when it is across the keyboard..... hummmm...................

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    Cigar boxes usually don't seal well enough for long term storage.

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    I completely disagree with Step 4. If you're using beads, all you need is a cheap hygro because it will never move unless the beads dry out. No need to spend crazy money on something you don't need.
    TBSCigars - "On Holiday"
    Grammar - It's the difference between knowing your crap and knowing you're crap.

  12. #12

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    I am going to be setting my cooler up, cleaning out tomorrow. I was just asking about the boxes because I have seen people use them and not use them. I really don't want to buy them for nothing. I have sticks sitting in my box that was usps'd to me... My humi is over flowing!

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    Quote Originally Posted by CoventryCat86 View Post
    I completely disagree with Step 4. If you're using beads, all you need is a cheap hygro because it will never move unless the beads dry out. No need to spend crazy money on something you don't need.
    I agree. Who wrote that, anyways?

    Quote Originally Posted by ashauler View Post
    Cigar boxes usually don't seal well enough for long term storage.
    I've found they work for a weekend getaway, though. They hold up a tad longer for me if I stick a bead puck in there.

    Quote Originally Posted by OrCal15 View Post
    I am going to be setting my cooler up, cleaning out tomorrow. I was just asking about the boxes because I have seen people use them and not use them. I really don't want to buy them for nothing. I have sticks sitting in my box that was usps'd to me... My humi is over flowing!
    Well, I wouldn't advocate using only a cigar box as a humidor. I would, however, advocate using cigar boxes in your coolerdor. Especially if you had a huge cooler you were using, you wouldn't want loose cigars everywhere - that would be an organizational nightmare. Maybe just get a few cigar boxes to keep things organized.


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  14. #14

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    Not using boxes to store.. But to put in the cooler.

    My local place.. seems high for empty boxes.

  15. #15

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    I'm still a newbie, and I am already looking into building one because my 120ct is already nearing capacity (Are really there any humidors that actually hold the count they are advertised for?). I haven't counted recently, but I think I'm at around 80-90 cigars. I could probably get some more in there, but wonder if it's going to hinder circulation.

    I found this link when I was looking around for info on how to get started:

    http://www.coolidor.com/

    My Coolerdor project was delayed by the birth of my daughter 2 weeks ago, but my life is starting to regain some normalcy and I hope to get to this in the next week or 2. I already ordered my Heartfelt beads yesterday.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrtr33 View Post

    I've found they work for a weekend getaway, though. They hold up a tad longer for me if I stick a bead puck in there.
    Yep, so does a zip-lock.....but it makes you look like an amateur, or so I've heard.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ashauler View Post
    Yep, so does a zip-lock.....but it makes you look like an amateur, or so I've heard.
    I keep cigars in zip locks for months at a time and they never get ruined. Of course I don't let the pros like grateful1, thinde or TheLostGringo ever see me carrying my cigars around in baggies so I put on a show with those guys and use my otter box for Wednesday Night Smokers. I think they're on to me though.
    TBSCigars - "On Holiday"
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    I keep 4 Igloo 150 coolidors at the house. I usually have a Zip lock bag in the truck. Zip locks work great for me. I also use Bic lighters almost exclusively. I got tired of having to constantly refill those fancy lighters and I always end up loosing. The Zip lock and Bic's make me look amateurish?

    Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. -- Carl Sagan

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    Quote Originally Posted by hex1848 View Post
    I keep 4 Igloo 150 coolidors at the house. I usually have a Zip lock bag in the truck. Zip locks work great for me. I also use Bic lighters almost exclusively. I got tired of having to constantly refill those fancy lighters and I always end up loosing. The Zip lock and Bic's make me look amateurish?

    My post was, as is typical of me, a sarcastic reference to a previous post on this board. I should have used the word read instead of heard, my bad.
    http://www.cigarsmokers.com/threads/...089#post155089

    I think I've posted a few times about my high regard for the bic lighter and $4 cutters.
    Last edited by ashauler; 09-15-2011 at 08:30 AM. Reason: post not quote

  20. #20
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    Regardless that these instructions (written years ago) reference a hydrometer, this thread should be sticked. When it was, it probably saved us about a million newbie questions.

    My high falootin' ass has a couple cigar caddys, but that's not the point.

    Will
    The powers that be might take it all away
    Together we burn, together we burn away

    Uncle Tupelo

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