Bead Issues

[JRas224]

So I decided to man-up and by some 65% beads from Heartfelt. According to their site, I need .1 pounds for my humidor. I easily put that many in. The RH was pretty low before I put in the beads, so I think I may have over compensated by oversaturating the beads. However, the RH in a week and a half, has failed to climb above 59% according to my digital hygrometer. I would think if I had oversaturated the beads, it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 70%. Anybody have any idea why this could be happening? Maybe my cigars were just real dry before and are soaking up the moisture? Maybe I need to re-season my humidor? Maybe my humidor sucks? Thanks for any help.

[drew_goring]

So I decided to man-up and by some 65% beads from Heartfelt. According to their site, I need .1 pounds for my humidor. I easily put that many in. The RH was pretty low before I put in the beads, so I think I may have over compensated by oversaturating the beads. However, the RH in a week and a half, has failed to climb above 59% according to my digital hygrometer. I would think if I had oversaturated the beads, it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 70%. Anybody have any idea why this could be happening? Maybe my cigars were just real dry before and are soaking up the moisture? Maybe I need to re-season my humidor? Maybe my humidor sucks? Thanks for any help.

Have you done the salt test on your hygrometer?

I am thinking that is your problem. The beads are fairly foolproof.

[Bkcloud114]

Drew seems to have hit it right on the head.... I would do some type of test on your hygrometer... lots of people do the salt test.... the newest thing seems to be using a Boveda bag and calibrating you hygrometer.

http://www.cigarmony.com/store/produ...7061cd10fccaaf

[JRas224]

I did do the salt test when I got it about 4 months ago. I also salt tested the analog hygrometer which is mounted on the front of the humidor. They are both reading the same right now.

[drew_goring]

Hmmm...I still trust my beads over my hygrometer. I heard somewhere that they will start reading low when the batteries get low. Try changing them.

You are using distilled water with your beads, right?

[JRas224]

I am using distilled water. I guess I will salt test the hygrometers again. I'm thinking I might also need to season my humidor again. I took it easy on it the first time and I'm thinking it might not have been enough.

[godfather]

Another thing you can try that I've heard is taking a shotglass full of distilled water and leaving it in your humidor for a day. This should provide enough moisture for the humidor's wood to absorb as well as the beads.

[Monk]

Another thing you can try that I've heard is taking a shotglass full of distilled water and leaving it in your humidor for a day. This should provide enough moisture for the humidor's wood to absorb as well as the beads.

That would be a better way if it was seasoned once and you think the humidor needs to absorb more water, but remember you don't want the beads to absorb all the moisture, you want them to keep a consistent humidity, so don't do this for long. The important thing right now JRas224 is what colour are the beads at that humidity? are they all completely white, or clear?

-W.

[JRas224]

They're probably 80% clear.

[Monk]

well sounds like the beads are holding up ok.

Have you checked the seal on your humidor? (place a dollar bill over the edge of the box, close the lid on it and see how easily the bill pulls out, it should be hard to do or not possible at all).

it could just be that it needs to equalise as well if your salt test shows o.k.

-W.

[Desert Rat]

They're probably 80% clear.

Don't fret. Keep the beads at least 50% clear and your cigars will be happy.

Add more beads, you cannot put too many in. I usually triple the reccomended amount.

[JRas224]

Actually, I went back and looked at them and it's probably more like 90% clear. Would oversaturation lead to low humidity though? I just placed the beads and my digital hygrometer in another humidor that I'm not using right now but has been seasoned. I'll see what happens in there. The dollar bill test resulted in resistance but it did come out.

[cls515]

How big is your humidor and how many beads did you get (ounces? tubes?)

[cls515]

Actually, I went back and looked at them and it's probably more like 90% clear. Would oversaturation lead to low humidity though?

No, they would release excess water into the humidor over time.

[JRas224]

Here is my humidor: http://www.cigarsinternational.com/p...=el+presidente

I bought the half pound bag of beads and placed them in some tupperware.

[cls515]

Here is my humidor: http://www.cigarsinternational.com/p...=el+presidente

I bought the half pound bag of beads and placed them in some tupperware.

You should have enough beads for that humidor. You probably need to add some water to the spanish cedar, sounds like it has dried out.

[Desert Rat]

Hmmm....

Dry cigars, dry humi, or, dry gars AND dry humi, bad hygro, bad Karma.

Some, none, or all of the above.

Looks like you are going to have to throw beads, cigars, and humi away.

Start all over.

[Dru Lee Parsec]

Looks like you are going to have to throw beads, cigars, and humi away.

Yep, I suggest you send them to me and I'll throw it away for you. It will be too traumatic for you to throw it away yourself. Heck, I'll even pay the postage. I'm just that nice of a guy.

[JRas224]

Yep, I suggest you send them to me and I'll throw it away for you. It will be too traumatic for you to throw it away yourself. Heck, I'll even pay the postage. I'm just that nice of a guy.

Thanks for the offer Dru. Very sweet of you. However, I think I'll take my chances with reseasoning the humi. Thanks again to everyone for all the help.

[Monk]

So the tupperware is open to the air though right? I put the lower portion of my tupperware filled with beads into a pair of pantyhose. works great.

-W.